Mahatma Gandhi

History Of Mahatma Gandhi

Full Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Date and Place of Birth: 2 October 1869, Porbandar

Death: 30 January 1948, New Delhi

Father: Karamchand Gandhi

Mother: Putlibai Gandhi

Children: Harilal Gandhi, Ramdas Gandhi, Devdas Gandhi, Manilal Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He became one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the 1900's. Gandhi helped free the Indian people from British rule through nonviolent resistance, and is honoured by Indians as the father of the Indian Nation.

 He was highly influenced by Thoreau, Tolstoy, Ruskin, and above all the life of Jesus Christ. The Bible, precisely the Sermon of the Mount and the Bagavad -Gita had a great influence on him. The Indian people called Gandhi 'Mahatma', meaning Great Soul. At the age of 13 Gandhi married Kasturba, a girl the same age. Their parents arranged the marriage. The Gandhis had four children. Gandhi studied law in London and returned to India in 1891 to practice. In 1893 he took on a one-year contract to do legal work in South Africa.

At the time the British controlled South Africa (though South Africa as such did not exist at that time, and the British did not control all of it by any means. In fact the Boer War (1898-1900) established the supremacy of the British over the Dutch (Boers) and eventually led to the Union of South Africa. Gandhi served as a medical attendant in this war.). When he attempted to claim his rights as a British subject he was abused, and soon saw that all Indians suffered similar treatment. 

Gandhi stayed in South Africa for 21 years working to secure rights for Indian people. He developed a method of action based upon the principles of courage, non-violence and truth called Satyagraha. He believed that the way people behave is more important than what they achieve. Satyagraha promoted nonviolence and civil disobedience as the most appropriate methods for obtaining political and social goals. In 1915 Gandhi returned to India. Within 15 years he became the leader of the Indian nationalist movement.

Using the principles of Satyagraha he led the campaign for Indian independence from Britain. Gandhi was arrested many times by the British for his activities in South Africa and India. He believed it was honourable to go to jail for a just cause. More than once Gandhi used fasting to impress upon others the need to be nonviolent. India was granted independence in 1947, and partitioned into India and Pakistan. Rioting between Hindus and Muslims followed. Gandhi had been an advocate for a united India where Hindus and Muslims lived together in peace.

On January 13, 1948, at the age of 78, he began a fast with the purpose of stopping the bloodshed. After 5 days the opposing leaders pledged to stop the fighting and Gandhi broke his fast. Twelve days later a Hindu fanatic, Nathuram Godse who opposed his programme of tolerance for all creeds and religion assassinated him.

There are five great contributions which Mahatma Gandhi gave to the world as follows: (1)A New spirit and technique- Satyagraha; (2) The Emphasis that the moral universe is one and that the morals of individuals, groups, and nations must be the same. (3)His insistence that the means and the ends must be consistent; (4) The fact that he held no ideals he did not embody or was not in the process of embodying. (5) A willingness to suffer and die for his principles. The greatest of these is his Satyagraha.

Prithviraj Chauhan

History Of Prithviraj Chauhan

Full Name: Prithvirāja III

Date and Place of Birth: 1166, Gujarat

Death: 1192, Agmer

Father: Someshwar Chauhan

Mother: Kamaladevi

Children: Gobindaraja IV, Jhoda, Laikha, Shaikha, Taikha, Bhirda

Prithviraj Chauhan, the last ruler of Chauhan dynasty to sit on the throne of Delhi, was born in 1168 as the son of Someshwar Chauhan, the king of Ajmer. He was a brilliant child and very sharp at learning the military skills. He had the skill of hitting the target only on the basis of its sound. He succeeded to the throne of Ajmer at the age of thirteen, in 1179,when his father died in a battle.His grandfather Angam, ruler of Delhi, declared him heir to the throne of Delhi after hearing about his courage and bravery. He once killed a lion on his own without any weapon. He was known as the warrior king.

When he ascended to the throne of Delhi, he built Qila Rai Pithora here. His whole life was a continuous chain of bravery, courage, chivalrous deeds and glorious exploits. He defeated the mighty Bheemdev, ruler of Gujarat, at the mere age of thirteen.

