The Evil Ansh

The King of Devas and Devguru Brihaspati were travelling to Kailash to meet the holy Lord. On the way to the Jungle, they met a naked man deep in meditation. The vain King asked the man the way. The man was so deep in his meditation that he did not reply. Fierce at this kind of humiliation, the God of Thunderstruck the man with it. The man opened his hand and neutralised the bolt. His third eye opened in rage, paralysing the King of Devas. However, he controlled his anger, and instead of turning the King to ashes, the energy from his third eye met the Oceans.

" Prabhu? Forgive Indra, for he did not know who you were." Brihaspati pleaded.

" DevGuru. This is my Kailash, where no man is greater than the other. He is not the king here. He should treat a man like he wants to be treated."

" Please forgive him, My Lord."

The ever-forgiving Bholenath smiled.

Miles away from the God of the Oceans, Samudradev found a baby. His wails were disturbingly loud. It did not have the sweetness of a baby. The Devas pressed their hands against their ears. The helpless Samudra Dev took the abandoned child to the Creator, Brahma. Brahma took the child in his lap, and the child caught his neck so hard he could hardly breathe. Letting go was not easy. Tears came in pain. Finally, Samudra Dev placed the child on his lap, and Brahma read his future.

" This child would be a brave warrior. He will rule Heaven, the Earth and the Patal Lok. Hand him over to Sukracharya. Tell him I named this child Jalandhar. He was born of Shiva's rage. However, this child should not know this, that would make it difficult for him to live among commoners."

A happy Samudra Dev handed the child to Sukracharya, the teacher of the Asuras. The child stayed under the care of one of the Asura women. He grew up to be a handsome young man just like the lord himself. Sukracharya taught him and made him king of the Asuras.

Vrinda was the daughter of Asura Kalanemi. Due to her devotion to Lord Vishnu, she was given a boon by the Lord that her husband would be alive as long as her chastity remained intact. She was an intelligent medical woman. As the King of the Asuras, Jalandhara set up a capital at present-day Jalandhar in Punjab. He married Vrinda as per Sukracharya's wishes to save his life from enemies. On coming to know of the events of Samudra Manthan, he realised how the Asuras were deprived, and he sent a message to Indra.

I, Jaladhar, am the son of Samudra Deva. I have heard that there are some possessions of his at your disposal, which you acquired through Samudra Manthan. I request that you return my father's property to me, or else I will take it from you.

Not paying any heed to the threat, Indra and the Devas were easily defeated and caught by the Lord's son. They went to Vishnu with the request to kill Jalandhar. Laxmi, his consort, who emerged out of the Oceans, said to her husband, " My Lord, you will fight Jalandhar. He emerged out of the Oceans like me, hence he is my brother. I know he can not defeat you, but promise me you won't kill him, for my sake."

The ever-smiling Vishnu replied, " Yes, my Laxmi, as you wish it shall be."

The war continued for days, and neither side won nor lost. Impressed with his warrior skills, Vishnu offered a boon. Jalandhar promptly replied, " I want you to make Kheeradsagar your home and honour the oceans. Let Mata Laxmi stay where she belongs."

" Tathasthu."

Soon, Jalandhar became king of the three worlds. He was the emperor. One day Narad Muni came for a visit and told him tales of the greatest man, Shiva, and his most beautiful wife, Parvati. The vain Emperor replied, much to everyone's horror, " Who is this Shiva? I have never heard of him. And if he is the greatest, I will defeat him and be the greatest, and his beautiful wife will be mine."

Sukracharya knew that Shiva was his father, but he had promised Samudra Dev not to speak of it. Jalandhar send a messenger, Rahu, to Kailash. The furious Shiva forgave his son for his silly attempts and ignored the invitation for a duel.

Meanwhile, Indra came to know of Vrinda's boon and rushed to Vishnu, " My Lord, do something. Jalandhar is becoming violent, and not even the Lord Mahadev can kill him because Vrinda will not give up her chastity willingly."

