Raj Prashasti (
IAST: Rāja Praśasti;
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: राज प्रशस्ति) is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
text and
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the w ...
commemorating the construction of the
Rajsamand Lake in 1676 by
Maharana Raj Singh. The text of the prashasti was authored by Ranchhod Bhatt Tailang at the orders of his patron Raj Singh. It was inscribed on the stone slabs by order of
Maharana Jai Singh in 1687. It is the largest and longest stone inscription in India and is engraved on 25 black stones pillars of the nine outposts at Rajsamand Lake. It states that the Rajsamand Lake was constructed as a part of
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompani ...
relief works. The Prashasti provides historical achievements of
Mewar rulers from
Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal (c. 8th century) was a king of the Mewar kingdom in Rajasthan, India. The bardic chronicles describe him as a member of the Guhila Rajput Clan, and some of them consider him to be the founder of the Guhila dynasty. He is credited ...
to Raj Singh, details of the construction work, measurements, and costs associated with the Rajsamand lake and dam as well as reports on the rituals performed and gifts and
charities donated to the
Charanas and
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s on the consecration ceremony. The
prashasti
''Prashasti'' (IAST: Praśasti, Sanskrit for "praise") is an Indian genre of inscriptions composed by poets in praise of their rulers. Most date from the 6th century CE onwards. Written in the form of poetry or ornate prose, the ''prashastis'' s ...
text was first published in the history of Mewar written by
Kaviraja Shyamaldas, in Vir Vinod.
The text Raj Prashasti was composed by Ranchhod Bhatt on the orders of Raj Singh, however, it was Maharana Jai Singh who got the prashasti inscribed on the stone
pillars
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
installed at the lake outposts. The text contains 1106 Sanskrit
shloka
Shloka or śloka ( sa, श्लोक , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927). in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is ...
s divided in 24 chapters, which are inscribed on the marble slabs attached to the 25 stone pillars. The first chapter is inscribed on the first 2 pillars, while the rest of the chapters take space of one pillar each.
The largest recipients of gifts and charities were the
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s (around 46 thousand in number), second were the
Charanas, and third were the various ''Sardars'' (
thakurs), ''paswans'', and ''mutsaddis'' (state officials).
Vocabulary
Source:
Raj Prashasti is written completely in the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
language, but alongside Sanskrit vocabulary, there are also words of
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
-
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
Rajasthani
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
language used throughout the text.
Chapter 1
Source:
The first sarga, there are 39 verses.
In the beginning there is '
Mangalashtak' in which there are eight verses in praise of
Eklinga,
Chatubhuj Hari, Amba, Bala,
Ganesh
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu ...
,
Surya and Madhusudan. It is written in verses 9-10 that on Saturday 1718 Magh, on the day of Kripa Saptami, Raj Singh started the construction of Rajsamudra. Then he was living in
Gogunda
Gogunda is a town and tehsil headquarters of Gogunda Tehsil in Udaipur district, located about in north-west from Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated on a high mountain in Aravalli hills and is reached by crossing a d ...
village. Ranchod Bhatt, by getting his permission, started the composition of this prashasti on the same day. In the next seven verses, the importance of Sanskrit language, Sanskrit poets and of the prashasti has been described.
In Shloka 19-24, the story of Ekaling Mahatmaya given in under
Vayupuran is described. Her eyes filled with tears,
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
says to
Nandi – “Today, I am shedding tears in the separation of Shankar. Because of this prior curse given by me, you will become a king named Vashp. Worshiping Shankar while staying in the Naghrud shrine, you will get a kingdom similar to that of
Indra. Then, you will be able to come back to
heaven." After this Parveti spoke to a
gana
The word (; Sanskrit: गण) in Sanskrit and Pali means "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, category, series, or class". It can also be used to refer to a "body of attendants" and can refer to "a company, any assemblage or association of ...
named Chand that “Even as a gatekeeper, you did not protect the door today and broke your dignity. That's why you will become a sage named Harit in Medpat. After staying there and worshiping Shankar, you will be able to attain heaven again.”
The greatness of Prashasti and the family tree of the poet have been given in the last 27-39 verses.
Chapter 2
Source:
It has 38 verses. In the beginning of the sarga, there is a shloka of praise of Govardhanendra. After this the genealogies of the kings of the
Suryavansh is given. At the beginning of creation, the world was watery.
Narayan was present there. From his navel, a lotus appeared and from the lotus
Brahma
Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...
appeared. Then the lineage went like this:
-Marichi-Kashyapa Vivasvan Manu - Ikshvaku - Vikshi ( alias - Shashad) - Puranjaya (alias Kakutstha) - Nena- Prithu - Visvarandhi - Chandra-Yuvanasva - Shavasta–Vrihadasva–Kuvalayasva (alias Ghunghumar) - Dridhasva - Hayantra - Nikumbha - Bahrnasva - Kushasva - Sena Jit - Yuvanasva -- Mandhata (alias Trasadrisyu - Purukutsa - Trasadrisyu - Anaranya - Haryasva - Aruna - Tribandhan - Satyavrata (alias Trishanku) - Harichandra - Rohit - Harit - Champa-Sudeva - Vijaya - Bharuk - Vrak-Vahuka - Sagara.
Sagara had sixty thousand sons by his wife Sumati, who created the sea, and Keshini had a son named Asamanjas The order of the lineage of Asamanjasa is as follows:
– Anshuman – Dilip – Bhagiratha – Shruta - Nabha - Sidhudvipa – Ayutayu — Rituparnam – Sarvakama – Sudas - Mitrasah ( alias Kalmapapada) - Ashmaka – Mulaka - Dasaratha – Edvard - Visvasah - Khatwang - Dilip – Raghu - Aj- Dasaratha
Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He had ...
.
Dasaratha had sons named
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
from his wife
Kaushalya
Kausalya () is the senior queen-consort of Kosala in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. She is the mother of Rama, the titular hero of the epic, and the senior wife of Dasharatha, who ruled Kosala from its capital of Ayodhya.
In some later accou ...
,
Bharata from
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of Kek ...
and
Lakshmana
Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...
and
Shatrughna
''Shatrughna'' ( sa, text=शत्रुघ्न, translit=śatrughna, lit=killer of enemies) is a prince of Ayodhya, King of Madhupura and Vidisha, and a brother of Prince Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is also known as ''Ripudaman' ...
from
Sumitra. Rama had sons named
Kush
Kush or Cush may refer to:
Bible
* Cush (Bible), two people and one or more places in the Hebrew Bible
Places
* Kush (mountain), a mountain near Kalat, Pakistan Balochistan
* Kush (satrapy), a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire
* Hindu Kush, a ...
and
Luv from Sita, and Kush had a son named Atithi from Kumudrati. The lineage of the Atithi went like this:
– Nishadha – Nal – Pundarik – Kshemghanva – Devanik – Ahin – Pariyatra – Bal – Sthala – Vajranabh – Sangan – Vidhriti – Hiranyanabha – Pushpa – Dhruvasiddhi – Sudarshan – Agnivarna – Soon – Marut – Prasushruta – Sandhi – - Marshan - - Mahasvan - Vishwamahva - Prasenjit - Takshak - Vrihadval.
Vrihadvala was killed by Abhimanyu in the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
-battle which is mentioned in the 'Mahabharatagrantha' In the ninth Skanda of the
Bhagavata, the lineage order beyond Vrihadbala is given as follows:
- Vrihadrana – Urukriya – Vatsavrddha - Prativyoma - Bhanu -- Divaka - Sahadeva - Vrihadashva – Bhanuman – Pratikasva – Supratika – Marudeva –Sunakshatra - Pushkar - Antariksha – Sutapa — Mitra Jit — Vrihad Bhraj - Varhi – Kritanjaya – Sanjaya --Shakya - Shuddhoda -Langal – Prasenajit – Kshudraka - Runaka – Suratha – Suratha – Sumitra.
