The dramatic fall of the Sayyid brothers put the Marathas and their plans of obtaining the grants as per the treaty in doubt. It was well known that Nizam-ul-Mulk, the sitting ruler and his mother and many others in the Delhi court had particular disdain for the Marathas and Hindus. Nizam-ul-Mulk was known never... Continue Reading →
Matri Vav, Kankavati Village, Dhrangadhra Taluka, Surendranagar District, Gujarat
The mighty Jhalas became a formidable force in the Saurashtra region by the late 11th century and formed seats of power at Santalpur, Halvad and Kankavati. They established the capital city of Dhrangadhra in the mid-18th century which eventually became a princely state till Independence. Dhrangadhra has been of tremendous interest to historians, archaeologists... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Fall of the Sayyid Brothers
The new ruler installed in Delhi by the Sayyid brothers in 1719 began to intrigue with their enemies to bring about their ruin. Chin Qilich Qamaruddin Khan (Nizam-ul-Mulk) the only worthy opponent of the Sayyids was appointed to the government of Malwa. He left Delhi on 15 March 1719 and upon reaching Ujjain, began gathering... Continue Reading →
Bhamaria Vav, Sojali Village, Mehmedabad, Kheda District, Gujarat
Perhaps, one of the deepest stepwells in Gujarat, the Bhamaria vav located a little away from the hustle and bustle of Sojali village has remained in obscurity for centuries. This 15th century vav was built as a pavilion inside an existing well-laid out garden. Though the stepwell and the surroundings are in ruins today, the imposing... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Shrimant Bajirao appointed Peshwa
The sudden demise of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath was a tremendous loss to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj who owed his position and fortune to this devoted servant. Bajirao, then of 19 years had been a part of the contingent that had gone to Delhi and had paid close attention to the events that had unravelled following the death... Continue Reading →
Mata Bhavani ni Vav, Asarva, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
One of the earliest stepwells or vavs of Gujarat is the 11th century Mata Bhavani ni vav located at Asarva in Ahmedabad. This east-facing vav was built by the Solankis and renovated by the Vaghelas in the 14th century before being confiscated by the Gujarat Sultanate. Interestingly, this vav is one of the longest along the east -... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: The sad demise of Maharani Yesubai and Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath
A grand Darbar was held at Satara to rejoice the victorious return of Maharani Yesubai and others from captivity. As Santaji Bhosle had lost his life in Delhi, his brother Ranoji was conferred the title of Sawai Santaji and rewards for his sacrifice. The Peshwa's return from Delhi with tremendous success gave a new impetus... Continue Reading →
Prachin Vav, Jhaloda Village, Kadi, Mehsana District, Gujarat
Stepwells built in Akhanda Bharat since the ancient times offer valuable insight into the social and cultural propensity, religious practices and architecture and art of that period. These vavs are ingenious edifices built with locally available materials and display a rare harmony of structural soundness and architectural excellence. It is very uncommon to find stepwells... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: A power struggle at Delhi
When the ruler at Delhi was informed of Sayyid Husain Ali's approach to the capital, he feared for his life and sent repeated messages and special agents to dissuade the latter. Sayyid Husain Ali requested the Maratha commanders to either halt or return but they refused. They had been given a clear task of... Continue Reading →
Uvarsad Vav, Uvarsad Village, Gandhinagar District, Gujarat
Gujarat is dotted with innumerable stepwells that offer a glimpse into the religious and social practices, cultural traditions and customs and art and architecture of that period. Though a fair number of these have either fallen into a state of disrepair or disuse, there is a spirited movement across the state by several heritage enthusiasts... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath heads to Delhi
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj's primary concern after signing a peace treaty with Sayyid Husain Ali was to ensure that his mother Maharani Yesubai, wife Savitribai and brother Madansinh who were held hostage in Delhi would be released immediately. He had already deputed Parasnis Yadavrao Prabhu to Delhi to arrange for the release in 1715. After... Continue Reading →
Brahma Kund, Sihor, Bhavnagar District, Gujarat
One of the lesser-known stepwells built in the 12th century by the valorous Siddharaja Jayasimha of the Solankis is the Brahma Kund in Sihor. This magnificent structure has in fact also great spiritual significance and has even been mentioned in the Puranas thereby, suggesting that this stepwell was built around an ancient kund. As... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: A peace treaty signed by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj with the Mughals
