Today in Indian History (12th April)

1482 - Birth of Rana Sanga on 12 April in 1482. Ruler of Mewar from 1508 to 1528, Rana Sanga was the grandson of Rana Kumbha (1417–1468) and grandfather of Maharana Pratap. 

1801 - Declaration of Ranjit Singh as the Maharaja of Punjab on 12 April in 1801.  Born on November 13, 1780, in Gujranwala, which is now in modern-day Pakistan, Ranjit Singh is one of the most remarkable rulers in Indian history, 

Maharaja Ranjit Singh  was the only son of Maha Singh, the leader of the Sukerchakia Misl, one of the several Sikh confederacies (misls) that existed in Punjab at the time. Often referred to as the "Lion of Punjab," Ranjit Singh ruled from 1801 to 1839. 

1885- Birth of Indian archaeologist R. D. Banerji (Rakhal Das Banerji) on 12 April in 1885 in Murshidabad.  Mohenjo-daro was discovered by R.D. Banerji, .

The Moenjodaro was discovered in 1922, while R.D. Banerji, an officer of the Archaeological Survey of India, was excavating a Buddhist stupa.

12 kilometres from Moenjodaro railway station, in Larkana district of Sindh  in Pakistan, the Moenjodaro remains are situated on the western bank of the river Indus.

Bengal Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah And Murshidabad

After the death of sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was rapid.  Delhi, the seat of power of the Mughals, gave way to Bengal as the centre of political importance in India. It can be ascertained from the fact that the British win over Siraj ud Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, which took place just 50 years after death of Aurangzeb, laid the foundation of the British Empire in India. During the period, Bengal was ruled by the Nawabs with their capital at Murshidabad. Though nominally governors or viceroys of the Mughals, the Nawabs were independent heads of state for all practical purposes. 

Siraj ud Daula became the Nawab of Bengal after the death of his grandfather Alivardi Khan who died in 1756. He was the son of latter's youngest daughter. This was not liked by his near relations including his mother’s eldest sister, Ghasiti Begum, and his cousin Shaukat Jung who went all length to conspire against him.  In addition Siraj ud Daula found in Mir Jafar, the Commander-in-Chief of the army, a formidable enemy.

Though inexperienced and lacking decision making power, Siraj-ud-Daulah became successful in overcoming these challenges by killing Shaukat Jung in October 1756. Ghasiti Begum was rendered powerless by the confiscation of her wealth. Mir Jafar was replaced by Mir Madan as the commander of the army.

Siraj ud Daula, the then Nawab of Bengal, resented to the interference by the East India Company in his province. He was also livid with the company’s abuse of the commercial privileges which was granted by the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar under the firman of 1717.

The ‘Black Hole’ was a tragic incident that happened in the run-up to the Battle of Plassey. The incident served as casus belli for the invasion by the British on Murshidabad.

With the worsening of the relations between the Bengal Nawab and the English, the latter hatched a conspiracy with Mir Jafar. The battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757, resulting in the defeat of Siraj-ud-Daulah who fled from the battlefield. He was, however, captured and put to death by the orders of Miran, the son of Mir Jafar who was now made the Nawab of Bengal.

Murshidabad

Today known more for its silk, Murshidabad is a district town that seems to exist suspended in time somewhere between the medieval and the modern.

Named after Murshid Quli Khan, the Diwan of Bengal under Aurangzeb, Murshidabad came to the forefront of attention in 1704 when the former transferred his capital from Dacca to this place and renamed it Murshidabad. Murshid Quli Khan was the first Nawab of Bengal and the founder of the Nasiri dynasty which ruled Bengal from 1717 until 1740.

Attractions of Murshidabad

Nimak Haram Deohri (Traitor’s Gate)

Presently in ruins, Nimak Haram Deohri or the Traitor's Gate is the gate to the residence of Mir Jafar who was the general of Siraj-ud-doula. It was Mir Jafar’s treacherous advice to Siraj-ud-doula to suspend the battle after the death of latter's trusted officer Mir Madan Khan lost the day for Siraj-ud-doula in the Battle of Plassey. 