The
Ikshvaku
Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Hindu mythology. He is described to be the first king of the Kosala kingdom, and was one of the ten sons of Shraddhadeva Manu, the first man on the earth. He was the founder and first king of ...
dynasty continued till Sumitra. These 122 were kings. Then the order of the Sun dynasty is given:
Vajranabh - Maharathi - Atirathi - Achalasena - Kanaksen - Mahasena - Anga - Vijayasena - Ajayasena - Abhangasena - Madasena - Sinharatha.
These kings were residents of
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...
. Sinharatha had a son named Vijay. He conquered the kings of the south country and left Ayodhya and started living in the south. There he heard from an Akashvani (prophecy) that he should give up the title of '
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
' and assume the title of '
Aditya
Surya (; sa, सूर्य, ) is the sun as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchayatana puja and a ...
'. The number of rulers who became kings from Manu to Vijay is 135.
Chapter 3
Source:
It has 36 verses. The first verse is devoted to
Hari
Hari ( sa, हरि) is among the primary epithets of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins). It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress ...
. Then the genealogy of the kings after Vijaya is given which is as follows:
– Padmaditya —- Shivaditya – Haradatta-Sujasaditya ----Sumukhaditya - - Somadatta - Shiladitya – Keshavaditya -Nagaditya – Bhogaditya — Devaditya - Ashaditya - Kalabhojaditya – Grahaditya.
These 14 kings bore the title of 'Aditya'. Descendents of Grahaditya were called
Gahilaut. The eldest son of Grahaditya was
Vashp.
The Gana Muni of Shiva named Chand became Harit Rashi. Vashp became a disciple of Harit and by his permission, while staying in Nagahradpur, he worshiped the Eklinga Shiva. Pleased,
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
granted him a boon that he should rule
Chitrakoot till his lineage and his lineage shall continue. Vashp died in the month of Magha in the year 919 on the seventh day of Shukla Paksha. Then he was 95 years old.
Vashp was a mighty king. He used to wear a 35 cubits long pattavastra, 16 cubits long nichola and 50 palls of gold kada. His
sword was 40 ser in weight. He used to kill two
buffaloes in one stroke of the sword. Four big
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s were used in his diet. He defeated King Manuraj of Mori dynasty and snatched Chitrakoot from him and established his kingdom there. Then his title was 'Raval'. His lineage went like this:
– Khuman – Govind – Mahendra – Alu – Sinhvarma – Shaktikumar – Shalivahan – Narvahana – Ambaprasad – Kirtivarma – Narvarma – Narpati – Uttam – Bhairav – Sripunjraj – Karnaditya – Bhavsingh – Gotrasingh – Hansraj – Shubhayograj – Vairad – Varisingh – Tej Singh – Samar Singh.
Samar Singh was the husband of Pritha, the sister of
Prithviraj. In the war between Prithviraj and
Shahabuddin Ghori, he fought on behalf of Prithviraj, and caught Ghori. He was killed in that battle. This war has been described in detail in the text called
Rasa.
Karna was the son of Samar Singh. Thus, these became 26 Rawals. Karna had two sons - Mahap and Rahap. Mahap became the king of Dungarpur. Rahap was of a furious nature. With permission from his father, he reached
Mandovar and defeated its ruler Mokalsi and captured him and brought him to his father. Karna took the title 'Rana' of Mokalsi and gave it to his son Rahap. Rahap became the king of Chitrakoot and was called
Sisodia because of residing in the Sisod village. 'Rana' was his title, which was adopted by the later kings also.
At the end of the canto is the introduction of the poet's lineage.
Chapter 4
Source:
This chapter is completed in 50 verses. In the beginning, there is praise of the Tamalvriksh. Then the next lineage sequence from Rahap is given: -
Narpati - Jaskarna - Nagpal - Punyapal - Prithvimalla - - Bhuvansingh - Bhim Singh - Jaisingh - Laxm Singh.
Laxm Singh was called 'Ghadmadlik'. His younger brother was Ratanasi, who was the husband of Padmini. When
Alauddin besieged Chitrakoot for Padmini, Lakshma Singh along with his 12 brothers and 7 sons fought against him and were killed. After this, Lakshma Singh's eldest son
Hamir ruled. He installed the black stone-made four-faced pratima of Ekling. Along with this, the idol of Parvati was also consecrated.
Hamir's son was
Kshetra Singh
Kshetra Singh (died 1382), was Maharana (r. 1364–1382) of Mewar Kingdom. He was the son of Maharana Hammir Singh.
In his reign, he conquered Ajmer and Mandalgarh.
Rule
Kshetra, who ruled Mewar from A.D. 1364 to A.D. 1382, was the son and ...
and Kshetra Singh's
Lakha, who made great charities. Lakha's son was
Mokal
Mokal is a sub clan of Sandhu Jat found mainly in central Punjab (region). There is also a village named as Mokal in Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. . For the attaining of
moksh for his childless brother Wagah, he built a pond named Baghela in Nagahrid. He also got the wall of the temple of Eklingji constructed. After this, he travelled to
Dwarka
Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...
, and visited a place of pilgrimage called Shankhoddhar. Mokal's son
Kumbhakarna
Kumbhakarna (Sanskrit: कुम्भकर्ण, lit. ''pot-eared'') is a powerful rakshasa and younger brother of Ravana from the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Despite his gigantic size and appetite, he is described as a virtuous character an ...
was avtar of an
Siddha
''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...
. After Mokal, Kumbhakarna ruled. He had sixteen hundred wives. He built the '
Kumbhalmeru' fort. After Kumbhakarna, his son
Raimal became king.
Sangram Singh was born to Raimal. Taking two lakh soldiers along with him, he reached
Fatehpur in the country of Delhi-ruler
Babur and there he made the border of his country till piliya khal. After Sagram Singh,
Ratna Singh
Ratna (रत्न) (also Rathna or Rathan) is a Sanskrit term for " jewel". It is also a popular female Hindu name.
Ratna may refer to:
People
* Ratna, Queen Mother of Nepal (born 1928), Queen Consort of Nepal from 1955 to 1972
* Ratna Fabr ...
ascended the throne and then his brother
Vikramaditya
Vikramaditya (IAST: ') was a legendary king who has been featured in hundreds of traditional stories including those in ''Baital Pachisi'' and '' Singhasan Battisi''. Many describe him as ruler with his capital at Ujjain (Pataliputra or Prati ...
. After Vikramaditya, his brother
Udai Singh ruled. He built a beautiful lake called
Udaysagar and established the city 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 cap ...
. His warriors named
Rathor Jaimal,
Sisodia Patta and Chauhan Ishwardas fought with the army of Emperor
Akbar in Chitrakoot.
After Udai Singh,
Pratap Singh ascended the throne. While having a meal with
Mansingh Kachwaha, enmity rose between them. Due to this, Man Singh went to Akbar and took the army and reached the village of Khamanor. There was a fierce battle between the two. Man Singh was sitting on an elephant in a seat made of iron. First Pratap's eldest son
Amar Singh attacked the elephant with a spear, and later Pratap did too. The elephant ran away from there. Pratap's brother
Shakti Singh was on Mansingh's side. Seeing Pratap, he said - "O lord! Look back." Turning back, Pratap saw a horse and he left from there. Man Singh sent two Mughal soldiers after Pratap. Taking Man Singh's permission, Shakti Singh also followed them. Those soldiers reached Pratap but both Pratap and Shakti Singh together killed them.
