Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya
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Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya or Hemu (Hemachandra Bhargava) (Hindi: सम्राट हेम चंद्र विक्रमादित्य) (1501-1556) was an Indian Hindu Emperor during the 1500s. He had won 22 battles [1] [2] [3] [4]against Afghan rebels [5] [6] spanning entire North India, from Punjab to Bengal [1] and Akbar's forces in Agra division and Delhi[7]. He was bestowed the title of Vikramaditya after acceding to the throne of Delhi [8] This was one of the crucial periods in Indian history, when the Mughals and Afghans were desperately vying for power. The son of a food seller, and himself a vendor of saltpetre at Rewari [9], he rose to become Chief of Army and Prime Minister [10] [11]under the command of Adil Shah Suri of the Suri Dynasty. He was the only Hindu warrior who was able to defeat the Mughal forces of Akbar and Humayun in Delhi and Agra and acceded to the throne of Delhi in the medieval period[4]. He had his Rajyabhishek or coronation on 7th October 1556 at Purana Quila in Delhi and was bestowed with the honour of Samrat[8]. He re-established the Hindu Kingdom and Vikramaditya Dynasty in North India after centuries of foreign rule with all authority and command [4]. Hemu struck coins, bearing his title [12]
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[edit] Early Life
Hemu was born at Machheri village of Alwar District in Rajasthan in the year 1501 [13]. His father Rai Puran Das, a Brahmin [14], was engaged in Purohiti[13], the performing of Hindu religious ceremonies as a profession. Due to the Mughal Rule in India, and persecution of Hindu religious ceremonies by Mughals, 'Purohiti' could not earn much. Under these circumstances, Rai Puran Das decided to move, to Qutabpur (now Hemu Nagar) in Tehsil and District of Rewari in present day Haryana (then called Mewat). Hemu's father started trading in salt in Qutabpur, and Hemu was educated there.[15]
Apart from learning Sanskrit and Hindi, he was educated in Persian, Arabic and arithmetic [16]. During his childhood, he was fond of body-building, and Kushti (Wrestling) and while crushing salt in an Imam Dasta (an iron pot and hammer), he would monitor his muscle development [15]. He had training in horse-riding at his friend Sehdev's village. His friend Sehdev was a Rajput[15] and he participated in all the battles which Hemu fought later,[15] except the Second Battle of Panipat. Hemu was brought up in religious and Sanskritik environment. His father, a devout Hindu was a member of Vallabh Sampradai of Vrindavan and visited various religious sites frequently [16] as far as Sindh in Pakistan at present.
[edit] Rise to fame
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At a very young age, Hemu started supplying food/cereals to Sher Shah Suri's army. Slowly he started other supplies like Saltpetre or Pottassium Nitrate (Gunpowder) to Sher Shah's army.[13] Sher Shah had defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun in the year 1540 and had forced him to withdraw to Kabul. Hemu also laid the foundation of brass cannons casting and manufacturing industry in Rewari, which still remains an important Brass/Copper manufacturing centre even at present times. [17]
After Sher Shah Suri's death in the year 1548, his son Islam Shah became ruler of North India. Islam Shah recognised the calibre, dynamism, administrative skills and sincerity of Hemu and therefore made him his personal adviser.[16] He consulted Hemu not only in matters relating to trade and commerce, but also in matters pertaining to statesmanship, diplomacy and general politics.[18] He placed Hemu in important government positions including Shahang-i-Bazar, a Persian word meaning 'Bazar superintendent'. This was a very important post during the Afghan rule. It was the Shahang-i-Bazar who managed the mercantile system throughout the length and breadth of the country [19]. This post gave Hemu an opportunity to pay frequent visits to the king in order to apprise him of the trade and commercial situation of the Afghan Kingdom.[20]. Abul Fazal says that Islam Shah held Hemu in great esteem [21] In 1550, Hemu accompanied Islam Shah to the Punjab where he was deputed along with other high officers to receieve Mirza Kamran in the fort of Rohtas.Islam Shah consulted Hemu on a variety of matters [20]. After serving as Sahang-i-Bazar,for some time, Hemu was given another very important assignment by Islam Shah.He was made the Chief of Intelligence or Daroga-i-Chowki (Superintendent of Post)[22]. Hemu held this position till October 30 1553, when Islam Shah died.
Islam Shah was succeeded by his 12 year old son Firoz Khan who was soon killed by Adil Shah Suri. The new king Adil was an indolent, pleasure-seeker, drunkard and debauch [6] and faced revolts all around [23]. Adil Shah too took Hemu as his Chief Advisor and entrusted all his work to him [16]. Hemu now became the prime minister and chief of the Afghan army.[10] [11]. After some time, Adil Shah became insane and Hemu became very powerful and began to rule like a king.[16] [10] [6] [3] [23] [24] [25]
Hemu went to various states in North India to crush rebellion. Ibrahim Khan, Sultan Muhhamad Khan, Taj Karrani, Rukh Khan Nurani and several other Afghan rebellian officers were killed one by one by Hemu [13]. Hemu fought, in all, twenty two battles from Punjab to Bengal, winning all of them. At the battle of Chhapparghatta in December 1555, Hemu routed the Bengal forces under Muhammad Shah, who was killed in the battle.
