05-13-2005, 05:51 AM
While looking for pranami cult I found this..
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...&pid=76&page=35
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> A Page from History
Bundel Kesari Maharaj Chhatrasaal
By Surya Narain Saxena
BUNDEL Kesari Maharaj Chhatrasaal (1649-1731 a.d.) with Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh forms a trinity of rebels which rose against Aurangzebâs bigotry and tyranny in the 17th century. Neglect at the hands of history is probably the reason why so few in India know so little about this great warrior, statesman, ruler, patron of art and literature, and poet of distinction. Only five of his works have come to light so far. His contributions to the liberation struggle against Mughal imperialism was in no way less glorious than that of any of his contemporaries.
Chhatrasaal was a born rebel-the son of rebel Champat Rai and the brave Lad Kunwari. He was born in a cave on May 4, 1649, when his parents were surrounded by Mughal soldiers but managed to make a miraculous escape.
In Mughal Camp
With the object of studying Mughal warfare, strategy and armoury, Chhatrasaal enlisted in the Mughal expedition proceeding to south to suppress Shivaji under the command of Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur. But a disillusioned and estranged Chhatrasaal deserted the Mughal forces soon and met Shivaji at Raigad after a hazardous escapade from the Mughal army. Shivaji, being what he was, soon recognised the potential rebel in Chhatrasaal and instead of employing him in his army, initiated him into the cult of revolt against Mughal rule. After long and purposeful conclaves, Shivaji sent away the small band of Bundelas and blessed them by applying tilak on the forehead of the brave Chhatrasaal and tying the sword Bhawani to his waist.
The Army
Chhatrasaal raised the banner of revolt in Bundelkhand at the age of 22 with an army of only five horsemen and 25 swordsmen and with the blessings of Swami Narharidevji on the day of the second fortnight of Jyeshta in the year 1728 of the Vikram era, i.e. 1671 a.d.
In the first 10 years of his fight for emancipation, i.e. between 1671 and 1680, Chhatrasaal met with enviable success. Chhatrasaalâs relatives, including his brothers Angad and Ratanshah, and other Bundelas who were sitting on the fence in the beginning, also joined him. Thus he gathered enough force to hit, plunder and fight the Mughal faujdars who dared stop him. In the first decade he annexed vast tracts of land from Chitrakut and Patna (in Bundelkhand) in the east to Gwalior in the west and from Kalpi on Jamuna in the north to Sagar, Garha Kota and Damoh in the south. In this region his men had come to occupy some important forts like Kalinjar and Garha Kota.
In the year 1675, he wrested Panna from a Gond ruler and made it his capital, but his forces remained stationed at Mhow-Maheba. During this period, he himself humbled several reputed Mughal faujdars. (To name a few, Khaliq, Rohilla Khan Sheikh Anwar, Sadruddin, Syed Latif, Abdus Samad, Bahlol Khan and others besides their Hindu supporters like Keshav Rai Dangi, whom he killed in a bloody duel).
In the second phase of his struggle (between 1681 and 1707) Chhatrasaal suffered a few reverses, but undaunted by them and taking full advantage of Aurangzebâs preoccupation with the Marathas in the Deccan, he and his sons continued their raids on Mughal territory and occupied as much of it as they could. He was such a terror to the Mughal faujdars of his area that on their own they started sending the chauth to him to escape his dharaiti (plundering raids). Emperor Aurangzeb did not like this submission of his senior officials but could do nothing. He had to become reconciled to it. Until his death, Aurangzeb could not contain Chhatrasaal. Later the Mughals, however, established cordial relations with him.
After 1710, Chhatrasaal ceased to handle arms as his sons Hriday Shah and Jagat Rai were mature and strong enough to lead the campaigns and look after the affairs of the state. He had divided his kingdom between these two senior princes, Panna was given to Hriday Shah and Jaitpur to Jagat Rai. Hriday Shah annexed Baghelkhand and extended Chhatrasaalâs rule close to Allahabad, Benaras and Mirzapur. On the other hand Jagat Rai also extended his raids upto Patna in Bihar. In fact, conquests of Chhatrasaal around 1710 and later are the exploits of his sons, mainly Hriday Shah, Jagat Rai, Bharati Chand and Padam Singh.
