Today in Indian History (23rd December): Death Anniversary of Swami Shraddhanand

December 23 is the death anniversary of Swami Shraddhanand, a pioneer of Indian culture and nationalism. Born on February 22, 1856 at Talwan village in Jalandhar district in Punjab province, Shraddhanand has left an indelible mark on India’s culture which will continue to inspire future generations.

Shraddhanand was a courageous social reformer who opposed illiteracy, the prevailing caste system, untouchability, and advocated widow remarriage, national unity and integrity. On 4th April, 1919, he delivered a speech on the Hindu Muslim unity from the pulpit of Jama Masjid in Delhi. 

 To B R Ambedkar, Shraddhanand was ‘the greatest and most sincere champion of the Untouchables”.

In 1923, Swami Shraddhanand founded the Bharatiya Hindu Shuddhi Mahasabha (Indian Hindu Purification Council) with a view to converting the Muslims in the western United Provinces, particularly the Malkana Rajputs. 

In Haridwar, Shraddhanand laid the foundation of Gurukul Kangri University which spreads the message of the Arya Samajist Dayanand Sarswati to the whole world.

He also formed ‘Dalit Uddhar Sabha’ to work for Dalit liberation. Ailing Swami was assassinated by a Muslim fanatic named Abdul Rashid on 23rd December 1926. 

Jean Baptiste Tavernier

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605–1689) was a French traveller and a merchant in gems who made six voyages to India between 1630 and 1668 during the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. Being a dealer of diamonds made him well equipped to elaborately discuss about diamonds and diamond mines of India. 

His travel account, entitled Travel in India, first appeared in 1676. His another book Le Six Voyages de J. B. Tavernier- The Six Voyages of J. B. Tavernier was also published in 1676, and translated into English by Dr. C. V. Ball in 1889. 

The gem-studded Peacock Throne (Takht-i-Taoos), commissioned by Shah Jahan and housed in the Diwan-i-Khas in the Red Fort of Delhi, was described by Tavernier as “the richest and most superb throne which has ever been seen in the world.” The Peacock Throne was taken to Persia by Nadir Shah who invaded India during the reign of Raushan Akhtar who ascended the Mughal throne under the title of Muhammad Shah in 1719. 

Tavernier died in Moscow in 1689, at the age of eighty-four. 

Bughra Khan

Bughra Khan was the second son of Balban of the Slave dynasty of rthe Delhi Sultante. During his father's reign, Bughra Khan was placed in charge of the territories of Samana and Sunam. He and his elder brother Muhammad Khan were successfully to keep the Mongols at bay but in A.D. 1285 Muhammad was killed during his fight against the Mongols. 

When Balban proceeded towards Bengal in 1281 to crush the rebellion of Tughral Tughan Khan (Governor of Bengal) he took Bughra Khan with him. The rebellion was suppressed and Tughril Khan was killed. Bughra Khan was appointed governor of the Bengal province.

When Balban died in 1287 pleasure loving Bughra Khan declined to be the Delhi Sultan and instead became an independent ruler of Bengal. So Balban was succeeded by Bughra Khan's son Kaiqubad on the throne of Delhi Sultanate. 

Written in verse in 1289, Qiran-us-sadin (the first historical masnavi of Amir Khusrau, the mediaeval Sufi mystic and poet) describes the much talked about meeting between Bughra Khan and Kaiqubad (Kaiqubad) when both of them tried to confront each other. 

After Bughra Khan, his son Ruknuddin Kaikaus  became the independent ruler of Bengal who ruled from 1291 to 1300 AD. 

Pietro della Valle

Pietro della Valle was an Italian traveler to India who reached Surat in 1623 and extensively travelled through the coastal regions of India. 

He has given a detailed description of Sati the traditional Hindu practice of self-immolation by a widow on her husband's funeral pyre prevalent in those times. 

B. R. Ambedkar

B. R. Ambedkar plaque. 10 King Henry Road, Chalk Farm, London

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar who was a leader of the depressed classes throughout his life. He worked for the moral and material progress of the 'untouchables'.

B. R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in Madhya Pradesh. He belonged to the 'untouchable' Mahar caste.

Ambedkar was a great scholar who studied economics at Columbia University and the London School of Economics. 

In 1924 Ambedkar founded the Depressed Classes Institute (Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha) in Bombay. Three years later in 1927 he established the Samaj Samta Sangh to propagate the gospel of social equality between caste Hindus and worked for the uplift of the 'untouchables'.

In December 1927, he led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the rights of the 'untouchables' to draw water from public wells and tanks.

In 1928 he organized temple entry movement named  Parvati temple satyagraha. He started Kalasam temple satyagraha during 1930 and 1935. 

In 1936, Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party for protecting the interest of the labour classes. That year he wrote seminal work Annihilation of Caste which strongly criticizes the caste system. 

In 1942 he founded Scheduled Castes Federation to campaign for the rights of the Dalit community.

Ambedkar was one of the chief authors of the Indian Constitution which came into effect on January 26, 1950. He resigned from government in 1951. In 1956 he converted to Buddhism, and he died later that year.

Futuh-us-Salatin of Isami

Born in 1311 AD, Abdul Malik Isami had written a political history called Futuh–us-Salatin which he dedicated to the founder of the Bahmani kingdom, Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (reigned 1347 – 1358). He had accompanied his grandfather to Devagiri when the populace of Delhi was ordered by Muhammad Bin Tugglaq to leave for Deogiri or Devagiri which the Tughlaq Sultan named Daulatabad. However, his old grandfather died on the way before reaching the destination. 

Composed in Persian in the form of an epic, Futuh –us-Sulatin ("Gifts of the Sultans") begins with the rise of the Ghaznavi dynasty and concludes with the reign of Sultan Muhamamd bin Tughlaq. Futuh-us-Salatin was completed in 1350 AD. 

According to Isami, Balban became the ruler of the Slave dynasty by murdering his predecessor and son-in-law Nasir-ud-din Mahmud. Regarding the rationale of shifting his capital from Delhi to Deogir (Daultabad) in the Deccan by Muhamamd bin Tughlaq,  this fourteen century historian says that the decision was taken as Daultabad was centrally located and consequently safe from the Mongol invasion, a recurrent feature during the period.

Ludovico di Varthema

Ludovico di Varthema and King of Khambat / Image Credit 

Ludovico di Varthema was an Italian traveller, adventurer and soldier who came to India via Alexandria, Cairo, Damascus, Mecca, Aden and Hormuz. He has left behind a vivid account of the cities and customs and manners of the people 

Apart from visiting the Adil Shahi capital of Bijapur in South India, Varthema visited the mighty Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar.

His description of the Vijayanagar city contains very interesting and valuable information.

His voluminous travel account, The Itinerary of Ludovico di Varthema, provides a detailed account of Goa, Calicut and other ports on the west coast of India.

Ludvico Di Varthema was knighted by the Portuguese for joining their services in India. According to him, Gujarat's Muzaffarid dynasty ruler Mahmud Shah (1459-1511), also known as Mahmud Begada, had a long beard that reached his girdle, and he tied his very long moustaches behind his head.