Today In Indian History (1st March)

1572 - Maharana Pratap ascended the throne of Mewar kingdom on 1 March, 1572.  Maharana Pratap is known for his valiant and spirited defence against the Mughal Empire under Akbar. 

Maharana Pratap died at Chavand on 19th January in 1597.   

Maharana Pratap was the ruler of Mewar kingdom in present day Rajasthan, from 1572 until his death in 1597. He is notable for leading the Rajput resistance against the Mughals in the legendary battle of Haldighati in 1576.

1776 - The Treaty of Purandar was a doctrine signed on 1 March 1776 by the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company's Supreme Council of Bengal in Calcutta. Earlier another Treaty of Purandar was signed between Maratha leader Shivaji and Jai Singh, Mughal viceroy of Deccan, on 11 June 1665.

Today In Indian History (28th February)

1572 - Death of Udai Singh on 28 February in 1572. Son of Rana Sanga, Udai Singh was the father of Maharana Pratap.  Rana Sanga was a valiant soldier endowed with extraordinary military prowess.

Born on 4th August in 1522  Udai Singh ascended the  throne of Mewar Kingdom after killing Banvir, also known as Banbeer (nephew of Rana Sanga), in 1540. 

Udai Singh had founded the city of Udaipur.

1580 - The first Jesuit mission from Goa arrived at Fatehpur Sikri on February 28, 1580. The Jesuit delegation consisted of Anthony Monserrate, Rudolf Acquaviva and Francis Henrique. In 1578 the Mughal emperor Akbar sent a delegation to Goa, requesting the Portuguese Viceroy to send a team of learned Catholic priests to his Ibadat Khana in Fatehpur-Sikri, where he held discussions on religious matters. 

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 Jeziah, imposed by Aurangzeb, was withdrawn.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 (26th February)

320 – Chandragupta I is officially crowned as the first Gupta Emperor on 26 February in 320 AD. 

1966 - Death of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on 26 February 1966. Popularly known as Veer Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was a great revolutionary and later on a leader of the Hindu Mahasabha. 

Savarkar was born on 28 May 1883 to a Marathi Hindu Chitpavan Brahmin family to Damodar and Radhabai Savarkar in Bhagur in the Nashik district in Maharashtra. He had three other siblings: two brothers, Ganesh and Narayan, and a sister named Mainabai. 

In 1899 he established the first revolutionary society the Mitra Mela (Friends Association), which was named as the Abhinav Bharat Society (New India Society) in 1904. 

In 1906 Savarkar went to England and became a member of the revolutionary group led by Shyamji Krishna Varma. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Revolt of 1857, he wrote a famous book in which he called the Revolt the First war of Indian Independence. In 1907, Savarkar organized the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in London. 

In London he was a close associate of Madan Lal Dhingra who murdered Curzon Wyllie with a bomb.

In 1910 he was arrested in London, brought to India and tried in the Nashik Conspiracy case. He was sentenced to two consecutive life transportations, which meant fifty years. He spent ten years in the Andaman jail-from 1911 to 1921 and three years in other prisons. After his early release from prison in 1924 he organised a movement of social reforms and also joined the Hindu Mahasabha. He was elected president of the Hindu Mahasabha for five consecutive years, 1937-42.

Veer Savarkar was tried for his role in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but he was acquitted by the court for lack of evidence.

Born in 1883 in Bhagur village to father Damodarpant and mother Radhabai, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar had two brothers, Ganesh and Narayan, and a sister, Mainabai. 

Today In Indian History (25th February)

2008 - Death of Hans Raj Khanna (H R Khanna) on 25 February in 2008.  Born on 3 July 1912 Hans Raj Khanna was an Indian judge, jurist and advocate who propounded the basic structure doctrine in 1973 and attempted to uphold civil liberties during the time of Emergency in India in a lone dissenting judgement in 1976. 

He paid the price for it. He was superseded. The government appointed MH Beg as the CJI.

After resigning from the Supreme Court, H R Khanna served as the central minister of law and justice for a very short period of three days in the Charan Singh Ministry after the fall of the Indira Gandhi Government, and was later made a combined opposition-sponsored candidate for election as President in 1982, losing to Zail Singh.

