CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ - THE LEGEND

He founded the Hindu kingdom in the Deccan against all odds , fighting against the mighty Mughals.He inspired and united the common man to fight against the tyranny of Mughal ruler Aurangjeb, by inculcating a sense of pride and nationality in them. At the age of 16, he took a pledge to establish a sovereign Hindu state.He clearly outstands all the rulers and generals of India by the exemplary life he lived and is thus respected by the entire cross section of Indians. Shivaji's military skills could be compared to those of Napolean. He raised a strong army and navy, constructed and repaired forts, used gureilla warfare tactics,developed a strong intelligence network,gave equal treatment to the people from all religions and castes based on merit, and functioned like a seasoned Statesman and General. He appointed ministers with specific functions such as Internal security,Foreign affairs,Finance,Law and Justice,Religious matters,Defence etc. He introduced systems in revenue collection and warned the officials against harassment of subjects.He thought ahead of times and was a true visionary.In his private life, his moral virtues were exceptionally high.His thoughts and deeds were inspired by the teachings of his mother Jijabai,teacher Dadaji Konddev,great saints like Dnyaneshwar & Tukaram and the valiancy and ideals of the Lords Rama and Krishna. The tiny kingdom established by Chhatrapati Shivaji known as "Hindavi Swaraja" (Sovereign Hindu state) grew and spread beyond Attock in Northwest India (now in Pakistan)and beyond Cuttack in East India in course of time, to become the strongest power in India. After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji & his son Sambhaji, their prime ministers or ‘the Peshwas' became the defacto rulers. The Peshwas and the Maratha Sardars (Chieftans) like Shindes of Gwalior, Gaekwads of Baroda & Holkars of Indore contributed to the growth of the Maratha Confederacy.

Born: May 9, 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan

Father's Name: Maharana Udai Singh II

Mother's Name: Rani Jeevant Kanwar

Died: January 29, 1597 in Chavand
Maharana Pratap was born on May 9th 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan। His father was Maharana Udai Singh II and his mother was Rani Jeevant Kanwar. Maharana Udai Singh II ruled the kingdom of Mewar, with his capital at Chittor. Maharana Pratap was the eldest of twenty-five sons and hence given the title of Crown Prince. He was destined to be the 54th ruler of Mewar, in the line of the Sisodiya Rajputs.

In 1567, when Crown Prince Pratap Singh was only 27, Chittor was surrounded by the Mughal forces of Emperor Akbar. Maharana Udai Singh II decided to leave Chittor and move his family to Gogunda, rather than capitulate to the Mughals. The young Pratap Singh wanted to stay back and fight the Mughals but the elders intervened and convinced him to leave Chittor, oblivious of the fact that this move from Chittor was going to create history for all times to come.
In Gogunda, Maharana Udai Singh II and his nobles set up a temporary government of the kindom of Mewar. In 1572, the Maharana passed away, leaving the way for Crown Prince Pratap Singh to become the Maharana. However, in his later years, the late Maharana Udai Singh II had fallen under the influence of his favorite queen, Rani Bhatiyani, and had willed that her son Jagmal should ascend to the throne. As the late Maharana's body was being taken to the cremation grounds, Pratap Singh, the Crown Prince decided to accompany the dead body of the Maharana. This was a departure from tradition as the Crown Prince did not accompany the body of the departed Maharana but instead prepared to ascend the throne, such that the line of succession remained unbroken. Pratap Singh, in deference to his father's wishes, decided to let his half-brother Jagmal become the next king. However, knowing this to be disastrous for Mewar, the late Maharana's nobles, especially the Chundawat Rajputs, forced Jagmal to leave the throne to Pratap Singh. Unlike Bharat, Jagmal did not willingly give up the throne. He swore revenge and left for Ajmer, to join the armies of Akbar, where he was offered a jagir - the town of Jahazpur - in return for his help. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Pratap Singh became Maha Rana Pratap Singh I, 54th ruler of Mewar in the line of the Sisodiya Rajputs.
The year was 1572. Pratap Singh had just become the Maharana of Mewar and he had not been back in Chittor since 1567. His old fort and his home beckoned to him. The pain of his father's death, and the fact that his father had not been able to see Chittor again, troubled the young Maharana deeply. But he was not the only one troubled at this time. Akbar had control of Chittor but not the kingdom of Mewar. So long as the people of Mewar swore by their Maharana, Akbar could not realize his ambition of being the Jahanpanah of Hindustan. He had sent several emissaries to Mewar to get Rana Pratap to agree to sign a treaty but the letter was only willing to sign a peace treaty whereby the sovereignty of Mewar would be intact. In the course of the year 1573, Akbar sent six diplomatic missions to Mewar to get Rana Pratap to agree to the former's suzerainty but Rana Pratap turned down each one of them. The last of these missions was headed by Raja Man Singh, the brother-in-law of Akbar himself. Maharana Pratap, angered that his fellow Rajput was aligned with someone who had forced the submission of all Rajputs, refused to sup with Raja Man Singh. The lines were completely drawn now - Akbar understood that Maharana Pratap would never submit and he would have to use his troops against Mewar.
With the failure of efforts to negotiate a peace treaty in 1573, Akbar blockaded Mewar from the rest of the world and alienated Mewar's traditional allies, some of whom were Maharana Pratap's own kith and kin. Akbar then tried to turn the people of the all-important Chittor district against their king so they would not help Pratap. He appointed Kunwar Sagar Singh, a younger brother of Pratap, to rule the conquered territory, However, Sagar, regretting his own treachery, soon returned from Chittor, and committed suicide with a dagger in the Mughal Court. Shakti Singh, Pratap's younger brother now with the Mughal army, is said to have fled the Mughal court temporarily and warned his brother of Akbar's actions.
In preparation for the inevitable war with the Mughals, Maharana Pratap altered his administration. He 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. It is a testament to the young king's respect amongst his subjects that they obeyed him and left for the mountains. The Bhils of the Aravalis were completely behind him. The army of Mewar now raided Mughal trade caravans going from Delhi to Surat. A section of his army guarded the all important Haldighati Pass, the only way to get into Udaipur from the North. Maharana Pratap himself undertook several penances, not because his finances forced him to do so, but because he wished to remind himself, and all his subjects, why they were undertaking this pain - to win back their freedom, their right to exist as they wished. He foreswore that he would eat from leaf-plates, would sleep on the floor and would not shave. In his self-inflicted state of penury, the Maharana lived in mud-huts made from mud and bamboo.
In 1576, the famous battle of Haldighati was fought with 20,000 Rajputs against a Mughal army of 80,000 men commanded by Raja Man Singh. The battle was fierce though indecisive, to the Mughal army's astonishment. Maharana Pratap's army was not defeated but Maharana Pratap was surrounded by Mughal soldiers. It is said that at this point, his estranged 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.
After this war, Akbar tried several times to take over Mewar, failing each time. Maharana Pratap himself was keeping up his quest for taking Chittor back. However, the relentless attacks of the Mughal army had left his army weaker, and he barely had enough money to keep it going. It is said that at this time, one of his ministers, Bhama Shah, came and offered him all this wealth - a sum enabling Maharana Pratap to support an army of 25,000 for 12 years. It is said that before this generous gift from Bhama Shah, Maharana Pratap, anguished at the state of his subjects, was beginning to lose his spirit in fighting Akbar.

