History of Vedic India's 800 Yr Resistance Against Muslim Fundamentalists

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The Rajput Resistance to the Muslim Aggression

 

- Samurais of India

 

In spite of the Muslim rule up to Punjab, the Rajputs gained control

of the heart of North India. The Rajput (from Raj-Putra i.e. prince

or literally "king's son") who held the stage of feudal rulers before

the coming of the Muslims were a brave and chivalrous race. The

Rajput legend traces their ancestry to Bappa Rawal - the legendary

founder of the race who is said to have lived in the 8th century. In

actual fact although they were Kshatriyas in the Hindu caste

hierarchy, they seem to have genetically descended from the Shakas

and Hunas who had invaded north India during the Gupta period and had

subsequently settled down in North India and due to their war-like

atttiudes and been absorbed as Kshatriyas into Hindu society. It is

they who held the banner when the first Muslim invaders reached the

Indian Heartland in the 12th century i.e. around 1191 C.E.

 

The Rajputs who till the 10th century were mostly local feudal lords

holding the status of revenue collectors for their Gurjara-Pratihara

overlords, asserted themselves as independent rulers, after the

Ghaznavid storm had blown over, and took over the earlier kingdoms of

the Gurjara-Pratiharas. The main Rajput kingdoms in the 11th and 12th

centuries were that of the Cahamanas (Chouhans) in East Punjab,

Northern Rajasthan and Delhi. The Gahadwalas (Rathods ) ruled the

Ganges valley today's UP. The Paramaras ruled Malwa in Central India

and the Tomaras ruled from Gwaliar. The most powerful kingdoms were

hose of the Chouhans and the Rathods - both of which unfortunatley

were incessantly at war with each other when the Muslim raiders

appeared again in the 1191 C.E. The Rajputs, (from Raj-Putra i.e.

prince or literally "king's son") who were a brave and chivalrous

race, held the stage of feudal rulers before the coming of the

Muslims.

 

The Gahadwalas (Rathods)

 

In the 11th century i.e. in the post-Mahmud Ghazni era, the most

powerful Hindu Kingdom in North India was that of the Gahadwalas or

Rathods who were a Rajput clan.

 

The orante interior of Jaipur's Rambagh palace. A typical symbol of

late Rajput architecture. However for all this glory, the Kings of

Jaipur/Amber could preserve their throne during the Muslim rule

giving away their daughters to the Mughal Rulers and serving as the

paid servants in the Mughal armies against their fellow countrymen.

Raja Man Singh and Raja Todar Mal helped the Mughals against Maharana

Pratap - the valiant Rajput ruler of Mewad who defiantly held up the

banner of Indian independence in face of overwhelmingly powerful

alien attacks. But unfortunately, renegade Rajput soldiers fought

against Maharana Pratap at the Battle of Haldighati. It was these

dark sheep who, to save their throne and skin, brought defeat and

dishonour to the nation.

 

 

The founder of the Gahadwala line was Govindchandra Gahadwala. He was

an astute ruler and ruled from Kannauj. Most of North India,

including the university town of Nalanda was a part of his kingdom.

He stoutly defended his kingdom from further Muslims incursions. He

instituted a tax for this purpose which was called Turushka Danda

(i.e. tax to fight the Turushkas or Turks). His grandson was

Jaichandra Gahadwala (Rathod) who played a tragic role in Indian

History.

 

The Story of Prithviraj Chouhan and Mahmud Ghori

 

In Jaichand's days, a rival Rajput clan had established itself in

Delhi (Pithoragarh). The ruler there was Prithviraj Chouhan.

Pritiviraj was a romantic, chivalrous and an extremely fearless

person. After ceaseless military campaigns, Pritiviraj extended his

original kingdom of Sambhar (Shakambara) to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and

Eastern Punjab. He ruled from his twin capitals at Delhi and Ajmer.

His fast rise caught the envy of the then powerful ruler Jaichandra

Gahadwala and there was a lot of ill-feeling between the two.

 

Prithiviraj's Love for Sanyogita - Jaichandra's Daughter

 

The story of Prithviraj's bold exploits spread far and wide in the

country and he was the center of much discussion in the circle of the

nobility. Sanyogita, the daughter of Jaichandra Gahadwala fell

secretly in love with Prithiviraj and she started a secret poetic

correspondence with him. Her father the haughty Jaichandra got wind

of this and he decided to teach his daughter and her upstart lover a

lesson. So he arranged a Swayamwara (a ceremony where a bride can

select her husband from the assembled princes. She had the right to

garland any prince and she became his queen. This is an ancient Hindu

custom among Royalty). Jaichandra invited all the big and small

princes of the country to Kannauj for the royal Swayamwara. But he

deliberately ignored Prithiviraj.

 

To add insult to injury, he even made a statue of Prithiviraj and

kept him as a dwarpala (doorman).

 

The Elopement of Sanyogita with Prithviraj

 

Prithviraj got to know of this and he confided his plans to his

lover.

 

On the said day, Sanyogita walked down the aisle where the royals had

assembled and bypassed all of them only to reach the door and garland

the statue of Pritiviraj as a doorman. The assemblage was stunned at

this brash act of hers. But what stunned them and her father

Jaichandra was the next thing that happened.

 

Prithiviraj who was hiding behind the statue, also in the garb of a

doorman, whisked Sanyogita away and put her up on his steed to make a

fast getaway to his capital at Delhi.

 

Chouhan-Rathod Warfare Leads to Weakening of both Rajput Kingdoms

 

Jaichandra and his army gave earnest chase and in the resultant

string of battles between the two kingdoms fought between 1189 and

1190, both of them sufferred heavily. While this drama was being

enacted, another ruler also named Mahmud who was from Ghori in

Afghanistan had grown powerful and had captured Ghazni and

subsequently attacked the Ghaznavid Governor of Punjab and defeated

him. The kingdom of Mahmud Ghori now stretched up to the domains of

Prithiviraj Chouhan. A clash was inevitable.

 

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