Devni Mori: A Historical Buddhist Site In Gujarat

Terracotta head of Buddha Devnimori

Excavations at Devni Mori, 2 km from Shamlaji in  the Aravalli district in northern Gujarat, have revealed a treasure trove of architecturally and sculpturally rich Buddhist remains that include a Buddhist monastery dating back to 3rd-4th century AD. The excavations at this archaeological importance also yielded various artifacts, such as terracotta statues, inscribed caskets, pottery, and  coins. 

Devni Mori has been submerged under the waters of the Meshwo reservoir since the 1970s.Today, a Buddhist flag is hoisted on a pole in the middle of the reservoir which came into being due to the construction of the Meshvo dam in the late 1960s. The flag marks the location where the stupa once stood.  

The excavation at the site was carried between 1960 and 1963 under the supervision of R N Mehta,  S. N. Chaudhary and B Subbharao.

The relic casket of Devnimor

The discovery of the stupa in Shamlaji is a testament to the influence of Buddhism in the area during the early period of the Christian era. The discovery of cascade containing relics of the Buddha from the stupa has further enhanced the sacredness of the stupa and the place of pilgrimage for the Buddhists. The inscription on the casket says that it contains sacred ashes of Buddha.

The Great Sanchi Stupa: Crowning Achievement of Early North Indian Sculpture

46km from Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is situated the world famous Buddhist site of Sanchi the remains of which are among the finest relics of early Buddhism dating from 3nd century BC. The Great stupa at Sanchi is hailed as the crowning achievement of early north Indian sculpture.

Today the Great Sanchi Stupa survives to be awe-inspiring spectacles for the pilgrims and tourists who throng to them. It is a massive hemisphere of about 120 feet in diameter.  Towards the end of the 1st century BC four glorious gateways (torana) were added at the four cardinal points. The stupa was enlarged to twice its original size in the 2nd century AD. Lesser stupas and monastic buildings surround the great stupa. 

The Sanchi gateways, carved with great skill, are more remarkable for their carved ornamentation than their architecture. Carved with a several figures and reliefs, each gateway consists of two square columns, above which are three architraves supported by massive elephants or dwarfs, the whole reaching some 34 feet above ground level. The architraves are covered with panels depicting sense from the life of the Buddha and Jataka stories. The finish is remarkably good and the carvings are among the fresh and vigorous of the Indian sculpture. 

The Ashokan Pillar

Erected by the Greatest Maurayan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, the Ashokan pillar, located in the vicinity of the Southern gateway of the Great Stupa, is a fine specimen of the Indian architecture and art in ancient times.   

Japanese Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling

Japanese Peace Pagoda, Darjeeling

Located on the slopes of the Jalapahar hills of Darjeeling,  the glistening, white-domed Peace Pagoda has been a landmark in Darjeeling since 1992. The edifice was built in by monks and nuns belonging to the Nipponzan Myohoji sect of Nichiren Buddhism. Nichidatsu Fujii (1885–1985), who founded the religious movement of Nipponzan Myohoji which means "Japanese Mountain Dharma Temple", laid the foundation stone of the pagoda in 1972.

Nipponzan Myohoji has constructed more than 70 peace pagodas in different parts of the world. They exist all around the world mostly in Asia but also in Europe and North America. Born in 1885, Nichidatsu Fujii founded Nipponzan Myohoji in 1924.

 The Darjeeling Japanese Peace Pagoda which is 28.5 metre high has the four incarnations of the Buddha including the Maitreya (the future) Buddha.

Efforts On To Bring Back Rajendra Chola’s Charter from the Netherlands

According to the Union Ministry of Culture and Tourism steps are afoot to bring back to India an 11th century charter of Chola ruler Rajendra Chola from Universiteit Leiden (University of Leiden) in the Netherlands.

The charter inscribed on 21 copper plates and held together by a massive bronze ring fastened with the seal of Rajendra Chola found its way to the Netherlands in the 18th century.

The copper plates speak of the genealogy of Raja Raja Chola and his contribution for building a Buddhist vihara in Nagapattinam (in Tamil Nadu).

