Karnataka
Karnataka's illustrious Rajput connection
By A. Jayaram
BANGALORE, MAY 30. The Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, is the first head of the Government who can trace his origins to a different State in the country.
<b>He belongs to a Rajput family that migrated to the old Nizam State (Hyderabad) from Rajasthan. </b>
The Rajput connection with Karnataka is a long one and can be traced to the 18th Century. There were Rajput soldiers in the armies of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, and later those of the maharajas of Mysore.
There were Rajput officers and men in the Mysore Infantry and Mysore Lancers which were merged with the Indian Army in 1953.
However, it was also the former royal family of Mysore which forged marriage alliances with the Rajput royalty of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in the 20th Century. In fact, there is also a claim to the Rajput ancestry of the Mysore royal family which belongs to the Arasu caste. The founder of the dynasty, Yaduraya, was said to be a Rajput from Kathiawar.
The consort of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, Pratapkumari Devi, was a Rajput princess from the principality of Bansda in Gujarat. The marriage which took place in 1900 was arranged by the Maharani Regent at that time, Vanivilas Sannidhi. Pratapkumari Devi died at the Bangalore Palace in 1953 and she had no children.
The first wife of Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, Sathyapremakumari was a Rajput princess from Charkhari State in Madhya Pradesh. Krishnaraja Wadiyar had arranged the marriage which took place in 1938.
All the three daughters of Kanteerava Narasimharaja Waidyar (the former Yuvaraja of Mysore) and sisters of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar had been married off to royal families outside the State. Princess Sujayadevi and Princess Vijayadevi had been married into the royal houses of the principalities of Sanand and Kotdasanghani respectively in Gujarat. However, the third sister, Jayachamundeshwari, who died young, had married the Maharaja of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, who was a Jat and head of a leading royal family in the North.
One of the sons-in-law of Jayachamaraja Wadiyar is from the former Rajput royal family of Wadhwan in Gujarat.
One of the Rajput settlers in the State to rise high in the State's civil service was C.M.H. Ranajodh Singh who retired as the Inspector-General of Police in Mysore (1947-50). He was also a leading landlord in the Mysore Road area of Bangalore.
Another senior civil servant in princely Mysore was Ramachandrasinhji. Rana Lakshman Singh who settled down in Mysore was a noble in the Mysore court.
Pandit Chandrabhan Singh of Mysore was a leading practitioner of Ayurveda. M.E. Bharatraj Singh, who was Professor of English in Mysore and Bangalore universities, was Principal of Central College in Bangalore.
Shankar Singh was a prominent Kannada film director and producer. So is his son, Rajendra Singh Babu. In the field of Kannada journalism it is M.D. Singh.
In the field of politics was Sathyanarayan Singh of Bellary who was a Congress MLA and also a mine owner.
In the above link
India: c.700, Hinduism drives Buddhism out of India
I have little passion for the Cholas of Tamil Nadu....what happened to their dynasty ?
Does a chola family exist today ?
From Pioneer, Books section, 11Nov. 2004...
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Royal Indian Navratnas...
<b>The following are excerpts from Handicrafted Indian Enamel Jewellery by Rita Devi Sharma and M Vardarajan, printed here with the permission of the publishers, Roli Books:</b>
The princely states of India are treasure houses of rare and beautiful works of art and artefacts. Among these, the foremost is the Nizam of Hyderabad's exquisite jewellery collection. Consisting of both his personal acquisitions and heirlooms of the Adil Shahi dynasty, it was created by master craftsmen from Persia and Hyderabad. The result is a near perfect blending of Islamic and Hindu art and culture. The collection also has jewels that display the best of Deccani Hindu craftsmanship and European styles of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
<b>With the decline of the Mughal Empire, some of the finest master craftsmen were attracted to the wealth and pomp of the Nizam's court Hyderabad. </b>An adjunct to the fabulous wealth of the Adil Shahi rulers were the fabled diamond mines of Golconda that yielded several gems that were made into pieces of jewellery. The enamelled pieces in the Nizam's collection, are among the finest pieces of their kind anywhere in the world.
<i>I thought the Golconda Dynasty was teh Qutub Shahi dynasty and Adil shahi were somewhere else.</i>
Although there were different schools of enamelling, the enamels of Hyderabad continues to be gem-set on the front with exquisite enamelling on the reverse. Unfortunately, not enough scholarly attention has been paid to it even though some of the finest enamelling found in south India had its origin in Hyderabad. However, with examples attributed to Deccani enamelling the main features of the Deccani style jewellery have complex designs and elegant enamel detailing on gold, with the surface of the metal seldom being overcrowded. The thrust of the designs lies in flowers, nature and their various details. The colours used are deep, dark and rich with dainty touches of white.
