VeeraBhoomi

VELU NACHIYAR:WARRIOR QUEEN OF TAMIL NADU WHOSE LEGENDS REMAIN UNSUNG.

2021-05-08T00:56:00.005+05:30

There were not only men in the fight of independence from the British, there were women also who left the comfort and the safety of their homes and joined the struggle to make difference in the war for independence on India from the British. Rani Velu Nachiyar, the 18th-century queen of Sivagangai, was also one of those women.

Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen who stands against the British colonial control, 85 years before the 1857 rebellion. She is also known as Veeramangai, which means “brave woman” in Tamil.

EARLY LIFE

Velu Nachiyar was born on 3 January 1730 as the princess of Ramanathapuram and only child of king Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and queen Sakandhimuthathal.

She was trained in horse riding, archery and martial art such as valari (throwing of sickle) and silambarn (fighting with a sickle). She was also upskilled in many languages like English, French and Urdu.

She married Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar, the King of Sivagangai, when she was 16 years old. In 1770, she gave birth to a daughter whom she called Vellachi. From 1750-1772, Rani Velu Nachriya and her husband ruled the Sivagangai peacefully. Until 1772, the King Muthu Vaduganatha Periyavudaya Thevar entangled in a war with the Nawab of Arcot known as “Kalaiyar Koli war”. Later in the war British troops join in to fight against the king causing him to lose the campaign and be assassinated by the British and the Nawab.

Due to the king's unexpected martyrdom, Rani Velu Nachriya was forced to leave her kingdom with her infant daughter and a few surviving courtiers to Virupachi in Dindigul in order to save herself and the eventual the heir of Sivagangai, Vellachi’s. Still, before her kingdom she makes a vow to her kingdom and to her dead husband that one day she would return to regain her throne of Sivagangai.

PLAN OF TRIUMPH

SULTAN HAIDER ALI

For eight long years, she stayed in Dindigul under the Gopala Nayaker harbor. During her time as a refugee, she encountered Sultan Haider Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and persuaded him to join her in fighting the British.

To converse her thoughts to Sultan she used her one of the powerful weapon, her mastery of various languages. Even Haider Ali was blown away by her command of the Urdu language, as well as her bravery and perseverance.

“More than courage, legend has it that her mastery of language (Urdu in this case) was what won her strong ally as she was inching closer to retribution,” most historians said.

Sultan Haider Ali provide her arms and men so that she could create her own army. Rani Velu Nachriya also created an army of young women and named it Udiyal after her adopted daughters name who sacrifice her life in order to protect her and her infant daughter Vellachi life from the British attack on Sivagangai.

The Marthadu brothers (surviving courtier and also who assisted her in escaping from Sivagangai ) began raising an army amongst the loyalist. Rani Velu Nachriya was able to attack Britishers and Nawabs with the help of her loyal supporters, but no attack ever caused them significant harm. Following these minor assaults, Queen Velu and Kuyili, the commander-in-chief of Velu's army and her one of the adoptive daughter, devised a larger and more deadly assault on them. As they discovered about the British ammunition stockpile Rani Velu and Kuyili plotted and arranged a suicide attack into the ammunition store and this plan was followed by Kuyili.

To carry out this mission, the first step was to reach the fort without alerting any of the fort’s gatekeepers. As a result, they selected Vijayadashmi as the day to complete this mission. With a few women from her army, Kuyili will reach the fort and open the fort gates for Queen Velu and her army.

As per the plan Kuyili and other women enter inside the fort with a group of women who came from outside the Sivagangi to visit the temple ofRajarajeswari Amman on the occasion of Vijayadashami invading through the eyes of British gatekeepers.

KUYILI

Kuyili issued orders to her sister to assault the British soldiers at the appointed time. When others opened the fort door, Kuyili doused her in ghee and oil, set herself on fire, and dashed into the armory hall. This was the first time in history that the idea of suicide bombing was used. This resulted in a massive explosion, which Rani Velu Nachriya took advantage of to defeat the British troops and the Nawab.

In 1780, she was finally able to regain her authority over Sivagangai and fulfill her promise.

POST WAR

After reclaiming the throne of Sivagangai she rule for the next 10 years before passing her throne to her daughter Vellachi .she also gave the Marudu brothers administrative powers over the region. Nachiyar expressed her profound appreciation for Sultan Hyder Ali's assistance by building a Mosque and Church at Saragani following the restoration of her empire.
She died on December 25,1796 in Sivaganga at the age of 66 as she was suffering from heart disease.

https://anikartick.blogspot.com/2012/07/velu-nachiar-warrior-queen-and-freedom.html

SENAPATI BAPAT: A Rare Blend of Tilak, Gandhi and Savarkar

2021-04-08T20:39:00.002+05:30

Among the numerous unsung heroes is the name of Senapati Bapat, who earned the moniker "Senapati" after the Mulshi Satyagrah, which in the words of Ghanshyam Shah is the “first recorded organized struggle against the forced displacement” of farmers. Senapati like many others made an immense contribution in arousing the ardent emotions of self-rule. Many literates comprehend Pandurang as a rare and sweet blend of Tilak, Gandhi, and Veer Savarkar. Pandurang Mahadev Bapat was born on 12 November 1880, in Parner, Maharashtra. Young Bapat received nourishment when the nation was revolutionized with burning desires for a free India. All over the country, there were secret hubs, constant plannings, bombings, and assaults.

SCHOOLING & EDUCATION

Bapat's schooling started late. He completed his matric from Ahmednagar in 1899. Bapat was a master in aptitude and applications. He won the second Jagannath Sanskrit Scholarship and graduated from the Deccan college in 1904. After receiving the Managladas Naathubhai scholarship, reluctant Bapat had to shift to England for studying engineering at Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh.

RADICAL BAPAT

The flames of radicalism were so high, that even in Britain Bapat associated himself with the India house, set up by Shyam Ji Krishna Verma. He developed links with the British Socialists and Russian Revolutionaries who introduced him to Bolshevism. Bapat was a provocative public speaker. On 14 January 1906, his speech on “British Rule in India” and his association with anti-colonial activists lost him his scholarship. It is then that he met the Savarkar brothers, Vinayak and Ganesh, who conspired to blow the Parliament House in London. They advised him to go to Paris and learn techniques for making explosives from some Russians.

RETURNED TO INDIA: THE REAL TUSSLE

Staunch Bapat returned to India in 1908. He shared his skills in bomb-making by circulating a "bomb manual" throughout the nation. In Kolkata, he met HimmendraDas who was preparing explosives for the assassination of the Mayor of Chandan Garh. Bapat was a man of ideals. Since “United we stand and divided we fall” so he wanted coordinated nationwide armed revolts but was against individual acts of terrorism. He rejected this offer and left Kolkata. After the Alipore Bombing, petrified Bapat went under Hiding in Banaras. The Ghats of Ganga acknowledged Bapat with the fact the nation’s men and locals were unaware of the oppression and harassment which the company rule had imposed. This shifted his focus from overthrowing the British empire to educating the countrymen.

But life had a diversion! In 1912 he was arrested for the Alipore conspiracy and imprisoned for 3 years. The court freed him as there were no evidences against him. This was the point where his ideology was transforming from rebellion to the Gandhian philosophy. As per Richard Cashman, Bapat had become a " seasoned revolutionary" by then. He clung to Bal Gangadhar Tilak for strengthening the locals of Puna, and orient people fanatically for independence. Meanwhile, he himself worked with Gandhi and brought his vision of "Swaraj".