Known for his religious tolerance, Rajaraja gave a helping hand to the Sailendra ruler of the Srivijaya Empire, Mara Vijayottunggavarman in building a Buddhist monastery in  Nagapattinam. The monastery was known Chudamani Vihara after Cudamanivarman, father of Mara Vijayottunggavarman. Srivijaya Empire was in what is now Indonesia and much of the Malay Archipelago. 

Atala Mosque, Jaunpur

Atala Mosque / Image Credit  

In May 2024 a petition was filed in a local court in Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh that the 14th-century Atala Mosque be declared a “Atala Devi Mandir”. The mosque was built by Ibrahim Shah Sharqi (1401-1408). Petitioners say that according to historical records the mosque was built on the site of a temple of Atala Devi.  

Who was Ibrahim Shah Sharqi?

Ibrahim Shah Sharqi was a ruler of the Sharqi dynasty of Jaunpur, north of Varanasi in the present Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This dynasty was founded by Malik Sarwar, a eunuch belonging to Sultan Firuz Tughluq. Malik Sarwar’s astonishingly fast rise to power can be attributed to the chaos that ruled supreme after the death of Firuz in 1388. He was made wazir of the Delhi sultanate by Firuz’s younger son, Muhammad Shah (1390-93) who conferred on him the title of Sultanush-Sharq (Ruler of the Eastern Kingdom). 

Malik Sarwar’s rise continued and in 1394 was appointed governor of Jaunpur, where he successfully repulsed the uprisings by the Hindu chiefs of Bihar and Avadh. The chiefs of Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Champaran and Tirhut were forced to accept his suzerainty. When Timur, the terrible Mongol leader of Central Asia, left Delhi in 1399 after his invasion of India, Sarwar proclaimed himself the independent ruler of Jaunpur. At the time of his death in 1399, his kingdom extended to Kol (modern Aligarh), Rapri (Mainpuri district) and Sambhal. The eastern boundaries of Sharqi kingdom ran along Tirhut and Bihar. 

Malik Sarwar was succeeded to the throne by his adopted son Malik Mubarak Qaranfal (1399-1401). His reign was not eventful. After him, Ibrahim Shah Sharqi (1401-40), the younger brother of Malik Sarwar, became the ruler of Jaunpur and was the greatest of the Sharqi rulers. He entered into an alliance with Kirti Singh of Tirhut. He sent his forces to help the ruler of Tirhut when the latter was invaded by a Muslim army. Another military expedition of Ibrahim Shah Sharqi was the invasion of Bengal to remove the Hindu ruler Ganesha from the throne. The small independent sultanate of Kalpi was also annexed to his kingdom. His military ambition did not stop. He invaded the Delhi sultanate which was being ruled by the Saiyid ruler Muhammad Shah (1435-46). The Saiyid ruler was forced to make an alliance which was sealed with a marriage between Ibrahim’s son and the Sultan’s daughter. 

Ibrahim was succeeded by his son, Muhmud Shah Sharqi (1440-57), who was also an ambitious ruler. After Mahmud’s death, Muhmmad became the next Sharqi ruler, who was deposed after a few months because of his excessive cruelty. Muhmmad was succeeded by Husain Shah Sharqi, who concluded peace with Bahlul Lodi, the founder of the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. He is credited to have strengthening his army, and compelled Gwalior and Orissa to submit to his rule. The Lodi rulers of Delhi Sultanate were keen to extend their rule and as result invaded the Sharqi kingdom of Jaunpur. In 1494, Husain Shah Sharqi suffered another crushing defeat at the hands of Bahlul's successor, Sultan Sikandar Lodi, and was unable to withstand the forces of Delhi Sultanate and as a result the Sharqi kingdom of Jaunpur was annexed into the Delhi Sultanate. 

Husain Shah died in 1505. Husayn Shah Sharqi was a musical expert and creator of many ragas. He is credited with making improvements to Khayal, a genre of Hindustani classical music. 

Rohtas Fort of Sher Shah in Pakistan

Rohtas Fort Jhelum Punjab / Image Credit

Located near Dina city in the Jhelum district in Pakistan, Rohtas Fort (also called Qila Rohtas) was built in the 16th century on the instructions of Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri who did not live longer to see its completion which was overseen in the later years by his son Islam Shah, popularly known as Salim Shah. 