Dinshah Gazdar in 1950, reported: 'I have never set eyes on such jewels before. Each piece is beautifully enamelled on the back in colours obtainable only after pounding precious stones. Today if I were asked to produce even a small replica of one of these I would be unable to do so, for these are unique specimens of a lost art. In fact, they are considered so valuable that it is said th
Sarpechs (turban ornaments), necklaces, rings, armlets, waist girdles, bangles, earrings, bracelets, nav-ratna buckles, hanslis (a solid one-piece necklace), brooches and countless other jewel-studded and enamelled pieces-all encrusted and fairly dripping with diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds and enamels, are to be found in the collection. Among them is also the Jacob diamond (which the Nizam reportedly used as a paper weight), a rock that weighs a stunning 184.50 carats and is counted among the largest of its kind in the world.
A unique feature of the Nizam's collection is its fusion of the two cultures of Hyderabad - Islamic and Hindu. These were amalgamed to produce a style that was and is distinct and exotic. Among the most striking examples of this work is a turban plume called Kalgi Almas Parab with its frontal showing a pear-shaped, table-cut diamond-set scroll surmounted with a huge drop pearl. The reverse of this piece is enamelled with black mina with an opening for a feather, and the tapering stem to fix the ornament in a turban.
Black enamel is used very rarely and sparingly in traditional Mughal-style jewellery, because the technical expertise for such enamelling needs to be very high. That Deccani craftsmen had obviously obtained a level of skill required to make such piece with black enamel is clearly demonstrated by the fine black enamelling on this piece.
The Nizam's jewels are an exceptional collection in India and have been seldom seen in the three hundred-odd years of their existence. So great was the public interest generated by its air of mystery that poets and writers wrote of its legendary beauty out of imagination born of curiosity. <b>Then, in 1972, the collection was offered for sale and after years of negotiations, it was finally acquired by the Government of India as the jewels were declared a part of the nation's heritage. When the collection was opened to the public for viewing, unprecedented crowds thronged the National Museum in New Delhi, where it was displayed for over a month.</b>
The Garuda Purana ascribes the origin of gemstones to the slaying of demon, Vala, whose severed limbs were transformed into precious gem seeds; his blood transmuted into rubies; his teeth became pearls, and so on. Each gem possessed characteristic powers of enhancing or controlling individual traits. Emeralds had positive influences on intellect and wit, diamonds were associated with inner and outer refinement, blue sapphires had to be used with caution as the influence of Saturn could often prove destructive. It was only when gem stones were combined in a unique manner with particular reference to the individuals that their beneficent effects were felt.
The setting of the Nav-Ratna is determined by rules known to astrologers and jewellers. Patterns established according to the cardinal points were adopted, with individual variations determined by horoscopes.
The ancient Hindus attributed various qualities to precious stones. There are certain stones which could not be worn on themselves but only in conjunction with others. <b>The Mughals also came under he influence of Hindu superstition and had faith in astrology, before taking any important step. The hold was so great that even the fanatic Aurangzeb could not get rid of his belief in them.</b>
Therefore, Nav-Ratnas are set in armlets, rings and amulets, purposely for their talismanic effect.
Nav-Ratna jewellery became very popular with the Mughals and Nav-Ratna necklaces and bracelets of huge uncut stones became typical of Muslim jewellery.
The royal treasuries of the Indian princely States were the envy of collectors all over the world. Although the Nizam of Hyderabad's collection is believed to be one of its kind in the world, there were other royal treasures in India that were as spectacular. The jewels of the Jaipur royal family were hidden in the Jaigarh fort and guarded by the fierce Mina tribe. No one, it is said, not even the custodians, had any idea of the worth of this royal hoard.
A Maharaja was allowed to see this treasure only once in his lifetime and could select one piece. Other princely States famous for their jewels were the Maharajas of Patiala, the Gaekwars of Baroda and the Wodeyars of Mysore. The Maharaja of Patiala once sent a casket of jewels from his collection to the House of Cartier in Paris to redesign them into more modern pieces. Among them was a diamond that weighed a staggering 234.69 carats. It was the largest commission Cartier had ever handled.
The Indian princes were flamboyant and loved to display their treasures on their person. Their turbans were festooned with ropes of pearls and diamonds sparkled on aigrettes. Their necks were hung with pearls, diamonds, emeralds and rubies and their arms sported armlets. even their swords and scabbards were like pieces of jewellery.
<b>The late Duchess of Windsor once bought an Indian emerald drop necklace, re-made from an anklet of the Baroda collection from a famous dealer in 1957. Sadly, she decided to wear it at a grand reception where the Maharani of Baroda was also present. 'My dear,' the Maharani said to her companion in a rather loud voice, 'do you notice, she is wearing the beads I used to have on my feet!' Seething with humiliation, the Duchess apparently returned the necklace to the dealer the next day. </b>
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<b>India's maharajas resisted everything except Rolls-Royces</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Tue Nov 16,12:35 AM ETÂ Â South Asia -Â
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's pampered maharajas were well known for being able to resist everything except temptation -- in the shape of jewels, gold, palaces, legions of servants and of course luxury cars.