In 1920, he led the strike for humanitarian behavior with the sweepers, by hanging pattis around their necks and chanting bhajans, which succeeded. In 1921, some farmers brought the matter of Mulshi Dam to his notice. Bapat had a view that the Construction of a dam is progress for the nation and of benefit to farmers as it will suffice their water needs, but realizing that this progress is at the cost of local peasants land he decided to rebel against it.

As per ecologist Madhav Gadgil and historian Ramachandra Guha, “ The ensuring opposition to the damn was led by a young congressman, Senapati Bapat. Bapat and his followers succeeded in halting the construction of the dam for a year. The Bombay government then promulgated an ordinance whereby the Tatas could acquire land on payment of compensation. Now the resistance to the dam was split into two factions. Whereas the Brahman landlords of Pune, who owned much of the land in the Mulshi valley, were eager to accept compensations, the tenants and their leader, Senapati Bapat, were totally opposed to the dam project”

Bapat could not save the lands but very soon he realized that swaraj won't come this way. It’s after this Mulshi movement that he was entitled "Senapati". Following this movement, he coined the term, "Shuddha Satyagrah" which implied, the use of violence only when the desired goal proves to be of supreme significance as compared with the value of non-violence in itself.

Senapati was imprisoned for 7 years for arousing disturbance in form of the Mulshi movement.

After his release, he was elected as the director of Maharashtra Congress on 28 June 1931. Within 5 months, he was captured again and confiscated for 6 more years. Another seizure by the police, when Senapati spoke at a public gathering held by Netaji.

Senapati Bapat was jailed frequently until India got Independence. On 15 August 1947, Bapat received the honor to let the tricolor flutter over Pune for the first time

TRIBUTE TO THE MAVERIK

As a tribute, to this fervent personality, who passed away on 28 November 1967, the Government of India issued a postage stamp in 1977. The same road, where he spoke for Netaji, was named ‘Senapati Bapat Road’. In 1984, Amar Chitra Katha Comic Book featured a narration on him. From Netaji to Senapati, from Nehruji to Alluri ji, India has seen many heroes fighting for freedom, whether they received recognition or got buried under names, their fight was real, their blood was Indian. They struggled to get “us” a free country, where “we” can celebrate, progress, evolve, and importantly, where “we” can “live together”.
The real ode will be when we give them what they struggled for. Let’s not take this freedom for granted..!

Kittur Rani Chennamma: India’s Valiant Freedom Fighter

2020-09-05T17:01:00.000+05:30

Early Life:

Rani Chennamma, the Queen of Kittur, was one of the first female rulers to rebel against the British Empire. She was born in a small village Kakati on October 23, 1778. She got trained in archery, sword fighting, and horse riding from a very young age. At the age of 15 years, she was married to Mallasarja Desai, the ruler of Kittur.

Due to her rebellious nature, she was imprisoned. However, she became a folk hero in Karnataka and a symbol of the independence movement in India.

Fight Against Britishers:

Her husband died in 1816. She had one son, who also died in 1824. After her son's death, she adopted a boy named Shivalingappa and named him the heir to the throne of Kittur.

Her adopted son was not accepted by the British East India Company due to the Doctrine of Lapse introduced by Lord Dalhousie. As per this doctrine, if the ruler of a state dies without a natural heir, the state would be ruled by the sovereign. Thus, the state of Kittur would be brought under British rule.

When she knew this, she sent a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor of the Bombay Presidency and explained her cause. But, the request was turned down, and to confiscate the jewels of Kittur, Britishers attacked Kittur with over 20,000 men.

In the first round of the war in October 1824, the queen was victorious. To avoid further destruction and war, Rani Chennamma negotiated with the British Commissioner Mr. Chaplin and the Governor of Bombay, under whose regime Kittur fell. She released the hostages owing to the British promise that the war would no longer be continued. However, the promise turned out to be only an act of deception.

British forces continued to attack with more force. For 12 days, Chennamma and her soldiers relentlessly defended their fort. She fought bravely but she was betrayed by traitors in her army who mixed mud and cow dung with the cannon gunpowder. Ultimately, Kittur Chennamma and her forces were outnumbered by the large strength of the British forces. Rani Chennamma was defeated in her last battle and captured by the British, who imprisoned her at the Bailhongal Fort for life.

She did not succeed in winning the battle, but she provoked many people to rise against the British Rule and taught a lesson to the British government that Indian rulers will not accept their enforced laws without a good fight.

Her loyal lieutenant Sangoli Rayanna continued the guerrilla war even in her absence up to 1829, but all efforts were in vain. He wished to install Shivalingappa, Chennamma’s adopted son, as the ruler of Kittur, but he was captured and hanged by the British. Shivalingappa was also arrested by the British forces.

Imprisonment:

After being captured, she spent the last five years of her life in imprisonment at Bailhongal Fort reading holy texts and performing pooja. She took her last breath at the Bailhongal Fort on February 21, 1829.

Rani Chennamma’s samadhi (burial place) is in Bailhongal taluk, under the care of Government agencies.

Tribute:

Every year, Kittur celebrates the Kittur Utsava from the 22nd to the 24th of October in Rani Chennamma’s name.

Rani Chennamma became a legend. During the freedom movement, her brave resistance to the British formed the theme of plays, songs, and song stories. Folk songs or lavanis were a legion and freedom struggle got a good boost through singing bards who moved throughout the region.

On September 11th, 2007 a statue of Rani Chennamma was unveiled at the Indian Parliament Complex by Pratibha Patil, the first woman President of India. The statue was donated by Kittur Rani Chennamma Memorial Committee and sculpted by Vijay Gaur. Two other statues of Rani Chennamma were also installed at Bangalore and Kittur.

A daily train between Bangalore and Kolhapur was named after the Rani as the Rani Chennamma Express. Her life was also captured on film in the form of a historical-drama film by B. R. Panthulu. The film is named Kitturu Chennamma.

Rana Hamir: The Glory of Rajputs

2020-08-26T19:25:00.002+05:30

The first ruler to use the title ‘Rana’, ’Rana Hamir’ was the 14th-century ruler of Mewar ascending the throne at the age of 22 with his wife Songari in 1326. Belonging to the cadet branch of ruling Guilhot dynasty that lost in battle with Allauddin Khilji.,young Hamir lost his parents and his home in this war. Mewar was at the mercy of invaders after the battle leading to chaos in once splendid Mewar. The then king of Mewar, Munja Balecha, minor sycophant of Sultan Khilji, made the life of people of Mewar difficult to live which made Hamir come out and kill the former with his swift and dexterous archery at the bare age of ten. As a result of this, younger brother of Amir’s father, Ajay Singh, spotted the young Hamir first time and learned of his lineage.

Ajay Singh took Hamir as his disciple to teach him the ancient shastras and art of warfare in his fortified retreat of Kelwara, located strategically between the roads from Chittor to Delhi. Ajay Singh taught Hamir to not only learn from previous Rajput kings but also from their mistakes which made the lost the previous battles. Hamir got to know that strength and brain both are important for victory on the battlefield.

Rana Hamir was a supporter of widow remarriage and since actions speak louder than words, he married widowed princess Songari. However, the latter’s father, Raja Maldeo deputed by Allauddin khiliji, ruler of Chittor, ambitions to subdue him with this marriage did not escape his eyes. So he engineered a coup d'etat against Raja Maldeo, giving him a taste of his own medicine, and claiming back his lost motherland of Chittor.

