Mewar
| Mewar / Udaipur | |||||
| approx. 530-1949 | |||||
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| Capital |
Chittorgarh (530–1567) Udaipur (1567–1949) |
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| Form of government | Princely State (19 rounds salute) | ||||
| surface | 33,516 km² | ||||
| population | 1,900,000 (1941) | ||||
| founding | approx. 530 | ||||
| resolution | April 7, 1949 | ||||
| State religion: Hinduism Dynasty: Sisodia |
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Mewar ( Hindi : मेवाड़ Mevāṛ [ ˈmeːʋɑːɽ ]) is a region in the Indian state of Rajasthan . A Rajput principality has existed here since the 8th century at the latest, and later a princely state of this name under British sovereignty . Until 1567 Chittorgarh was the capital of Mewar, then Udaipur . In 1941 Mewar had about 1.9 million inhabitants on an area of 33,516 km².
Origins
The ruling clan is the Guhila or Guhilot clan, which can be more or less reliably traced back to the middle of the 7th century by comparing local inscriptions and lists of kings. The origin of the name is assumed to be in the word guha or cave and is linked to the legend of a king widow who gave birth to her child in a cave.
Early rulers
For example, a certain Vappa Rawal (ruled approx. 734-753 or 728-764), a follower of the Shiva cult, who won approx. 728 Chittor from the Mori king Manuraja and together with the Guhila or Ghuliot clan is counted other Hindu princes (e.g. Pratihara Nagabhata) are said to have protected the country from the attacking Arabs.
Between the 2nd half of the 8th and the first half of the 10th century, the various Guhilot clans in Mewar and Jaipur recognized the supremacy of the Pratihara . After their fall in power, the Guhila Bhartripatta II declared himself Maharaja in an inscription from the then capital Aghata or Ahar (north of Udaipur) from 943 . His son Allata (ruled around 951/53) probably caused the battle death of the Pratihara ruler at that time, Devapala.
Saktikumara (ruled around 977) was overrun and plundered by the Paramara under Vakpati Raja II. Munja (ruled around 974–995), but ruled until the end of the century. The rule of his successors is dark and confused. In the second half of the 12th century they were subordinate to the Solanki (also: Chalukya ) until the fall of power of their neighbors in the 13th century gave them new options.
The 13th century until the fall of Chittorgarh in 1303
Under Jaitra Singh (ruled approx. 1213–1252) from the Guhila clan, Mewar was again an independent power factor and until the end of the century the leading Rajput principality. Jaitra Singh broke away from the Solanki and made Chittorgarh the capital after Nagada was destroyed in an attack by the Delhi Sultan Iltutmish (r. 1211-1236). His government and that of his son Tej Singh (ruled approx. 1255–1273) is considered a time of relative peace and prosperity.
Samar Singh (ruled approx. 1273-1301) and his son Ratan Singh (ruled 1301-1303) already had to deal with increased attacks by the Muslims. In 1303, Sultan Ala ud-Din Khalji of Delhi (ruled 1296–1316) took Chittor and had around 30,000 people massacred. The city was occupied with a strong garrison, but was lost again to the Rana Hamir in 1318.
From the 14th century to the Battle of Khanwa in 1527
With the Rana Hamir (ruled approx. 1318 / 26–1364) a new branch of the Guhila clan came to power, the Sisodia dynasty. Hamir fought several battles against the Tughluq sultans of Delhi (he is even said to have defeated and captured the sultan at Singholi) and assumed the title of Maharana . He passed the government into the hands of his son Kshetra Singh (ruled 1364–1382), who was succeeded by Lakha (ruled 1382–1397) and Mokul (ruled 1397–1433).
The reign of Maharana Kumbha (ruled 1433–1468) is considered a golden period for Mewar. Kumbha defeated the rulers of Malwa , Gujarat and various small states, enlarged its territory and had important temples and castles ( Ranakpur , Vijay Stambha , Kumbhalgarh ) built. He was murdered by his son Uda, who was overthrown by his brother Raimal (r. 1473–1508) soon after. Like his father, Raimal is considered to be a successful ruler and patron of the arts, but was soon faced with various family disputes that affected the economy.