And the automobile that made them weakest at the knees was the Rolls-Royce which occupied pride of place in the royal garages over lower-ranking Buicks, Chryslers and Cadillacs.
A new book, Rolls-Royce and the Indian Princes, just published by India's Roli Books, relates the commercially heady and eccentric relationship between the luxury automobile firm and the maharajas, who during their heyday were international bywords for wealth and self-indulgence.
Author and motoring writer Murad Ali Baig says at least 20,000 Rolls-Royces purred their way off the production line before World War II -- 20 percent of them bound for British-ruled India.
Rolls-Royce custom-built its models for what was known as the "Maharaja market," catering to every whim.
"Many were 'purdah' models with curtains to shield the maharanis (wives of the maharajas) from prying eyes," recounted Baig, whose book features pictures of some of the famous Rollers that made their way to the subcontinent.
"The Maharaja of Jamnagar sent the company his wife's pink slipper to ensure his Phantom II was exactly the colour he wanted," Baig told AFP.
A 1933 Rolls-Royce that belonged to Maharani Sethu Parvati Bai of Travancore had a small stool on the floor. "On it sat a dwarf who massaged the queen's legs while he remained invisible to onlookers," said Baig.
The 1927 Phantom I that belonged to Baroda's Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III had 24-carat gold-plated interior fittings and solid silver door handles.
The Maharaja of Vizianagaram wanted an auspicious car to ferry the family deity in ceremonial processions so he had a Rolls made in the shape of a boat. Since steel was seen as unlucky, the car had a silver body instead.
Stripped of their powers by British colonial rulers but still with colossal incomes, the only pursuit for many princes was one-upmanship which was displayed in their cars, said Baig.
"It was wealth without responsibility," he said. "They spent their money competing with each other to display their pomp and circumstance."
One of the biggest fleets belonged to the Nizam of Hyderabad, reckoned at the time to be the world's richest man.
He had some 50 Rolls-Royces along with 12,000 servants. But he was also a renowned skinflint who wore the same battered fez for years and only used one of his old Buicks to do his rounds of Hyderabad city.
Some treasured their Rollers. But the Maharaja of Alwar used his fleet for collecting rubbish after he felt he had been snubbed by a snooty salesman in London's exclusive Mayfair district.
The maharaja demanded to see the manager and ordered seven cars which when they arrived he turned into garbage vans, said Baig.
One of the then British-based company's best customers was the Maharaja of Mysore who always purchased his Rollers in sevens. His buying habits passed into company lore as "doing a Mysore".
While the princes were enthusiastic tiger hunters, they did not like to be uncomfortable when going on hunts. So naturally they travelled into the jungle in Rolls specially adapted for the purpose.
These had footboards on which their servants could stand as the car raced through the jungle and a high power "shooting lamp" to dazzle the animal.
"The engine was so silent it could creep up on the unsuspecting beasts and bump them off," Baig said.
After India gained won independence in 1947, many of the maharajas fell on hard times. But despite their magnificence, the value of vintage cars was not appreciated in India until about the 1960s, said Baig.
"They went from being a status symbol to being regarded as expensive to repair and maintain," he said. "Many were sold for a pittance."
The Maharaja of Panna had two Silver Ghosts and in a burst of generosity gave one to his family priest and another to his friend.
Another Rolls was found in Lucknow, its back cut off for use as a delivery truck and later used as a chicken coop. One old 1919 Phantom I lay rotting for years in a palace stable with a tree growing through its floorboards.
"Restoring such neglected vehicles was a difficult and expensive task," said Baig. But "even after 60 or 80 years most engines would start up without a whimper and purr with a waxy sound."
Baig says he believes there are around 160 Rolls-Royces still in India, some in museums but most owned by private collectors. Many others were sold to vintage car buyers abroad. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Games of yore
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Losing his kingdom first to Tipu Sultan and then to the British, Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar III of Mysore focused on solving and creating puzzles and games. MALA KUMAR writes of the wonderful legacy he left behind. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
the biggest ex royal family of india and subcontinent are the undisputed mughals.
zahiruddin babur were a descend of timur leng from father side and gjengis khan from mother side it is estimated by scientists that 3-4% of northern indian population have some leements of mongoloid blood (majority of gjengis khan) then the part of timurid blood is shorter and baburi line is even lesser but they dominate the parts of northwestern india and pakistan.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->the biggest ex royal family of india and subcontinent are the undisputed mughals.
zahiruddin babur were a descend of timur leng from father side and gjengis khan from mother side it is estimated by scientists that 3-4% of northern indian population have some leements of mongoloid blood (majority of gjengis khan) then the part of timurid blood is shorter and baburi line is even lesser but they dominate the parts of northwestern india and pakistan.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The only "mongoloid" blood is found in the Indian populations of the north-east. Some of the "mongoloid" influence stretches through Nepal into Uttaranchal and parts of Himachal.