In one incident that caused him extreme pain, his children's meal - bread made from grass - was stolen by a dog. It is said that this cut into Maharana Pratap's heart deeply. He began to have doubts about his resolute refusal to submit to the Mughals. Perhaps in one of these moments of self doubt - something each and every human being goes through - Maharana Pratap wrote to Akbar demanding "a mitigation of his hardship". Overjoyed at this indication of his valiant foe's submission, Akbar commanded public rejoicing, and showed the letter to a literate Rajput at his Court, Prince Prithiraj. He was the younger brother of Rai Singh, the ruler of Bikaner, a State established some eighty years earlier by the Rathores of Marwar. He had been compelled to serve Akbar because of his kingdom's submission to the Mughals. An award-winning poet, Prithiraj was also a gallant warrior and a longtime admirer of the brave Maharana Pratap Singh. He was astonished and grieved by Maharana Pratap's decision, and told Akbar the note was the forgery of some foe to defame the Mewar king. "I know him well," he explained, "and he would never submit to your terms." He requested and obtained Akbar's permission to send a letter to Pratap, ostensibly to ascertain the fact of his submission, but really with a view to prevent it. He composed the couplets that have become famous in the annals of patriotism:
The hopes of the Hindu rest on the Hindu; yet the Rana forsakes them. But for Pratap, all would be placed on the same level by Akbar; for our chiefs have lost their valour and our females their honour. Akbar is the broker in the market of our race: he has purchased all but the son of Udai (Singh II of Mewar); he is beyond his price. What true Rajput would part with honour for nine days (nauroza); yet how many have bartered it away? Will Chittor come to this market ...? Though Patta (an affectionate name for Pratap Singh) has squandered away wealth (on warfare), yet he has preserved this treasure. Despair has driven man to this market, to witness their dishonour: from such infamy the descendant of Hamir (Hamir Singh) alone has been preserved. The world asks, from where does the concealed aid of Pratap emanate? None but the soul of manliness and his sword ... The broker in the market of men (Akbar) will one day be surpassed; he cannot live forever. Then will our race come to Pratap, for the seed of the Rajput to sow in our desolate lands. To him all look for its preservation, that its purity may again become resplendent.
The now-famous letter led to Pratap reversing his decision and not submitting to the Mughals, as was his initial but reluctant intention. After 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. Bhagwat Singh Mewar: "Maharana Pratap Singh (was) called the light and life of the Hindu community. There were times when he and his family and children ate bread made of grass." Maharana Pratap became a patron of the Arts. During his reign Padmavat Charita and the poems of Dursa Ahada were written. Palaces at Ubheshwar, Kamal Nath and Chavand bear testimony to his love of architecture. These buildings, built in the dense hilly forest have walls adorned with military-style architecture. But Pratap's broken spirit overpowered him in the twilight of his years. His last moments were an appropriate commentary on his life, when he swore his successor, Crown Prince Amar Singh to eternal conflict against the foes of his country's independence. Maharana Pratap was never able to win back Chittor but he never gave up fighting to win it back.
In January 1597, Rana Pratap Singh I, Mewar's greatest hero, was seriously injured in a hunting accident. He left his body at Chavand, aged 56, on January 29, 1597. He died fighting for his nation, for his people, and most importantly for his honor.

¤ The Marathas Supplant the Mughals

However, poison achieved what the sword could not। Madhu Singh, queen of Amber was entrusted with the task of removing the enemy of her nephew Ram Singh. She presented Bukhta with a poisoned robe leading to his death in 1753. Meanwhile the Marathas were fast supplanting the Mughals as the pre-eminent power in India, and in conjunction with the prince of Amber, Ram Singh concluded a treaty with the Marathas to depose Bukhta’s son and heir Vijay Singh from Jodhpur. Ram Singh was able to vanquish the young Vijay thanks to a rumour circulated by his minister among the enemy that Vijay had been shot by a cannon. It was a tactic which invariably worked against the Rajputs, and as his army ran helter-skelter, the young Vijay was left virtually defenceless. Thus Ram Singh reclaimed the throne of Jodhpur but not without cost, as it led to the Marathas spreading their tentacles in Rajputana. Ajmer was ceded to them and a fixed triennial tribute on all lands of Marwar both feudal and fiscal had to be paid.From then on Jodhpur’s independence was never really secure and Ram Singh finally died in exile in 1773 in Jaipur. Historians agree that both in exterior and in his accomplishments he compared favourably with the great Ajit, and in his later years he was much mellowed, with much of his early irascibility, a thing of the past. His death meant the Marathas had free run of the land and they missed no opportunity to plunder. Vijay Singh was too callow and without resources to resist the Maratha might, and ruinous wars followed by humiliating negotiations dissipated the wealth of Marwar completely. Indeed the situation was so chaotic that an exasparated prince Devi Singh of Pokhran once remarked " Why trouble yourself about Marwar? It is in the sheath of my dagger." and although Vijay Singh in league with Pratap Singh of Amber recovered Ajmer temporarily from the Marathas at the battle of Tonga in 1787, But the Maratha Scindia won it back four years later and Ajmer was lost to Marwar forever. and in his last few years Vijay was enmeshed with a young beauty from the Oswal tribe which created such a scandal that it almost led to his dethronement.