After that Akbar arrived. He continued battling against Pratap. But considering Pratap's position to be strong, he left for
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
and appointed his eldest son Shekhu in his place. After Akbar, his son Sheikhu became the lord of Delhi by the name of
Jahangir. He fought with Pratap. In the end, he left his son Khurram in charge and went back to Delhi after setting up eighty-four Mughal outposts.
Sultan Chakta alias Serim was the uncle of Delhi ruler. Once Pratap spotted him sitting on an elephant in the valley of Diwer, Pratap confronted him. A Solanki-vassal Padihar cut off two legs of the elephant. And Pratap broke his Kumbhsthala with the blow of the spear. When the elephant was killed, Serim rode on the horse. But Amar Singh befell the rider with his attack. While dying, Serim saw Amar Singh and praised his bravery. After this, the Thanet (officers of the Mughal outposts) appointed in places like Kosial etc. left from there. Pratap Singh started living in Udaipur.
Pratap gifted a
turban
A turban (from Persian دولبند, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promin ...
etc. to a
Charan (
Dursa Arha) who arrived at the
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
court to visit the Emperor. When he appeared before the emperor, he put the turban tied on his head in his hand and then saluted. On being asked by the king why did you keep the turban in your hand? He replied that this turban was given by Rana Pratap. That's why I didn't let it stay on my head while saluting. Understanding the meaning, the emperor was said to be pleased.
Chapter 5
Source:
In total, there are 52 verses in this sarga.
Amar Singh became the ruler after Pratap Singh. He battled against Khurram and subsequently against Abdullah Khan. Thereafter he was surrounded by twenty-four Thanets (Mughal outpost officers). Then he killed Kayam Khan, the brother of Delhi ruler in Untala village and destroyed Malpur and collected tax from there. Then on the orders of
Jahangir, Khurram made a peace treaty with Amar Singh. This treaty was signed in
Gogunda
Gogunda is a town and tehsil headquarters of Gogunda Tehsil in Udaipur district, located about in north-west from Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated on a high mountain in Aravalli hills and is reached by crossing a d ...
. After this, Amar Singh lived in Udaipur and started ruling in peace. He made many great charities.
After Amar Singh,
Karan Singh
Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1 ...
sat on the throne. While in the rank of Kumar, he donated silver on the banks of the Ganges and gave a village to the Brahmins of the Shukar region. When he ascended the throne, he made Akheraj the lord of
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput rul ...
. Khurram had become estranged from his father Jahangir. Karan Singh ordained him in his country and after the death of Jahangir, sending his brother Arjun along with him made him the lord of Delhi. Khurram became famous as
Shah Jahan.
Samvat 1664, on the day of Bhadrapada Shukla Dwitiya,
Jagat Singh was born from to Karna Singh from his queen Jambuvati. Jambuvati was a Mehecha Rathod, the daughter of Jaswant Singh. Samvat 1685, Jagat Singh became the king on the day of Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya. By his order, his minister Akheraj reached
Dungarpur
Dungarpur is a city in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dungarpur District. It is the fastest developing town in the southern part of Rajasthan, alongside Aspur ''tehsil''.
History
Dungarpu ...
with the army. On his arrival, Rawal Poonja ran away from there. Jagatsingh's soldiers broke his sandalwood gazebo and looted Dungarpur. Thereafter Rathod Ram Singh went towards Devlia with the army. He killed Jaswant Singh and his son Man Singh and looted Devalia.
Samvat 1686,
Raj Singh Raj Singh may refer to:
*Raj Singh I (1629–1680), Rana of Mewar the maternal uncle of Ajit Singh of Marwar
*Raj Singh II (1743–1761), son of Maharana Pratap Singh II
* Raj Singh (businessman) (born 1964), Sukhraj 'Raj' Singh, Indian businessman ...
was born to Jagat Singh on Kartik Krishna Dwitiya and a year later a son named Arsi was born. Both these sons were born from the womb of Janade, the daughter of Raj Singh Rathod of
Merta. From Maharana's mistress, a son named Mohandas was born to him.
Jagat Singh subdued the lord of Sirohi Akheraj and snatched the land from Toga Walisa, who was defeated by Akheraj. He built a palace named 'Merumandir' for his residence and 'Mohanmandir' on the banks of '
Pichhola' lake.
On his orders, his pradhan Bhagchand reached
Banswara
Banswara is a city in the Banswara district in southern Rajasthan, India. The name, Banswara, came from "Bans wala" (bamboo) forests, as Bamboo grew in abundance around this place within the area.
Banswara is also known as "City of a Hundred ...
with the army. Upon his arrival, Rawal Samarsi, taking his women along with him, took shelter in the mountains. Later, he accepted the suzerainty of Maharana by paying two lakh rupees as a punishment. After this, Jagat Singh married his daughter to Bhavsingh, son of Shatrushalya, the lord of
Bundi
Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India and capital of the former princely state of Rajputana agency. District of Bundi is named after the former princely state.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Indian cens ...
. On that occasion, another 27 girls were married to
Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...
princes.
After his ascension, Jagat Singh continued to make Rajat-dana and other donations every year. In the month of Ashadh in Samvat 1704, on the occasion of the solar eclipse, he weighed himself in gold at
Amarkantak
Amarkantak ( NLK ''Amarakaṇṭaka'') is a pilgrim town and a Nagar Panchayat in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The Amarkantak region is a unique natural heritage area and is the meeting point of the Vindhya and the Satpura Ranges, with the ...
and gave it away in charity. After this, every year on his birthday, he gave great donations named Kalpavriksha, Swarna Prithvi, Saptsagar and Vishwachakra.
Finally, the list of Maharanas from Udai Singh to Jai Singh has been given.
Chapter 6
Source:
In the month of Margashirsha in Samvat 1709, Raj Singh made
Tuladana of silver. In the same year, on the day of Falgun Krishna Dwitiya, he ascended the throne. He married his sister to Anoop Singh, the eldest son of a king named Bhurutiya Karna. On this occasion, 71 daughters of his relatives were married to other Kshatriya princes.
Samvat 1710, on Paush Krishna Ekadashi, from the womb of Rao Indrabhan's daughter Sadakuvari, he had a son named
Jai Singh. Apart from this, he had other sons – Bhom Singh, Gaj Singh Suraj Singh, Indra Singh and Bahadur Singh. From his mistress, he had a son names Narayandas.
Raj Singh built a garden named Sarbat Vilas, of which construction had begun when he was a prince.
Chapter 7
Source:
There are 45 verses in this sarga.
In Samvat 1714, on the day of Vaishakh Shukla 10, Raj Singh started the Vijay Yatra. He had a strong
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
force, with which he gained supremacy over enemy kingdoms which are then listed. On his departure,
Anga
Anga (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts ...
,
Kalinga Kalinga may refer to:
Geography, linguistics and/or ethnology
* Kalinga (historical region), a historical region of India
** Kalinga (Mahabharata), an apocryphal kingdom mentioned in classical Indian literature
** Kalinga script, an ancient writ ...
,
Vang,
Utkal
Utkala Kingdom was located in the northern and eastern portion of the modern-day Indian state of Odisha.This kingdom was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata, with the names ''Utkala'', ''Utpala'', and ''Okkal''. It is mentioned in India's national ...
,
Mithila Mithila may refer to:
Places
* Mithilā, a synonym for the ancient Videha state
** Mithilā (ancient city), the ancient capital city of Videha
* Mithila (region), a cultural region (historical and contemporary), now divided between India and Nepal
...
,
Gaur
The gaur (''Bos gaurus''; ), also known as the Indian bison, is a bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, and has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The global population was estimated at a maximum of 21,000 m ...