The construction of Rohtas Fort started in 1541 under the supervision of Sher Shah's official Todar Mal who later on joined the Mughal Empire under Akbar as its finance minister.

The construction of this gigantic fort was undertaken by Sher Shah to keep the refractory tribes of Gakkhars in check and guard the northern frontier boundary of Sur Empire. The fort was named by him after his famous strong fortress of the same name in Bihar. Qila Rohtas was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. 

The Gakkhars ruled in the mountainous region between the upper courses of the Jhelum and the Indus. 

Invasions and Plunder of Muhammad Ghori

Grave of Muhammad Ghori / Image Credit

After Mahmud of Ghazni, the next prominent invader on India was Muhammad Ghori (1202-1206), who took the title of Moizuddin Muhammad bin Sam after he became sultan. 

The actual name of Muhammad Ghori was Shahab-ud-din. The dynasty to which he belonged was Ghurid dynasty which supplanted the Ghaznavids in Afghanistan when he conquered the last Ghaznavid principality of Lahore in 1186 by defeating its ruler, Khusrau Malik, who was executed in 1191. His dynsty was so named as his family belonged to the territory of Ghor in Afghanistan.

He conquered several territories but remained a loyal subordinate  to his brother Ghiyas-ud-din, the Ghur Sultan,  until the latter's death in 1202 after which he became the Sultan and ruled until his murder in 1206.

Muizuddin  made his first Indian expedition in 1175 AD. these invasions were on the Muslim states of Multan and the fortress of Uch.

During the reign of Chalukya or Solanki ruler Bhima II (1178-1241), Muhammad Ghori made an unsuccessful attempt to subjugate Gujarat in 1178 AD and was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Kayadara that took place in Sirohi district in Rajasthan.

In 1191 Muhammad Ghori fought against Prithviraj Chauhan (known as Rai Pithaura to the Muslim historians), who was the Rajput ruler of Delhi, Ajmer and its allies, and was the greatest ruler of the Chauhan dynasty, whose kings also came to be known as Chahamanas of Sakambhari.

Rajput forces inflicted a terrible defeat on Muhammad Ghori whose army was completely routed. Muhammad Ghori saved his life with difficulty and retired to Ghazni. This is famously known as the First battle of Tarain or Thaneswar in history.

The defeat however did not deter Muhammad Ghori from carrying another military campaign against Prithviraj in the next year, in 1192 AD. Prithviraj appealed the neighboring rulers to join the campaign against the Sultan. Almost everyone, except the powerful Gahadvala king Jaichand, supported him. According to Tod, Jaichand, father-in-law of Prithviraj, felt a sense of jealousy of latter’s exalted position among the Indian rulers.

In this battle, known as the Second Battle of Tarain, fortune favoured Muhammad Ghori. The Turkish army dealt a body blow to the Hindu ranks. Prithviraj was captured and killed.

When Muhammad of Ghur died in 1206 issueless, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who was his slave (Mamluk), assumed the title of Sultan and became the ruler of Indian territories won by his master. The dynasty which Qutb-ud-din founded came to be known as Mamluk Dynasty (Slave Dynasty), the first in the line of five dynasties that comprised Delhi Sultanate that ruled from 1206 to 1526.

Another slave, Nasir-ud-din Qabacha became the ruler of Sindh and Multan. He was defeated by the Slave Sultan Shams-ud-din Iltutmish (son-in-law of Qutb-ud-din Aibak) and Sindh and Multan became part of the Delhi Sultanate. He died in 1228 CE.

Tajuddin Yalduz, successor of Muhammad of Ghor in Ghazni, was beheaded at Badaun on the instruction of Iltutmish in 1216. 

Another important slave was Bakhtiyar Khilji who is infamous for destroying the universities of Nalanda, Odantapura or Odantapuri and Vikramshila. He attacked the Sena capital Nadia in Bengal. The last Hindu ruler of Bengal Lakshman Sena of the Sena dynasty surrendered meekly to Bakhtiyar Khalji and escaped for his life by flight in 1203.