¤ Man Singh’s Fortunes Rise

The conflict however led to enormous turmoil in Jodhpur, leading to slicing up Vijay Singh’s dominions. and with his sons and grandsons in rival camps thanks to the folly of Vijay Singh’s ways, he died a disillusioned man having reigned for 31 years. Barely 22 hours after his death his grandson Bhim Singh seated himself on Jodhpur’s gaddi (throne), dismissing the legitimate claims of Vijay’s sons Zalim and Sur Singh. However the throne of Jodhpur merely whetted his appetite and his next target was Pali. A protracted siege lasting eleven years followed, during which the garrison was valiantly defended by Man Singh, (the adopted son of Vijay Singh and his young mistress). Just as Man and his men were on the verge of capitulation news filtered through of Bhim Singh’s death. From then on Man’s fortunes ascended and very soon he occupied Jodhpur. It is said that Man’s fortune was predicted by a seer who prophesied ‘that at the very zero of adversity his stars would rise’.However he made a very powerful enemy in Sawai Singh of Pokhran, whose dagger would remain suspended over his head from his coronation to Sawai’s death bed like the ‘sword of Damocles.’ It was only a matter of time before Sawai Singh the pretender to the throne of Marwar assembled a large army, which along with the support of the rulers of Jaipur, Mewar and Ambar beseiged the Jodhpur fort. He would have succeeded too, had it not been for the valour of Mir Khan, the generalissimo of Man’s army who created divisions within the ranks of Jodhpur’s opponents and broke up the seige. He defeated the army of Jaipur so comprehensively that Maharaja Jagat Singh had to pay a sum of 200,000 pounds to secure his safe passage.In honour of Man’s victory over Jaipur the Jai Pol, or victory gate was built in the fort in 1808. It was also the end of the road for Sawai Singh, as Mir after inviting him to his quarters slaughtered him with 500 of his followers. The heads of the most distinguished were then sent to Raja Man. However Man’s victory over his rivals was not an unmixed blessing; the flip side was that Mir Khan was virtually the arbiter of Marwar. and with the death of his only son Chattar Singh, Raja Man lost all interest in affairs of the state and was deemed to be certifiably insane. However, although officially he was said to be suffering from melancholy mania, many believed it to be an act to escape the snares laid for his life. Governance of Jodhpur was in the interim carried out by Salim Singh (son of Sawai Singh). But Raja Man remained until the British arrived in 1818 and concluded a treaty with Jodhpur under which the district became a protectorate of the British. With the British came political stability and a modicum of prosperity and relations between the Anglo-Saxons and the house of Jodhpur were relatively cordial.

¤ Jodhpur Reclaimed From the Mughals

Ultimately Ajit Singh proved to be an even greater ruler than his father and was one of the most distinguished princes to grace the throne of Jodhpur। He inherited his father’s hatred for the very word Muslim but that was natural for someone who was born amidst the snows of Kabul and deprived at birth of his parents. He also inherited his father’s valour, which he first displayed at the early age of 11 when he visited his enemy’s capital displaying the courtesy which only a Rajput can. He along with Jai Singh of Jaipur and Amar Singh of Mewar were instrumental in throwing out the Mughals from Jodhpur as well as Amber. His hatred of the Mughals was further fuelled when he was forced to give one his daughters to the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyyar in marriage. However he gained the viceroyalty of Gujarat as a result, and was also instrumental in getting the hated jaziya repealed for which the Hindus owed him an eternal debt. He then entered into an agreement with the Sayyid brothers at the Mughal court to get rid of the emperor Farrukhsiyyar, which they did successfully in 1719. and it speaks volumes for the degeneration of the Mughals after Aurangzeb, that none among them came forward to rescue their emperor. Farrukhsiyyar remains the only Mughal king ever to be assassinated. In turn the Sayyid brothers were killed themselves, as court intrigues held full sway at the imperial court with the Mughals becoming increasingly corrupt and debauched. Ajit, aware of the vice-ridden Mughal court, was determined himself to capture Ajmer from them and did so by slaying the king’s governor. He ascended the throne of Ajmer and where the Koran was read, the Puran (a set of 18 books containing Hindu legends) was now heard. Ajit issued coins in his own name, established his own weights and measures and his own courts of justice. The reputation of Ajit spread far and wide, even to distant Persia and Mecca that he had exalted his own faith. The rites of The Koran were prohibited throughout the land of Marwar.