, Purab Desh,
Lanka,
Konkan
The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, Malay,
Dravida,
Chola, Setubandha,
Saurashtra,
Kutch,
Tatta
, image = Ытык-Кюель1.jpg
, image_caption = A branch of the Tatta at Ytyk-Kyuyol
, source1 = Lena Plateau
, source1_elevation =
, source1_coordinates =
, mouth = Aldan River
, mouth_elevatio ...
,
Balakh,
Kandhar
Kandhar is a town and a municipal council in Nanded district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies near the western shore of Manyad Reservoir. Kandhar was famous as a major Jain centre in the Rashtrakuta kingdom, having Malkhed or Manya ...
, Uttara Disha,
Dariba, Mandal, Phulia, Rahela,
Shahpura,
Kekri,
Sambhar,
Jahajpur, Savar, the countries of
Gaudas and
Kachwahas
The Kachhwaha or Kachawa is a Rajput clan found primarily in India. Sometimes families within the clan ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states, such as Jaipur, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Alwar and Maihar.
Subclans
Rajawat, ...
-
Ranthambhor,
Fatehpur,
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town and the headquarters of Bayana tehsil in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. Hindaun City is nearest city of Bayana - 33 km. It was the site of famous Important Battle of Bayana in 1527 between the Rajp ...
,
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...
and Toda became terrorized. Dariba city was looted. The warriors of Mandal and Shahpura gave twenty two thousand rupees as a punishment and the rulers of Banera presented twenty thousand rupees to Raj Singh.
At that time Rai Singh was ruling in Toda. Raj Singh sent his chief Fatehchand there with three thousand soldiers and received sixty thousand rupees from Rai Singh as punishment. The same amount of punishment was deposited by Raisingh's mother.
In this Vijaya Yatra, a Su-Bhat of Raj Singh burnt the city of Mahirav of Veeramdev. The soldiers of Maharana plundered Malpura for nine days. After this, by conquering areas named
Tonk,
Sambhar,
Lalsot
Lalsot is a city with municipality in Dausa district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Lalsot is the biggest city in dausa district.
Lalsot Municipality has total administration over 5,756 houses to which it supplies basic amenities like water ...
, and Chatsu, he collected taxes from there.
In
Malpura
Malpura is a town with municipality in Tonk district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Malpura is known for its Dadabadi, built by the Khartargach Sect of Shewtambar Jain in memory of 3rd Dada Gurudev Shri Jinkushalsurishwarji.Malpura is popular ...
, where Rana Amar Singh could only stay for two hours, Raj Singh stayed there for nine days. He could not move forward due to the flooding of the river named Chhaini and therefore returned to his capital
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 cap ...
.
In the last verse, there is a description of Udaipur decorated on the return of Raj Singh.
Chapter 8
Source:
This sarga is completed in 54 verses.
In the Jyeshtha month of Samvat 1714, Raj Singh was staying in a camp on the banks of the river Chhaini. There he heard the news of
Aurangzeb ascending the throne of Delhi. To maintain cordial relations, he then sent his brother Ari Singh to Delhi. Aurangzeb gifted
Dungarpur
Dungarpur is a city in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dungarpur District. It is the fastest developing town in the southern part of Rajasthan, alongside Aspur ''tehsil''.
History
Dungarpu ...
country and elephants to Ari Singh. Ari Singh presented them all to Raj Singh in return. Being pleased, Raj Singh also gave him suitable gifts.
When war broke out between Aurangzeb and his elder brother
Shuja in Samvat 1714, Raj Singh sent Kunwar Sardar Singh in aid of Aurangzeb. Sardar Singh was victorious. Aurangzeb also gave him
jagirs, horse, elephants etc. On Samvat 1715, Vaishakh Krishna 9, Mangalwar, on the orders of Raj Singh, his minister Fatehchand attacked
Banswara
Banswara is a city in the Banswara district in southern Rajasthan, India. The name, Banswara, came from "Bans wala" (bamboo) forests, as Bamboo grew in abundance around this place within the area.
Banswara is also known as "City of a Hundred ...
. He was accompanied by a cavalry of five thousand thakurs. He made the Banswara ruler Rawal Samar Singh accept Maharana's lordship and took one lakh rupees, deshdana, 2 elephants and ten villages as punishment from him. Raj Singh was pleased and returned ten villages, deshdana and twenty thousand rupees from the said property to Samar Singh.
Thereafter Fatehchand destroyed Devalia. Its ruler Hari Singh ran away. Then Hari Singh's mother reached Fatehchand with her grandson Pratap Singh. Fatehchand accepted their submission and received only twenty thousand rupees and an elephant as a punishment and brought Pratap Singh to the feet of Rana. In Samvat 1716, Raj Singh called Rawal Girdhar of Dungarpur through his Sardars and made him accept his submission. He subdued the lord of
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput rul ...
, Akheraj, peacefully. After this, in the huge valley of Dewari, he built a strong gate, so that the enemies could be stopped. Two big doors and argala were installed in it. There he also got a strong Kot built.
In Samvat 1717, Maharana arrived at
Kishangarh
Kishangarh is a city and a Municipal Council in Ajmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
History
Kishangarh State was founded by the Jodhpur prince Kishan Singh in 1609. Prior to the rule of Kishan Singh this area was ruled by Ra ...
with a large army, where he accepted Rathod Roop Singh's daughter, earlier engaged to ruler of Delhi. In Samvat 1719, he subjugated the country of Meval. His army destroyed the land and subjugated
Meena
Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the st ...
soldiers there. Raj Singh gave the entire Meval to his feudatories along with gifts of clothes, horses and a huge amount of money.
In Samvat 1720, Ranawat Ram Singh reached
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput rul ...
with an army at the behest of Rana. There he freed Rao Akheraj, who was imprisoned by his son Udaybhan, and established him again on his kingdom. Samvat 1721, on the day of Margashirsha Shukla, Raj Singh married his daughter Ajaykuvari to Kumar Bhavsingh of Vaghela Raja Anup Singh, the lord of Bandhav. On this occasion, he married 98 daughters of his relatives with other Kshatriya princes. When Maharana sat with the Asparshabhoji Kshatriyas of Bandhav and started having food, they said, "The grain of Rana Raj Singh is the Prasad of Lord
Jagannath
Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
Rai. That is why it is very holy. By eating it we have become pure." Then Raj Singh provided haya, gaja and ornaments to all the bridegrooms.
On the occasion of the
solar eclipse, gold worth thousands of rupees was donated by Maharana. In Samvat 1725, he built a lake at Wadi village and made
tuladana and named that lake as Janasagar. On this occasion, he gave villages named Gunhanda and Devpura to his chief priest Garibdas. Six lakh and eighty thousand rupees were spent in the construction of the said lake.
On the same day, Maharajkumar
Jai Singh established a lake named '
Rangsagar' in Udaipur with the permission of Maharana and made many donations on that occasion.
Chapter 9 (Idea of Rajsamudra)
Source:
The ninth sarga has 48 verses in it.
In the first verse, there is a worship of Lord
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. After this the history of the construction of Rajsamudra (
Rajsamand
Rajsamand is a city, located in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, western India. The city is named for Rajsamand Lake, an artificial lake created in the 17th century by Rana Raj Singh of Mewar. It is the administrative headquarters of Rajsam ...
) is given.
During the reign of Maharana Jagat Singh, in Samvat 1698, Raj Singh went to
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...
to get married while in the rank of Kumar (
prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...