The reason for Hemu's success was that he could muster the support of both Hindus and Afghans against the Mughal invaders. Akbar,writes Vincent A. Smith [25] , was a foreigner in India. He had not a drop of Indian blood in his veins. Hemu was thus a true nationalist and patriot who fought bravely for freedom of the country [1]. Hemu was very popular among Hindus as well as Afghans. Afghans considered themselves to be native Indians, and Hemu also considered Afghans as Indians. Unity of Hindus and Afghans had created a formidable force to take on the Mughals, considered to be the foreign invaders. This shows that nationalism and secularism was the common cause for Afghans and Hindus. It also indicates that the Hindu-Raj which Hemu established was not against Muslims but only pro-india [26].
[edit] Victories against Mughals
After the victory of the Mughal ruler Humayun over Adil Shah's brother Sikander Sur, Mughal rule was re-established in Punjab, Delhi and Agra after a gap of 15 years on July 23, 1555. Humayun's sudden death on January 26, 1556, gave Hemu an opportunity to claim power for himself. He was in Bengal at that time where he had defeated and killed the rebel Bengal Ruler Muhammad Shah. Hemu was determined to drive the Mughals out of India and restore Hinduraj. He made known his decision to his Afgan and Hindu commanders that he would capture power for himself in Delhi. He started a winning march from Bengal through present day Bihar, Eastern UP and Madhya Pradesh. The Mughal fauzdars evacuated their positions and fled in panic of the Hemu's force. In Agra, an important Mughal stronghold, the commander of Mughal forces Iskander Khan Uzbeg ran away from Agra hearing about Hemu's invasion without a fight. Ettawah, Kalpi, Bayana all came under Hemu's rule. Hemu got an enormous treasure and equipment.
In the words of K.K.Bhardwaj in HEMU-Napoleon of Medieval India, if Vincent A Smith describes Samudragupt as Indian Napolean [27] we can certainly call Hemu "the Napolean of Medieval India" as the victor of 22 battles before dieing fighting as a valiant soldier at Panipat due to sheer bad luck. His triumphant march from Bihar to Dilli (Delhi) can be equated to the Italian campaign of Napolean "He came, he saw, he conquered" [28]. Like him, Hemu never saw the defeat in a battle and romped from victory to victory throughout his life. If Napoleon promised his soldiers a glorious future they fought bravely in his Italian campaign and instilled in them a new vigour and enthusiasm by an excellent address [29] leading to glorious victories, Hemu practiced [8] it by his lavish distribution of the spoils of war among his soldiers. After winning Agra, Hemu moved towards final assault on Delhi. This was Hemu's 22nd Battle.
[edit] Victory over Akbar's forces in Delhi
Tardi Beg Khan who was Governor of Delhi, representing Akbar, sent a despatch to Akbar and Bairam Khan that Hemu had captured Agra and was intending to attack the capital Delhi which could not be defended without adequate reinforcements [1]. Bairam Khan who visualised the gravity of the situation, sent his ablest lieutenant Pir Muhammad Sharwani with other brave commanders to Tardi Beg to hearten him advising to do his utmost for the time being. Tardi Beg Khan summoned all the Mughal commanders of the neighbourhood to the rescue of Delhi and a war council was held. It was decided to fight Hemu and plans were made accordingly.
Sir Jadunath Sarkar writes in detail about the battle of Tughlaqabad as follows: "The Mughal army was thus drawn up. Abdullah Uzbeg commanded the Van,Haider Muhammad the right wing, Iskander Beg the left and Tardi Beg himself the centre. The choice Turki Cavalry in the Van and left wing attacked and drove back the enemy forces before them and followed far in persuit. In this assault the Victors captured 400 elephants and slew 3000 men of the Afghan army. Imagining victory already gained, many of Tardi Beg followers dispersed to plunder the enemy camp and he was left in the field thinly guarded. All this time Hemu had been holding 300 choice elephants and a force of select horsemen as a reserve in the centre. He promptly seized the opportunity and made a sudden charge upon Tardi Beg with this reserve."
The result was confusion and defeat for the Mughals. Hemu was helped by reinforcements from Alwar with a contingent commanded by Hazi Khan and desertions of various Mughal Commanders along with Pir Muhhammad Khan who fled away from the battle field to the utmost chargin and surprise of Tardi Beg who followed suit. It could thus be seen that the victory of Hemu at Tughlaqubad was a feat of strategy.