¤ Father Assassinated by Son

Eventually the great Ajit’s life ended with a crime most foul – he was murdered by his own son Abhay Singh, who was anointed king by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah himself। With Ajit’s demise passed away the golden period of Jodhpur’s history, and the next century as we shall see was full of trials and tribulations. Abhay Singh had very little time for festivities, soon he involved himself with the consolidation of his fiefdom. He bestowed the principality of Nagaur on his brother Bukhta and then installed his officers in Ajmer of which he was the viceroy. However, Nagaur was too limited a field for someone of Bukhta’s talents, and with Abhay becoming an opium addict towards his latter years, he felt increasingly insecure by his brother’s influence. The sibling rivalry reached its head when Abhay refused to help Bukhta when he attacked the kingdom of Amber. It says something for the Rajput character that they failed to unite even when they had the chance of overthrowing the Mughals, their internecine battles cost them the Delhi Durbar (court).This was the time of Muhammad Shah’s reign, who because of his addiction to wine and women was given the epithet Rangila (colourful). Nadir Shah the Persian sacked Delhi in 1739, looted its treasures and decamped with among other things the peacock throne of Shah Jahan. Unfortunately for Rajputana, the demoralisation of their princes did not enable them to take advantage of the profligacy of the Mughals. Perhaps it was the murder of Ajit Singh which serves to illustrate the great moral truth- that in every stage of civilisation crime will work out its own punishment. Ram Singh, son of Abhay succeeded the throne of Jodhpur but his uncle Bukhta did not attend his coronation. Ram Singh had inherited the same impetuous temper as his predecessors and it was inevitable that he and Bukhta would soon be at loggerheads. The battle between the two was bloody leading to the annihilation of Ram Singh’s army, forcing the Jodhpur ruler to flee. Bukhta anointed himself ruler of the desert city, and with the support of other clans of Marwar, he felt secure against the machinations of his nephew.

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¤ Relations Turned Strain between the Mughal & Jadhpur

Proximity to the Mughal court led to art and culture flourishing in Jodhpur as well as trade and commerce with the establishment of relative peace। But relations between the Mughals and Jodhpur took a turn for the worse during Jaswant Singh’s reign when he backed the wrong prince in 1658 during the battle of succession between Shah Jahan’s sons. His loathing for Aurangzeb led him to back Dara, and despite Jaswant’s defeat at Fatehbad when he was commanding the army opposed to Aurangzeb he never really reconciled himself to his rule. For 25 years he was a thorn in the Mughal emperor’s flesh until Aurangzeb ordered him to Kabul to duel with the Afghans whence he never returned. He left Jodhpur in the hands of his son Prithvi, who in turn was put paid to by Aurangzeb by giving him a poisoned robe. James Tod says of Jaswant Singh ‘that had his ability been commensurate with his power, strength and courage he could have with the aid of Aurangzeb’s numerous other enemies have got rid of the emperor’.

¤ A Matter of Chivalry

An example of Rajput pride in their valour can be ascertained from the conduct of Jaswant’s queen when he retreated after the battle of Fatehbad। Even though he brought back his shield and it can be said his honour as well, she barred the city's gates on her fugitive lord। Though eventually wifely love forced her to relent the incident typified the Rajput attitude of preferring a heroic death to a cowardly retreat. Jaswant Singh had ascended the throne of Jodhpur in a most unusual manner. His father Gaj Singh’s mistress Angoori Bai had once been presented with a pair of pearl shoes by Jaswant Singh, after kneeling down before her in supplication. In return Angoori prevailed upon Gaj Singh to anoint Jaswant as his successor over the head of his elder brother Amar Singh, the rightful heir to the throne. It was a typical case of ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’ and Angoori Bai can be said to have changed the course of 17 th century Jodhpur history by helping to install Jaswant to the Jodhpur to the throne.

¤ An Assassination Folied

Meanwhile Aurangzeb’s religious bigotry had the impact of alienating all of the Rajputs whom Akbar had so carefully cultivated. After the imposition of the much hated jaziya or religious tax on the Hindus in 1679, he was determined to do away with Jaswant’s infant son Ajit Singh, after Jaswant’s death in 1681. However, that was prevented by one of Rajputana’s greatest heroes Durga Das who smuggled the posthumous child out of Marwar in a basket of sweetmeats. An enraged Aurangzeb retaliated by sacking Jodhpur, destroying numerous Hindu temples and demanding the conversion of the Rajput race to Islam. The attitude of the emperor led to the entire Rajput clan becoming implacable enemies of the Mughals, and from then on they were merely biding their time to throw off the Mughal imperialist yoke. The opportunity presented itself with Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 at the grand old age of 89. His successor, Bahadur Shah was 63 himself when he ascended the imperial throne and soon earned for himself the sobriquet of Shahi Bekhabar (heedless king) for his disinterest in affairs of the state.Perfect chance for Ajit Singh, now grown up who with the help of Durga Das formed a triple alliance with Udaipur and Jaipur to reclaim what was rightfully his – the gaddi (throne) of Jodhpur.

¤ A Narrow victory

However Babur found nothing to tempt him in the infertile lands of Marwar and Jodhpur managed to retain its autonomy. In fact under Raja Maldeo, Jodhpur managed to extend its sphere of influence considerably in the latter half of the 16 th century. He acquired Nagore and Ajmer and later Jalore, and even managed to dispossess Bika’s (founder of Bikaner) heirs from supreme power in Bikaner. Meanwhile Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan had dispossessed Mughal emperor Humayun from the throne of Delhi, whence he fled to Marwar to seek refuge but received a cold shoulder from Maldeo. However, Maldeo received no advantage from his inhospitality, and Sher Shah possibly out of insecurity from his southern neighbour marched on Marwar with 80,000 men to be met by a Rajput army of fifty thousand. Where thanks to the old Rajput vice of squabbling with each other the Delhi Sultan achieved a narrow victory. But it was a ‘narrow victory’ at best as the Sultan himself remarked afterwards: "I nearly lost the empire of Hindustan for a handful of barley."What is interesting is that the Jodhpur coat-of- arms apart from depicting the sacred kite of goddess Durga and the Rathore war cry Ranbanka Rathore (Rathore invincible in battle) also portrays a handful of barley- signifying Sher Shah’s famous words. Maldeo was destined to outlive the Sher Shahi dynasty but Humayun returned from exile to reclaim his kingdom and after his death in 1556 it was the 13 year old Akbar (destined to become one of the greatest of Indian kings) who ascended the Mughal throne.