After becoming the king, he refused to accept the suzerainty of the Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad Bin Tughluq. The latter, like previous, invades Sultan Allauddin Khilji, who killed his relatives, killed his father Ghiyasuddin Tughluq, to claim the throne of Delhi. Raja Maldeo who did not want to accept his defeat escaped from prison and joined hands with Muhammad Bin Tughluq to defeat Hamir.

The battle between the forces of Mewar and that of Delhi was the final testament of Rana Hammir ’s supremacy, both on and off the field. Thanks to the teachings of his uncle, and having spent most of his childhood in the region of Kelwara hills, Hammir was quite adept in guerrilla warfare. Even though his force was outnumbered four to one, Rana Hammir knew one maxim of the war, later immortalized by famous American general George S. Patton, was:- ‘The object of war is to not die for the country but to make the other man die for his’ which became his biggest strength on the field.

This war was the ‘do or die ‘ situation for Rana Hammir, he didn’t fear death, but if he wanted the glory of both Mewar and Rajputana to be restored, he needed to win for which he needed to kill.

So, for that Rana Hammir conducted a surprise attack on the enemy camp at midnight, with only a battalion strength of his army. The enemy, taken unawares, were slaughtered like carrots. From folklore, it can be deduced that Raja Maldeo met a deserving end at the hands of the Mewar forces. That night not only Rana Hammir had won the war but also took the Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughluq as his prisoner.

He had managed to avenge the humiliation wrecked upon his Chittor by reducing the pride of the Delhi Sultan to dust.

The Sultan was kept hostage, and he was left only when he agreed to, in writing, giving the independence of the entire region of Rajputana, along with Mewar. Even though he was left alive, Muhammad bin Tughluq was crushed, and could never dare to attack Mewar again. Only a few years later, in 1336, either directly or indirectly inspired by this very tale of valor, two brothers, Harihara and Bukka Rai, defeated the forces of the same Sultan near Warangal, and laid the foundation of the glorious Vijayanagar Empire. Even though Hammir had stepped down from the throne of Mewar in 1364, his days of glory continued to inspire many Rajputs in the Rajputana for centuries to come.

Hammir also became the progenitor of the Sisodia clan, a branch of the Guhila dynasty, to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar has belonged. Mewar during Rana Hammir’s reign was one of the few ethnic Indian states that had withstood the Turkic invasions. He also built the Annapoorna Mata temple located in the Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.

However, the tale doesn’t end here as Sharukh says ”Picture(film) is still left”. Allaluddin Khilji assassinated Jalaluddin and then crowned himself as the new Sultan of Delhi. Muhammad Shah was instrumental in making this coup successful which earned him a basketful of privileges including access to the harem as a result of which he soon built up a good rapport with its inmates.

Chimna was one of Allaudin's begums, but Allaudin never gave her as much attention as other begums which managed to antagonize her, She saw a valiant soldier in Muhammad Shah and was extremely impressed by his courage and boldness. So, the vindictive begum and the ambitious Muhammad Shah started a conspiracy to slay Allaudin and to capture the throne for themselves. However, the conspiratorial plans somehow leaked out which enraged Allaudin. To escape the former’s fury, Muhammad Shah had to flee from Delhi along with his brother. He sought asylum in many nearby kingdoms but no one was ready to stand up to the wrath of Allaudin.

He approached Hamir Dev who was moved by his humble pleading and misery and agreed to provide him shelter but it roused Allaudin's ire. The latter immediately attacked the fort of Ranthambore. The armies of Allaudin and Hamir Dev met in a battle on the banks of river Banas. The Rajputs had the initial victory, but due to personal feud between the Prime Minister and the Senapati (General-in-charge of the army) Hamir Dev's army got disorganized. Meanwhile, Allaudin reorganized his forces and made a renewed attack on the fort.

Some unscrupulous officers of Hamir Dev, with Bhoj Dev as their leader, colluded with Allaudin and started giving him secret information about the fort. The war continued. The strong walls of the fort were strategically situated so that it was not possible to blow them down with guns, for the debris so created had already killed numerous soldiers of the Sultan in their futile attempt to break into the fort. At last, Allaudin sent a message to Hamir Dev that if he handed over Muhammad Shah to him, then he would go back to Delhi. However, Hamir Dev, contrary to his expectations, sent back the messenger with the reply that when the Rajputs promise to protect someone, they would even give their lives for his safety. Muhammad Shah saw the hopelessness of the situation and counseled Hamir Dev to hand him over to Allaudin rather than fight such a long-drawn-out war and suffer such an enormous loss of lives and resources.

Allaudin's army was immense. He put a complete siege on the Ranthambore fort. Bhoj Dev and his informers kept on supplying him with information on the food and water situation inside the fort. The ill-fated war ended with the Sultan's legions emerging victorious. The female members of the Rajput kingdom committed jauhar and gave up lives on the pyres. Hamir Dev, himself, severed his head and put it in front of Lord Shiva's idol as an offering.

The story of Rana Hamir is a legacy for a country like India because every warrior of India has given their lives for every single grain of it.

Writer: Niharika Agarwal

STORY OF PANNA DHAI'S SACRIFICE

2020-06-12T23:24:00.000+05:30

INTRODUCTION:-

History of Chittorgarh, where the immortals of Padmini's Jauhar resonate with the devotional songs of Meera, the story of the lordly devotion of a woman like Pannadhai also holds its place.

STORY:-

Panna Dai (also spelled Panna Dhai) was a 16th-century nursemaid to Udai Singh II, the fourth son of Maharana Sangram Singh. In Hindi, Panna means "emerald," and dai means "nurse." Not to forget, Panna Dai was a widow. She had a son named Chandan who was of the same age as Udai. From the day of Udai Singh’s birth, Panna always looked after him as his son.

Udai Singh was born in 1522. He was the youngest among them. He was just an infant when his father, Rana Sanga took his last breath in 1528. It was an entirely hard phase for Mewar. Bhojraj was also killed while fighting for Mewar in 1526 when Rana Sanga was alive. After Rana Sanga’s death, his eldest son ascended the throne as Rana Ratan Singh. He just ruled Mewar for four years (1528 to 1531) as he died in a battle.

Now responsibilities are given to Vikramaditya who was an immodest and disrespectful King. His arrogance was intolerable. In 1536, Vikramaditya’s behavior crossed all the limits. He abused a respected old chieftain at the Court. As a lesson, Vikramaditya was punished and sent to the palace arrest by nobles. Thus, the youngest of all, Udai Singh was declared as ‘The New King of Mewar’.

Udai Singh was too young to take the responsibility of Mewar and understand political matters. So, the nobles invited Banvir to guard Udai Singh as well as to take care of other matters as his regent. Well, Banvir was the illicit son of Rana Sanga’s elder brother, Prithviraj. Prithviraj was the Crown Prince but because of his fight with Rana Sanga, he was sent to exile. He eventually died there.

Prithviraj never succeeded to rule as Maharana of Mewar. In a way, Banvir considered himself as the rightful heir to the throne. But, he had two hurdles in his way. Banvir somehow conspired to kill both the hurdles. I mean brothers. Taking advantage of Vikramaditya’s arrest, Banvir assassinated Vikramaditya. Now, he hurried towards the only remaining hurdle to his ambition, the 14-year-old, Udai Singh.