Fauti or Phuti Masjid

Phuti Masjid is a mosque built by Sarfaraz Khan who had held the role of Nawab of Bengal for only one year (1739- 1740.) 

Sarfaraz Khan had succeeded his father Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan who had become Bengal Nawab after the death of latter's father-in-law Murshid Quli Khan. 

Chowk Mosque

Built in 1767 AD by Munni Begum (the second wife of Mir Jafar, the Bengal Nawab from 1757 to 1760 and 1763 to 1765) the Chowk Mosque in Murshidabad is now under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).  

Motijheel or Pearl Lake is an oxbow lake in Murshidabad. This horse-shoe shaped lake broke away from the meandering River Bhagirathi centuries ago. Located at the bend of this lake is a beautiful palace named Sang-i-Dalan (Stone Palace), a towering gateway and a three-domed mosque and some other structures erected by Nawazish Muhammad Khan, nephew and son-in-law of Alivardi Khan (the Bengal Nawab after whose death his grandson Siraj ud Daula became the Nawab of Bengal).

Today In Indian History (11th April)

1827-  Birth of anti-caste social reformer Jyotirao Phule on 11 April in 1827. Also known as Jyotiba Phule, Jyotirao Phule was born in Pune. He formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) to attain equal rights for people from lower castes. 

Critical of the prevailing Hindu religion and custom, Jyotirao Phule along with her wife , Savitribai Phule,  were pioneers of women's education in India and established educational trusts.

 

Today In Indian History (10th April)

1857 - Establishment of Arya Samaj in Bombay in 1857 on April 10 by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. 

Today In Indian History (6th April)

1606 - After unfurling the banner of revolt against his father and Mughal emperor Jahangir, Khusrau escapes from Agra on 6 April, 1606. After the death of his grandfather, Akbar, in 1605, Khusrau was imprisoned in Agra Fort by Jahangir who had succeeded Akbar as the Mughal emperor.

Khusrau was later defeated by the Mughal forces in 1606.  The fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev was sentenced to death by Jahangir in 1606, since he had blessed Khusrau during his rebellion against the emperor.

Khusrau was later blinded and was forced into the custody of his brother Khurram (future Shah Jahan) who eventually strangled him at Burhanpur in 1621. 

On the orders of Jahangir, Khusrau was buried in a tomb adjoining his mother's in a garden (now called Khusrau Bagh) in Prayagraj (Allahabad).

Today In Indian History (5th April)

1663 - Shaista Khan was wounded by the Maratha chief Shivaji who made a surprise night attack in Poona on 5 April, 1663, wounding him. 

After his accession to the throne, Aurangzib sent Shayista Khan (Shaista Khan was the son of Asaf Khan and brother of Mumtaz Mahal) as viceroy of the Deccan with instruction to crush Shivaji. However, Shayista Khan had to retreat when Shivaji embarked on a surprise attack at the well-guarded mansion of Shayista Khan in Poona. In the scuffle Shaista Khan lost his thumb and his son, Abul Fath, was killed. This incident served a body-blow to the Mughal prestige in the Deccan. Aurangzeb recalled Shayista and transferred him to Bengal. 

1930 - Mahatma Gandhi reached Dandi on 5th April 1930 to break the salt law. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, The famous 1930 "salt march" (Dandi March) was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to defy the monopoly on salt production by the British colonial rulers. Dandi March is also called Salt Satyagraha.  

The 24-day march which lasted from 12 March 1930 to 6 April 1930 spanned 387 kilometres, from Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad to the coastal village of Dandi, which was called Navsari at that time (now in the state of Gujarat). Gandhi broke the British Raj salt laws on 6 April 1930. 

It sparked India's civil disobedience movement as thousands joined him on the beach to pick up salt, the production of which was under colonial control.

78 volunteers had accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi March.  

Today In Indian History (4th April)

1944- The Battle of Kohima took place in three stages from 4 April to 22 June 1944 around the town of Kohima, now the capital city of Nagaland in Northeast India.

The Battle of Kohima was the turning point of the Japanese U-Go offensive into India in 1944 during the Second World War.