). At that time he was 12 years old. On his way to Jaisalmer, he thought of building a reservoir there after seeing the tractable land of Dhoyanda, Sanwad, Siwali, Bhigavada, Morchana, Pasud, Khedi, Chhaparkhedi, Tasol, Mandawar, Bhan, Luhana, Bansol, Gudhli, Kankroli and Madha. After ascending the throne, when he went to see Roopnarayan in the Margashirsha of Samvat 1718, he once again saw this land and decided to tie the tractable land. On taking advice, he was told that this work should be done, but it can be done only if there is full faith, no opposition from Delhi, and money is spent abundantly. In reply, Raj Singh said - "These three things can happen.”
To start the construction work of Rajsamudra, the Muhurta of Samvat 1718, Magha Krishna 7, Wednesday was chosen.
In the construction of Rajsamudra, first of all an attempt was made to stop the
Gomti
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges. According to beliefs, the river is the son of Rishi Vashishtha and bathing in the Gomti on Ekadashi (the 11th day of the two lunar phases of the Hindu calendar month) can wash a ...
river and build the Maha Setu (bridge) between the two big mountains. The work of excavation to build the Maha Setu started, in which innumerable people gathered. After the excavation was done, efforts to extract water from there started. All those measures were used which were available in India. Water extraction measures as suggested by the
Sutradhars and villagers were also used. The water that came out from there, people carried it from village to village through canals.
On draining the water, on Monday, Samvat 1721, Vaishakh Shukla 13, Raj Singh did the Muhurta to lay the foundation. First of all, Ranchhod Rai, the eldest son of Purohit Garibdas, placed a rock containing five gems there.
On the side of the bridge, white, red and yellow fish and pure Garbhodak came out from the deep surface (patal). Seeing them, the
Sutradhars commented that there should be a lot of water here. Raj Singh was pleased to hear the statement of the Sutradhars.
Chapter 10 (Construction of Rajsamudra)
Source:
There are 43 verses in this sarga.
Dwarkanath (Krishna) is praised in the first verse. After that the story sequence goes like this.
In Samvat 1726, on the day of Vaishakh Shukla 13, Raj Singh did the Muhurta for the construction of the bridge at
Kankroli. Even before Ashadh, due to rain in the month of Jyeshtha, lake was filled with new water. In the same year, on Ashadh Krishna Panchami Sunday, the Sutradhars started filling the ground surface of the main bridge with well-filled stones. They built a strong wall there. This work took them eight years, five months and six days.
Maharana built a unique palace named 'Rajmandir' on the Suvarnashail and entered it in 1726, on the day of Margashirsha Shukla Dashami.
In the same year, on Ashadh Krishna Chaturthi, Muhurta time for Nauka-Sthapan (Boat-entering) was set. But there was not enough water in the lake to float the
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
. It was thought that on one hand there is no water in the lake and on the other hand another Muhurta is not coming this year. Not only this, the Muhurta will not come in the next year also due to the presence of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...
in the sign of
Leo. At this, Ranawat Ram Singh, who was the chief in the construction work of the Rajsamudra dam, said - "The muhurta of setting up the boat can be done by filling more water in the lake." Maharana also took a vow to establish the boat at the said time. It rained on the day of Tritiya, in the second prahar, and Raj Singh embarked on the boat in due time of Muhurta.
In Samvat 1728, on the full moon of the month of Jyeshtha, the
Sutradhars closed the mouth of the drain on the orders of Raj Singh.
On Samvat 1729, Falgun Krishna 11, Raj Singh got the muhurta of Sangikarya performed on the main bridge. On the day of Jyeshtha Shukla Saptami, he built a beautiful and strong wall on the lake named 'Indrasagar' near
Eklingji
Eklingji (''IAST:'' Ekaliṅga jī) is a Hindu temple complex in Udaipur District of Rajasthan in western India. It is situated in Kailashpuri village (at Girwa Tehsil, Udaipur), near the former capital of Mewar, i.e., Nagda. Eklingji is belie ...
, in which four plates were kept. Eighteen thousand rupees were spent on this work. On the orders of Maharana, Ranchod Bhatt composed a
prashasti
''Prashasti'' (IAST: Praśasti, Sanskrit for "praise") is an Indian genre of inscriptions composed by poets in praise of their rulers. Most date from the 6th century CE onwards. Written in the form of poetry or ornate prose, the ''prashastis'' s ...
, hearing which he ordered it to be carved on the rock.
Chapter 11 (Measurements)
Source:
There are 57 verses in this sarga, in which the bridges of Rajsamudra are described.
Various Setu (bridges) and dams are mentioned along with their measurements such as Mukhya Setu, Nimba Setu, Bhadra Setu, Kankroli Setu, Asotiya Setu, and Vansol Setu.
According to the Prashasti, the length of the foundation from east to west is 515 yards, whereas at the top it is 585 yards. The width of the foundation below the earth is given as 55 yard, and that of the top, it is 10 yards. The depth of the foundation is 22 yards, and from above the surface to the top, it is 35 yards in height. Thus, we learn that from top of the foundation rises a block of masonary to a height of 8 yards which serves as plinth of the structure. From here three bastions (mekhlas) were constructed, their plinth going up to 11/2 yards, rising further up to 121/2 yards. Finally, four columns, 13 yards in height emerge as the part of the structure.
Chapter 12
Source:
This sarga has 41 verses.
There are three Otas on the bridge built on the side of the village of Vansol. The length, breadth and height of the first Ota are 250, 90 and 111 yards respectively. The second Ota is similar to the first Ota in length and breadth. The height is 211 yards. The third Ota is 300 yards in length and 90 yards in extension. Its height is 2 yards. There are three pavilions built there.
In the west, bordering the village of
Morchana, there is a hill within the lake, with a mandapa on its top. There is another
mandapa with six pillars. Thus the total number of mandapas is 29.
The villages of Siwali, Bhigavada, Bhan, Luhana, Vansol and Gudhli, Pasund, Khedi, Chhaparkhedi, Tasol, and Mandavar villages, and the reservoirs of Kankroli, Luhana and Siwali, Nipan, Vapi and Kupa, which are 30 in number, were submerged to form the Rajsamudra. Three rivers have fallen in this lake - the river of
Gomti
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges. According to beliefs, the river is the son of Rishi Vashishtha and bathing in the Gomti on Ekadashi (the 11th day of the two lunar phases of the Hindu calendar month) can wash a ...
, Taal and Kelwa. The total length of the bridge is 6493 yards. According to Galayoga, the Sutradhars have given its length as eight thousand yards. According to Vishwakarma, the length of Tadag is at most six thousand yards. There is doubt that someone might have built such a long lake on this basis. Thus, Raj Singh has created seven thousand yards long reservoir.
There are 12 chambers on the bridge of Rajsamudra. A total of 48 mandapas were built here, some of which were of cloth, some of wood and some of stone. Of them now only two pavilions made of stone remain.
In the month of Bhadrapada in Samvat 1730, due to flooding in the river Taal, many houses of the region were submerged and destroyed. In the same year in Ashwin month, in the middle of the night, river Gomti too flooded. It is said that water rose to height of ‘eight hands’ in the Rajsamudra. The water was stored in the lake.
In Samvat 1731, decorated beautiful boats were cast in Rajsamudra on Shravan Shukla 5. On this occasion, to see the boats in the lake, Sutradhars of
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
and
Surat came.
Chapter 13 (Invitations for the ceremony)
Source:
After the construction of Rajsamudra, Raj Singh invited the
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
s, Durgadhipatis (fort owners) and rulers related to him on the occasion of the completion and sent
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
s,
chariot palanquins
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the ...
, and
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
s to bring them. Trusted messengers including
Charanas and
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s were sent to invite them. A large collection of
clothes,
jewellery
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...