Hemu won Delhi after a day's battle on October 6, 1556. Some 3000 army men died in this battle. However, Mughal forces lead by Tardi Beg Khan vacated Delhi after a day's fight and Hemu entered Delhi under a royal canopy.
[edit] Starting of Hindu Vikramaditya Dynasty
Sir Wolsey Haig [12] writes, "Hemu was so elated by the capture of Delhi as to believe that he had already reached the goal of his ambition."
Hemu made no pretence of restoring his master but assumed the title of Raja Vikramaditya and is said to have stuck coins bearing his title. His Afghan officers were temporarily reconciled by a liberal distribution of plunder to the ascendancy of an infidel.[23] [1]
Vincent A. Smith who puts Hemu as the third claimant to the sovereignty of Hindustan, the other two being the Suris and Akbar, affirms that Hemu after his occupation [30] of Delhi came to the conclusion that he had better claim of the throne for himself rather than on behalf of Adil and ventured to assume the royal state under the style of Raja Vikramaditya or Vikramaditya, a title borne by several renowned Hindu Kings in ancient times. Hemu assumed the royal robes and declared himself the Hindu Emperor of India under the glorious title of Vikramaditya.
Hemu had his formal Rajyabhishek or coronation following all Hindu religious ceremonies in Delhi and became the ruler under the title 'Raja Vikramaditya'. Hemu was crowned at Purana Qila, on 7th October 1556, in the presence of all Afghan Sardars and Hindu Senapatis (military commanders). The picture above shows a painting of the occasion of Hemu's coronation, where he is flanked by his Afghan and Hindu military commanders. K.K.Bhardwaj writes [1], thousands of guests would have been invited, along with various Rajput chiefs and Afghan governors along with various scholars and Pandits and the festivities continued for three or four days. It is certain that Hemu performed various Hindu rituals before he sat on the throne amdist chanting of Vedic mantras and sprinkling of sacred waters of Ganges and many other rivers and the ceremony might have cost crores of rupees to state treasury as Hemu was quite lavish in distributing favours and precious gifts to others. "Essential parts of a Hindu King's coronation are" writes, Sir Jadunath Sarkar, [31] "washing him (abbhishake) and holding the royal umbrella over his head (Chhatra-Dharam)" and Hemu must have followed these ancient traditions of Hindus, accompanied by costly gifts and robes to priests and Brahmins. He made various [32] appointments at that occasion, appointing his brother Jujharu Rai as governor of Ajmer and his nephew Rammayya as a general in his army. He also appointed his various well-wishers as Chhaudhuris and Muqqudams who continued to maintain their position in the reign of Akbar.
Thus Hemu re-established a Hindu kingdom and restarted the Vikramaditya dynasty in North India,after centuries of foreign rule.
[edit] Aftermath of Hindu Raj
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Hemu had succeeded in imparting efficiency to the administrative set-up. Due to his up to-date knowledge of trade and commerce, he injected fresh blood into the arteries of the mercantile system throughout the length and breadth of the country. He spared none indulging in black-marketing, hoarding, overcharging and less-weighing. [23] A word about his hatred for corruption which was quite rampant in his days. After his victory over Agra and Delhi, he dismissed all the corrupt officers and replaced them.[33]
[edit] Second Battle of Panipat
On hearing about Hemu's continuous victories and fall of large terrories like Agra and Delhi from Akbar's control, the Mughal army at Kalanaur lost heart and many commanders refused to fight Hemu.[citation needed] Most of the commanders advised Akbar to retreat to Kabul as he would be safer there. However, Bairam Khan, the guardian of Akbar and chief strategist for army matters, insisted on taking Hemu in a war and make an effort to gain control of Delhi.
On November 5, 1556, the Mughal army met Hemu's army at the historic battle field of Panipat. Akbar and Bairam Khan were not present in the war at Panipat. They stayed back eight miles away from the war-zone. However, Bairam Khan incited his army by a religious speech and ordered them to move for battle. Hemu lead his large army himself and was poised to achieve victory, when he was wounded in the eye by an arrow, and collapsed unconscious. Taking him to be dead, his troops started fleeing.
Unconscious, the almost dead Hemu was captured by Shah Qulin Khan and carried to the camp of Akbar and Bairam Khan, smitten first by Akbar to earn the title of "Ghazi", then beheaded by Bairam Khan.[citation needed] His head was sent to Kabul, where it was hanged outside Delhi Darwaza, while his body was placed in a gibbet outside Purana Quila in Delhi.