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.

 

Baz Bahadur, the Musician Ruler of Malwa

Rewa Kund (A reservoir, built by Baz Bahadur with an aqueduct to provide Roopmati's palace with water) Image Credit 

Baz Bahadur, a contemporary of greatest Mughal emperor Akbar, was the ruler of Muslim kingdom of Malwa with his capital at Mandu which is home to an impressive array of architectural marvels. Mandu is presently in the Dhar district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Perched on the southwestern edge of the Malwa Plateau at an altitude of 2000 feet the fortress town of Mandu commands panoramic views of the Nimar Plains below. 

As Baz Bahadur was given to  pleasure, wine, women, and  music, Baz Bahadur loved to spend his time in the company of musicians and singers and used to indulge in sensual pursuits. He is known in history more for his love-life rather than the administrative skills and military exploits.

Baz Bahadur's Palace / Image Credit

Built by Baz Bahadur, the palace's unique features are its spacious courtyards surrounded by halls and high terraces which afford a superb view of the surrounding countryside.  The palace is famous for acoustics 

Baz Bahadur was the eldest son of Shuja'at or Shujawal Khan, who ruled Malwa independent as the viceroy of the Sur dynasty during the reign of Islam Shah. After his father Baz Bahadur became its next governor who later asserted his independence and became the ruler of the province. Shujawal Khan died in 1556, the year in which Akbar became Mughal emperor.

Contemporary writer, Nizamu-d din, author of Tabakat-i-Akbari, writes about Baz Bahadur, “Baz Bahadur was the most accomplished man of his day in the science of music and in Hindi song. He spent much of his time in the society of musicians and singers.” His love for his Hindu wife Rupmati, who was proficient in reciting poetry, is still remembered by the bards of Mandu. 

As a result of the above, the affairs of the state came to a standstill. This was used as a pretext to invade Malwa by Akbar, an imperialist by instinct. He sent his nobles Adham Khan, son of Maham Anaga (Akbar’s foster mother) and Pir Muhammad to conquer Malwa in 1961. According to some school of though, one of the causes for the invasion was Adham Khan’s infatuation for Baz Bahadur’s queen, Rupmati, who was of exquisite beauty. 

Soon after ascending to the throne in 1556, Baz invaded Garah Katanga (a territory, abounding in hills and jungles in the Gondwana region presently forming parts of the northern districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh) which was ruled by a valiant lady Rani Durgavati, a Chandela Princesses of Mahoba and regent of  her son Vir Narayan. Baz was repulsed by the forces of Durgavati. 

Baz Bahadur, who had hitherto neglected the administration of his kingdom, awoke from his slumber and faced the enemies but was defeated in the battle of Sarangpur (now in Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh), fought on March 29, 1561 and fled to Khandesh and Burhanpur. All his treasure and several other wives fell into the hands of Adham Khan and Pir Muhammad whose methods to conquer Malwa and their oppression in the Malwa kingdom have been described by the contemporary historian Badauni, who had accompanied the Mughal army.

When it was found that Rupmati ran the risk of being captured by Adham Khan, a eunuch of Baz Bahadur's harem caused wound to her with a sword. She later consumed poison and killed herself.

Baz Bahadur however, managed to recover Malwa soon. Akbar sent his general Abdulla Khan Uzbek once again to incorporate the province to Mughal empire. Baz Bahadur was once again defeated in 1562 and fled to Mewar where he was sheltered by Rana Udai Singh, son of Rana Sanga and ruler of Mewar. Thereafter, Baz Bahadur fled to Gujarat. After living a life of a wanderer he finally submitted to Akbar and according to according to Faizi, he was granted a Mughal mansab. Badauni, however says, he was imprisoned for some time when he surrendered to the Mughal court. He says that he died soon after his release.

According to Abul Fazal, the court historian of Akbar,  mentions that thirty six singers enjoyed the patronage of Akbar’s court. Baz Bahadur was one of these thirty six singers and has been described as 'a singer  without  rival ' by Abul Fazal.