Today In Indian History (9th March)

1285 - Death of Muhammad Khan, eldest son of Slave Sultan Balban, on 9th March in 1285. Balban did not lose sight of the Mongol danger that was lurking in the north-west frontier of the Mamluk kingdom during his rule . 

Balban’s cousin Sher Khan Sunqar was ably defending the frontier. However, Balban grew suspicious of him and got him murdered. His death left the field open for the Mongols to indulge in their incursions of the frontier tracts. After Sher Khan Sunqar prince Muhammad was made governor of Multan to check the Mongol menace. 

Bughra Khan, Balban's second son, was placed in charge of the territories of Samana and Sunam. In 1279 they, together with Malik Mubarak Bektars from Delhi, successfully repulsed the Mongol invasion.

However, in A.D. 1285 Mongols under their leader Tamar invaded Punjab. Muhammad proceeded towards Lahore and Dipalpur and was killed during his fight against the Mongols. He was given the title of Shahid, "the Martyr" and came to be known as Khan-i-Shahid, (the Martyr Prince).

1500 - On the 9th March, 1500, Pedro Alvarez Cabral sailed from Lisbon to India in command of a fleet of thirteen vessels with 1,500 men, becoming the second Portuguese explorer to sail to India after Vasco Da Gama.

Painting of the landing of Cabral's fleet in Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil

After his accidental discovery of Brazil, Cabral landed in Calicut on 13 September, 1500 for the trade of pepper and spices. He established a factory at Calicut.

Today In Indian History (27th February)

1712  - Death of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I on 27 February 1712. Born Muazzam, Bahadur Shah I and Shah Alam I ascended the Mughal throne at an advanced age of 67.  

Also known as 'Heedless king' (Shah-i-bekhabar) due to his indifference to administration, Bahadur Shah I was not a great administrator. By his conciliatory attitude he managed to retain the support of most of the factions and groups in the Mughal court.

Second son of 6th Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Bahadur Shah I pursued a conciliatory policy towards the Rajputs and the Marathas. 

Sahu, son of Sambhaji, who had been in Mughal captivity since the fall of Raigarh, was released. Jeziah, imposed by Aurangzeb, was withdrawn. He acknowledged the independence of Mewar and Marwar. Bahadur Shah I died in 1712 during the course of his campaign against the powerful Sikh leader Banda Bahadur.

Bahadur Shah I was succeeded to the Mughal throne by his son Jahandar Shah. 

1931 - Death of Chandra Shekhar Azad on 27 February in 1931. Chandra Shekhar Azad, was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) under its new name of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) after the death of its founder, Ram Prasad Bismil, and three other prominent party leaders, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Nath Lahiri and Ashfaqulla Khan. 

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born on 23 July in 1906 in Alfred Park in Allahabad. 

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Today In Indian History (24th February)

1739 - The Battle of Karnal was fought on February 24 in 1739 between Persian invader Nadir Shah and Raushan Akhtar who had ascended the Mughal throne under the title of Muhammad Shah in 1719.

Muhammad Shah Rangila reigned from 1719 to 1748. (Muhammad Shah had earned the nickname of Rangila (merrymaker). This is because Muhammad Shah was given to pleasure. He loved to spend his time in the company of eunuchs and ladies of the harem.)

Defeat of the Mughal forces in the Battle of Karnal (presently in Haryana) paved the way for the Nadir Shah's sack of Delhi. The famed Peacock Throne of Shah Jahan was taken to Persia by Nadir Shah.   

1986 - Death of Rukmini Devi Arundale on 24 February in 1986. A dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, Rukmini Devi was born on 29 February in 1904 in Madurai. An active member of Theosophical movement, Rukmini Devi Arundale was the first women nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1952.

 

Today in India History (29th December)

December 29, 1844

• Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee or Umesh Chandra Banerjee, the first president of Indian National Congress in 1885, is born in Calcutta. He was also the first Indian to fight the election to British Parliament.

Today in India History (28th December)

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

December 28 1885

The Indian National Congress (INC) is Founded by A.O. Hume in Mumbai. First session of INC was held in Mumbai from 28 –31 December in 1885.

Today in India History (27th December)

·         The famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib during the Mughal period was born in Agra on 27 December 1797. Today is Ghalib's 215th birth anniversary.

Today in India History (26th December)

• Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur Shah or Babur, as he is generally called, died on 26^th December at the age of 47 in 1530 in Agra. Babur was the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India in 1526. The Mughal rule in India came to an end in 1857 when it last ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled to Burma by the British.

• Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, founder of Young Bengal Movement, passes away on 26^th December 1831 at a young age of 22 in Calcutta.