Savitri, The Indian Alcestis

Savitri was a legendry princess in Hinduism, renowned for the love she had for her husband. She was the daughter of the king of Madra, Ashvapati, and his wife Malati. As Savitri was very beautiful and radiant, this deterred prospective suitors from approaching her father and asking for her hands in marriage.

As a result Ashvapati asked his daughter to choose a person of her liking so that he could fulfill his obligation to marry her off. Hence, Savitri set out to tour the country in her golden chariot in search of a suitable mate. She went though forests and cities, until she found Satyavant, son of Dyumatsena, the blind King of Shalwa, then in exile, living in poverty.

As luck would have it, Satyavant was destined to die after one year from the marriage date. Savitri followed him when he was being carried away by the death-god Yama, and so impressed the god with her loyalty that he released her husband.

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Matangini Hazra

Matangini Hazra was a woman revolutionary and brave freedom fighter who fought for the independence of India from the British and laid down her life for it. She was from a small village called Hogla located near Tamluk, the headquarters of the Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal. Hazra was born on October 19, 1870. Matangini Hazra was one of the protagonists of the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar (Tamralipta National Government), a parallel government established during the Quit India Movement. Matangini Hazra was shot dead by the police in front of the Tamluk Police Station on 29 September 1942. Matangini Hazra was affectionately known as Gandhi buri, Bengali for old lady Gandhi. The famed Hazra Road in Kolkata is also named after her.

Muhammad Shah Rangila

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Minhaj-us-Siraj: Author of Tabaqat-i-Nasiri

Minhaj-ud-din Abu Uraar bin Siraj-ud-din al-Juzjani, popularly known as Minhaj-us-Siraj, was a medieval historian who was patronized by Slave Sultan Nasir-ud-din Mahmud to whom he had dedicated his magnum opus Tabaqat-i-Nasiri . Since Siraj held the high office of the Chief Qazi of Delhi to which he was appointed by Nasir-ud-din Mahmud, it is natural that Tabaqat-i-Nasiri gives a first hand account of the historical events from the conquest of Delhi by Muhammad of Ghur up to the year 1260 AD. Siraj was temporarily removed from the post of Chief Qazi from 1253 to 1255 when a section of nobles induced the Sultan to send his prime minister Balban into exile. Tabaqat-i-Nasiri has been translated into English by Raverty . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This page was last edited on 24 July 2021

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