Chingiz Khan did not invade India...he destroyed the Turks, Persians, and Afghans outside India. Some of his descendants would be found in that area NOT India.
As for the Mughals, they are not the "biggest" royal family (whatever that means!). Simply because every Mughal Emperor made it a point to murder all his brothers and nephews so they couldn't challenge his position on the throne. They did not have any influence on the composition of the Indian population.
You appear to be a Pakistani desperate to prove his "Mughal" descent! Who are these "scientists" and when did they do their research. Nobody examined my DNA <!--emo&  --><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo--> !
Most of you guys have a Hindu ancestry...and you should be proud of that.
www.dailyexcelsior.com/
<b>Maharaja Gulab Singh-character profile
By Major (retd) Dr Brahma Singh</b>
History has, evidently, been unfair to Maharaja Gulab Singh. He has generally been projected as an ''over-grown'' feudatory of the Lahore kingdom, who, taking a rather mean advantage of the confusion that followed the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was able to carve out a State for himself. It is not that the facts that the historians have presented are wrong but that the interpretations of these facts are biased. Portrayal of Gulab Singh has, as a matter of fact, been based mostly on contemporary writings of British authors who were themselves involved in the Punjab politics of the time. Any wonder then that they looked at Gulab Singh through tinted glasses of self-interest. Unfortunately still, those who wrote subsequently were burdened with vested interests to even a higher degree. <b>They were the champions of the Sikhs who found in Gulab Singh a convenient scapegoat for lending cover to the somewhat shameful period of Sikh history that set in after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and lasted till the dissolution of the kingdom. </b>
It was thus that the essential greatness of Gulab Singh as a soldier and a statesman was obscured and what should have been termed as his astuteness implying sagacity, sharp insight, and a laudable cleverness in practical matters, was put out as his cunning-ness in the derogatory sense. A careful study of Gulab Singh's character profile would show that if ever there appeared any traces of cunning-ness in him they were borne out of his uncanny instinct for survival rather than out of meanness to gain undue advantage. He, was slandered on this account neverthelsss and the record needs to be set right in the interest of history if not in fairness to Maharaja Gulab Singh's person.
The main controversy on Gulab Singh's character hovers around the circumstances leading to the Treaty of Amritsar in 1846 under which the state of Jammu and Kashmir was established. With the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839 and that of Kharak Singh and his son Nau Nihal Singh on the same day one year latter, the direct line of ascendancy to the throne of Sikh kingdom was broken resulting in a free for all among the various claimants: Probably because the Jammu Rajas exercised considerable influence over the Sikh Army their support was sought by every Sikh claimant to power, but immediately after gaining ascendancy the same would strive for their destruction.
Raja Dhyan Singh and later his son Raja Hira Singh fell victims to such treacheries before Rani Jindan finally took over on behalf of her minor son Maharaja Dalip Singh. This arrangement did not, however, mean the end of troubles for the only surviving Dogra Raja Gulab Singh, because it only brought to power an ''unscrupulous'' and ''unworthy'' Lal Singh. Though Gulab Singh had till then kept himself aloof from Punjab politics, Lal Singh saw in him a source of threat to his position and determined to pull the lion out of his den.
Jammu was invaded by the Lahore Army in April 1845. To save Jammu from being sacked Gulab Singh surrendered to the Sikh Army to be taken to Lahore as a prisoner on the charge of nonpayment Government dues. How Raja Gulab Singh extricated himself out of this precarious situation and was presented to Maharani Jindan at the Court by the Army as a nobleman rather than a prisoner is a fascinating story which cannot be narrated here for want of space. Suffice it to say that the Rani reduced his dues to nearly a half what he had offered to pay before action was initiated against him and allowed him to return to Jammu after he had politely refused the Rani's offer of taking over as her Prime Minister.
Cunningham's interpretation that Gulab Singh was able to win over the Army through deceit and bribes is, to say the least, most atrocious and only shows a extremely biased mind. The Khalsa Army was an institution peculiar to the Sikhs. It was honest, self-sacrificing and intensely loyal to the State. It was all-powerful and the highest in authority was made accountable to it. It could pass and execute death sentence on any one (including the Prime Minister) suspected of betraying the State. Could it be because of the bribes that Gulab Singh was capable of doling out that the Khalsa was repeatedly requesting him to take over the reigns of the State at the crucial period of their struggle against the British ?