One of the main reasons Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj agreed to a peace treaty with Sayyid Husain Ali was to secure the release of his mother Maharani Yesubai, wife Savitribai and brother Madansinh who were held hostage in Delhi. Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and Shankaraji Malhar cleverly put in the stipulation to that effect in return for... Continue Reading →
Prachin Mandir, Danteshwar, Vadodara, Gujarat
A forgotten edifice of perhaps the 9th - 13th century which was a golden period in the history of the Baroda State is the Prachin Mandir where the Hazira stands today in Danteshwar. The Baroda State, traditionally rich in culture, history, art, architecture, literature and philosophy was ruled by valorous Hindu kings for centuries. ... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Shankaraji Malhar and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj's position remained insecure for a few years after the passing away of Bahadur Shah I. He was unable to find a suitable candidate for the all-important position of Senapati and became increasingly dependent on Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. Dhanaji's son, Chandrasen who had been given the position was openly animus towards Shahu Raje and... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre
Balaji Vishwanath had already proved to be indispensable to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj in a short time and further strengthened his bond by winning over a great adversary in resources, valour and skill namely Kanhoji Angre. Kanhoji Angre, the wiliest admiral of the Western Coast and head of the Maratha Navy is undisputedly the true champion,... Continue Reading →
History of the Prachin Shiv Mandir at Agra – Part II (The Myth of the Taj Mahal)
Since the ancient times, it has been the practice of Hindu kings to assiduously follow the tenets as laid down in the Shilpa Shastra while building forts, palaces, mansions, temples and dharmashalas. Traditionally, these grand structures were built along river banks, seashores or lakes to observe the obligatory rites and rituals of the Hindu scriptures. ... Continue Reading →
History of the Prachin Shiv Mandir at Agra – Part I (The Myth of the Taj Mahal)
Lazy and uninformed "historians" of Indian (commissioned by the British Raj) and British origin have done an outstanding job for over three centuries to whitewash our glorious Hindu heritage and relegate the contributions of our valorous Hindu kings to obscurity. A concerted effort to prevent one from learning about Hinduism, the oldest civilization in the... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Balaji Vishwanath shows his mettle
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj made an aggressive start to secure the northern portions of his patrimony. He deputed Pratinidhi Gadadhar Pralhad and Senapati Dhanaji Jadhav to Baglan and Khandesh with his trusted aide Balaji Vishwanath. They decisively vanquished the local Mughal officers like Karim Beg of Junnar and plundered the city of its riches. They... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Coronation of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj at Satara
Shahu Raje lost no time in marching towards Satara after defeating the mighty army of Maharani Tarabai, halting for a short period at Shirwal. The faithful follower of Maharani, Sachiv Shankaraji Narayan had his official residence in Fort Rohida near Bhor. Shahu Raje asked him to either surrender or face the consequences of refusal. ... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Battle of Khed
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj was in for a big disappointment. His aunt Maharani Tarabai did not acknowledge him as the rightful heir to the throne as she felt that the kingdom which was once ruled by his late father Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had been lost to her late husband Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and his son, young... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj leaves the Mughal camp
The tyrannical reign of Akhanda Bharat's worst and most radical Islamic barbarian, Aurangzeb finally came to an end on 20 February 1707. The fanatical Mughal had spent more than twenty-five years of his life draining the coffers while attempting to subdue the indomitable Marathas. The long-drawn war of independence would start taking shape under the leadership... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
The demise of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and the ascendance of Maharani Tarabai changed the state of affairs in the Deccan. Aurangzeb had been successful in setting up a well-oiled administration to look after the matters of the Marathas. The prominent families of the territory between Satara and Aurangabad had accepted the sovereignty of Aurangzeb... Continue Reading →
On the history trail: Maharani Tarabai leads the Marathas
Upon hearing Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj's sudden demise, Ramchandra Pant Amatya headed to Sinhagad and conveyed the news to the various officers and generals requesting them to continue their good work and perform their respective duties as before. He appealed to them to exert themselves with more fervour and reminded them of their ambitious goal of... Continue Reading →
sahasa.in 