,
gems
Gems, or gemstones, are polished, cut stones or minerals.
Gems or GEMS may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Gems'' (Aerosmith album), 1988
* ''Gems'' (Patti LaBelle album), 1994
* ''Gems'' (Michael Bolton album), 2011
* Gems TV, ...
,
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
s,
pots, musk etc. were stored in abundance to later gift them to guests. Proper arrangement of resources was made. There was a market for food grains and camps for different types of items were built there. Food items were arranged. Elephants, horses and chariots were collected to be donated by Raj Singh. He bought 19 elephants from the merchants for this purpose.
The invited kings arrived with their families. Their horses, elephants and chariots filled the whole city. On the occasion, great
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
s and
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researc ...
s including
Charanas, many learned
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s and
Bhats and other poets were also invited.
The invitees who arrived presented gifts, Maharana kept some of them returned the rest. In Samvat 1732, only on Shukla Dwitiya, the queen of Raj Singh, Shri Ramrasade, built Vapika in the valley of Dewari. 24 thousand rupees were spent in the construction of this Vapi.
Maharana ordered the Sutradhars to prepare three
pavilion
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
s on the bridge of Rajsamudra. One pavilion was built for the prathista of the lake and the remaining two were for Suvarga–Tuladan and Haataka-Saptsagardan. The
Muhurta
Muhūrta ( sa, मुहूर्त, translit=muhūrtaṃ) is a Hindu unit of measurement for time along with nimiṣa, kāṣṭhā, and kalā in the Hindu calendar.
In the Brāhmaṇas, ''muhūrta'' denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, ...
for the prathista of the reservoir was chosen- Samvat 1732, Magh Shukla 10 Saturday. Prior to this, on Magh Shukla 5, he followed rituals according to the
Matsya Purana
The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...
, and selected 26 Ritvijas.
Chapter 14 (Mandapas for Tuladana)
Source:
There are 40 verses in this sarga.
The queen of Raj Singh was Sadakuvari. She was the daughter of Parmar Rao Indrabhan. When Sadakuvari expressed her wish to perform silver-tuladan, an pavilion was built overnight for the purpose.
Two pavilions were built for donating
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
and
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
by Purohit Garibdas and his son.
The wife of Bhim Singh, son of
Rana Amar Singh, also decided to donate silver-tuladan. Another pavilion was built.
Kaviraj
Kaviraj (or Rajkavi, Kaviraja) is a title of honor, which was given to poets and litterateurs attached to royal courts in medieval India. Eminent Charans who were inducted into the royal courts due to their literary merit as royal poets and his ...
a
Barhat Kesari Singh decided to donate silver-tuladan. Thus, he also got a beautiful pavilion constructed near Khadarvatika on the bridge-bank.
Ramchandra was the son of Rao Ballu Chauhan of
Bedla. His second son's name was Kesari Singh, whom Raj Singh made as the Rao of Sanluvar. He consulted his brother Rao Sabal Singh who said that he has been made Rao by Raj Singh. That's why he should also donate. Hearing this, Kesari Singh Chauhan prepared. He also built a pavilion.
In the same year, on the day of Magh Shukla 7, the queen of Raj Singh, daughter of Rathod Roop Singh, got a Vapika established in Rajnagar. 30 thousand rupees were spent on the construction work of this Vapika. On the day of Navami, Raj Singh arrived at the pavilion with the priest. On the first day, he followed a fast and performed Swastivachan. Then he worshipped
Prithvi
Prithvi or Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her cons ...
,
Ganesha
Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
,
Kuldevi and Govind.
After that Maharana gave
dakshina to the Brahmins. Garibdas received clothes, kundals, gem-studded rings and angadas, gold yagyopavit, various kinds of jewels, golden water-pots and food-pots. To other Brahmins, Maharana gave many gold ornaments, gem-studded rings, silver vessels and sufficient clothes.
Chapter 15 (Naming of the lake)
Source:
After this, Raj Singh travelled on the river
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
with great pomp, and reached the pavilion and started the worship. After a Ratri-Jagaran, he reached the pavilion the next day. He called all his kinsmen, the wives and the queens of the kings and gave them seats there to see the prathshita. Alongside his chief queen, he worshipped gods like
Varuna
Varuna (; sa, वरुण, , Malay: ''Baruna'') is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth). He is found in the oldest layer of Vedic literature of Hinduism, such ...
etc.
Maharana, with the desire to make Rajsamudra the second Ratnakar, put nine
gems
Gems, or gemstones, are polished, cut stones or minerals.
Gems or GEMS may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Gems'' (Aerosmith album), 1988
* ''Gems'' (Patti LaBelle album), 1994
* ''Gems'' (Michael Bolton album), 2011
* Gems TV, ...
in it and left Matsya, Kachhap and Makar in the lake. Later he performed of go-taran with the help of Ritvijas. After the go-taran, he selected two names for the lake - 'Rajsagar' as the official and 'Rajsamudra' as its alias. Five days later the reservoir was named at an auspicious time.
The Ritvijas recited the Homa, the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
, in the Mahamandapa; performed chanting, etc. Maharana took a sankalpa (resolve) to
circumambulate
Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol.
Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...
Rajsamudra.
Chapter 16 (
Parikrama
Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indian religions, Indic religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only ...
)
Source:
There are 60 verses in this sarga.
Maharana Udai Singh had established Udaysagar on Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya in 1622.
Thus, they prepared to
circumambulate
Circumambulation (from Latin ''circum'' around and ''ambulātus ''to walk) is the act of moving around a sacred object or idol.
Circumambulation of temples or deity images is an integral part of Hindu and Buddhist devotional practice (known in S ...
the entire lake with great pomp. All of his
queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
s accompanied the Maharana. Stripes of
clothes were laid on the route for him to walk comfortably but he had them removed. Instead, Raj Singh also took off his shoes and walked barefoot.
He started the circumambulation of Rajsamudra from the right side. During circumambulation, he gave away gifts to those who met him on the route. It was raining at the time. Raj Singh's younger brother Ari Singh was also walking alongside. Seeing him tired, Maharana excused him and his wife to rest in the palanquin. After completing the circumambulation, Raj Singh put all the flower
garland
A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance.
Etymology
From the ...
s he had received while doing circumambulation, into the Rajsamudra. Rajasamudra is 14 kos long and wide. During circumambulation, five camps were setup along the way.
Maharana satisfied all the people who gathered on that occasion with food, money, clothes etc. Thereafter, he made the domicile on the day of Chaturdashi, before donating gold-Tuladan and Saptsagardan. Both the pavilions were decorated. He worshiped Prithvi, Vishnu, Ganesha, and Vastu, and chose the priests and the Ritvijas. Afterwards, Havan, worship, Veda-recitation etc. took place. Maharana reached his camp in a
palanquin
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
. Today was the sixth day of his fast. He had some fruits. Later, he ordered to start preparations for the pratishtha of Rajsamudra.
Chapter 17
Source:
This sarga contains 41 verses.
After this, on the full moon day, Raj Singh reached the pavilion with his queen. His brother named Ari Singh, his sons named Jai Singh, Bhim Singh, Gaj Singh, Suraj Singh, Indra Singh, Bahadur Singh, Amar Singh, Ajav Singh etc. his grandsons; Manohar Singh, Dalsingh, Narayan Das; Purohit Ranchhodrai, Bhikhu, his ministers etc. There were also many Kshatriyas and
Thakurs present. Required offerings were made in the havan and the pratishtha was completed with all the rituals.
Then he reached the pavilion for the donation of the Suvarna-Saptasagar along with his family. There he performed all the deeds for the sake of the said charity. The seven kundas of Brahma, Krishna, Mahesh, Surya, Indra, Rama and Gauri were donated.