It was night. Panna Dai arranged the bed for both Chandan and Udai. In a few minutes, a maidservant who was aware of Banvir’s intention hurried and informed Panna Dai that Banvir was coming with a sword in hand to kill Udai Singh. She knew that Udai Singh was the last hope to safeguard Mewar.

Now, she was left with two choices. Either she could save her son’s life or she could save Mewar’s life. She chose Mewar. Both Udai and Chandan were sleeping firmly. She instructed the loyal servant to take Udai Singh into a large basket filled with flowers and safely draw him out of the reach of Banvir, by the bank of the river and said she would join them there. After the servant left, She summoned all her courage and lifted her only reason to live, Chandan from his bed and placed him on Prince’s bed, covering him with a blanket. She knew what was going to be the result of her decision but she also knew what was necessary.

A blood-thirsty sword was on its way to take Udai Singh’s life. Well, Banvir had no idea whose life his sword was going to take. In a moment, Banvir entered the room. When asked about Udai Singh, Panna Dai pointed towards the bed. The moment of horror took place. Panna saw how Banvir murdered her son. A part of her wanted to cry her heart out but she did not react at all, as if she wanted to deny it, all of it.

After that Banvir proclaimed himself as the new King of Mewar. When Banvir was celebrating his victory, Panna Dai was standing still, seeing her son’s cremation. She knew, there was no time to shed tears which were tearing her apart from inside.

Then she packed necessary items in a bag and hurried towards the river. She then decided to up-bring Udai in a different place where he will be safe and no one will know them. The loyal servants took the oath for Mewar’s future, never to mention a word of what had happened that tragic night.

After several weeks, while she was in search of help from other chieftains, they arrived at Kumbhalgarh. The local governor of Maheshwari cast named Asha Devpura Shah agreed to provide them with a roof. For a couple of years, Udai Singh was known as Asha Shah’s nephew.

Four years passed and Udai Singh was married to a Rajput Princess. In 1540, when Udai Singh was 18, Panna knew he was ready to defeat Banvir. Thus, Panna Dai contacted the chieftains of Mewar and revealed to them the full story of the deception and the escape.

After knowing the truth, Rajput chieftains joined Udai Singh in the revolt against Banvir. He marched on Chittor to reclaim his throne with the help of the Mewar and Marwar force. Thus, Banvir was defeated, in the battle fought near Maholi.

At last, Udai Singh rode to his kingdom and was crowned as the Maharana of Mewar. Mewar was in the right hands, because of just one lady. The lady who sacrificed her son for Mewar. The Iron Lady!

Panna Dai was like a mother to Udai Singh. Udai Singh knew there was no way he could repay what Panna Dai did for him and Mewar. Not only Udai Singh but the whole Mewar was in debt to Panna Dai’s incomparable sacrifice.

Though Panna Dai was not a queen she was no less than that.

You are a true woman of India, who taught sacrifice.

WRITER-YASHI

Gora and Badal : "Whose head is cut, yet the torso continues to fight the enemies"

2020-05-24T09:37:00.000+05:30

· Introduction:

The holy land of Mewar has given birth to many great and brave, mighty warriors. Gora and Badal are among those brave warriors and the Earth will always be grateful to them!

Gora was the commander of the then Chittor and Badal was his nephew. Both were extremely brave and mighty warriors. Their enemies were afraid of their courage, strength, and efforts. Gora and Badal were among the few fighters in history who possessed muscle as well as sharp intellect.

They were among the great warriors of Chittorgarh Mewar who fought valiantly for the rescue of Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittorgarh Mewar.

· Story:

Ratan Singh's queen Padmini was uniquely beautiful. The fame of her beauty was spread far and wide. Hearing of her beauty, the then Delhi emperor Alauddin Khilji became elated to find Padmini and ascended the Chittor fort with a huge army to find the queen. He laid siege to the fort of Chittor for several months, but due to the indomitable courage and valor of the Rajput soldiers posted for the defense of Chittor, he could not enter the fort of Chittor. Then he planned to act diplomatically and sent his messenger to Chittor - "We want to befriend you, I have heard a lot about the beauty of the queen, so just let me meet her only once". Ratan Singh became furious upon hearing the message, as it was against the royal traditions. But Rani Padmini, while presenting foresight on this occasion, explained to the king that "For such a small reason, it is not wise to shed blood of thousands of soldiers Chittor in vain”. The queen was rather more worried about Mewar than herself. She did not want the entire Mewar kingdom to suffer as a result of the denial of Alauddin’s proposal. Mewar’s army was very small in front of the Khilji army.

Pondering over the situation, they came up with an idea to let Alauddin see Rani Padmini’s face as a reflection in a lake. Ratan Singh welcomed Alauddin to the fort of Chittor as a guest. Rani Padmini's palace was in the middle of the lake, so a big mirror was placed on the wall. The queen was placed in front of the mirror. Through the window, the image of the queen's face was visible in the water of the lake. From there, Alauddin was allowed to see the queen. Alauddin was amazed after seeing her beauty in the water of the lake and thought of tricking the king to acquire queen Padmini. When Ratan Singh came to see off Alauddin at the fort gate, Alauddin betrayed his soldiers and arrested Rana by deceit.

After imprisoning Ratan Singh, Alauddin proposed that he would free the king only after the Queen was handed over to him. Belonging to a royal family, Rani Padmini was well acquainted with the knowledge of politics. After all this, Rani Padmini organized a war council in which a plan was made to save Rawal Ratan Singh. Gora and Badal were given the responsibility to save Rawal Ratan Singh. So she, along with the ministers decided to reply diplomatically and sent a message to Alauddin stating that "I, the Queen of Mewar with seven hundred of my maids will arrive before you. If you accept my condition, please inform me”. Having received such a message from the queen, the sensual Alauddin was not happy but was eager to get that wonderful beautiful queen. So, he blindly accepted all the conditions as listed by the queen in the letter.

All the palanquins stopped near Alauddin's camp and Rajput Veer came out of his base and suddenly broke down on the Yavan army. In such a sudden attack, Alauddin's army was left surprised and Gora Badal prepared to free Rana Ratan Singh from Alauddin's imprisonment. These were the warriors who went to Delhi and rescued Rana Ratan Singh from Khilji's captivity. By this time, when Gora killed Khilji's commander, his own head had already been cut, with only the torso remaining. Badal successfully transported the king to the fort of Chittor. Alauddin was greatly embarrassed by this defeat and he now decided to conquer Chittor.

At the time, Badal was only twelve years old, as described by a songwriter.
After this defeat, Khilji laid siege of Chittor Fort on all sides. All gates remained closed. This continued till August(started in January). The stored food items were all exhausted. On 26th August, 1303, Ratan Singh with his army, donning saffron turbans, made a suicide attack against the enemies. Their goal was to defend or die. Not following the battle rules, Khilji killed Rana Ratan Singh.With the death of their king, the Rajputs eventually lost the battle.
Alauddin Khilji rushed towards the fiort of Rani Padmini. A huge pyre was lit within the fort, following Rani Padmini's orders. Rani Padmini and her companions,to save their honor, rather than being dishonored in the cruel enemy's hands, jumped into the pyre, performing Jauhar. Around 74,500 Rajput women perished in the flames.
Khilji and his troops entered the fort only to be confronted with ashes of the bodies of the chivalrous Rajput women. Performing Jauhar, they perished but remained immortal in History and folklores.

