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Bappa Rawal – The Hinduja Suraj

Oct 27

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Bappa Rawal, popularly known as Kalbhoj, was one of the most powerful and famous ruler of Mewar. It is said that he was the 80th in descent from Lord Rama.

His Childhood

At the age of three, Bappa Rawal’s father Rawal Mahendra II was killed. The ruler of Nagda tried to kill the young successor “Bappa Rawal” for the Guhilot throne but two of his close Bhil friends saved him and for his security he was transferred to wild and precipitous countryside around Nagda. When Bappa came of age, his mother offered her young son into the affectionate care of a kul Purohitan, the wife of a local Brahmin priest and committed herself sati.

In childhood he became the pupil of Harit Rashi who bestowed him with special blessing and taught him his royal ancestry

Bappa’s Journey for Mewar Kingdom

Bappa Rawal decided to claim the entire Mewar Kingdom, including Guhilog ancestors annexed by Paramaras. When he was of 18 years old, he performed a fight that awed Maan More and Paramara nobles. The Paramara king appointed Bappa Rawal as the commander-in-chief in his army where he defeated Arabs and drove them out of country.

During this journey he was entitled with Raj Guru, Hindua Suraj and Chakravarti.

His Wars against Muslims

Bappa Rawal fought a series of wars against Arabs and Muslims. In 39th century when Muslims started attacking India, he united the smaller states of Ajmer and Jaisalmer to face off Muslim invasions across the western and northern borders of  Rajputana. He defeated Bin Qasim through Saurashtra when Qasim attacked Chittor.

His Achievements

Bappa Rawal proved himself as a supporter of India’s culture. His name Bappa meaning father and Rawal being the traditional Rajput title for a king brought him more close to his subjects. He won the loyalty of Paramara nobles and gained their support. He built a temple where he first met his guru, Harit Rashi.

A town was also developed under Bappa Rawal called Eklingji (later renamed Kailashpuri). After having ruled his kingdom for a long time, later he abdicated the throne in favor of his son and he turned into Shiva upasaka and became a Yati.

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Maharana Pratap – The Famous Mewar Ruler

Oct 25

Posted by mystaterajasthan in famous people rajasthan | 1 Comment

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Maharana Pratap was the eldest son among all sons of Maharana Udai Singh II and Rani Jeevant Kanwar. He was born on May 9th 1540 in Kumbhalgarh and after his father, Pratap became the 54th ruler of Mewar. The epitome of fiery Rajput pride and self-respect, Pratap has for centuries exemplified the qualities to which Rajputs aspire.

His Scarify for Father Respect

In 1567 Mughal forces of Emperor Akbar forced the family of Maharana Udai Singh II to leave Chittor. Maharana Pratap was not ready to leave but his family enforced him to do so. At that time, Pratap was 27 years of age only.

Udai Singh set up a temporary government in Gogunda but after few years in 1572 he passed away. Under the influence of his favorite queen Rani Bhatiyani, he willed his son Jagmal to ascend to throne. Maharana Pratap respected his father’s wishes and let his half-brother Jagmal to become the next king. All the Sisodia Rajputs especially the Chundawat Rajputs were against of Jagmal Singh and that forced Jagmal to leave the throne to Maharana Pratap. Jagmal left the throne and to take revenge he joined Akbar armies, where he was offered the town of Jahapur as jagir.

The famous war of Haldighati

In 1572 Maharana became the king of Mewar. Pratap’s wish was to rule chittor which was then controlled by Akbar.  As Akbar wanted to rule all over Hindustan so he sent many diplomatic missions to Mewar to get Rana Pratap to agree to the former’s suzerainty. Rana Pratap turned down each one of them.

In 1576, a huge army of 80000 commanded by Raja Man Singh- the brother in law of Akbar attacked on 20000 Rajput soldiers. The battle is known as the battle of Haldighati.  Pratap moved his capital to Kumbhalgarh, where he was born. He commanded his subjects to leave for the Aravali mountains and leave behind nothing for the approaching enemy – the war would be fought in a mountain terrain which the Mewar army was used to but not the Mughals.

In the war Maharana Pratap fought like a real Maharana. His army was not defeated but he was surrounded by Mughal soldiers. At that time his brother Shakti Singh, appeared and saved the Rana’s life. Another casualty of this war was Maharana Pratap’s famous, and loyal, horse Chetak, who gave up his life trying to save his Maharana.

Light and life of the Hindu community

Maharana Pratap’s army grew weaker with time and the funds got greatly reduced. The king got badly hurt when his children’s meal – bread made from grass – was stolen by a dog which made him to lose his spirit in fighting Akbar. At that time Bhama Shah offered wealth and army to him. King Pratap was depressed by the condition of his family and army and thus sent a letter to Akbar demanding “a mitigation of his hardship”.

Akbar got rejoiced at his condition and showed the letter to a literate Rajput at his Court. The famous letter of Prince Prithvi (the younger brother of Rai Singh, the ruler of Bikaner) led to Pratap reversing his decision and not submitting to the Mughals.

In 1587 Akbar relinquished his obsessive pursuit of Maharana Pratap and took his battles into Punjab and India’s Northwest Frontier. Thus for the last ten years of his life, Maharana Pratap ruled in relative peace and eventually freed most of Mewar, including Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh, but not Chittor. Maharana Pratap Singh was also called the light and life of the Hindu community.

Final Days

Maharana Pratap was never able to win back Chittor but he never gave up fighting to win it back. In 1597 he was bitterly injured in a hunting accident and died at the age of fifty six. He was really a great hero who stood firmly for his dignity and honour during a dark chapter of Hindu history.

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Prithvi Raj Chauhan of Chauhamana Dynasty – 2nd Last Hindu King who Ruled Delhi Kingdom

Apr 2

Posted by iloverajasthan in about rajasthan, famous people rajasthan | No Comments

Prithviraj III - 2nd Last Hindu Ruler of Delhi

Prithviraj III - 2nd Last Hindu Ruler of Delhi

Background

Prithvi Raj Chauhan was a king of the Hindu Kshatriya Chauhan (Chauhamana) dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India during the latter half of the 12th century. He was the second last Hindu king to sit upon the throne of Delhi (the last Hindu king being Hemu).

He belonged to the Agnikula clan of Rajput Kshatriyas. He succeeded to the throne in 1169 A.D. at the age of 20, and ruled from the twin capitals of Ajmer and Delhi which he received from his maternal grand-father Ballal Sen of the Sen Dynasty in Bengal. He controlled much of present-day Rajasthan and Haryana, and unified the Rajputs against Muslim invasions.

His love affair with Samyukta (Sanyogita), the daughter of Jai Chandra, the Gahadvala king of Kannauj, is a popular romantic story in India. Tales of Prithviraj can be found in Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem by his court poet, Chand Bardai.

Prithvi Raj was known to be brave, powerful, and was the essence of Rajput chivalry.

Defeat

Prithvi Raj defeated the Afghan ruler Muhammad Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain in 1191 CE. Ghori attacked for a second time next year, and Prithvi Raj was defeated and slain at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192 CE. After his defeat Delhi came under the control of Muslim rulers.

Qila Rai Pithora in Delhi, also known as Pithoragarh, is named after him.

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