Repeated efforts were, subsequently made by the Durbar to drag Raja Gulab Singh into Punjab politics if only to control the situation created by the near confrontation between the Government and the Army. But the embittered Gulab Singh, very sagaciously, kept himself out of trouble. Foreseeing the doom that the Punjab state would meet as a result of a war with the British he advised the Government against starting it and when no heed was paid to his advice he refused to be drawn into this suicidal exercise.
When the Anglo-Sikh war started to go against the Sikhs, the Punjab Government, on the insistence of the Army, once again asked Gulab Singh to take over as the Prime Minister but this time it was to be more for negotiating peace than continuing the war. It was to be a tough task for Gulab Singh to negotiate peace from a position of weakness but he accepted the offer. Evidently during the course of negotiations the British tried to exploit the fact of Gulab Singh's earlier sufferings at the bands of the Lahore Durbar and reportedly offered to make him an independent ruler of Jammu if only he would take up a pro-British stance.
It is however a tribute to Gulab Singh's political maturity and unstinted loyalty towards the Sikh ruling dynasty that he refused the offer off hand. Far from taking a pro-British stance, Gulab Singh swept the British off their feet when in a veiled threat he said that <i>''the way to carry on a war with the English was to leave sturdy infantry entrenched and watched and to sweep the open country with cavalry to the gates of Delhi.''</i> By exposing the British vulnerability in the ongoing war he had turned his position of weakness into that of strength and was thus able to secure for Maharaja Dalip Singh and his Sikh Army the most honourable terms possible for one vanquished.
It was only when Lal Singh the new Prime Minister of Punjab tried to dispossess Gulab Singh of his territories including Jammu, Ladakh and Baltistan, by transferring them to the British in lieu of the war idemnity that Gulab Singh turned to the British for his ''reward'' which they had offered him before but which he had been spurning till then. Coincidentally what was agreeable to Raja Gulab Singh was also of much political and military advantage to the British, which made it convenient for them to appease the Raja. Apparently Gulab Singh remained a bit of an enigma to the British, which was exasperating at times.
He was most unpredictable and never allowed them to gauge his intentions. When in September 1850 the tribesmen from Chilas invaded Astore territory Maharaja Gulab Singh sought and received the permission of the Governor General to attack Chilas. Nothing pleased the British more when the Maharaja sought further permission to advance on Chilas via Khagan in British territory. The plan suited the British fine as they were themselves contemplating action against some jagirdars of Khagan who were suspected of planning a revolt against them. By passing through Khagan the Maharaja would only be serving their interests they thought. But Maharaja Gulab Singh's aim in seeking permission for passing through Khagan was only to overawe the Chilasis before the attack by impressing on them the fact of British involvement in the action. So no sooner had the permission been granted and the necessary impression on the tribesmen created, than he changed his plan to advance over his own territory, much to the frustration of the British as could be seen from the minute sheet put up to the Governor General.
Earlier in 1849 when Punjab was annexed the Maharaja some how laid himself open to suspicion that he was in league with the Sikh insurgents and as such he had now become more a source of anxiety for the British than strength. Although Gulab Singh's complicity in the affair was not proved, the Governor General of India was constrained to remark that <i>''we should at the same time be careful not to release to any degree the vigilance with which we watch over the conduct of our new subjects in the districts adjoining His Highness' territories or abandon the proper precautions of keeping ourselves well informed as to all the proceedings of a prince so astute and powerful as the Maharaja has shown himself to be''</i>.
In Gulab Singh the British had, indeed, found a match.
THE DOGRAS
Just as the Sukarchakia and Bhangi misls fought the rulers of Jammu, towards the east the ruler of Kangra had to contend with the Kanahiya and Ramgarhia misls. The increasing cavalry forces of these two misls had taken to plundering the hill states and had imposed tributary claims on them even as they fought each other with equal ferocity. Sansar Chand Katoch took part in one such fight as the ally of the Ramgarhias and recovered his ancestral fort of Kangra from the Kanahiyas. With the eviction of Sikh forces from the Kangra valley the Katoch chief imposed his own supremacy on all hill states.
Some of the original artillery-commanding mercenaries of his grandfather's time, Mughalias and Afghans, had died out by this time. The Purbias on the other hand had become the most sought after infantry group in India (see RMA III) and those under Sansar Chand came under the command of an Irishman named O'Brien[43]. In 1805 the deposed Ruhela chieftain, Ghulam Muhammad of Rampur, persuaded the Katoch chief to hire his own disbanded Ruhelas at a lower scale of pay. While this change was being carried out the subordinate hill chiefs formed an alliance with the Gurkhas and invested Sansar Chand at Kangra. The Katoch chief took the assistance of Ranjit Singh and defeated the Gurkhas---in the process losing his own independence to Ranjit Singh.