His love story with his enemy, Jaichand’s daughter, Samyukta is very famous. He rode off with her on the day of her ‘Swayamwara’.

He expanded his empire, during this time Mahmud Ghori attacked India in 1191 and he was defeated at the first battle of Tarain. After defeating the army of Mahmud Ghori he was asked to attack the retreating army but in true Rajput tradition he refused to do so as it did not conform to the fair war rules. As a result Mahmud ghori again attacked India and in the second battle of Tarain Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated and captured. He was treated very badly, his eyes were burnt with red-hot irons and he was made blind. But Prithviraj did not lose courage. Helped by his court poet and friend Chand Bardai, he is believed to kill Mahmud ghori with his “shabdabhedi baan”.

His skill of hitting the target just on the basis of sound made by it come handy. and during the archery competition organized by Mahmud ghori, he displayed his skill. When Mahmud ghori praised him he heard his voice and attacked him. Mahmud ghori was killed. In order to escape death at the hands of enemies he and his friend Chand Bardai stabbed each other.

Chand Bardai compiled the story of the life of Prithviraj Chauhan in his epic poem Prithviraj Raso. Prithviraj Chauhan died in 1192, with his death a period of bravery, courage, patriotism and principles came to an end. Prithviraj Raso of Chand Bardai and Prithviraj Vijay of Jayanak have immortalized deeds of Prithviraj Chauhan.

Ascending the throne about 1177, the young Prithviraja inherited a kingdom that stretched from Sthanvishvara (Thanesar; once the capital of the 7th-century ruler Harsha) in the north to Mewar in the south. Within a few years, Prithviraja had personally assumed control of the administration, but, shortly after taking power, he was faced with a rebellion from his cousin, Nagarjuna, who asserted his own claim to the throne. The revolt was brutally crushed, and Prithviraja turned his attention to the nearby kingdom of the Bhadanakas. The Bhadanakas had been a persistent threat to the Chauhan-held region around Delhi, but they were so comprehensively destroyed sometime prior to 1182 that they ceased to be mentioned in subsequent historical records.

In 1182 Prithviraja defeated Parmardin Deva Chandela, ruler of Jejakbhukti. Although the campaign against the Chandelas enhanced Prithviraja’s reputation, it added to the number of his enemies. It united the Chandelas and Gahadavalas (anther ruling family of northern India) and forced Prithviraja to increase military expenditures and vigilance on his southeastern frontier.

Rani Padmini

History Of Rani Padmini 

Full Name: Rani Padmini 

Place of Birth: India

Death: 1303, Chittorgarh

Father: Gandharvsena

Mother: Champavati

There’s a thing about history, we are never sure what exactly happened because often, the facts get mutated with the ravages of time and travel. Similarly, the story of Rani Padmavati, fondly referred to as Rani Padmini, is wrought in various versions, some claiming her to have been defeated by Ratan Sen in sword fighting that made her marry him, others suggesting that it was her talking parrot that led to the union of the two lovers.
If we talk about the current era of social media, discourses about history are innumerable and untraceable. Nevertheless, there’s one thing that runs common in all the versions: she was a woman of unprecedented beauty. And the ‘Johar Kund’ in Chittorgarh where Rani Padmavati performed ‘jauhar’ (custom of self-immolation by women) more than seven hundred years ago is a place as significant as, let’s say, the Western Wall or the Ka’bah in Mecca.

The jauhar of Rani Padmini has given her a goddess-like stature in the history of the state because it was among the first three major Sakas of Chittorgarh. The antagonist, hence, is Allauddin Khilji who attacked Chittor and led to Ratan Sen’s execution.
When history begins informing a theocratic identity, sensitivities of people begins to run mountain high. If anything, even seemingly, threatens or distorts the roots, a sense of anger and victimhood is inevitable. Such sentiments have led to the protest against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, ‘Padmavati’.

However, it isn’t as simple as that. There are many, many versions to the history of Rani Padmini and here we look at all these versions.

It is interesting to note that earlier accounts of Alauddin Khilji’s conquest of Chittorgarh make no mention of Rani Padmavati. The first mention that has been made of the queen is in the epic poem written in Awadhi language by Malik Mohammad Jayasi titled ‘Padmavat’.

