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 (8th March)

1535- Death of Rani Karnavati on 8 March 1535. A princess and temporary ruler from Bundi in  Rajasthan Rani Karnavati, also known as Rani Karmavati, was married to Mewar ruler Rana Sanga (c. 1508–1528). 

Rani Karnavati was grandmother of Maharana Pratap. She served as regent during the minority of her son, from 1527 until 1533. She was as fierce as her husband and defended Chittor, the capital of Mewar, with a small contingent of soldiers until it inevitably fell to the Gujarat army which was led by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. She refused to flee and performed jauhar to protect her honor.

Today In Indian History (7th March)

1775 - The Treaty of Surat was signed on 7th March in 1775. Under the treaty Raghunath Rao, one of the claimants to the throne of the Peshwa, agreed to cede Salsette and Bassein Fort to the British in consideration of being himself restored to Poona. 

Warren Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal, disapproved of the Bombay Government’s action and annulled the Treaty of Surat and sent his own agent to negotiate a very different new pact, the Treaty of Purandhar (1776).  

Manasollasa of Someshwara III

Manasollasa is authored by Kalyani Chalukya king Bhulokamalla Someshwara III who ruled from 1126 AD and 1138.

Also known as Abhilasitartha-chintamani (the wish-fulfilling magic stone), this five volume compendium deals with a vast array of topics namely polity, governance, ethics, economics, astronomy, astrology, rhetoric, metallurgy, veterinary medicine, horticulture, perfumes, food, architecture, games, painting, poetry, healing of trees, dance and music.

This 12th century encyclopaedic treatise is written in Sanskrit.

 

Today In Indian History (6th March)

1759 - The siege of Masulipatam or Machilipatnam commenced on 6 March 1759  by the British during the Seven Years' War 1756–63), a conflict between European powers. The siege commenced on 6 March 1759 and lasted until the storming of the town by the British on the 7 April. The British were commanded by Colonel Francis Forde while the French defenders were under the command of Conflans.

Today In Indian History (5th March)

1539 - Death of Nuno da Cunha on 5 March 1539. He was a Portuguese admiral who was governor of Portuguese possessions in India from 1529 to 1538. 

He transferred his capital from Cochin to Goa in 1530 AD and established factories at San thome (Madras) and Hughli (Bengal). In 1534 AD, he captured Diu and Bassein from the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah and compelled him to sign the treaty of Bassein.

1931 - The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March 1931 by Mahatma Gandhi and Indian Viceroy Lord Irwin. Under the agreement Gandhi agreed to end the Civil Disobedience Movement in India against British rule and to join the second Round Table Conference, held from September to December 1931 in London. The Government withdrew the repressive ordinances and released political prisoners except those guilty of violence. 

Today In Indian History (3rd March)

1575 -  On 3 March 1575, the Battle of Tukaroi was fought between the Mughals army and the Sultanate of Bengal . 

The Battle of Tukaroi, also known as the Battle of Bajhaura or the Battle of Mughulmari, took place near the village of Tukaroi in present-day Balasore district of Odisha. It resulted in a Mughal victory and led to the weakening of the Bengal Sultanate which was annexed to the Mughal empire after their victory in the Battle of Rajmahal in 1576.  

1707 - Death of Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, on 3rd March.  He ascended the throne after imprisoning his father Shah Jehan, the fifth Mughal emperor in 1658. Shah Jahan passed the remaining years of his life in captivity until he died at the age of seventy-four in 1966.

A ruthless and intolerant ruler known for his military prowess, Aurangzeb ruled from 1658 to 1707. Mughal Empire was at its most expansive during the reign of Aurangzeb.   

Aurangzeb who came out victorious in the terrible war of succession that took place among the sons of Shah Jahan. The war for succession continued till 1661 and in between 1658 and 1661 all the remaining sons of Shah Jahan were killed or executed.