Next was Tuladana, where Raj Singh weighed himself against gold and donate it to charity. When he mounted on the Tula, he asked the maidservants to run and bring the baskets full of gold coins. Much gold was placed on the scale. In the end, Raj Singh's scale remained high. The total weight of gold was twenty-two thousand tolas. Raj Singh had also seated his eldest son Amar Singh with him on the scale. In Tuladan, he donated
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
s, elephants,
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
s, lands,
cows
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
etc.
Chapter 18 (Day of Tuladana)
Source:
There are 40 verses in this sarga.
On the occasion of the consecration of Rajsamudra, Raj Singh gave the following 12
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
s to his priest Garibdas: Ghasa, Gudha, Sirthal, Salol, Alod, Majjhera, Dhaneria, Amberi, Jharsadari, Usrol, Asana and Bhava. Apart from these villages, he gave many other villages and many fertile lands to other Brahmins.
After this, the queen of Raj Singh duly hoisted the balance and made the donation of silver-tuladana. Garibdas weighed himself against gold and his son Rannchhor Rai against silver and donated. Apart from these, the mother of Raja Raisingh of Toda, Rao Kesari Singh Chauhan of
Salumbar
Salumbar is a statutory town in Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
Geography
Salumbar is located at . It has an average elevation of 262 metres (859 feet).
Demographics
India census, Salumbar had a population of 16,4 ...
and Kaviraja Kesari Singh
Barhat weighed themselves against
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...
coins and donated the amount in charity.
In Shlok 26-27, the poet Ranchhod Bhatt has referred to Raj Singh as Shripati (i.e. Krishna) and called himself Sudama and pleads with him for wealth.
Chapter 19 (Charities and gifts)
Source:
There are 43 verses in this sarga. In the beginning, 21 verses mainly describe Rajasamudra. Afterwards, the sequence is as follows:
Gada Mandal was built outside Rajnagar. There,
Charanas and numerous
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
s arrived from different regions. The amount of charity of Saptsagardan and
Tuladan of Raj Singh was donated. The amount of the chief queen's tuladan, of the priest Garibdas and the and of his son Ranchhod Rai was also distributed among those Brahmins. Maharana also donated food on that occasion.
Subsequently, Raj Singh, in the assembly hall, gave gold, rupees, jewellery, zareen clothes, elephants, horses and village copper plates to the Charanas, the Brahmins, the Yachakas and all other people.
After this, he gave clothes, horses, elephants, gems and ornaments to all the kings who had come after receiving invitations, all the Brahmins and
Vaishya
Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.
The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, taking care ...
s etc. and permitted them to return to their lands. He sent clothes, elephants, horses and ornaments for the invited kings, Durgadhipas, kinsmen, and his relatives.
Chapter 20 (Charities and gifts)
Source:
There are 55 verses in this sarga.
Raj Singh sent one elephant, two horses, and zareen clothes each to Raja
Jaswant Singh
Major Jaswant Singh (; 3 January 193827 September 2020) was an officer of the Indian Army and an Indian Cabinet Minister. He was one of the founding members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and was one of India's longest serving parliamen ...
Rathod of
Jodhpur
Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...
,
Ram Singh Kachwaha of
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...
, Anoop Singh of
Bikaner
Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.
Formerly the capital of ...
, Bhavsingh Hada of
Bundi
Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India and capital of the former princely state of Rajputana agency. District of Bundi is named after the former princely state.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Indian cens ...
, Chandrawat Mohkam Singh of Rampura, Rawal Amar Singh Bhati of
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...
and Bhav Singh of Bandhav. These elephants and horses were worth Rs 78526.
An elephant and Zareen clothes worth Rs.6500 were sent to Rawal Jaswant Singh of
Dungarpur
Dungarpur is a city in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dungarpur District. It is the fastest developing town in the southern part of Rajasthan, alongside Aspur ''tehsil''.
History
Dungarpu ...
. Earlier, on the occasion of the consecration of Rajasamudra, Maharana had given him Zareen clothes and two horses worth 1,500 rupees.
For the princes of Toda's ruler Raisingh, his mother was given an elephant, whose value was three thousand rupees. 28 horses worth Rs. 8311 were gifted to the invited kings.
Maharana gave one elephant and zareen clothes to his chief Bhikhu Dosi and Ranawat Ram Singh. These elephants were worth 11000 and 7000 rupees respectively. He gifted 61 horses worth Rs. Rs 25551 to other Thakurs and Sardars.
To the
Charan sardars holding sasan-
jagirs, Maharana gifted 200 horses worth 13136 rupees and to the other
Charanas he gave away 206 horses worth 27571 rupees. To the
pundits and the Charan
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
s, he gave 13 elephants worth 122268 rupees.
Thereafter, the poet provides a long list of
jagirs and
land-grants of the Charanas granted by various rulers ranging from
Jagat Singh,
Karan Singh
Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1 ...
,
Amar Singh,
Maharana Pratap Singh
Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap (c. 9 May 1540 – 19 January 1597), was a king of Mewar from the Sisodia dynasty. Pratap became a folk hero for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire under A ...
,
Udai Singh,
Vikramaditya Singh,
Ratansi,
Rana Sanga (Sangram Singh),
Rana Raimal,
Khetsi , Ajesi and Samarsi.
Chapter 21 (Cost of construction)
Source:
There are 45 verses in this sarga.
At the beginning of this sarga, there is a description of the money spent on the
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form Physical object, objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Pr ...
of Rajsamudra. Rs. 1,51,72,233 were spent on its construction work and its pratishtha.
In Samvat 1734, on the occasion of his birthday, Raja Singh gave two great donations - Kalpadrum and Hiranyashva. In the first, 200 pals and in the second, 80 tolas of gold was used. In the same year, while going to bhilwara in Shravan, he made Rao Varisal the Raja of
Sirohi
Sirohi is a city, located in Sirohi district in southern Rajasthan state in western India. It is the administrative headquarters of Sirohi District and was formerly the capital of the princely state of Sirohi ruled by Deora Chauhan Rajput rul ...
accpeted one lakh rupees and five villages like Korta from him. When a gold-urn of Maharana was stolen in Sirohi, he recovered 50 thousand rupees from Varishal for the urn.
In Shloka 34-41, the glory of Raj Singh's valor and charity has been described by the poet.
Chapter 22 (Conflict with Aurangzeb)
Source:
The verses in this sarga are 50.
In Samvat 1735, Chaitra Shukla 11, Maharajkumar
Jai Singh went to Ajmer by order of Raj Singh. From there, he went on to
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
and met
Aurangzeb. This meeting took place in a camp, two kos outside Delhi. Aurangzeb felicitated him with a garland of pearls, Urobhusha, Zareen clothes, an ornate elephant and many horses. Similarly, he gave zareen clothes and horses to Chandrasen Jhala and Purohit Garibadas and appropriate gifts to other Thakurs who accompanied them.
Afterwards, Jai Singh wen for a darshan of Ganyuktesvar Shiva temple and took a bath on the banks of the
Ganga and donated silver-tuladan. He also donated an elephant and a horse. Later, he travelled to
Vrindavan
Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...
and
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
and arrived back in Udaipur in Jyeshtha month.
In Samvat 1736,
Aurangzeb arrived in Mewar on the day of Paush Krishna Ekadashi. Prior to this, his son
Akbar and commander Tahavvar Khan had already made camps in the palace of Rajnagar with their army. There his soldiers committed atrocities. Sakta, the son of Sabal Singh Puravat, fought against them. One
Chundavat and twenty other warriors were killed in this battle.