Chhatrasaal and his sons continued their raids on Mughal territory and occupied as much of it as they could. He was such a terror to the Mughal faujdars of his area that on their own they started sending the chauth to him.
Territory Held
However, a couplet of Lal Kavi aptly describes the boundaries of the territory under the hold of Chhatrasaal which translated into English, says, âJamuna in the north and Narmada in the south, Chambal in the west and Tons in the east, none had the grit to fight Chhatrasaal.â In spite of the life-long struggle and some 50 battles to his credit, the final scores with the Mughals were settled when Mohammad Bangash Khan, a Pathan and subedar of Allahabad, invaded the Chhatrasaali kingdom. In the final phase of the 10-year war (1721-1729) between Chhatrassalâs sons and Mohammad Bangash, the siege of Jaitpur, Jagat Raiâs capital, created an unprecedently dangerous situation for the Bundelas and the hard-pressed Jagat Rai badly needed military help. But where could it come from except from the Marathas? And Chhatrasaal rightly looked to them as his saviours.
Peshwas' Help
The situation called for immediate action and Chhatrasaal sent a pathetic SOS in beautiful verse to the Peshwa, which was responded to at once. The Peshwa himself led his army to the rescue of Chhatrasaal and his clan. Now the tables were turned on Bangash and it was he and his forces who starved inside the besieged Jaitpur fort. Through master diplomatic manoeuvres of Chhatrasaal at the Delhi court, the promised aid of Rs 2 lakh a month was also stopped and the entreaties and appeals of Bangash felt on deaf ears. Most of Bangashâs army perished for want of food and supplies and he had to sue for peace. The actual surrender took place after the Peswha had left the battle due to the outbreak of an epidemic in his forces in May a.d. 1729. This was the final break of Chhatrasaal with the later Mughals at Delhi and the beginning of a new era of alliance with the Marathas.
Chhatrasaal asked Peshwa Baji Rao-I for help and it was given to him unconditionally. To express his deep gratitude Chhatrasaal promised and later willed one-third of his kingdom to the Peswha and treated him as his third son. Peshwa Baji Rao also behaved like a devoted son all his life. After Chhatrasaalâs death he even started building a magnificent memorial (samadhi) to Chhatrasaal like the one taken up by his sons in Dhubela in Madhya Pradesh.
Swami Pran Nath
It appears that Swami Pran Nath (1618-1694), founder of the Pranami sect, the synthesiser of the Puranas and the Quran and a widely travelled saint, exercised a great influence on Chhatrasaal who accepted him as his guru. The Pranami annals attribute many miracles to the swami. But it is certain that Swami Pran Nathâs advent brought good luck and lent respectability and sanctity to the struggle of Chhatrasaal against the Mughals. The Swami provided the spiritual component to Chhatrasaalâs political movement-a phenomenon characteristic of similar movements in India. Swami Pran Nath applied the rajyabhishek on the forehead of Chhatrasaal at their very first meeting in 1683 and later in 1687 at the formal coronation, but which met with the disapproval of other Bundela rulers of his time.
Without going deep into the administration and government of Chhatrasaal, it will suffice to say that his ideal of good government was:
âRaaji sab raiyat rahe
taji rahe sipahi
Chhatrasaal ba raj ko
bar na banko jahi.â
(âWhere the people are happy, the soliders are fresh. Not a hair of such a raj can be touched, says Chhatrasaal.â)
Chhatrasaalâs legendary carrier, so packed with struggle, romance and dedication came to end on December 20, 1731, when he had reached the age of 82.
