Mahamahopadhayaya Kaviraja Shyamaldas Dadhivadia (1836-1893), popularly referred to as ''Kaviraja'' (
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
:king of poets) Shyamaldas was one of the early writers involved in documenting the history and culture of the
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
region of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Authorship
Shyamaldas co-wrote ( with his father Kayamadana Dadhivadia ) the ''Dipanga Kul Prakash'', an extended narrative poem on the Dodia
Rajputs
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
of Mewar. Maharana Sajjan Singh, ruler of
Udaipur
Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...
(
princely state
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...
), assigned Shyamaldas the task of compiling an authentic history of
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...
. Titled ''Vir Vinod'' ( Hindi: Heroes' Delight ), this is the earliest known comprehensive history written in Mewar. It reached the public only in 1930 as Maharana Fateh Singh ( Maharana Sajjan Singh's successor) was averse to its publication.
Negotiator and mentor
Shyamaldas was also a confidant of Maharana Sajjan Singh and was entrusted with the delicate negotiations which resulted in a quick end to the Bhil rebellion of 1881. Later, Shyamaldas' pupil,
Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha
Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha (15 September, 1863– 17 April, 1947), born in Rohida village of Sirohi District, was a historian from the Indian state of Rajasthan. A prolific author, he wrote several books ( in Hindi ) on the history of Rajastha ...
also became a famed historian and writer.
Honors and awards
Shyamaldas was honored with the degree of ''Mahamahopadhayaya'' and conferred with the ''Kesar-e-Hind'' ( Lion of India) by the British Government.
[Cultural contours of India p37]
References
Further reading
*
External links
*Permalink to Vir Vinod listing in Library of Congress catalo
*University of Chicago Library Catalo
*''Mewar ke gaurav-Kaviraj Shyamaldas'' in Hind
मेवाड़ के गौरव - कविराजा श्यामल दास
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shyamaldas, Kaviraj
19th-century Indian historians
Scholars from Rajasthan
Charan