The story of Gora Badal has been depicted on a wall painting in Eking ji temple in Udaipur. Two dome shaped houses have been constructed in their name known as Gora-Badal Mahal, south of Padmini Mahal, in Chittor Fort.

WRITER- SUKRITI BOHRA

BHAMASHAH: THE MAN WHO MADE MAHARANA PRATAP

2020-05-21T19:41:00.000+05:30

· Introduction:

Bhamashah, often referred to as the left hand of Maharana Pratap. He served as a General, Advisor and Confidant Minister. Later, he was promoted to the post of prime minister of Mewar. He was born in 1542 in a Jain family to Bharmal Kawedia. His passion of serving his motherland was already infused in his blood. Along withTarachand, he had several battles for Mewar. Bhamashah was not only a valiant fighter but also an able administrator. He is also noted for this statesmanship, patriotism and generosity.

He is popularly known as “daan veer bhamashah”. He bought help to his King in time of need, which boosted the King’s confidence and made him capable to stand up again for his country.

· Story:

Bhama shah was born in 1542 in a Jain family. His father Bharmal Kawedia was Qiledar of Ranthambore Fort appointed by Rana Sanga and was later prime minister under Maharana Udai Singh II.

Bhamas Shah was a great General, Adviser, Minister of Mewar, who was later promoted to post of Prime Minister of Mewar by Maharana Pratap, to whom he served as close aide and confidant.

Akbar's intent on securing a stable route to Gujarat through Mewar, sent a proposal to Maharana Pratap. Denying it, both forces came down to the battlefield- Haldigathi. The site of the battle was a narrow mountain pass at Haldighati near Gogunda in Rajasthan. Maharana Pratap fielded a force of around 3,000 cavalry and 400 Bhil archers. The Mughals were led by Raja Man Singh of Amber, who commanded an army numbering around 5,000–10,000 men. After a fierce battle lasting for more than three hours, Pratap found himself wounded and the day lost. While a few of his men bought him time, he was forced to make an escape by Jhala Man Singh to the hills and lived to fight another day. Wounded Maharana Pratap managed to escape but eventually lost the battle. As a result of the defeat, the king of Mewar had no funds at all to carry on the fight and his family was already starving. Bhama Shah was the Nagar Seth of Chittor. After Maharana Pratap was defeated by Akbar in the Battle of Haldighati, at this point, Bhama shah and his brother Tarachand, presented their wealth consisting of 2,00,00,000 gold coins and 25,00,00,000 silver rupees to Maharana Pratap, who was overwhelmed. They, being skilled in war-fare, attacked Mughal army camps and won a lot of wealth from Mughals; from which they partially financed the Maharana. This contribution helped the king a lot who was now able to fund the army and continue the fight against the Mughals.

Bhama shah died in 1600 and at the time of his death he was in-charge of Mewar's treasury under Amar Singh I. Descendants of Bhama Shah also served as prime ministers of the Maharanas of Udaipur for a few generations. His son Jiwashah was the chief during the rule of Maharana Amar Singh, and grandson Akshayraj was the Prime Minister during the rule of Maharana Karan Singh and his descendant Rana Jagat Singh.

There is a memorial in Udaipur in honour of the great patriot. Government of India has issued a postage stamp in his honour in year 2000. The Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation has instituted the "Bhama shah Award".

· Lesson:

“A Man Is Not A King By Birth, His Deeds Make Him One”

Difficult times are the ones in which a person’s true nature can be tested. For a country to prosper, each of its citizens need to be devoted to their motherland.

WRITER- SUKRITI BOHRA

DURGADAS RATHORE: VEER OF MARWAR

2020-05-19T13:51:00.000+05:30

Durgadas Rathore was a minister of Marwar who was successful in preserving Marwar against Mughal rule.

· INTRODUCTION:-

Durgadas Rathore was born on 13 August 1638 is credited with having preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar, India, following the death of Jaswant Singh in the 17th century. In doing so he had to defy [Aurangzeb], a Mughal Emperor. He died on 22 November 1718.

Durgadas was the son of Askaran Rathore, a Rajput minister of Jaswant Singh, the ruler of Marwar. He was a distant relative of the royal family, being a descendant of Karana, a son of Rao Ranmal who ruled in the 15th century.

· JASWANT SINGH'S DEATH AND TOOK OVER AJMER:-

Jaswant Singh died in 1678 in Afghanistan leaving no heir. Aurangzeb took the opportunity to intervene by imposing Muslim rule over Marwar. This formed a part of the Mughal strategy to destroy Hinduism and his flooding of the area with troops was successful in denying any opposition.

Soon after Jaswant Singh's death two of his queens each gave birth to male children. One of these sons died soon after his birth, leaving the other – Ajit Singh – as sole heir. Aurangzeb chose not to recognize him as a legitimate heir. He imposed a tax on non-Muslims and soon after sold the kingdom to another chieftain, Indra Singh. Aurangzeb had moved his base from Delhi to Ajmer to oversee the subjugation but in April 1679 returned to his capital, leaving administrative and military support in Marwar for the unpopular new ruler.

· DURGADAS' STRUGGLE TO HIDE AJIT SINGH:-

Prominent senates of Marwar, including Durgadas, went to Delhi to plead the recognition of Ajit Singh as heir. Aurangzeb refused their request, although he did offer to bestow a title and a grant when the child attained the age of majority. Aurangzeb required that the child be raised in the imperial harem and that the ranis live there also. According to one contemporary source, Aurangzeb also offered to give Ajit Singh the throne of Jodhpur in the future if it was agreed that the child was raised in the Muslim faith.

The attitude of Aurangzeb was not acceptable to the Rathore delegation, who resolved upon rescuing Ajit Singh and the queens from Delhi. They were aware that many of them were likely to die in the process and this proved to be the case: as they retreated from the city on 25 June 1679 they were pursued by Mughal guards and fought several desperate and deadly rearguard actions to protect Durgadas, who had the queens and child with him. The pursuit continued till the evening when the Mughals finally tired. The infant Ajit Singh was taken to safety in Balunda, where the wife of one of the delegation kept the child for almost a year. Later the child was moved to safety with queens.

· REVOLT AGAINST MUGHALS:-

Aurangzeb reacted to these events by deposing the incompetent puppet ruler of Marwar, Indra Singh, and placing it under the direct Mughal rule. Durgadas was aware of Aurangzeb's strategies thus he substituted the son of a milkman for Ajit Singh and the child was raised as if he was the rightful heir to Jaswant Singh.

During the period that followed, when the Mughals controlled Marwar, Durgadas was among those who carried out a relentless struggle against the occupying forces. Due to which Marwar remained in a state of war for nearly three decades.

The cause of the Mughal withdrawal from Mewar had been a rebellion by a son of Aurangzeb, Akbar, who had proved to be incompetent when placed in charge of various forces in Mewar. He eventually rebelled against his father and allied himself with the Rajputs.

WRITER:- KAUSHIKI NAGAR

HADI RANI: A LEGENDARY CHARACTER

2020-05-16T17:02:00.000+05:30

INTRODUCTION : HADI RANI •She who is brave, is free•

One such woman was HADI RANI who was a legendary character and the daughter of Hada Rajput.