Baji Rao and Mastani
Along with one-third of his kingdom Chhatrasaal had also presented young Peshwa Baji Rao-I a young and unsurpassed beauty called Mastani, whose marriage and romance with the Peswha is a well-known episode in Maratha history. Mastani gave the Peshwa two sons, on whom their father bestowed the jagir of Banda. True to their blood the two brothers fought on the side of the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat in a.d. 1761 between Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas and one of them is said to have been killed in the battle.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...&pid=76&page=35
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> A Page from History
Bundel Kesari Maharaj Chhatrasaal
By Surya Narain Saxena
BUNDEL Kesari Maharaj Chhatrasaal (1649-1731 a.d.) with Shivaji and Guru Gobind Singh forms a trinity of rebels which rose against Aurangzebâs bigotry and tyranny in the 17th century. Neglect at the hands of history is probably the reason why so few in India know so little about this great warrior, statesman, ruler, patron of art and literature, and poet of distinction. Only five of his works have come to light so far. His contributions to the liberation struggle against Mughal imperialism was in no way less glorious than that of any of his contemporaries.
Chhatrasaal was a born rebel-the son of rebel Champat Rai and the brave Lad Kunwari. He was born in a cave on May 4, 1649, when his parents were surrounded by Mughal soldiers but managed to make a miraculous escape.
In Mughal Camp
With the object of studying Mughal warfare, strategy and armoury, Chhatrasaal enlisted in the Mughal expedition proceeding to south to suppress Shivaji under the command of Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur. But a disillusioned and estranged Chhatrasaal deserted the Mughal forces soon and met Shivaji at Raigad after a hazardous escapade from the Mughal army. Shivaji, being what he was, soon recognised the potential rebel in Chhatrasaal and instead of employing him in his army, initiated him into the cult of revolt against Mughal rule. After long and purposeful conclaves, Shivaji sent away the small band of Bundelas and blessed them by applying tilak on the forehead of the brave Chhatrasaal and tying the sword Bhawani to his waist.
The Army
Chhatrasaal raised the banner of revolt in Bundelkhand at the age of 22 with an army of only five horsemen and 25 swordsmen and with the blessings of Swami Narharidevji on the day of the second fortnight of Jyeshta in the year 1728 of the Vikram era, i.e. 1671 a.d.
In the first 10 years of his fight for emancipation, i.e. between 1671 and 1680, Chhatrasaal met with enviable success. Chhatrasaalâs relatives, including his brothers Angad and Ratanshah, and other Bundelas who were sitting on the fence in the beginning, also joined him. Thus he gathered enough force to hit, plunder and fight the Mughal faujdars who dared stop him. In the first decade he annexed vast tracts of land from Chitrakut and Patna (in Bundelkhand) in the east to Gwalior in the west and from Kalpi on Jamuna in the north to Sagar, Garha Kota and Damoh in the south. In this region his men had come to occupy some important forts like Kalinjar and Garha Kota.
In the year 1675, he wrested Panna from a Gond ruler and made it his capital, but his forces remained stationed at Mhow-Maheba. During this period, he himself humbled several reputed Mughal faujdars. (To name a few, Khaliq, Rohilla Khan Sheikh Anwar, Sadruddin, Syed Latif, Abdus Samad, Bahlol Khan and others besides their Hindu supporters like Keshav Rai Dangi, whom he killed in a bloody duel).
In the second phase of his struggle (between 1681 and 1707) Chhatrasaal suffered a few reverses, but undaunted by them and taking full advantage of Aurangzebâs preoccupation with the Marathas in the Deccan, he and his sons continued their raids on Mughal territory and occupied as much of it as they could. He was such a terror to the Mughal faujdars of his area that on their own they started sending the chauth to him to escape his dharaiti (plundering raids). Emperor Aurangzeb did not like this submission of his senior officials but could do nothing. He had to become reconciled to it. Until his death, Aurangzeb could not contain Chhatrasaal. Later the Mughals, however, established cordial relations with him.
After 1710, Chhatrasaal ceased to handle arms as his sons Hriday Shah and Jagat Rai were mature and strong enough to lead the campaigns and look after the affairs of the state. He had divided his kingdom between these two senior princes, Panna was given to Hriday Shah and Jaitpur to Jagat Rai. Hriday Shah annexed Baghelkhand and extended Chhatrasaalâs rule close to Allahabad, Benaras and Mirzapur. On the other hand Jagat Rai also extended his raids upto Patna in Bihar. In fact, conquests of Chhatrasaal around 1710 and later are the exploits of his sons, mainly Hriday Shah, Jagat Rai, Bharati Chand and Padam Singh.