Also Sangha (Sangram Singh, reg. 1509-1528) fought successfully against the Sultans of Malwa (Mahmud II. Was z. B. 1519 his prisoner), Gujarat and Delhi and against various Hindu small states. Almost all Rajput princes were ultimately under his leadership. In March 1527 he was defeated at Khanwa by Babur , the founder of the Mughal Empire. Despite the great numerical superiority of the Rajputs (201,000 against 15,000), artillery and cavalry secured the victory for the Mughals. The Rana was also badly wounded and a little later poisoned.
In Mughal times
The events leading up to submission to Mughal rule
After Sangha's death, power struggles broke out within his family. Ratan Singh (r. 1528-1531) was murdered, and his successor Vikramajit was considered just as incapable, so that Bahadur Shah of Gujarat (r. 1526-1537) could storm Chittor in March 1535 and appoint a governor, who was within three months ago. The succession disputes brought Vanvir and then Udai Singh (r. 1537–1572) to power in 1536.
Shortly before the Mughal emperor Akbar I (r. 1556-1605) besieged Chittor in 1567/68, Udai Singh left the city and moved the capital to Udaipur, which was economically better off and similarly defensible . He left the defense of Chittorgarh to a commander with 8,000 well-equipped fighters, which earned him the insults of the historians, but at least it cost Akbar so much effort that he had the 40,000 peasants in the area massacred - out of revenge and certainly also to prevent reconstruction.
Despite very limited resources, the Ranas Pratap Singh (r. 1572–1597) and Amar Singh (r. 1597–1620, abdicated) continued the fight with the Mughals with varying degrees of success (e.g. heavy defeat against the Mughal army under Raja Man Singh I of Amber at the Haldighati Pass in June 1576). The Ranas could not be subdued until 1614/5 under Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–1627) by his son Khurram (later Emperor Shah Jahan ) by means of ruthless devastation of the open country in a peace treaty. Jahangir contented himself with a mere pledge of loyalty from Prince Karan Singh (r. 1620–1628) in the name of his elderly father, minor troop aid and the prohibition of the reconstruction of Chittor.
The time of peace and its end
The relationship with the Mughals subsequently remained largely undisturbed until Aurangzeb's time around 1680. Jagat Singh (ruled 1628–1652) spent his time plundering smaller principalities and expanding Udaipur's (water) palaces.
Raj Singh (ruled 1652–1680) was forced to confront Aurangzeb (ruled 1658–1707) in 1679 through the renewal of the Jizya and the incorporation of the neighboring Marwar into the Mughal Empire . He occupied Udaipur in 1680, but was unable to end the guerrilla war between the allied Sisodia and Rathor Rajputs despite massive action and was also hampered by a sudden revolt by his son Akbar. In 1681 Jai Singh (1680–1698) made a separate peace and devoted himself to the reconstruction, while the Rathor Rajputs continued the bitter guerrilla war for Marwar alone.
His successor Amar Singh II (r. 1698-1710) allied himself with Amber against the threat from Aurangzeb and again allowed marriage connections to the once hostile dynasty. At that time almost all Rajput clans refused to serve in the Mughal army, which significantly weakened Aurangzeb's position of power and contributed to the decline of his empire. It was only in 1708 under Bahadur Shah (r. 1707–1712) that interests were reconciled.
The 18th and 19th centuries
The reign of Sangram Singh (r. 1710–1734) was largely uneventful. Jagat Singh II (r. 1734–1751) was confronted with the rapid rise of the Marathas : in 1736 he received the Peshwa Baji Rao I in Udaipur and granted him an annual tribute of 160,000 rupees, which soon turned out to be an immense financial burden should prove. Instead of sensible defensive measures, however, after 1743 he gambled away the resources of his state in the (unsuccessful) struggle for the question of succession to the throne of Jaipur (previously: Amber).