She was married to Chundawat Chieftain of Salumbar, in Mewar, (Rajasthan, India) sacrificed herself to motivate her husband to go to the War. What she did was not only an act of bravery which led them into winning a war but also set up a great example for the coming generations.

STORY:

Maharana Raj Singh I (1653–1680) of Mewar called upon Salumbar Rawat, her husband, to join the battle against Aurangzeb. The Chieftain, having married only a night before hesitated about going into battle. Rajput honor being what it is, the newly-wed bride inspired him to join the battle regardless of his reservations. On the way to the battlefield, the Rawat sent his trusted man to his wife Hadi Rani and ask for some memento to which he could take with him to the battle.

Thinking that she was an obstacle to her husband performing his duty for Mewar, she cut off her head and put it on a plate in her dying moments. A faithful servant covered it with a cloth and presented it to her husband. The Chieftain devastated but nevertheless proud, tied the memento around his neck by its hair. He fought bravely, making the Aurangzeb forces flee, and after his victory he got to his knees and cut his neck, having lost the desire to live.

LESSON :

• ”There was nothing she couldn't do, no matter how hard. And she inspired all of us in this way that no matter how difficult a job is, you can always succeed once you are determined to do it.”

WRITER:- AYUSH BANSAL

Prithviraj Chauhan: Warrior King

2020-05-15T17:17:00.000+05:30

• Introduction:

Prithviraj Chauhan was a Rajput King hailing from the Chauhan Dynasty. He ruled the kingdoms of Ajmer and Delhi in Northern India in the 12th century. He was one of the last independent Hindu Kings to sit upon the throne of Delhi.

He is also known as Rai Pithora. He was born to the Chahamana King Someshvara and Queen Karpuradevi (a Kalachuri princess).

He lived at Taragarh fort which was also known as Ajaymeru after which the town of Ajmer got its name.

He was a brilliant child and very sharp at learning military skills. He had the skill of hitting the target only based on its sound (Shabd Bhedi archery skill). He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen.

He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179, when his father died in a battle. He ruled over the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi which he inherited from his maternal grandfather Arkpal or Anangpal III of the Tomara Dynasty.

He once killed a Lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the Warrior King.

As the King, he set out on several campaigns to expand his territories and became well known as a valiant and courageous warrior.

• Cultural Activities:

Prithviraj had a dedicated ministry for poets and scholars including:

i. Jayanaka, a poet-historian who wrote Prithviraja Vijaya.

ii. Vidyapati Gauda.

iii. Vagisvara Janardana.

iv. Vishvarupa, a poet.

v. Prithvibhata, a royal bard (identified as Chand Bardai by some scholars).

• Rivalry With Jaichand:

Prithviraj was a courageous, chivalrous and extremely fearless human. After ceaseless military campaigns, he extended his original kingdom of Sambhar to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Eastern Punjab. His fast rise caught the envy of the then powerful ruler Jaichand. There was a lot of ill-feeling between the two.

• His Love for Jaichand's daughter:

He was the center of much discussion in the circle of the nobility. Sanyogita, the daughter of Jaichand fell secretly in love with him. She started a secret poetic correspondence with him.

Jaichand got information about this affair and he arranged a Swayamwar (a ceremony where a bride had right to choose groom of her choice and could select her husband from the assembled eligible princes of various states). She had the right to garland the prince to become his queen. This was an ancient Hindu custom among Royal dynasties.

However, Jaichand invited all the big and small princes of the country, except Prithviraj Chauhan to Kannauj for the royal Swayamwar. To add insult to injury, he even made a statue of Prithviraj and kept it as a doorman (dwarpal) at the gate.

On the Swayamwar day, Sanyogita bypassed all the princes only to reach the door and garland the statue of Prithviraj. All of the princes felt insulted.

Prithviraj, who was hiding behind the statue whisked Sanyogita away and put her up on his steed to make a fast getaway to his capital in Delhi.

• First Battle of Tarain:

During 1190–1191 CE, Muhammad Ghori invaded the Chahamana territory and captured Tabarhindah or Tabar-e-Hind (identified with Bathinda). When Prithviraj learned about this, he marched towards Tabarhindah.

Muhammad's original plan was to return to his base after conquering Tabarhindah, but when he heard about Prithviraj's march, he decided to put up a fight. He set out with an army and encountered Prithviraj's forces at Tarain. In the ensuing battle, Prithviraj's army decisively defeated the Ghurids. Muhammad of Ghor was injured and forced to retreat.

Muhammad Ghori was brought in chains to Pithoragarh - Prithviraj's capital and he begged for mercy and release. His ministers advised against pardoning the aggressor. But he pardoned Muhammad Ghori when he kept his hand on Quran and asked for forgiveness, bowing down to Hindu King.

• Second Battle of Tarain:

Prithviraj seems to have treated the first battle of Tarain as merely a frontier fight. This view is strengthened by the fact that he made little preparations for any future clash with Muhammad Ghori.

According to Prithviraj Raso, during the period preceding his final confrontation with the Ghurids, he neglected the affairs of the state and spent time in merry-making.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Ghori returned to Ghazna and made preparations to avenge his defeat. He gathered a well-equipped army of 1,20,000. He then marched towards the Chahamana kingdom via Multan and Lahore, aided by Vijayaraja of Jammu.

Prithviraj had been left without any allies as a result of his wars against the neighboring Hindu kings. Nevertheless, he managed to gather a large army to counter the Ghurids. The 16th-century Muslim historian Firishta estimated the strength of Prithviraj's army as 300,000 horses and 3,000 elephants, in addition to a large infantry. He planned an attack against the Chahamanas.

At dawn, the four divisions of the Ghurid army attacked the Chahamana camp, while Prithviraj was still asleep. After a brief fight, the Ghurid divisions pretended to retreat under Muhammad's strategy. Prithviraj was thus lured into chasing them, and by the afternoon, the Chahamana army was exhausted as a result of this pursuit. At this point, Muhammad led his reserve force and attacked the Chahamanas, decisively defeating them. According to Taj-ul-Maasir, Prithviraj's camp lost 100,000 men (including Govindaraja of Delhi) in this debacle. Prithviraj himself tried to escape on a horse but was pursued and caught near the Sarasvati fort (possibly modern Sirsa). Subsequently, Muhammad Ghori captured Ajmer after killing several thousand defenders, enslaved many more, and destroyed the city's temples.

• Blinding of Prithviraj:

The story of Prithiviraj does not end here. As a prisoner, he was presented before Muhammad, where he looked Ghori straight into the eye.

Ghori ordered him to lower his eyes, whereupon a defiant Prithiviraj scornfully told him how he had treated Ghori as a prisoner and said that the eyelids of a Rajput's eyes are lowered only in death. On hearing this, Ghori flew into a rage and ordered that Prithviraj's eyes be burnt with red hot iron rods.

This heinous deed being done, Prithiviraj was regularly brought to the court to be taunted by Ghori and his courtiers. In those days Prithiviraj was joined by his former biographer Chand Bardai, who had composed a ballad-biography on Pritiviraj in the name of Prithviraj Raso (Songs of Prithviraj). Chand Bardai told Prithiviraj, that he should avenge Ghori's betrayal and daily insults.

The Blind Prithviraj Avenges the injustice done to him. The two got an opportunity when Ghori announced a game of Archery. On the advice of Chand Bardai, Prithviraj, who was then at the court said he would also like to participate. On hearing his suggestion, the courtiers laughed loudly at him and he was taunted by Ghori as to how he could participate when he could not see. Whereupon, Prithiviraj told Muhammad Ghori to order him to shoot, and he would reach his target.