Then Maharana ordered the
Rajput
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 ...
s to reach the valley of Dewari with determination to fight along with cannons and ammunition. Aurangzeb also came to the valley of Dewari and stayed there for 21 days after demolishing its gate. It is said that once he went to Udaipur hiding in the night. Akbar and Tahavwar Khan also came to Udaipur.
From there, Akbar proceeded towards
Eklingji
Eklingji (''IAST:'' Ekaliṅga jī) is a Hindu temple complex in Udaipur District of Rajasthan in western India. It is situated in Kailashpuri village (at Girwa Tehsil, Udaipur), near the former capital of Mewar, i.e., Nagda. Eklingji is belie ...
. But he returned to his camp after encountering the forces at the ghats of Anderi and Cheerwa. Jhala Pratap Singh of Kargetpur snatched two elephants from the royal army and presented them to Maharana. The Balla people of Bhadesar caught many elephants, horses and camels from the emperor's army and presented them to the Maharana. Maharana was then staying in Nainwara. In this way, with around 50 thousand people killed, Aurangzeb reached Chitrakoot by an alternate route. Prince Akbar and Hasan Ali Khan too arrived there through 'Chappan' region.
While Aurangzeb left for Chitrakoot, Raj Singh went towards the Nai village. He immediately sent Kunwar Bhim Singh from Kotri village to
Idar
Idar may refer to:
People
* Idar Andersen (born 1999), Norwegian road racing cyclist
* Idar Kreutzer (born 1962), Norwegian businessperson
* Idar Kristiansen (1932–1985), Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and non-fiction writer
* ...
with the army who destroyed the region. Syed Shah fled from there. Then he looted
Vadnagar
Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the state of Gujarat in India. It just about 35 km from Mehsana city. Its ancient name was Anartapura, and was also known as Anandapura. It was a Buddhist location visited by X ...
and recovered 40 thousand rupees as punishment and reached
Ahmednagar, where he looted goods worth two lakh rupees. Aurangzeb had demolished many
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
s in
Mewar. Bhim Singh took his revenge by demolishing one big and three hundred small
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s throughout Ahmednagar.
Maharana permitted Jai Singh to attack Chitrakoot to conquer the enemy. He was accompanied by Jhala Chandrasen, commander Sabal Singh Chauhan and his brother Rao Kesari Singh, Gopi Nath Rathod, Arisingh's son Bhagwant Singh and thirteen thousand cavalry and twenty thousand foot soldiers in addition to other chieftains. The Mewar chieftains fought throughout the night. One thousand soldiers of the royal army, three elephants and many horses were killed in that battle. Akbar fled from there. The Rajput warriors brought fifty horses from the royal army and presented them to Jai Singh. Jai Singh then returned to Maharana.
Kunwar Ganga, the son of Kesari Singh Shaktawat, brought 18 elephants, many horses and camels from the royal army and presented them to Maharana.
Maharana again sent Kuwar Bhim Singh with the army. He crossed the canal of
Desuri and fought a fierce battle against Akbar and Tahavvar Khan in the city of
Ghanora. Bika Solanki fought to protect the ghats. On the orders of Maharana, Kunwar Gaj Singh also arrived at Begu with the army destroyed it.
Finally, Aurangzeb made a treaty with the Maharana by paying three lakh rupees.
Chapter 23
Source:
This sarga has 62 verses.
In Samvat 1737, Maharana
Raj Singh Raj Singh may refer to:
*Raj Singh I (1629–1680), Rana of Mewar the maternal uncle of Ajit Singh of Marwar
*Raj Singh II (1743–1761), son of Maharana Pratap Singh II
* Raj Singh (businessman) (born 1964), Sukhraj 'Raj' Singh, Indian businessman ...
passed away on the day of Kartik Shukla Dashami. 15 days later,
Jai Singh was crowned in a city named Kuraj.
In the Margashirsha of 1737, at Kuraj, Jai Singh received news that Tahavvar Khan had rafte returned crossing the canal of
Desuri. Jai Singh sent his brother Bhim Singh to fight. Bika Solanki also accompanied him. Together they destroyed the enemy army. Tahavvar Khan was surrounded from all sides. He ran away after eight days.
Maharana advanced near Ghanora and Dalel Khan went in the hills of Chappan region. Maharana's soldiers gave way and let Dalel Khan move forward. When he reached the ghats of
Gogunda
Gogunda is a town and tehsil headquarters of Gogunda Tehsil in Udaipur district, located about in north-west from Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated on a high mountain in Aravalli hills and is reached by crossing a d ...
, Raj Singh closed all the ghats. Rawat Ratansi was present at one of the ghats. He did not allow Dalel Khan to leave. Jai Singh then sent Jhala Versa to make a treaty. Versa told Dalel Khan that you was a respected person of the emperor. You have 15,000 horsemen with you. Still, one Rajput Rawat Ratansi has caged you. But, as Maharana has affection for you, you have been allowed to enter till now. If you want to leave, you can leave and if you want to stay, you can stay.
On this, the Mughal
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
replied that he has consult with his soldiers who are coming behind him. Before this, Dalel Khan had sent some of his men to check the routes of the three Ghats. They returned and reported that all the three ghats are closed. So when he could not leave from there, he
bribed a local
Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (gur ...
with 1000 rupees to find out another route. Thus, he tried to escape in the night by some alternate route. But there too, Rawat Ratansi had arrived with his army who attacked the running Mughal soldiers. However, Dalel Khan was able to escape.
Running away by deceit, Dalel Khan reached
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
. On being asked by the emperor why did he come running away and not attack the Rana, he replied that he did not get any food there. Maharana had came to kill me. He killed many of my soldiers. Fourteen hundred of my soldiers would die due to hunger. That's why I ran away from there. Hearing this, the emperor panicked. Thereafter, Mughal prince Akbar was sent to make a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...
with the Maharana. Shyam Singh, son of Garibdas, the second son of Rana
Karan Singh
Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the son of the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Sir Hari Singh. He was the prince regent of Jammu and Kashmir until 1952. From 1 ...
, met him. He talked about the treaty with Rana and after confirming it, he returned. Dalel Khan and Hasan Ali Khan made preparations for the treaty.
Chapter 24
Source:
This is the last chapter of this poem. It has 36 verses. In the beginning, there is a description of the
torana
''Torana'' ( sa, तोरण; '' awr-uh-nuh') is a free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Toranas can also be widely seen in Southeast Asia and ...
s (pylons) made by Maharana Raj Singh, grandson Amar Singh, Patrani Sadakuvari, Purohit Garibdas and his son Ranchhodrai. These toranas are built on the pal of Rajsamudra. Later, the importance and excellence of Rajaprashasti is described.
Shloka 25-27 describes the valor of Dayaldas. He had destroyed Khairawad and looted
Banera. By destroying Dharapuri, he had demolished the mosque there. Ahmednagar was also looted and destroyed by him. He had also demolished the grand mosque there. After this, the charity of Hiramani Mishra is described in five verses.
In the end, there are two sorthas praising Raj Singh, which are in
Mewari
Mewari is an Indo-Aryan language of the Rajasthani group. It is spoken by about five million speakers in Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh districts of Rajasthan state and Mandsaur, Neemuch districts of Madhya Prades ...
language.
See also
*
Rajsamand Lake
*
Raj Singh Raj Singh may refer to:
*Raj Singh I (1629–1680), Rana of Mewar the maternal uncle of Ajit Singh of Marwar
*Raj Singh II (1743–1761), son of Maharana Pratap Singh II
* Raj Singh (businessman) (born 1964), Sukhraj 'Raj' Singh, Indian businessman ...
References
{{Reflist
Indian inscriptions
Sanskrit inscriptions in India
Mewar dynasty