Thus the entire range of hill states had been either annexed or made tributary but recovery of their political power came from an unexpected quarter. After the annexation of Jammu state a brave and ambitious young man named Gulab Singh joined the army of Ranjit Singh at the head of a small contingent of Rajput soldiers. He was a Rajput of the Jamwal clan but among the Sikhs he and his men were simply called Dogras.
Dogra or Durgar was the old geographical name of the Jammu region and all people who lived there, whether Brahmans, Rajputs, Vaishyas, or Shudras were called Dogras by outsiders without regard to their caste or clan. Gulab Singh and his brothers rose through the ranks to become the most important leaders in the Kingdom of Lahore---Gulab Singh himself created a large kingdom stretching across the Himalayan Range into Ladakh and Baltistan ( http://www.4dw.net/royalark/India/kashmir.htm genealogy of the Jamwal rulers; here again mistakenly called the Dogra dynasty). Several Rajputs from the Kangra hills, including the celebrated Zorawar Singh Kahluria, joined his army.
[43] O'Brien was an ordinary soldier in the Royal Irish Regiment of the East India Company. Reprimanded on parade by an officer with a cane the Irishman knocked him down with his carbine and deserted. He found service with Sansar Chand Katoch and was titled Colonel O'Brien after he had formed a small infantry corps of 1400 men and a manufacturing armory for small arms. His grave is still visible at Sujanpur-Tira.
In both the trans-Himalayan campaigns and the wars with the Pashtuns and other tribes of the western hills these Rajputs displayed their traditional skill in hill-fighting and accurate marksmanship[44]. Gulab Singh's success in preserving his kingdom through the two Anglo-Sikh wars left the Rajputs of the Dogra region as the supreme indigenous power in this part of North India and in the eyes of the British naturally made the name Dogra universal for the entire hill country (the Dogri language also preserved its identity to a greater extent than the other hill dialects[45]). While today Himachal Pradesh has formed its own identity, <b>for the purpose of Indian Army recruitment the term Dogra is still applied to the people of Jammu, HP, and the neighboring Punjab districts (Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur). </b>
[44] The latter was most effective in the Battle of Samman Fort at Lahore where 3000 Dogra musketeers kept at bay a vast army of 150,000 Khalsa troops under Maharaja Sher Singh. This battle left a deep impression on the minds of the Khalsa soldiery and created an aura of invincibility around Gulab Singh, which saved his kingdom later in the Khalsa invasion of Jammu in 1845. It also led to many Sikhs accepting the leadership of Gulab Singh, who was considered superior to the other chiefs because of his vast wealth and loyal army.
[45] Himachal Pradesh has collectively termed all its native dialects as the Pahari language; but the Dogri language, with its Takkari script, has a stronger identity. Dogri is even considered to be older than Punjabi, which has been severely altered under Persian influence.
Many people are confused about the relationship between J&K and Himachal or between Dogras and Punjabis...maybe this article will clear that confusion.
The Rajas of the Jammu and Kangra hills joined in the campaigns of the Mughal armies. In the Mughal records these Rajputs are credited with excellence in hill fighting and for good marksmanship with their matchlocks[5]. But on the whole the Mughals could not control the eastern hills from the Punjab---the reason for that lay in geography. The Kangra fort commands the approach into an undulating plain called the Kangra valley (the ancient Trigartta), which is the largest and richest piece of arable land in the hills.
[3] These were early days for the muskets, which were no match for the talwars and the charging cavalry of the Rajputs.
[4] The word Kamboh is believed to be derived from Kamboja, the name of an ancient Hindu Kingdom. Janjuas are counted as a Rajput clan but Kambohs and Gakhars are not.
[5] For this reason they were prominent in the Mughal campaign to conquer Central Asia in 1645, where the army was led by Raja Jagat Singh Pathania of Nurpur, and in the attempts to take the fort of Kandahar from the Persians, where Raja Rajrup Patahania and Raja Man Singh Guleria were noted for their attempts to surprise the garrison by an infantry assault. The same Rajrup's foot-musketeers climbed the steep Gokla hill and turned Prince Dara Shikoh's position, ensuring his defeat near Ajmer in 1659.
Dogras
<!--QuoteBegin-PC Guleria+Oct 23 2005, 07:03 PM-->QUOTE(PC Guleria @ Oct 23 2005, 07:03 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Rajas of the Jammu and Kangra hills joined in the campaigns of the Mughal armies.
The same Rajrup's foot-musketeers climbed the steep Gokla hill and turned Prince Dara Shikoh's position, ensuring his defeat near Ajmer in 1659.
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Could you help ?