Ghori became suspicious and asked Prithviraj why he wanted Ghori himself to order and not anyone else. On behalf of Prithiviraj, Chand Bardai told Ghori that he as a king would not accept orders from anyone other than a king. His ego satisfied, Muhammad Ghori agreed.

On the said day, Ghori sitting in his royal enclosure had Prithiviraj brought to the ground and had him unchained for the event. On Ghori's ordering Prithviraj to shoot, Prithiviraj turned in the direction from where he heard Ghori speak and struck Ghori dead with his arrow. This event is described by Chand Bardai in the couplet, "Dus kadam aggey, bees kadam daey, baitha hai Sultan. Ab mat chuko Chauhan, chala do apna baan." (Ten feet ahead of you and twenty feet to your right, is seated the Sultan, do not now miss him Chauhan, release your baan - arrow).

Thus ended the story of the brave but unrealistic Prithviraj Chauhan - the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. Delhi was to remain under Muslim rule for the next 700 years till 1857 and under British rule till 1947. Those few Hindus who came close to liberating Delhi during the seven centuries of Muslim rule were Rana Sanga in 1527, Raja (Hemu) Vikramaditya in around 1565 (2nd battle of Panipat), and Shrimant Vishwas Rao who was the Peshwa's son and was co-commander of the Maratha forces in the 3rd battle of Panipat in 1761.

Writer:- ASHUTOSH POKHRIYAL

Maharana Sangram Singh Sisodiya-Rana Sanga

2020-05-14T09:06:00.000+05:30

• Introduction:

Mewar is a land of warriors, many warriors were born here and fought for their land with valor. Rana Sanga was one of those outstanding figures. His full name was Maharana Sangram Singh.

Despite being completely damaged by one arm, one eye, and one leg, he did not give up on life and fought many wars.

No warrior, no enemy could kill them, but what can anyone do when some betray their own. Let's know about such an invincible Mewari warrior, about the war of Khanwa and the facts behind his death.

• Life:

Maharana Sangram Singh Sisodiya was an Indian ruler of Mewar during the 16th century. Sanga became the ruler of Mewar after a battle for succession with his brothers uniting the Rajputs after 300 years.

He was the son of Rana Raimal and was given the throne in 1509 after he fought against the Afghan of the Lodhi dynasty of Delhi sultanate and later against Turkic Mughal emperors of Ferghana.

He was the grandson of Rana Kumbha.

His ruling period was 1509-1527, Rana Sanga married to Rani Karnavati. Sanga was born on 12 April 1472 in Chittor Mewar and died on 30 January 1528 in Kalpi.

He bravely defended his kingdom from the invasions of the Mughal emperors of Delhi, Gujarat, and Malwa. After defeating Sultan Mohammad ruler Mandu in the war and imprisoning him, he handed over Mandu's kingdom again with a generosity which showed his bravery. From childhood to his death, his life was spent in wars. It is described in history that the weight of the sword of Maharana Sangram Singh was 20 kg.

• Interesting History of Sanga's War:

The kingdom of Maharana Sanga surrounded the states of the Mughal Sultans of Delhi, Gujarat, and Malwa. Delhi was occupied by Sikandar Lodi, Mahmud Shah Begada in Gujarat and Naseeruddin Khilji Sultan in Malwa. Maharana fought in one place with the combined power of the three sultans, yet Maharana won. From Sultan Ibrahim Lodi in the Khatoli plain on the border of Bundi the war took place in 1574 (AD 1517). Ibrahim Lodi was defeated in this battle and fled.

Maharana lost his eye into a mutual fight between the brothers in his youth and in this war his left hand was cut with a sword and had become lame for always with an arrow in the knee of one leg.

The Maharana avenged his humiliation by defeating the Sultan Muzaffar of Gujarat at Eidar, Ahmednagar and Bisalnagar in the battle and reinstated the feudal Raimal Rathore on his side.

Nizamulmulk, the vassal of Ahmadnagar, fled from the Eider and went to the fort of Ahmednagar and waited for the Sultan to arrive. Maharana seated Raimal on the throne of Eider and besieged Ahmed Nagar. The Mughals started the fight by closing the doors of the fort. In this war, one of Maharana's famous Sardar Dungarsingh Chauhan (Vagad) was badly injured and many of his brother's sons were killed. Dungarsingh's son Kanhasingh showed great valor. When the elephant failed to break the door due to the sharp spears on the iron gate of the fort, the heroic Kanhasingh stood in front of the Bhals and told the Mahavata to throw the elephant on my body. The elephant turned on Kanhasinh, causing his body to be snatched from the bears and he died at that moment, but the doors also broke. This increased the enthusiasm in the Mewari army and they entered the fort with naked soles and cut the Mughal army. The Nizamulmulk who received the title of Mubarizulmulk was also greatly injured and the entire Sultan's army dispersed and fled to Ahmedabad.

• Relation with Meera Bai:

The eldest son of Maharana Sanga was named Bhojraj, who was married to Meerabai, the daughter of Ratan Singh, younger brother of Rao Veeramdev of Merta. Meerabai was the only daughter of Ratan Singh, the fourth son of Rao Duda of Merta.

After his mother died in childhood, Rao Duda was called to Mirabai and she was brought up. Marriage of Meerabai and Kunwar Yuvraj Bhojraj died a few years after Maharana Sanga was with Kunwar Bhojraj in 1573 (AD 1516).

Meerabai was interested in devotion to God since childhood. His father Ratnasingh Rana was killed in the battle of Sanga and Babur. After the death of Maharana Sanga, the younger son Ratansingh became the successor and he too had a degree in V.S. After he died in 1588 (AD 1531), Vikramaditya sat on the throne of Mewar. Meerabai's uncommon devotion and fame of hymns had spread far and wide so that saints from far away used to visit her.

• Khanwa war and death:

First taking the advantage of internal strife in the Delhi Sultanate, he expanded into North East Rajasthan after defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the Battle of Khatoli and Battle of Dholpur.

Following the victory of Babur over the Lodhi Dynasty, Sangram Singh gathered a coalition of Rajputs from the kingdoms of Rajasthan. They were joined by Muslim Rajputs from Mewat and Afghans under Mahmud Lodhi, the son of Sikandar Lodhi of Delhi. This alliance fought against Babur in the Battle of Khanwa to expel Babur from India. The Rana attacked the Mughal advance guard on 21st February 1527 and completely decimated it. Reinforcements sent by Babur met the same fate. The battle of Khanwa turned into a disaster for Rana when Silhadi was Defeated; the Mughal victory was decisive and turned out to become Rana Sanga's first and last defeat. Rana Sanga wanted to prepare another army and fight Babur. However, on 30 January 1528, Rana Sanga died in Chittor, apparently poisoned by his chiefs who held his plans of renewing the fight with Babur to be suicidal.

Writer-YASHI AGRAWAL

Vakpatiraja II

2020-05-13T16:40:00.003+05:30

Introduction:-

Vakpatiraja was an Indian ruler who belonged to the dynasty of the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. He reigned over the Sapadalaksha country which included parts of present-day Rajasthan in north-western India.

Lineage :-
He belonged to the most prominent ruling family of the Chahamana (Chauhan) clan and were categorized among Agnivanshi Rajputs in the later medieval legends.