Peshwa Baji Rao

History Of Peshwa Baji Rao

Full Name: Pantpradhan Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat

Date and Place of Birth: 18 August 1700, Shrivardhan

Death: 28 April 1740, Khargone

Father: Balaji Vishwanath Bhat

Mother: Radhabai Barve

Children: Balaji Baji Rao, Samsher Bahadur I, Raghunathrao

Bajirao Ballal was born on August 18, 1700 as the eldest son of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath Rao.

He belonged to the reputed, traditional Chit-Pawan Brahmin family of Konkan. Bajirao was guided to the battlefront at the age of 12 by his father.

Peshwa Bajirao I served as the Peshwa (Prime Minister) from the year 1720 until his death. Bajirao's potential as a warrior was duly recognized by the emperor Shahu Maharaj (the fifth Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire) and was therefore made as the Peshwa upon the death of his father.

During his 20 years of military course, Peshwa Bajirao I was never beaten in a battle and had always rejoiced victory. He is one of the three Generals in the history of the world who never lost a battle.

Malwa (1723), Dhar (1724), Aurangabad (1724), Battle of Palkhed (1728), Firozabad (1737), Delhi (1737), Bhopal (1738) and Battle of Vasai (1739) were some of the major battles won by Bajirao.

Bajirao’s first campaign in the north-west started from 1723 with the victory of Malwa followed by Gujarat.

Bajirao Ballal has been described as the incarnation of Hindu energy, striving for 20 years to establish the Hindu Padshahi.

On April 28, 1740, while preparing to march out with his army to reach Delhi with his 1,00,000 troops, Bajirao fell ill with fever and passed away in the village of RawarKhedi near the banks of Narmada.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

History Of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Full Name: Shivaji Bhosale I

Date and Place of Birth: 19 February 1630, Shivneri

Death: 3 April 1680,Raigad Fort

Father: Shahaji Bhosale 

Mother: Jijabai

Children: Sambhaji, Rajaram I, Ambikabai Mahadik

Shivaji Maharaj was the warrior king and famous for his bravery, tactics and administrative skills. He always focussed on Swarajya and Maratha heritage. He was the descendant of the 96 Maratha Clans well known as 'Kshatriyas' or brave fighters.

He was the son of Shahji Bhosle and Jija Bai. He was brought up at Poona under the supervision of his mother and Brahmin Dadaji Konda-dev who made an expert soldier and an efficient administrator. His administration was largely influenced by Deccan administrative practices. He appointed eight ministers who were called ‘Astapradhan’ who assists him in the administrative helm of affairs.

The beginning of the 17^th century witnessed the rise of new Warrior class Marathas when the Bhonsle family of the Poona district got military as well as a political advantage by the Ahmadnagar kingdom that gets the advantage of being local. Therefore, they took privileges and recruited a large number of Maratha sardas and soldiers in their armies. Shivaji was the son of Shahji Bhosle and Jija Bai. Shivaji was brought up at Poona under the supervision of his mother and an able Brahmin Dadaji Konda-dev. Dadaji Konda-dev made Shivaji an expert soldier and an efficient administrator. He also came under the religious influ­ence of Guru Ramdas, which made him proud of his motherland.

Shivaji was descended from a line of prominent nobles. India at that time was under Muslim rule: the Mughals in the north and the Muslim sultans of  Bijapur and Golconda in the south. All three ruled by right of conquest, with no pretense that they had any obligations toward those who they ruled. Shivaji, whose ancestral estates were situated in the Deccan, in the realm of the Bijapur sultans, found the Muslim oppression and religious persecution of the Hindus so intolerable that, by the time he was 16, he convinced himself that he was the divinely appointed instrument of the cause of Hindu freedom—a conviction that was to sustain him throughout his life.

Collecting a band of followers, he began about 1655 to seize the weaker Bijapur outposts. In the process, he destroyed a few of his influential coreligionists, who had aligned themselves with the sultans. All the same, his daring and military skill, combined with his sternness toward the oppressors of the Hindus, won him much admiration. His depredations grew increasingly audacious, and several minor expeditions sent to chastise him proved ineffective.