Under Ari Singh (r. 1761–1773) and Bhim Singh (r. 1778–1828) Mewar recorded an increasing loss of territory and power through rebellions, continued attacks and plundering of the Marathas and arbitrary aristocracy. The greatly reduced Mewar became (like its neighbors) a British protectorate after the fall of the Marathas in 1818 .
Connection to India
On April 18, 1948, Mewar joined the Union of Rajasthan , on April 7, 1949 it was annexed to India and on November 1, 1956, the princely state was abolished.
See also
literature
- Ian Copland: The princes of India in the endgame of empire, 1917-1947 (= Cambridge Studies in Indian History and Society. 2). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1997, ISBN 0-521-57179-0 .
- Bamber Gascoigne: The Mughals. Splendor and greatness of Mohammedan princes in India. Special edition. Prisma-Verlag, Gütersloh 1987, ISBN 3-570-09930-X .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Dines C. Sircar: Two Grants of Early Guhilas. 1. Grant of Bhāvihita, [Harsha] Year 48. In: Epigraphia Indica. Vol. 34, 1960/1961, ZDB -ID 301025-9 , pp. 170-173 ; Sailendra Nath Sen: Ancient Indian History and Civilization. 2nd edition. New Age International, New Delhi 1999, ISBN 81-224-1198-3 , p. 336.
- ↑ Honnavalli V. Sreenivasa Murthy: Essays on Indian history and culture. Felicitation volume in honor of Professor B. Sheik Ali. Mittal Publications, New Delhi 1990, ISBN 81-7099-211-7 , p. 78; Christian Lassen : Indian antiquity. Volume 2: History from Buddha to the Gupta kings. Koenig et al., Bonn et al. 1849, p. 33 f.
- ↑ Ramesh C. Majumdar et al. a. (Ed.): The History and Culture of the Indian People. Volume 3: The Classical Age. 5th edition. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai 1997, p. 158. The name is a title, it is equated either with the 8th King Kalbhoj or with the 9th King Khummana I or Khumar of the Alpur inscription.
- ↑ See Bhawan Singh Rana: Maharana Pratap. Diamond Pocket Books, New Delhi 2004, ISBN 81-288-0825-7 , p. 16; Ramesh C. Majumdar: Ancient India. 8th edition 1977, reprinted. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi et al. 1991, ISBN 81-208-0435-X , p. 299 f.
- ↑ See Ramesh C. Majumdar: Ancient India. 8th edition 1977, reprinted. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi et al. 1991, ISBN 81-208-0435-X , pp. 299 f .; Sailendra Nath Sen: Ancient Indian History and Civilization. Wiley Eastern Limited, New Delhi et al. 1988, ISBN 81-224-0012-4 , p. 377.
- ↑ The Kumbhal Garh inscription from 1460, verse 176-180 makes Ratan Singh the son of Samar Singh and mentions Lakshman Singh as the defender of Chittor after his death. Representations from the 17th century declare both to be brothers and bring Queen Padmani into the story. Sri Ram Sharma: Maharana Raj Singh and his times. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi et al. 1971, p. 11 footn. 33.
- ^ Jaswant L. Mehta: Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Volume 1: (1000-1526 AD). Sterling Publishers, New Delhi et al. 1980, p. 149.
- ↑ The line split off in the turmoil around 1170 when its ancestor Rahapa settled near the village of Sesoda.
- ^ Raj Kumar (Ed.): Essays on medieval India. Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi 2003, ISBN 81-7141-683-7 , p. 47.
- ↑ See Ashvini Agrawal: Studies in Mughal History. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi et al. 1983, pp. 106 ff. Aurangzeb had 236 temples destroyed in the short war in Udaipur and Chitor alone and the country so devastated that a famine threatened.
- ^ RK Gupta, SR Bakshi (ed.): Rajasthan. Through the ages. Volume 1: The Heritage Of Rajputs. Sarup & Sons, Delhi 2008, ISBN 978-81-7625-841-8 , pp. 205 ff.