¤ Jodhpur Placates akbar

The relations between Jodhpur and the imperial house were further cemented by the Marriage of Jodha Bai, sister of Udai Singh with the Mughal emperor, Akbar thenceforth returned all possessions he had seized from Marwar sans Ajmer। Jodhpur hereafter assisted Akbar in many of his conquests and Sur Singh who succeeded Udai, served with the imperial forces in Lahore and was instrumental in capturing Gujarat and much of Deccan for Akbar. While Raja Gaj Singh son and heir of Sur Singh played a key role in putting down the rebellion of prince Khurram (later to become emperor Shah Jahan) against his father Jahangir. It is reported that Jahangir was so pleased with the loyalty of the Rathore prince, that he not only took him by the hand but kissed it- a most unusual gesture for a Mughal emperor.Akbar clearly had a score to settle as the non-cooperation of Jodhpur had led him to spend his childhood in faraway Amarkot rather than the princely comforts of Delhi and he invaded Marwar in 1561 and captured both Jodhpur and the Nagore fort. The two forts he handed to Rai Singh of Bikaner now independent of Jodhpur. Maldeo was forced to swallow his pride, and tried to win over Akbar by sending him gifts through his second son Chandra Sen. However all the wiles of Chandra Sen failed to sway the Akbar and eventually it was his elder brother Udai Singh who managed to ingratiate himself with the emperor. The unkindest cut of all came when he was forced to pay homage to his elder son Udai Singh, who was appointed by Akbar, and this ended the freedom of Jodhpur which became a vassal state of the Mughals.

¤ The Union Between the Mughals & Jodhpur

The relations between Jodhpur and the imperial house were further cemented by the Marriage of Jodha Bai, sister of Udai Singh with the Mughal emperor, Akbar thenceforth returned all possessions he had seized from Marwar sans Ajmer. Jodhpur hereafter assisted Akbar in many of his conquests and Sur Singh who succeeded Udai, served with the imperial forces in Lahore and was instrumental in capturing Gujarat and much of Deccan for Akbar. While Raja Gaj Singh son and heir of Sur Singh played a key role in putting down the rebellion of prince Khurram (later to become emperor Shah Jahan) against his father Jahangir. It is reported that Jahangir was so pleased with the loyalty of the Rathore prince, that he not only took him by the hand but kissed it- a most unusual gesture for a Mughal emperor.

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History of Jodhpur

• ¤ Jodhpur Ruled by Rathores

The kingdom of Jodhpur was ruled by the Rathores, who controlled much of Marwar in western Rajasthan including Bikaner, the other desert fiefdom. The clan traces its lineage back to Rama, the mythical hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana and through him back to the sun god Surya himself. Which is why the Rathores also call themselves Suryavanshi or family of the sun. In modern times, the first Rathore ruler chronicled by history was Nayan Pal, who established his kingdom at Kannauj near modern day Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in 470 A.D. Here the dynasty flourished until much of north India began to acquire a distinctly Islamic flavour towards the close of the 12th century. Mohammad Ghori the Afghan annexed Kannauj in 1192, forcing the Rathore ruler Raja Jai Chand to flee which he did carrying the Rathore panchranga or the five-coloured flag with him. But dispirited by the defeat he drowned while crossing the Ganges.

• ¤ In The Early Days

After period of wandering through Gujarat, described by James Tod in his magnum opus Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, the Rathores settled down in Pali, which is a short distance from Jodhpur। Here Rao Siyaji, Jai Chand’s successor hit upon the strategy of conquest of Marwar through forging matrimonial alliances; he married and had three sons and eight grandsons each of whom bred prolifically in turn. and in 1453 the Rathores had multiplied enough in the region for one of Siyaji’s descendants Chonda to cobble up a large enough army to capture Mandore, the capital of Marwar. Here he married the princess of the ruling dynasty, had no less than 14 children and established the Rathore stronghold in Marwar. However, the Rajput reputation for constantly feuding with each other was well deserved; in this case it was the marital alliance between Chonda’s daughter Hansa to Lakha Rana of Mewar which stirred up trouble between the two principalities. Ultimately leading to the death of Chonda which is described by one Rathore chronicler as ‘he was slain at Nagore with one thousand Rajputs.’

• ¤ The City Founded

Eventually Rao Jodha (whose son Rao Bika later founded Bikaner) decided to shift base to a safer spot and moved from Mandore to Jodhpur which he founded in 1459। Again, as in the case of the founding of Jaisalmer, it was a sage who suggested that Jodha establish his settlement on a craggy hill known as the birds nest, which is now called Jodhpur. Atop this eyrie, Jodha built his stronghold called the Chintamani fort, which was later called Mehrangarh. Jodha lived in his new capital for thirty years and on his death bed he must have been a contented man, because he and his progeny by that time controlled eighty thousand square miles of territory. A far cry from three centuries earlier when his ancestors had been driven out of Kannauj by Ghori in absolute penury. Surajmal who succeeded Jodha, ruled Jodhpur for a score and seven years, and it was in his tenure that Jodhpur had its first spat with the imperial army at Delhi.

• ¤ A Question of Honour

During the reign of Sikandar Lodi in 1516, a band of Pathans carried off a hundred and forty Rajput women during the Hindu festival of Teej। Incensed Surajmal took it upon himself to avenge Rajput honour, which he did by vanquishing the ‘northern barbarians’ but at the cost of his own life. His heir Rao Ganga Singh who ruled for the next sixteen years was part of the last confederacy made by the Rajputs for national independence. As the Mughal Babur blazed across the Indus and defeated Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat in 1526, the Rajputs united in order to drive out the foreigner. Ganga Singh along with the one-eyed Rana Sanga of Mewar met Babur in the battle of Khanua in 1528. However the Rajputs were routed and from then on Mughal power in India for the next two centuries was assured.

