Today In Indian History (15th January)

1661- Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor, sends Sulaiman Shikoh, the eldest son of his elder brother Dara Shikoh, for imprisonment in Gwalior Fort on 15th January. 

During the course of the fratricidal war of succession among the sons of fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, (Murad, another brother of Aurangzeb) and Sulaiman Shikoh were executed on the orders of Aurangzeb in the Gwalior Fort.

1888- Indian independence activist and Congress leader Saifuddin Kitchlew was born on 15 January 1888. 

The infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 when troops of the British colonial power under the command of General Dyer opened fire on thousands of people who had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh public gardens in Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act and arrest of pro-independence leaders of Amritsar, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal.

Battle of Chillianwala

Battle of Chillianwala / Image Credit

The bloody battle of Chillianwala was fought at Chillianwala (now in Pakistan) between the British and Sikh armies on January 13, 1849 during the Second Anglo-Sikh war. The British and Sikh armies were respectively commanded by Sir Hugh Gough and the Raja Sher Singh Attariwala. Both sides  claimed victory. The British won the battle though it was a "pyrrhic victory" for them. 

According to the historians, 757 soldiers of British army were killed, 1,651 were wounded and 104 went missing. Sikhs lost near 3,600  soldiers. 

Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India during the Battle of Chillianwala.  

Chillianwala Battle took place in the same area where King Porus had fought Alexander (r. 336-323 BCE) at the 326 BCE Battle of Hydaspes.

Today In Indian History (14th January)

1551 - Birth of Abul Fazal (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602), the Mughal historian during the the reign of Akbar. His notable works include the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari. 

1641- the Dutch East India Company conquered the city of Malacca in Southeast Asia from the Portuguese on 14th January in 1641.  

1761- The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Marathas and Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Maratha supremacy was dented by their defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat. 

Today In Indian History (13th January)

Battle of Chillianwala / Image Credit

1849-  The bloody battle of Chillianwala was fought at Chillianwala (now in Pakistan) between the British and Sikh armies on January 13, 1849 during the Second Anglo-Sikh war. The British and Sikh armies were respectively commanded by Sir Hugh Gough and the Raja Sher Singh Attariwala. Following the battle, both sides  claimed victory. The British won the battle though it was a "pyrrhic victory" for them. 

According to the historians, 757 soldiers of British army were killed, 1,651 were wounded and 104 went missing. Sikhs lost near 3,600  soldiers. 

Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India during the Battle of Chillianwala.  

 

India celebrates National Youth Day to mark the birthday of Swami Vivekananda

Today (January 12) is Swami Vivekananda's birthday. Every year on January 12, India observes National Youth Day to mark the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, one of the country’s greatest spiritual leaders and philosophers. 

Narendranath Dutta, better known as Swami Vivekananda, was a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886), a priest in a temple at Dakhinesvar in Kolkata. Ramakrishna believed in the truth of all religions. 

A graduate of the Calcutta University, Vivekananda (1863-1902) carried his master’s message throughout India.

Vivekananda was a Vedantist. In 1983 he went to the US and attended the famous “Parliament of Religions” at Chicago. His speech at that august assembly earned him fame and followers throughout the world. New York Herald wrote, “after hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation”

Sir Valentine Chirol characterizes Vivekananda as “the first Hindu whose personality won demonstrative recognition abroad for India’s ancient civilization and of her new-born claim to nationhood.”

  

Today In Indian History (12th January)

1708- Coronation of Maratha ruler Sahu on 12 January. 

1779 - Part of the First Anglo-Maratha War, the Battle of Wadgaon (12–13 January) was fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company near Vadgaon Maval village in Maharashtra. 

The battle resulted in the victory of the Marathas who were commanded by Mahadji Sindhia (also known as Mahadji Shinde).

1934 - Surya Sen, a revolutionary leader from Bengal, was hanged on 12 January 1934 by the British. 

Today In Indian History (11th January)

1681- When the sixth Mugal emperor Aurangzeb was campaigning against Marwar, his forth son Akbar rebelled against him in 1681. On 11 January he issued a manifesto deposing his father and crowed himself emperor.