In the battle, you refer to, were these Kangra/Jammu rajputs not fighting on behalf of Aurangzeb, against Dara Shikoh?
If I am not entirely mistaken, Dara Shikoh supported Hinduism, studied the vedas, donated money to build and maintain temples, including the Keshava Rai temple at Mathura ( which Aurangzeb destroyed in 1669 AD).
Why were these Jammu/Kangra 'rajput' Hindus fighting for the Muslims in places as diverse as Central Asia, and Rajastan?
Ravi
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->If I am not entirely mistaken, Dara Shikoh supported Hinduism, studied the vedas, donated money to build and maintain temples, including the Keshava Rai temple at Mathura ( which Aurangzeb destroyed in 1669 AD).
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If you have more info on Dara Shikoh, please post it.
I am interested in knowing more about him. I heard he translated the Mahabharata into persian.
I had written this on another forum sometime ago. It is relevant to the thread.
The source is university level textbook V D Mahajanâs : âMedieval Indiaâ. The data is the same in other university level texts.
Ravi Chaudhary
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DARA SHIKOH
Aurangzebâs rule.
In September 1657 Shahjahan fell ill.
Shahjahan had four sons, Dara Shukoh 43, Shuja 41, Aurangzeb 39, and Murad 33.
Dara Shukoh the eldest was chosen to succeed.
Dara Shukoh was popular with the people. He was of a liberal disposition; He took interest in, and studied the Hindu texts including the Vedas, the Bhagvat Gita, the Ramayan and the Mahabharat. He had them translated into Persian. He followed the eclectic Sufi faith himself.
He gave grants to various Hindu temples, including the famous Keshvarai temple in Mathura, which Aurangzeb later razed to the ground, along with much bloodshed of the local Hindu, and other non Muslim populace. 5000 Jats shed their blood in that battle with his forces.
This tolerant policy of Dara had won the hearts and the minds of the people.
This offended the orthodox Muslim Mullahs. , who supported Aurangzeb, Aurangzeb was a pious devout Sunni Muslim, beloved of the clergy.
Murad and Shuja were defeated and killed by him.
Initially Jaswant Singh the Rajput ruler of Jodhpur was sent to confront Aurangzeb and Murad who were marching north from the Deccan. Aurangzeb defeated him. He then formed an alliance with Aurangzeb, and served him faithfully for the rest of his life, as did the other Rajputs. Jaswant Singh died in harness, in Afganistan, in the service of his master Aurangzeb. By way of reward Aurangzeb then attacked Jodhpur and subdued it.
Aurangzeb then faced the army of Dara Shukoh, and Dara Shukoh was defeated. The people and the Jats had supported Dara Shukoh. His Muslim General Kahililulah betrayed Dara. Dara lost.
Aurangzeb defeated Shuja, who was killed with his family. Aurangzeb son, who had joined Shuja for some time, was also imprisoned and then killed.
Dara Shukohâs son, Sulaiman took refuge with the Rajput ruler of Garhwal, who betrayed him to Aurangzeb. In his gracious manner, Aurangzeb ordered him to force fed opium everyday, over the period of the next two years. This was a slow poison and Sulaiman finally succumbed.
Dara Shukoh continued to battle.
He fled to Delhi then to Lahore, and was chased out to Multan; He came to Gujarat where he recovered some of his strength. He then moved towards Delhi, but was enticed to come toward Jodhpur by the Rajput Jaswant Singh, and then betrayed, by him , to Aurangzeb.
He was captured, brought to Agra and humiliated publicly. He was tried by the Islamic Board of Mullahs, and sentenced to death for the crime of âdeviation from Islamâ.
On seeing him treated thus the people wept. Riots broke out against the governor of Aurangzeb.
On August 30, 1658 Dara Shukoh was executed.
Had he lived the story of Hindu Muslim relations In India may taken a different turn
Aurangzeb was crowned Emperor and one of the titles he took, was GHAZI or holy warrior.
Aurangzeb to consolidate his power, in the first few years made some soothing gestures to his enemies. These soothing gestrures, have been taken by some , as evidence, that Aurangzeb was not the zealous fanatic, that he actually was.
He as a devout and zealous Sunni Muslim. As soon as his power was consolidated he enacted his policies of Jihad. i.e. âto enforce the Koranic law, according to which it behooves every pious Muslim, to â exert himself in the path of Godâ, or, in other words, to carry on Holy wars (Jihad) against non Muslim lands (dar-ul- harb), till they are converted into realms of Islam (Dar-ul-Islam).â
This led him to destroy temples, prevent Hindus from worshiping their faith, or hold religious fairs, and he imposed jaziya or the religious tax upon them.
This policy backfired upon him, and the resistance of the non-Muslim people grew.