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Akbar the Great

Emperor Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great or Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, was the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, after Babur and Humayun. He was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun and succeeded him as the emperor in the year 1556, when he was only 13 years old. One of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire, Akbar also made significant contribution in the field of art. Apart from commencing a large collection of literature, he also commissioned a number of splendid buildings during his reign. This biography of King Akbar will provide you more information on his life history:Early LifeAkbar was born on 15th October 1542, to Emperor Humayun and his recently wedded wife, Hamida Banu Begum. The Rajput Fortress of Umarkot in Sind, where Humayun and Hamida were taking refuge, became the birthplace of this great emperor. In 1540, Humayun was forced into exile by Afghan leader Sher Shah and Akbar spent his childhood in Afghanistan, at his uncle Askari's place. His youth was spent in running and fighting, rather than learning to read and write. However, this could never impair his interest in art, architecture, music and literature. Humayun recaptured Delhi in the year 1555, with the help of his Persian ally Shah Tahmasp. However, a few months after his victory, he met with an accident and died. On 14th February 1556, Akbar succeeded the throne, in the midst of a war waged by Sikandar Shah for the Mughal throne. Early RuleThe first battle fought by Akbar was against Sikandar Shah Suri of Punjab. However, when Akbar was busy leading assault against Sikandar Shah, Hemu, a Hindu warrior, launched an attack on Delhi, which was then under the regency of Tardi Beg Khan. Tardi fled from the city and Hemu claimed the capital. On the advice of his general, Bairam, Akbar launched an attack on Delhi and reclaimed the city. On 5th November 1556, 'Akbar the Great' fought the Second Battle of Panipat against General Hemu. Following soon after was the battle with Sikandar Shah at Mankot. In 1557, Adil Shah, who was the brother of Sikandar, died in a battle in Bengal. Along with fighting against the other rulers, Akbar also solidified his support by revoking the jizya tax on non-Muslims. At the same time, he started wooing the favor of the powerful Rajput caste, at times by marrying Rajput princesses. He expanded the Mughal Empire by including Malwa, Gujarat, Bengal, Kabul, Kashmir and Kandesh, amongst others. In no time, the rule of Akbar was firmly established over the entire Hindustan (India). Final YearsAkbar was greatly troubled in the last few years of his life due to the misdemeanors of his sons. Especially his third son, Salim, was frequently in rebellion against his father. The last conquest of Akbar comprised of Asirgarh, a fort in the Deccan. Thereafter, he faced the rebellion of his son and breathed his last on 12th October 1605. His body was entombed in a magnificent mausoleum at Sikandra city, near Agra. NavratnasAkbar's court had Navaratnas (Nine Jewels), meaning a group of nine extraordinary people. They included:
Abul Fazel (Akbars's chief advisor and author of Akbarnama)
Faizi (Akbar's poet laureate)
Mian Tansen (a Hindu singer who converted to Islam)
Birbal (a noble known for his wittiness)
Raja Todar Mal (Akbar's finance minister)
Raja Man Singh (trusted general of Akbar)
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana (a noble and a renowned poet)
Fakir Aziao-Din
Mullah Do Piaza

Chardham : Kedarnath

Kedarnath is a sacred town situated in the state of Uttarakhand of India. It can even be called as one of the remotest Char Dham sites as it is located amidst the snow-capped mountains of Himalayas, near the river Mandakini. Nestled in the Rudraprayag district, the main attractions here is the Kedarnath Temple, which is a popular Hindu shrine and pilgrimage, attracting devotees from all over the world. The travel and tourism scope here is strengthened by factors like natural beauty and religious zest. The Kedarnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is deemed to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya. The glory of the temple can be attributed to the fact that it is one of the twelve jyotirlingas (Lord Shiva shrines), present in the country. The temple remains open only for a period of six months, due to heavy snowfall in the winter months. Testing the fervor and dedication of the pilgrims, the temple is not directly reachable by road.The only way being, a 14 km trek path from Gaurikund. The present temple stands adjacent to the initial temple built by the Pandavas. According to historical data, Pandavas after winning the battle of Mahabharata, felt guilty of killing their own brothers. They came here in search of Lord Shiva, who kept hiding himself. Finally Bhima, the strongest Pandava brother recognized him. Lord Shiva, who was disguised as a bull, escaped leaving behind his hind part. This led to the construction of the temple here. The present Kedarnath Temple has been built by huge slabs of gray stones, standing undeterred with all its glory and majesty. The divine peace and tranquility of the place leaves the devotees completely mesmerized. The haunting environment and secluded surroundings compel all the visitors to feel the inner connection with the Almighty. Thus, Kedarnath is considered a must visit place amongst pilgrims, before leaving this world.

Photos of Krishna

Names of Krishna

The word krsna in language Sanskrit means "black", "dark" or "dark-blue",which in the modern day Hindi is Kala and was used to describe someone with a dark skin. Shri Krishna is portrayed in dark blue colour in most paintings and idols.Krishna also means the "all attractive one".Lord Krishna is known by many other names and titles, which reflect his many qualities, phases in life and forms. There are 108 names and titles of Krishna from the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition. They can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_titles_and_names_of_Krishna . It is believed that Krishna has well over 1000 names. Some of the more popular names are:1. Krishna - The Supereme all-attractive form of Godhead.2. Parthasarathi - The chariteer of Arjuna.3. Vasudeva - The son of Vasudeva.4. Devakinanadana - The son of Mother Devaki.5. Nandanandana - The son of Nanda Maharaja.6. Yashodanandana - The son of Mother Yashoda.7. Madhusudhana - The of the demon Madhu.8. Narayana - The shelter of all human beings.9. Govinda - The giver of pleasure to cows and senses.10. Keshava - The killer of kesi demon.11. Madhava - The husband of the Goddess of Fortune.12. Ranchor - The one who flied from fighting.13. Janardhana - The maintainer of all living entities.14. Lakshmipathi - The husband of Goddess Lakshmi.15. Hrishikesa - The owner of all senses.16. Mukunda - The Giver of liberation.17. Damodara - One who was bound by ropes through His belly.18. Hari - He takes away all distress.19. Acyuta - One who never falls down.20. Ajita - The unconquerable.21. Yogeshwara - master of mystic powers.22. Jagatpati - The master of the cosmic manifestation.23. Yadunandana - The son of Yadu dynasty.24. Brahmanaya-deva - He is worshipped by all brahmins.25. Jananivasa - He is present in everyone's heart.26. Vamana - The drawf-incarination, who taught a lesson to King Bali.27. Trinayana - The seer of the three worlds.28. Shripati - The husband of the Goddess of Fortune Laksmi.29. Sankarshan - The Supreme shelter and attractor all living entities.This list is presently incomplete. You can help by contributing. Simply click "edit Names of Krishna" and add to the names. Hare Krishna.

