Indian History

Today is the 135th birth anniversary of Vallabhbhai Patel was a great freedom fighter whose contribution to Indian independence is exemplary. Popularly known as Iron Man , he marked his entry into politics by participating in the Kheda Satyagraha launched in 1918 to secure exemption for the cultivators from payment of land tax for the crops that had failed. In 1922 he stared another peasant movement in Bardoli taluka of Gujarat, popularly known as the Bardoli Satyagraha . In recognition of his great success in organizing the Bardoli movement, Mahatma Gandhi called him Sardar .  Vallabhbhai Patel actively participated in all the movements launched under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. After Independence in 1947, he became India’s deputy Prime Minister. His portfolios included Home, the Indian States and Information and Broadcasting. The crowing achievement of his political career was the integration of some 562 Princely States and domains in the India Union.

Ashoka, the great Mauryan Emperor, became a Buddhist eight years after his coronation, that is a year after his conquest of Kalinga . According to Sri Lankan chronicle Mahavamasa (Great Chronicle), Ashoka was converted to Buddhism by Nigrodha , a boy monk who was just seven years old, and afterwards he came into contact with Moggaliputa Tissa who presided over the third Buddhist Council called by Ashoka in his capital Patliputra (modern Patna, the capital of Bihar).  After the third Buddhist Council Ashoka sent Buddhist mission to several parts of India and to Sri Lanka where he sent Mahendra his son, or in some sources his brother, and daughter Sanghamitra for the spread of Buddhism. The conversion of Sri Lanka into Buddhism is unanimously ascribed to Mahendra.  When Ashoka embraced conversion to Buddhism the other members of his family also followed suit. According to the Buddhist sources, Ashoka’s brother Tissa, his son, daughter and queen Karuvaki also became converts to Bu

We have to rely on the traditional accounts to know the early life of Ashoka, the greatest of the Indian kings. According to Buddhist accounts his mother was Janapada Kalyani or Subhadrangi . As a prince he served as a Viceroy of Ujjaini and Taxila. During his Viceroyalty he fell in love with the daughter of a merchant of Bidisha, referred to as Devi or Vedisa Mahadevi , whom he married.  Ashoka’s two other well-known queens were Karuvaki and Asandhimitra . The second queen, Karuvaki is mentioned in the Queen’s Edict inscribed on a pillar at Allahabad , in which her religious and charitable donations are referred to. She is described as the mother of Prince Tivara , the only son of Ashoka to be mentioned by name in edicts and inscriptions erected by the Great Mauryan Emperor throughout the kingdom.  According to the Sri Lankan Buddhist chronicle Mahavamsa , Ashoka usurped the throne by killing 99 of his brothers. Only the youngest brother named Tishya was spared .

We have to rely on the traditional accounts to know the early life of Ashoka, the greatest of the Indian kings. According to Buddhist accounts his mother was Janapada Kalyani or Subhadrangi . As a prince he served as a Viceroy of Ujjaini and Taxila. During his Viceroyalty he fell in love with the daughter of a merchant of Bidisha, referred to as Devi or Vedisa Mahadevi , whom he married. Ashoka’s two other well-known queens were Karuvaki and Asandhimitra . The second queen, Karuvaki is mentioned in the Queen’s Edict inscribed on a pillar at Allahabad , in which her religious and charitable donations are referred to. She is described as the mother of Prince Tivara , the only son of Ashoa to be mentioned by name in inscriptions.

Cheras were one of the three famous ruling kingdoms of the Snagam Age. The rulers of these kingdoms ruled over parts of Kerala and Tamilham. Cholas and Pandyas were the other two ruling dynasties. The Tamil anthology  Padirruppattu is exclusively devoted to the Chera monarchs.   The first famous king of the Chera dynasty was Udiyanjeral (c. AD 130). He was given the titles of Vanavaramban and Perunjoram Udiyan by the poet Mudinagarayar in Puram literature. A generous ruler, he is said to have maintained a large kitchen from where he freely distributed food to the people. He was succeeded to the throne by his son Imayavaramaban Nedunjeral Adan (c. AD 155) who defeated the ruler of the  Kadambas and destroyed his guardian tree. In another work, he is also credited to have captured several Yavanas, who were released only when the ruler received a heavy ransom in the form of diamonds and may utensils of fine workmanship. These Yavanas are identified with the Greek sailors. It is not

The last days of the Mughal Emperor Akbar proved to be unhappy due to rebellion of his son Salim , who succeed him under the title of Jahangir . The death of his friend and poet Faizi in 1595 saddened Akbar. Salim was eager to ascend the throne and even entered into intrigues with Portuguese to achieve his end. He even hurt Akbar by commissioning the murder the Abul Fazal (brother of Faizi), author of Akbarnama, by Vir singh Bundela.  The Mughal court became divided into two factions, one favouring the succession of Salim while the other, led by Raja Man Singh , plotted to secure succession of Salim’s son Khusrav. In fact, Khusrav was also Akbar’s choice. However, before his death Akbar pardoned Salim and nominated him as his successor. Akbar died of diarrhoea on 17th October in 1605.

During the 10th and 11th century AD the territory of Jejakabhukti or modern Bundelkhand was ruled by the Rajput rulers of the Chandella dynasty under whom a great school of architecture flourished. The finest specimen of the architecture is a group of temples at Khajuraho in the state of Madhya Pradesh . The Khajuraho temples have been declared World Heritage site by UNESCO. Three most important cities in the Chandella dominions were Khajuraho (Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh), Kalinjar (Banda district in Uttar Pradesh) and Mahotsavanagar (Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh). About these cities eminent historian Vincent Smith remarks, “The first-named town with is magnificent temples may be regarded as the religious, the second with its strong fortress as the military and the third with its palace as the civil capital.”                                                              Khajuraho Temple / Image source The Chandellas are believed to have been a clan of aboriginal