" Do not worry, Indra, for I will dress as Jalandhar and break her chastity."
"But my Lord, I am your wife, how can you bed somebody else's wife? Will that not be immoral?"
" Priye, when am Parasu you are my mother, when am Ram you, my Sita, when am Krishna you are my Radha, the Gopis, the wives, they are nobody yet they love me. Does that make Krishna there? Listen, my lady, whenever I go to earth, you will always accompany me as Panchali, Radha, Sita or Varahi... I am going to Vrinda as an obligation to my duties and not for love, cause Krishna is Radha's Ram Sita's, and I only yours..." Disguised as Jalandhara Vishnu, took Vrinda to her chambers. Knowing his true identity and realising it was too late, Vrinda cursed her worshipped Lord, " I curse you, my Aradhya, you will be born a human, and you will suffer from questions regarding your wife's chastity, and you will lose her." She committed suicide.

A fierce, angry Jalandhar kidnapped Parvati. He held her, wanting to marry her. Shiva's Ganas were at war with the Asuras. Shiva raised his Trident at his son. Before killing him, Shiva enlightened him with the truth about his birth. Shiva, who killed Jalandhar, is worshipped as Panchanan, the five-headed angry avatar of the otherwise peaceful Lord.

Jalandhar died a hero, blinded by his vain overconfidence in his powers and lack of knowledge. Otherwise, like all the other sons of the Lord, he was a great warrior, a perfect husband and a good ruler of the Asuras. His causes were genuine, and his thoughts were right. He is thus immortal through the city he built in India.

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

The concept of Jauhar holds a profound place in Rajputana history. It is a ritual where Rajput women willingly choose death by jumping into a fire altar, invoking the gods, and embracing honour rather than living under the humiliation of enemy conquest. Unlike Sati, Jauhar was never forced or compulsory; it was considered the most honourable death a Rajputani could choose when their men lost battles and the enemy laid siege. The Historical Setting: Jauhar Gate and Chittorgarh Fort Chittorgarh Fort once housed the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the famed Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the fort’s main gate. When Alauddin Khilji invaded Chittor, much of this was destroyed. However, later ruler Rana Kumbha rebuilt the Jal Mahal and re-established the Jauhar Sthal to honour Queen Padmavati (also known as Padmini). Ratan Singh, who ruled Mewar during Khilji’s reign as Sultan of Delhi, was known to be a peace-loving monarch who enjoyed music and poetry. One of his court poets, Ragha...

The Garuda Cannon of Krishna Chandra

Maharaja Krishna Chandra was an influential king in Nadia, Bengal, who formed his capital at Krishnanagar. During the preparation of the Battle of Plassey that sealed the deal for British Colonisation in Bengal in 1757, Krishna Chandra was under the Mughals of Delhi, who did not support Bengal Subah Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah in his attack against the British in Calcutta. As a result, he too was vocal against Siraj and supported the British. Siraj ordered for him to be imprisoned for not paying his due taxes to the Nawab, and he found freedom only after Robert Clive and Mir Jafar ousted Siraj by betraying him. Once Krishna Chandra was back in his state, the Mughal emperor, who was now reduced to a puppet of the British, by suggestion of Robert Clive, gifted the king a token of appreciation for his support, a cannon, which the Raja named the Garuda Cannon. What was so special about the cannon? This is the only cannon found in any museum with an inscription in Bengali scripture. Most cannons ...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested, and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon t...

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja. Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons. Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga. Saj...

Shikhandi: A Tale of Identity and Revenge

Hastinapur was the most powerful empire in the north of the Vindyas, in the subcontinent once ruled by King Bharata. When its long-reigning and prosperous king Shantanu passed away in old age, he left behind his ambitious wife Satyabati, her two sons, Chitrangad and Bichitravirjaya and his first surviving son from his first wife Ganga, Devabrata, who took the lifelong oath of not being king nor marrying or having any progeny and hence earned the name Bhishma. When Chitrangad was about to ascend the throne, he died in an unfortunate accident, leaving the minor Bichitravirjaya as the only contender on the throne. Bhishma almost outspokenly took over the role of guardian to the throne of Hastinapur upon this event. However, the rules suggested that the young prince must marry before he could be crowned. Upon hearing of this, Bhishma sent his spies around the subcontinent to find eligible princesses who would not only marry the heir apparent but also be the future queen and queen mother of...

