Indian History
The Great Warrior Queen: Maharani Durgavati of Gondwana
Maharani Durgavati was born on 5th October 1524 to the famous Rajput Chandel Emperor Keerat Rai. She was married to Daalpat Shah of Gond Dynasty in 1542. Soon after, she gave birth to a son who was named Vir Narayan. However, Daalpat Shah died in 1550 and the Queen decided to rule the kingdom as heir Vir Narayan was only five years old.
Rani Durgavati ably ruled over her Kingdom with the help of two ministers Adhar Kayastha and Man Thakur. She shifted her capital to Chauragarh in place of Singaurgarh as a strategic initiative, since the fort was situated in the Satpura hill range.
Now, the Malwa region had been captured by Sujat Khan who was succeeded by his son Bajbahadur in 1556 A.D. Now Bajbahadur decided to attack Rani Durgavati’s kingdom in a bid to expand his own territory. However, he was defeated by the Queen and sustained heavy losses in the battle. The decisive win helped spread Rani Durgavati’s name and fame across kingdoms.
In 1562, Malwa was annexed by Akbar and the region came to be ruled by Mughal General Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan. As a part of Akbar’s expansion plans, the Mughal forces planned to invade the kingdom of Rani Durgavati.
Rani Durgavati knew that her small army was vastly outnumbered by the Mughal forces and the Mughal soldiers were well trained and carried modern weapons. However she decided to go ahead and fight the battle rather than accepting defeat and live in dishonour.
The Rani with her army took up a defensive position near Narrai (Madhya Pradesh). The valley was guarded by hills on one side and the rivers Narmada and Gaur on the other side. Even though, the Mughal forces attacked from both sides of the valley the Rani with her small army fought valiantly. Her leading general Faujdar Arjun Das was killed in the battle and she began to lead the battle herself. Soon after the Mughal soldiers were forced to retreat from the valley. Rani Durgavati was keen to attack the Mughals during the night, thus giving them no chance to recover the losses and turn around. However, her generals advised her against the move.
The next morning the battle commenced again and this time the Mughals had managed to bring forth their heavy artillery during the cover of the night. Vir Narayan, fought bravely and led his army to push back the Mughal forces thrice. However, he was gravely injured during the course of the battle and was taken away from the field.
The Rani, riding her elephant Samran began to lead the battle. Even though she fought with all her might, her forces and weapons were greatly outnumbered by the Mughals. She sustained heavy injuries from two arrows during the battle.
Rani Durgavati realized that defeat was imminent and she was advised to escape the battle. However, she preferred death and took out her dagger and killed herself.
She is regarded as a martyr who died defending her kingdom from the Mughals. The day, 24th June 1564 is celebrated as Balidan Divas. In 1983, University of Jabalpur was renamed as Rani Durgawati Viswavidalaya by government of Madhya Pradesh in her honour. A postal stamp was also issued by the Indian Government commemorating her death, on 24 June 1988.
Source: hinduhistory.info; importantindia; indiastudychannel.com; encyclopedia.com
Indra Lal Roy – First Indian Fighter Air Ace of World War I
Indra Lal Roy was the officially accredited the first Indian fighter air ace of World War I who served in the First World War with the Royal Flying Corps and its successor, the Royal Air Force.
Indra Lal Roy was born on 2nd December 1898 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. He was the second son of Lolita Roy and Peary Lal Roy the Director of Public Prosecutions in Calcutta. His elder brother was Paresh Lal Roy, who was known as the “Father of Indian Boxing”. His nephew, who became India’s first Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force, was none other than the iconic Subroto Mukherjee. Indra Lal Roy hailed from an affluent family and was educated from St. Paul’s School in Kensington in England. He had secured a scholarship to Oxford and aspired to be a part of the Indian Civil Service.
Source: Wikipedia
With World War I gathering impetus the British started recruiting Indians in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as front line combat pilots. Roy enlisted with the RFC in 1917 and he was commissioned as the 2nd Lieutenant on 5th July 1917. He trained as a pilot at Vendome in France and also with RFC Gunnery School in Turnberry.
In late October 1917 he was posted with the 56 squadron and was a part of A-Flight which was commanded by, Richard Maybery, the flying ace captain. Unfortunately his plane was shot down by the Germans on 6th December 1917. The British rescued him from the “no man’s land”, where he fell and was taken to the British hospital where he was initially pronounced dead. However he regained consciousness and after treatment he was not declared fit for flying till 13th May 1918.