After Hemu's death, a genocide was ordered by Bairam Khan of the community of Hemu and his main Afghan supporters. Thousands of persons were killed to create terror among Hindus and minarets were built of the skulls of the dead. Such minarets were still in existence about 60 years later as described by Petre Mundy, a British traveler who visited India during the time of Jahangir.[citation needed]
[edit] Hem Chander Vikramaditya's modern legacy
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The neutrality of this article's title and/or subject matter is disputed. This is a dispute over the neutrality of viewpoints implied by the title, or the subject matter within its scope, rather than the actual facts stated. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(May 2008) |
Panipat was a witness to a gala function, on 6th April 2008, the new Sanwat Day of Hindus held to perpetuate the memory of Hem Chander Vikramaditya. India's National Warriors Memorial Committee dedicated the day to the memory of Hindu king as 'Samrat Hem Chander Vikramaditya Day'. Function was chaired by Harvard-educated Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, former Union Cabinet Minister, Govt. of India, and Chief guest was Sardar Joginder Singh, IPS, former director of CBI, Govt. of India. To the packed crowds, visitors narrated many incidents of wrongly written Indian medieval history and stressed the need of taking steps to set it right. Shree Hari Bhau Vaze, a noted historian from Mumbai, was the guest of honour.
A memorial of Hemu, along with Prithviraj Chauhan and Sadashivrao Bhau is proposed to be built at Panipat by Rashtriya Yodha Smarak Samiti. Hemu's Haveli in Qutabpur is planned to be converted in to a museum by its current owners and the Hemu Vikramaditya Foundation.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Hemu-Napoleon of Medieval India By K.K.Bhardwaj,page 25, published by Mittal Publications, New Delhi
- ^ The History of India from the Earliest Period to the Present Time By John Clark Marshman, London (1873) page 50
- ^ a b akbar the Great By A.L.Srivastva Vol.I, page 24-26
- ^ a b c Military History of India by J.N.Sarkar, page 67
- ^ Bhartiya Itihas By Dr. Ram Prasad Tripathi; Hindustani Book Depot,Lucknow page 325
- ^ a b c Akbar Nama By Sheikh Abul Fazal; translation by Dr. Mathura Lal Sharma; Kailash Pustak Sadan, page 155
- ^ AKBAR: THE GREAT MOGUL By Vincent A. Smith: page 36-37, (Oxford, 1926)
- ^ a b c THE MUGHAL EMPIRE: Appendix (By the Editor)- Himu - A forgotten Hindu Hero, page 100, Published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan
- ^ Rise and Fall of Mughal Empire By R.P.Tripathi, Allahabad (1960), page 158
- ^ a b c The Empire of the great Mogul By De Laet,pp 140-41
- ^ a b Tahaqat-i-Akbari By Nizamuddin Ahmed (tr. B.De), vol.II, page 114,
- ^ a b The Cambridge History of India, Volume IV,The Mughal Period, Delhi (1965), page 72
- ^ a b c d Samrat Hemchander Vikramaditya By Samrat Hemchander Vikramaditya Dhusar (Bhargava) Memorial Charitable Trust (Regd.),Rekmo Press, NewDelhi page 5
- ^ Hemu Veer and Mahatma Naval Das By Sadhu Kishori Sharan of Jaipur, page 2, published by Naval Kishore Press, Lucknow; 1922
- ^ a b c d Anokha Aarohi By Kranti Trivedi pages 1,3, published by Sulabh Prakashan,Lucknow
- ^ a b c d e HEMU Life and Times of Hemchandra Vikramaditya By R.K.Bhardwaj,page 24, publishers Hope India Publications, Gurgaon
- ^ www.rewari.nic.in
- ^ Tabaqat-I-Akbari written by Nizamuddin Ahmed(trans.B.De),Vol.II,p198
- ^ AKI Ahirwal Ka Itihas By Dr. K.C.Yadav pages 30
- ^ a b History of the Afghans in India, by Rahim, page 94
- ^ Muntkhab-ul-Tawarikh,By Badauni, Vol.I page 384,
- ^ Sher Shah and his Times,By K.R.Quanungo,page 448
- ^ a b c d Ahirwal By Dr.K.C.Yadav, page35
- ^ Rise and fall of Mughal Empire, By Tripathi, page 158,
- ^ a b Akbar the Great Mogul, By Vincent A. Smith, page 26
- ^ sher Shah and His Times,By K.R.Qanungo, Orient (1965) p 449
- ^ The History and Culture of Indian People-The Classical Age Ref. Quoted by R.C.Mazumdar (Fourth Edition) Bombay (1988), p14
- ^ Modern Europe, By C.D.Hazen, (Reprint),Delhi(1956),p.156
- ^ World History, By Albert E. McKinley,& others, Reprint(1994),page 210
- ^ The Emperor Akbar (Vol.1),Patna (1973), page 72,
- ^ Shivaji and His Times, Calcutta (1929),page 216-17,
- ^ Hemu and His Times, M.L.Bhargava, NewDelhi,(1991),p.91,
- ^ Tarikh-i-Salatin-i-Afghana,page 62