He was the valiant son of Govindraja II. Vakpati was succeeded by his son Viryarama, who was later killed by Raja Bhoj himself.

His uncle was the great ruler Durlabhraja II.

· Reign:-

According to the legendary poet, Prithviraja Vijaya, Vakpati defeated and killed Ambaprasada, the ruler of Aghata (identified with modern Ahar). Famous historians like R.B Singh identify Ambaprasada with the Guhila ruler Amaraprasada.

Claims of Vakpati defeating Raja Bhoj are innumerable. These include Surjana-Charita, Hammira-Kavya as well as Prabandha-Kosha. However, the reliability of these sources is still questionable.

Notable inscriptions:-

The inscription lists the eight legendary successors of Paramara, the mythical hero who is said to have founded the dynasty.

The eight names are Kamandaludhara, Dhumraja, Devasimhapala, Kanakasimha, Shriharsha, Jagaddeva, Sthirakaya and Voshari.

Most of these do not appear to be historical figures. These names are followed by historically attested Paramara kings: Vairisimha, Vakpatiraja, Siya, Munja, Sindhuraja, Bhoja-deva, Udayaditya, Naravarman, Yashovarman, Ajayavarman, Vindhyavarman, Subhatavarman, Arjunavarman, Devapala, Jaitugi-deva and Jayavarman.

Writer- Ananya Mukharji

Raja Bhoja : The Scholar King

2020-05-03T16:39:00.002+05:30

Introduction:

Raja Bhoja was an Indian king from the Parmar dynasty, whose kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India in the 11th century AD.

His grandfather, Shri Harsha, who was also known as Singhbhatta. Shri Harsha had two sons, the elder one was Munj or Vakpatiraj and the younger one was Sindhul or Sindhuraj. Bhoj was the son of Sindhu. As Munj had no son, he adopted Bhoj as his son and made him the heir of his throne.

His kingdom extended from Chittor in the north to upper Konkan in the south, and from the Sabarmati River in the west to Vidisha in the east.

It is said that Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh was once called "Bhojpal" which was made "Bhopal" later (removed the letter 'j').

There may not be many people in India who have not heard the name of Bhoj. He died nearly a thousand years ago, but his name is immortal. Indian people often talk about him at their homes. However, we talk of him not only because of his power and greatness as a ruler but also because he was a humble person and respected all other individuals. He excelled as a great scholar and a poet.

In the Indian history of the middle ages, Raja Bhoj holds an eminent place. Next to Vikramaditya, he has greatly influenced the minds of the Indian people. His power, influence, religious and philanthropic deeds, and his practice of showering honors and gifts on poets and scholars have come down to posterity in folklore, folk tales, literature, and stone engravings throughout the country. His talent and valor have placed him in the galaxy of great literary and historical figures of India.

He was a supporter of art, literature, and science. He was renowned as a 'Scholar King'.

Sheldon Pollock describes him as "the most celebrated poet-king and philosopher-king of his time, and perhaps of any Indian time".

Reasons for Greatness:

1. He is best remembered for his intellect and patronage of cultural activities. He enthusiastically rewarded good poets and writers. He was an expert in poetry.

2. He built the upper lake in Bhopal by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans river.

3. He invaded and captured Konkana sometime between 1018 and 1020 AD. He celebrated this victory in a big way by making generous donations to Brahmins.

4. There are about 84 texts attributed to him. Some of them are Saraswati Kanthabharana (a treatise on Sanskrit grammar for poetic compositions) and Charucharya (a text on personal hygiene).

5. During his reign, the Bhojeshwar temple was built. It is a massive temple of Lord Shiva which boasts to be the largest Shivling in India.

6. He had no ill-will against the people of other faiths and beliefs. In his court, many Jain scholars used to be treated with reverence. Nearly 500 scholars adorned his court.

7. He was a great polymath and he worked on architecture, poetry, medicine, yoga, and science.

8. He created a great Sanskrit center of learning called Sarasvatisadana. Today it is popularly called Bhojshala (shown in the figure).

LITERARY and SCIENTIFIC Works:

1.Bhujabala-Bhima: A Book on Astrology.

2.Charucharya: A Book on personal hygiene.

3.Malhotra: A Book on veterinary medicine.

4.Patanjali-Yogasutra-Bhashya: A Book commenting on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali including the various form of meditations.

5.Vidvajjana-Vallabha: A Book on Astronomy.

6.Yukti-Kalpataru: A Book including statecraft, politics, city- the building, jewel-testing, characteristics of books, ship- building.

7.Tattva-Prakasha: A Book on detailed literature of the Siddhanta Tantras.

8.Sarasvati-Kanthabharana: A Book on Sanskrit grammar for poetic and rhetorical compositions.

9.Shringara-Prakasha: A Book on poetics and dramatic composition.

10.Raja-Mriganka-Karana: A Book on Chemistry, especially dealing with the extraction of metals from ores, and production of various drugs.

11.Vyavahara-Manjari: A Book on Hindu Law.

12.Samarangana-Sutradhara: A Book on Architecture and Iconography. It details the construction of buildings, forts, temples, idols of deities and mechanical devices including a so-called flying machine or glider.

13.Sringara-Manjari-Katha: A Poem composed in Akhyayika form.

14.Nama-Malika: A compiled treatise on lexicography.

Story Of Their Clan:

There is a story about the birth of the Parmar clan: Once Rishi Vashistha used to live in an ashram on the Arbuda mountain (Mount Abu). Vishwamitra and Vashistha were sworn enemies.

The sage Vishwamitra forcibly took a wish-granting cow from another sage Vashistha. He chanted a mantra from Atharva Veda and with that put an offering in the havan kund (receptacle for sacrificial fire).

In an instant, a brave man appeared out of the fire. On Vashistha's command, he killed Vishwamitra's men and rescued the cow. Vashistha was pleased and gave this brave man the name of Parmar, which means 'one who kills the enemy' ('Par' -enemy, and 'mar'- killer).

It was one of the descendants of this brave man-Raja Upendraraj, who laid the foundation of the Parmar clan of Malwa.

Story Behind The Saying: "Kahan Raja Bhoj, Kahan Gangu Teli":

There are two interesting stories behind this saying.

The First Story is:

In this proverb, it isn't Gangu Teli but "Gangaye Telang". Both Gangu i.e. 'Ganga Kalachuri Naresh' and Teli i.e. 'Chaluka Naresh Telayya' could not defeat King Bhoja.

Each of them has been the king of south India. They had attacked the town of Dhar, but both of them had to face defeat; then the people of Dhar found a different way of making fun of both defeated kings and kept saying "Kahan Raja Bhoj aur Kahan Gangaye Telang". The deformed form of Gangaye Telang is "Gangoo Teli". Which is famous these days as "Kahan Raja Bhoj aur Kahan Gangu Teli".

The Second Story is:

Raja Bhoj had a fort in Maharashtra, which was called Panhala, but the wall of this fort kept falling repeatedly. Then the astrologers told Raja Bhoj that if a newborn child and his mother were sacrificed at this place, the wall would stop falling, after which a person named 'Gangu Teli' (oil seller), he sacrificed his wife and child, but later he became proud of his work and people used to call him arrogant and stating that 'Kahan Raja Bhoj aur Kahan Gangu Teli', which later changed into the proverb.

Writer : ASHUTOSH POKHRIYAL