Mahabharata

The longest Sanskrit epic ever written, Mahabharata has a collection of more than 74,000 verses, divided into 18 books। The Mahabharata story is much revered in India and basically among the Hindus। The Mahabharata contains the Bhagawad Gita, the famous gospel of duty that was taught to the great warrior, Arjuna by Lord Krishna. The Mahabharata dwells on the aspect of the important goals of a human being in his mortal life. The epic aims at making people realize the relation between the individual and the society and how they both are inter dependent on each other. Read on further a summary of Mahabharata, the greatest epic ever. The epic revolves around the struggle for the throne of the kingdom of Hastinapura. The struggle is between two branches of the same family, the Kauravas and Pandavas. The Kauravas were collectively the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and the Pandavas were the five sons of Pandu, who died of a curse. The five brothers named Yudhisthira (eldest son), Arjuna, Bheema, Nakula and Sahdeva were always obedient and dutiful, which made them the most loved in the kingdom. Each of the Pandavas had a special virtue in them that made them stand apart from the rest of the world. This made the Kauravas hate them and they planned many devious ways to get rid of them. As time went by, the Pandavas got married and shared a common wife named Draupadi. The Kauravas got even more enraged and challenged the Pandavas to a game of gamble. The Pandavas lost and were banished from the kingdom for an exile of 12 years. There was a condition that if they were recognized by the end of 12 years, they would have to begin from scratch. One of the most important and dramatic character in this epic is Lord Krishna. He was the sole advisor, guide and true friend of the Pandavas and helped them in each and every difficulty in their exile. He is said to be the incarnation of God, who came to earth in human form to relieve the world of evil people and restore faith in his devotees. During the great battle of Kurukshetra fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Lord Krishna took upon himself the duty of driving Arjuna's chariot. He imparted the valuable and practical lessons of the Bhagawad Gita, a text of the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, where Lord Krishna shows Arjuna a glimpse of his majestic divine form. The Pandavas won the battle and ruled over Hastinapura for a number of years. It is said that Dhritarashtra and his wife retired into the forest to lead a stress-free life of an ascetic and Krishna left after around thirty six years after the battle took place. When the Pandavas realized that it was time to leave this earth, they all set out on a journey towards the North on foot. It is said that the gates of heaven opened on the northern horizon. One by one they dropped dead, until Yudhisthira finally reached the gates of heaven to be united once again with his brothers and wife.

The story of Rama

RAMAYANA is the story of RAMA(the ideal of virtuousness)। The story of Rama is full of stories of how an ideal man is supposed to behave, how an ideal king is supposed to perform etc। The life story of Rama, which is written in the epic Ramayana is briefly presented below:

Once upon a time in the king called Dasaratha, who used to rule the province of Ayodhya. Being issueless, he decided to peform a huge sacrifice for begetting a son. As a result of this, he was given a fruit to be given to his wives to bear a son. King Dasaratha divided it equally between Kausalya, the eldest wife, and Kaikeyi, his favourite queen. But both Kausalya and Kaikeyi were fond of the queen Sumitra. So they each gave halg of their portions to Sumitra and in turn the queens gave birth to four princes, Kausalya to the eldest Rama, Kaikeyi to the second Bharat, and Sumitra having gotten two shares, to younger Laxman and Shatrugna. All four princes grew up in the tutelage of sages and turned out into fine warriors. Laxman was very attached to Rama since childhood.
During their travels with sage Vishwamitra, once they came to Mithila, where king Janaka had pronounced a swayamvar(groom hunt ceremony) for his daughter Sita. Sita was Laxmi incarnate into this world, and was destined to marry Rama. The condition at the swayamvar, was that whoever could lift the heavy bow, which was presented to him by Shiva, could win the hand of Sita in marriage. One by one, the kings who came for the swayamvar failed in their attempts. When Rama went and lifted the bow, it lifted easily. Hence Rama was wed to Sita in Mithila and they returned to Ayodhya a happy family.
But happiness was not to last long. From an early incident in life of King Dasaratha, he had once been given the gift of life by his favourte queen Kaikeyi, who saved his life from a tiger. Then he had granted her two boons to be granted to her. But at that time Kaikeyi took a rain check on the boons and was reminded now by her evil servant maid Manthara, who incited her to use the boons to get her son Bharat the throne instead of Lord Rama. Her mind poisoned by evil Manthara, asked King Dasrath of two boons - (1). Bharat to be made the king and (2). Rama to be banished to the forest for fourteen years. Dasratha died shortly after Rama left for the forest.
Rama, heeding on the words of his Dad, left for the forest soon after that with his wife Sita and his favourite brother Laxman accompanied him too to the forest. Bharat, who was away at a relatives house, came to learn of this and went to the forest and requested his brother Rama to come back. But Rama refused to go back on the promise of his Dad. Then Bharat took the slippers of Rama and placed them on the throne and ruled virtually at Ayodhya till Lord Rama's return from the banishment.
There are lots of exciting tales durng the fourteen years of banishment of Rama. They went through different forests, different ashrams(hermitages) of various rishis, and lived on the fruits from the forest. During these years they fought a lot of wars with asuras (demons) to save the sages, and help the sages in carrying on their prayer which was being constantly disturbed by the asuras. The high point of their Vanvaas(banishment) was the long war fought with the king of the asuras, Ravana.
Ravana's sister, Surpanakha was enamored by Rama's beauty when she saw him once passing by the forest of panchavati,near Nasik, and wanted to marry Rama. Rama refused her and asked her to go to Laxman. Laxman too refused and this angered her. She thought of Sita as the main reason behind this and tried to harm Sita upon which Laxman cut off her nose and ears.
Angered, she went back and came again with her brother Khara to fight Rama. But Rama and Laxmana defeated and killed Khara too. she then fled and took refuge of Ravana, the mighty king of asuras, who was given the boon of immunity by Lord Shiva, from the gods,asuras and all creatures except human beings whom he thought to be too menial. Hence Lord Vishnu had to incarnate as a human to kill Ravana. Ravana had his desire for Sita for a long time. And in the rage of the moment, decided upon a plan to abduct Sita.
With the help of his uncle Maricha, who was a magician he set out. Maricha disguised himself as a beautiful deer and wandered near the whereabouts of Rama and Sita and laxman. On seeing the beautiful deer, Sita was attracted to the deer and asked Rama to go after it. Rama then left Laxman in gaurd of Sita, and then went after Maricha in the form of the deer. After a while, Laxman and Sita heard the cries of Rama for help. It was a ruse by Maricha to distract Laxman and Sita. Sita was worried and requested Laxman to go and see what the matter was. But at the same time Laxman did not want to leave Sita alone. On much insistence by Sita, he then made a line and asked her not to cross the line, popularly called as "Laxman Rekha", in modern days to represent limits of decent behavior and moral conduct. He advised that she should not cross the Laxman Rekha or else she could be in danger.
Soon after he left, Ravana who was waiting for this opportunity, came disguised as a beggar and asked for a donation from Sita. Sita went inside to get some grains to donate to the beggar. As she stepped outside she told the beggar to come and get it as she could not cross the Laxman Rekha. The beggar acted as if offended and Sita, thus crossed the line to give him alms, and Ravana, against her wishes dragged her into a chariot and took her to his home town of Lanka against her wishes. As she was going along the way she dropped her jewels so that Rama could trace her route.
Rama and Laxmana, on returning were very depressed on not finding Sita when they returned. They went miles and miles in search of Sita. They came ultimately to the kingdom of Kishkindha. This was then ruled by the monkey king Bali, who had banished his brother Sugreeva. Rama and Laxmana reached the hill where the banished Sugreeva and his friend Hanuman were living. Hanuman at once fell at the feet of Lord Rama and showed him the jewels which Sita had thrown at them when on the way to Lanka. Rama helped Sugreeva overthrow his brother Bali out of Kishkindha and become the king. In return, Rama got the entire army of monkeys of Sugreevas including Hanuman to help him out in the search for Sita.
Hanuman, while searching wide and afar, happened to cross over to Lanka across the sea and recognised Sita there. He then passed on the message of having found Sita to Rama. Rama then declared war on Ravana to get Sita back. Vibhishana, who was the brother of Rama, came over to Rama's side and became Rama'a devotee. The monkey army led by Sugreeva and Hanuman, formed a huge bridge across from mainland to Lanka. Then Rama got along with his army to Lanka and staged a full fledged war.
Ravana was defeated in the end and Rama brought back Sita to his home and then in the process their Vanvaas(banishment period) was over and they came back to rule Ayodhya as a righteous king and spread Ram-Rajya(ideal rule) in Ayodhya.
There are stories of Sita's banishment and her giving birth to Lava and Kusa later in life in the ashram of Valmiki. These form the part called Uttar Ramayana, which is considered a sequel to the main Ramayana.

Taj Mahal Story

Taj Mahal Story
The story of Taj Mahal reflects the intensity of love. The fairy tale began when walking through the bazaar of Agra prince qhurram saw a girl. The girl was exceptionally beautiful. It was a love at first sight for both of them. After five years, on an auspicious day they were married and from that moment began the great epic of love. The End of the Fairy Tale In 1631 Shah Jahan set up to berahanpur with his troops to subdue a rebellion, accompanied by Mumtaz Mahal Unfortunately during childbirth she suffered some complications and died. According to legend before dieing she extracted a promise from Shah Jahan that he would build a mausoleum as a tribute to their love. The story of Taj Mahal begins Shah Jahan was obsessed to fulfill his wife's last wish. He invited the architects and artisans all over the world and planned for the building with absolute perfection. Taj Mahal was structured in Persian style combined with carvings of artisans called from Afghanistan and the garden designers from Kashmir. It took 22years to complete the Taj Mahal, a memento of love with the perfection of art. The carvings of Taj Mahal were decorated with very precious gemstones. The story of Taj Mahal is unique in itself. It is an evidence that how the emotions and feelings are important to human life. The story of Taj Mahal is an example of devotion and faith. The story of Taj Mahal is a love story not found in papers but stands in the structural form. The story of Taj Mahal is rare. Shah Jahan, "The King of The World" Prince qhurram was the fifth son of emperor Jahangir. He was the man of extraordinary brilliance, a great diplomat, a warrior and a lover of art. Once Jahangir wrote, "In art, in reason, in battle there is no comparison between him and my other children". In the honor of his numerous victories Jahangir entitled him as "Shah Jahan", "The King of the World". After Jahangir's death all his sons quarreled for the thrown, after fighting for years Shah Jahan killed all his brothers under suspicious circumstances and became the emperor, besides him stood his queen, comrade and confidante. Mumtaz Mahal "The chosen one of the palace" Shah Jahan titled her "Mumtaz Mahal", "The chosen one of the palace". A rare found combination of beauty and brain. She was her husband's best friend and confidante. She would counsel him in the diplomatic matters. She too was a great lover of art.