Rani Padmini: The Valiant Queen

This story is a retelling of some parts of Malik Mohammad Jayasi's Padmavat, which was a historical fiction poem written in 1540, about 200 years after the siege of Chittorgarh by Allauddin Khilji. Historically, the Rajputs of Mewar didn't keep accounts of their queens, even by name, so the name Padmini or Padmavati was made up by Jayasi to represent the women of Chittor who chose the Jauhar. Historically speaking, Allauddin Khilji wanted the trade route to Surat for himself, which went through Mewar and Rana Ratan Singh, a patron of art, was not known for his military skills. So when Khilji surrounded the fort, the only way out was the Saka and Jauhar. Rani Padmini's Jauhar, as it is now popularly called, is also not the first Jauhar Khilji witnessed. The Jauhars of Ranthambore and Jaisalmer happened before he attacked Chittorgarh. Also, the act of Jauhar happened as early as the Greek invasions of Porus's state, when it is described as the "Mass immolation of Sat...

Battle of Haldighati

There have been a lot of talks going on regarding who won the Battle of Haldighati. While some want to change what we read and say that the Maharana won it, many oppose the point with a Mughal victory. Here, I compile every account I found of the Battle and its Aftermath and make my unbiased conclusion on the topic. PS. The dates vary from book to book; I gave the ones I found in most sources. The Background: Relation with Mughals Mewar was one of Rajputana's strongest individual kingdoms, along with the likes of Marwar and Kacchawar (Jaipur). Long before the Mughals under Akbar, Mewar under Rana Sangram Singh had successfully managed to keep the "Turk Invaders" under Babar at bay, fighting 17 wars, big and small. The relationship was further questioned when, during the invasion from Saurashtra, Sanga's widow, Rani Karnavati, had written to Mughal Emperor Humayun for help, sending him a rakhi. Contrary to popular belief, Humayun had rested on his way from Gaur (Beng...

The Cortege That Shook The Raj: Kanailal Dutta

10th November, 1908 Around late morning, a procession of lacs made their way through the streets of Calcutta (Kolkata), India. Some were chanting “Vande Mataram”, others blew conch shells, and Ululation filled the air. Flowers were being showered from all directions, and garlands made their way through the crowd, being thrown at the procession in the middle. Bhagwat Gita and Ananda Math (Novel by Bamkim Chandra) were offered. No, this was no “ Sobha Jatra ” or celebration. There were no religious festivities either. That dawn, the Alipore Jail, which opened only two years back, witnessed the hanging of Kanailal Dutta, a twenty-year-old member of the “Jugantar Dol”, an anarchist group that was set up primarily by Aurobindo Ghosh (Later Rishi Aurobindo), his brother Barindra and their associates. Kanailal hailed from Chandannagore, and although he was not present in most of their meetings in Kolkata, he was still one of their early members from Chandannagore, then a French province. ...

Haldighati: The Battlefield

The year was 1576 CE. Four years had passed since Maharana Pratap’s coronation as the ruler of Mewar in 1572 CE. In those years, the land simmered not just with heat but with tension. The Timurid emperor Akbar, determined to fulfil his imperial vision, had sent not one, but three peace emissaries with Man Singh and Bhagwan Das leading them, between 1573 and 1575 CE, offering reconciliation in carefully worded treaties. But the wounds of Chittorgarh’s fall in 1568 CE were fresh for Pratap. With the blood and tears of Jauhar and Saka still alive, with the thousands mercilessly killed, there would be no peace without freedom. Pratap was no ordinary king, to be driven just by his zeal. He was a strategist, steeped as much in statecraft as in pride. When Man Singh came in 1575 CE with yet another offer, he was quick to realise that Akbar was reluctant to an out-and-out battle with Mewar. Pratap chose not to appear himself, sending his heir, Amar Singh, instead, stating that kings met kings...

A Chivalrous Emnity

“Ranisa. Hukum” There was a hint of urgency in the maid in waiting’s voice as she rushed to the clearing where the tents were set up. Rani Pur Bai Solanki, the second queen, frowned at her sudden, alarming voice. “Hush, Rama, the children are...” She checked the children’s tent, alarmed. They slept during the day and stayed awake at night, because the forestland was not safe, neither from animals nor enemies. “Ranisa, forgive me, it's Kunwarsa... He is back... but...” Pur Bai’s face lit up with a smile of hope that didn’t last long. “But?” “What is it? What’s wrong?” The Maharani of Mewar had walked out of her camp, with the other queens in tow. The maid bowed before her. “It’s Kunwarsa.” “He is back?” She frowned. He was not supposed to be back so early until his father reached Dholan. “So is Ranaji.” The maid looked scared. “There is a court called in an emergency. I came to inform you that Ranaji wanted everyone to be present.” “Jija...” Pur Bai could see the tension mounting on...

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