The Hindus, Sikhs, the Jats, Maharattas rose up against him.
The end of the Mughal Empire was hastened by him.
END
<b>Turning point of history</b>
Akbar's alliance with the Rajputs had created the Mughal Empire and the end of that alliance by Aurangzeb prepared the ground for the destruction of that empire. This alliance was in large measure the product of Akbar's personality---the ability to rise above religious predilection and tribal feelings to attract capable men from different communities to one's side. His successors Jehangir and Shah Jahan were however bigoted and their intolerance showed up in several instances, but considering the undeniable importance of the large Hindu population and the collective military power of the Rajput clans, they curbed their hatred in the interests of the empire. In this spirit, Shah Jahan warned the youthful Aurangzeb against being unfriendly towards the Rajputs---however the warning seems to have been shrugged off[24].
In 1679 Maharaja Jaswant Singh Rathor was dead and Aurangzeb had occupied his Kingdom of Jodhpur[25] and its many forts and towns. The Rathor clan allied with the Sesodias of neighboring Udaipur and thus began what is called "the Rajput war". The full force of the Mughal Empire, commanded by Aurangzeb in person, descended on Rajputana but the two Rajput clans, instead of defending every little district or fort, withdrew into the craggy hills and forested valleys of the Aravalli Range. From this base they fought off the invaders and launched counter-attacks of their own---so successful was this strategy that Aurangzeb's sons and generals refused to take offensive actions and despaired of victory. Things came to such a pass that the Emperor's favorite son Akbar joined a conspiracy with the Rajput clans to overthrow his father and restore the old policies of the empire.
[24] Illustrated in the Adab-i-Alamgiri---Aurangzeb's letters to his father where he tried to pacify Shah Jahan by promoting a Rajput chieftain, Rao Karan of Bikaner, to a higher post. On becoming Emperor he was forced to tolerate the established Rajput generals of his father's time and continued to use them in campaigns.
[25] Sir Jadunath Sarkar calls Jodhpur the largest Hindu state in North India whose leader could organize opposition to Aurangzeb's policy of Islamization.
The attempt failed but the Rajputs had effectively turned the tables on Aurangzeb by hailing his son as Emperor Akbar II. Since the new Emperor could not be safe within his father's reach the Rajputs escorted him through the intervening Mughal provinces to the safety of the Maratha Kingdom. Shambhuji welcomed the royal guest[26] and promised to aid him in marching north, uniting with the Rathors and Sesodias (the two greatest Rajput clans), and taking possession of the Mughal throne. This event and the projected plans of these two personalities changed the history of India.
Turning Point of History
The reason most people did not support Dara was because he was a bad general...he had failed twice against the Persians.
And the Rajputs did not fight "FOR" Aurangzeb or Akbar or the other Emperors...they fought for their own interests. It is thanks to them that Hindu culture survived in North India...even today Himachal Pradesh is completely Hindu in character and population. There has been zero Islamic influence due to our strong independent Rajas.
More from the website above; this should explain things.
Even with these factors it should not be assumed that the Marathas had it easy against their enemies---their superiority became apparent only towards the close of the 17th Century. Up to that time there were continuous diplomatic negotiations between the leaders of the two sides and several Maratha chiefs[36] sought legitimacy and rank from the Mughal Emperor and served him loyally against their own brethren. This wasn't unusual---in the same manner Sikh chieftains accepted Ahmad Shah Abdali's rule and alliance with his generals even after the Afghans had committed great outrages on the Sikhs and their religion. Similarly Rajput chieftains sought service under Aurangzeb even after their faith had been attacked and their people subjected to jaziya[37]. In the end wars are about politics and money as much as they are about religion or ideology.
[35] Such was the origin of the "Maratha wall" around European factories and its variant, the "Maratha ditch", dug out to break the advance of light cavalry.
[36] Some of these had been dispossessed by Shivaji, some had rebelled against Shambhuji, and some sought financial gain by allying with the Mughals. Those that remained loyal to the Mughal cause were the Jadavs of Sindhkhed (Shivaji's mother's family), Kanhoji Shirke and his sons (Rajaram's mother's family), Nagoji Mane, the Dafles of Jath, and several thousand Mavle infantry under individual Mughal or Maratha commanders.
[37] Shias too had mourned the loss of the Shia Sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda and there were several instances of Mughal oppression against the Shias but chiefs of that sect continued to serve the Mughal Empire for money and position.
It seems what was true for Sikhs, Rajputs, Marathas and Shias, was also true for Jats. Churaman Jat fought in the Battle of Narnol on the side of the Mughals against the Rajputs...similarly Suraj mal fought under Safdar Jang and was glad to receive royal titles from the Mughal Emperor even though the empire was on the decline.
Wars are indeed more about politics and money than ideology!
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