On 19th June 1918, he was assigned to George McElroy’s 40 Squadron of RFC in France. On July 6th he shot down the first a German fighter plane over Arras in northern France. Between 6th to 19th July he managed ten victories (of which two were shared). Of these he managed to shoot down four fighter planes within four hours on a single day (8th July).
On 22nd July 1918 his fighter plane was attacked by German fighters over Carvin in France. Roy succeeded in shooting down two German fighters but he was shot down by German Fokker D.VII aircraft belonging to Jasta 29. He was killed in action and fell in German-held territory. He was barely 20 years old at the time of his heroic death.
It is said that German air combatant Baron Manfred von Richtofen dropped a wreath on the place where Roy fell, as a tribute to his bravery. He was buried by the Germans in Levil near Arras.
Roy was awarded a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Britain’s third highest gallantry award in September 1918. He was the first Indian officer to receive this award, albeit posthumously.
Indra Roy Road in Bhawanipore, Calcutta, West Bengal is named after him. On his 100th anniversary, in December 1998 the Indian Government issued a commemorative stamp in his name. Also a unique inscription was made on his grave in French and Bengali.
The Bengali version read: Maha birer samadhi; sambhram karo, sparsha koro na. (A valiant warrior’s grave; respect it, do not touch it).
Source: The National Archives UK; FirstWorldWar.com; India Today Group; The Telegraph; The Times of India
Battle of Raj Mahal – The Beginning of Mughal Rule in Bengal
On 12th July 1576, Raj Mahal in Bengal (Now in Bangladesh) witnessed a decisive battle between the Mughals and the Karrani dynasty of Sultanate of Bengal.
Mughal Emperor Humayun established his control over the capital city of Gaur after the fall of Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah in 1538. However, he soon lost the kingdom to Sher Shah in the Battle of Chausa in 1539.
Bengal managed to regain its independence under the rule of the Karrani dynasty. Daud Khan Karrani was the youngest son of Sulaiman Khan Karrani and he had high ambitions to conquer the entire Indian sub-continent. His Sultanate included the whole of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
Source: Wikipedia
Daud Khan Karrani refused to accept the supremacy of Akbar and hence faced continuous assault from the Mughals. In 1575, he was defeated by Munim Khan in the Battle of Tukaroi and as a result signed the Treaty of Katak on 12th April 1575. According to the conditions of the treaty he had to surrender nearly all of Bengal and Bihar and was allowed to keep only Orissa under his rule.
However, with the death of Munim Khan, the treaty of Katak proved to be ephemeral. Soon Daud Khan succeeded in bringing the lost territories of North and West Bengal under his rule. Akbar appointed Husain Quli Beg to subjugate Daud and bring Bengal under the Mughal regime. Akbar also conferred the title of ‘Khan-i-Jahan’ on Beg.
Daud Khan with the alliance of other rebel Afghan leaders including Kalapahad, Junaid and Qutlu Khan was ready to face the Mughal Army under Husain Quli Beg. He took his position in the Raj Mahal hills while three thousand select Afghans were posted at Teliagarhi to defend the pass.
‘Khan-i-Jahan’ Beg came across the Afghans at Teliagarhi first. Despite a valiant effort the Afghans were defeated and the Mughal army proceeded towards Raj Mahal. However, the Afghan army at Raj Mahal proved difficult to defeat and Husain Quli Beg spent nearly four months there. Shortage of rations, on setting monsoon and most importantly the Shia-Sunni strife amongst the soldiers proved to the major impediments in the success of the Mughals. Then, on the orders of Akbar, Muzaffar Khan Turbati, governor of Bihar, joined Husain Quli Beg with provisions, ammunition and around 5000 soldiers.
On 12th July 1576, the battle of Raj Mahal commenced between the Mughals and the Afghans. Junaid and Kalapahad were in charge of the left and right wings of Daud’s army respectively. Daud Khan led from the centre while Qutlu Khan was at the forefront. In the course of the battle Junaid was killed by a cannon ball which demoralized the soldiers and they scattered and fled. Kalapahad and Qutlu Khan managed to escape capture but Daud Khan’s horse got stuck in the swamps and he was imprisoned by the Mughals. Daud Khan was considered as a constant source of political turbulence by the Mughals and hence following his capture he was immediately executed.
The defeat and execution of Daud Khan Karrani in the Battle of Raj Mahal marked the end of the Independent Sultanate in Bengal and launched the era of the Mughals.
Source: Banglapedia – The National Library of Bangladesh; World Public Library; IndiaNetzone
Portugal Hands Over Bombay (Present Day Mumbai) to King Charles II of England in “Dowry”!