Chhatrasaal and his sons continued their raids on Mughal territory and occupied as much of it as they could. He was such a terror to the Mughal faujdars of his area that on their own they started sending the chauth to him.
Territory Held
However, a couplet of Lal Kavi aptly describes the boundaries of the territory under the hold of Chhatrasaal which translated into English, says, âJamuna in the north and Narmada in the south, Chambal in the west and Tons in the east, none had the grit to fight Chhatrasaal.â In spite of the life-long struggle and some 50 battles to his credit, the final scores with the Mughals were settled when Mohammad Bangash Khan, a Pathan and subedar of Allahabad, invaded the Chhatrasaali kingdom. In the final phase of the 10-year war (1721-1729) between Chhatrassalâs sons and Mohammad Bangash, the siege of Jaitpur, Jagat Raiâs capital, created an unprecedently dangerous situation for the Bundelas and the hard-pressed Jagat Rai badly needed military help. But where could it come from except from the Marathas? And Chhatrasaal rightly looked to them as his saviours.
Peshwas' Help
The situation called for immediate action and Chhatrasaal sent a pathetic SOS in beautiful verse to the Peshwa, which was responded to at once. The Peshwa himself led his army to the rescue of Chhatrasaal and his clan. Now the tables were turned on Bangash and it was he and his forces who starved inside the besieged Jaitpur fort. Through master diplomatic manoeuvres of Chhatrasaal at the Delhi court, the promised aid of Rs 2 lakh a month was also stopped and the entreaties and appeals of Bangash felt on deaf ears. Most of Bangashâs army perished for want of food and supplies and he had to sue for peace. The actual surrender took place after the Peswha had left the battle due to the outbreak of an epidemic in his forces in May a.d. 1729. This was the final break of Chhatrasaal with the later Mughals at Delhi and the beginning of a new era of alliance with the Marathas.
Chhatrasaal asked Peshwa Baji Rao-I for help and it was given to him unconditionally. To express his deep gratitude Chhatrasaal promised and later willed one-third of his kingdom to the Peswha and treated him as his third son. Peshwa Baji Rao also behaved like a devoted son all his life. After Chhatrasaalâs death he even started building a magnificent memorial (samadhi) to Chhatrasaal like the one taken up by his sons in Dhubela in Madhya Pradesh.
Swami Pran Nath
It appears that Swami Pran Nath (1618-1694), founder of the Pranami sect, the synthesiser of the Puranas and the Quran and a widely travelled saint, exercised a great influence on Chhatrasaal who accepted him as his guru. The Pranami annals attribute many miracles to the swami. But it is certain that Swami Pran Nathâs advent brought good luck and lent respectability and sanctity to the struggle of Chhatrasaal against the Mughals. The Swami provided the spiritual component to Chhatrasaalâs political movement-a phenomenon characteristic of similar movements in India. Swami Pran Nath applied the rajyabhishek on the forehead of Chhatrasaal at their very first meeting in 1683 and later in 1687 at the formal coronation, but which met with the disapproval of other Bundela rulers of his time.
Without going deep into the administration and government of Chhatrasaal, it will suffice to say that his ideal of good government was:
âRaaji sab raiyat rahe
taji rahe sipahi
Chhatrasaal ba raj ko
bar na banko jahi.â
(âWhere the people are happy, the soliders are fresh. Not a hair of such a raj can be touched, says Chhatrasaal.â)
Chhatrasaalâs legendary carrier, so packed with struggle, romance and dedication came to end on December 20, 1731, when he had reached the age of 82.
Baji Rao and Mastani
Along with one-third of his kingdom Chhatrasaal had also presented young Peshwa Baji Rao-I a young and unsurpassed beauty called Mastani, whose marriage and romance with the Peswha is a well-known episode in Maratha history. Mastani gave the Peshwa two sons, on whom their father bestowed the jagir of Banda. True to their blood the two brothers fought on the side of the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat in a.d. 1761 between Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas and one of them is said to have been killed in the battle.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->