Mumbai today stands as the economic powerhouse of India. It is a thriving metro, finance centre, the booming industrial hub as well as the heart of the entertainment industry of the nation.
However, roughly three centuries ago Mumbai was nothing but a collection of seven swampy islands. The history of the islands can be traced back to 1000 years when they were a part of the Magadhan Empire. Later the region came to be ruled by the Silharas and around 1343, the region came under the rule of the Sultan of Gujarat.
The islands were captured by the Portuguese around 1534 and the region slowly turned into a trading centre where the trade of silk, muslin, chintz, onyx, rice, cotton and tobacco thrived. Soon a ship building yard was built, along with a great warehouse, a friary and a fort. With the growth in wealth and population, houses and mansions began to be constructed for the general people and the rich respectively. The place came to be called by the Portuguese as “Bom Bahia”, meaning ‘the good bay’ which later came to be called as Bombay by the British.
In 1661, King Charles II of England married Catherine of Braganza. As a marriage treaty the King was given a huge dowry by the Portuguese. As a part of that dowry, Portugal handed over the city of Bombay and Tangiers to Charles II on 3rd July 1661.
However, the King did not wish to be bothered with the ruling of these islands and subsequently in 1668 he rented out Mumbai to the East India Company then running a business in India from Surat for just 10 pounds of gold a year!
The rest is well known history.
Source: queensroyalsurreys.org.uk ; British Library ; The British Museum ; The Times of India ; Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
The Battle of Chinhat – Beginning of the Epic Lucknow Siege
On the morning of 30th June 1857, the village of Ismailganj, near Chinhat (or Chinhut), Avadh (Oudh) witnessed a decisive battle between the British and the Indian rebel mutineers.
The British army led by Sir Henry Lawrence consisted of several companies of the 13th Native Infantry, detachments of other regiments, a small force of Sikh cavalry, European volunteer cavalry, Native Artillery, three companies of the 32nd Regiment of Foot as well as Bengal Artillery. The British intelligence had suggested that a small troop of few hundred rebels were approaching Lucknow over whom the British can obtain an easy victory.
However on nearing Ismailganj the British army came under sudden attack from the mutineers. The insurgents led by Barkat Ahmad and consisting of mutineers from the East India Company’s army and retainers of local landowners outnumbered the British troops by few thousands.
The mutineers well led by Barkat Ahmad were successful in meting out heavy casualties on the British from their well prepared positions. The casualties of the battle included the death of the acting officer Lieutenant Colonel William Case of the regiment of 32nd foot as well as several other officers. Another heavy blow to the British army was rendered when many of the soldiers, particularly the Indian artillerymen under the army switched sides to join the mutineers. The Sikh cavalrymen under the British fled the battle as well.
Source – Wikipedia
Facing stiff resistance from the rebels Sir Lawrence decided to retreat towards Lucknow by crossing the bridge over the Kukrail stream. The rebels tried to sabotage the retreat attempt but were rendered unsuccessful by a group of 36 volunteer cavalrymen who valiantly fought the rebels and created confusion amongst their ranks. Following which a group of European artillery took their position on the bridgehead and held off the rebels, thus allowing the British army to retreat. In a last attempt to thwart the rebels from pursuit Sir Lawrence ordered one battalion of the 32nd regiment who were not a part of the battle to hold off the last bridge to Lucknow over the Gumti River. The British troops managed to retreat to the Lucknow Residency where they were besieged by the rebels.
The resounding victory of the rebels at Chinhat over the British allowed them to take over Lucknow and the historic siege of Lucknow Residency commenced from July 1st 1957.
The rebels under the leadership of Begum Hazrat Mahal (former wife of Wajid Ali Shah) set up a new government for Lucknow as well as Avadh. Sir Lawrence was killed by the rebels within a few days on 4th July 1957. Raja Jai Lal Singh (Nazim of Azamgarh), a close confidante of Hazrat Mahal was in charge of the military command of the rebels. Another important leader of the rebels during the siege was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah, the ‘maulvi of Faizabad’.
The British had to deploy armed forces on a very large scale to crush the Revolt in the capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Avadh. After several attempts the British under the leadership of Colin Campbell were able to lift the siege and occupy Lucknow on March 21st 1858.
The battle of Chinhat marks one of the few wins of the rebels against the British in the history of the Great Uprising of 1857. The revolt and siege of Lucknow and the gallant defence of the city by the mutineers as well as the common people constitutes a magnificent episode in the history of the anti-colonial struggle of India.
Source: The Tribune ; World Public Library ; People’s Democracy
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