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Subject: Modern History

  • Historical episodes that PM spoke about in Kashi

    In his speech at Kashi, PM has referred to several historical episodes including the battle between Salar Masud and Raja Suhaldev and the conflict between Governor-general Warren Hastings and Raja Chait Singh.

    He also mentioned the contributions of historical figures like Rani Bhabani from Bengal.

    Note: UPSC is known to ask contemporaries.

    [1] Salar Masud and Raja Suhaldev

    • The story of Salar Masud, also known as Ghazi Mian, and Suhaldev is a mix of history and myth.
    • Ghazi Mian is believed to have acquired popularity as a warrior in the 12th century.
    • He was the nephew of the 11th-century Turkik invader, Mahmud of Ghazni, whose invasion of India is known as the moment when Islam entered large parts of the subcontinent.
    • Interestingly, his tomb at Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh stands as a place of pilgrimage for a large number of Muslims as well as Hindus.
    • The most comprehensive source of information about Ghazi Mian is the Mirat-e-Masaud (Mirror of Masaud), a 17th-century Persian hagiography written by Abdur Rahman Chisti, a Sufi saint.
    • He asserted that Masud was the disciple of Sheikh Moinuddin Chisti, the founder of the Chistiya order of Sunni mysticism.

    His conquest and Suheldev

    • Masud arrived in Multan as a 17-year old head of the Afghan army and after having subjugated it made for Delhi where he spent almost half a year.
    • Advancing his aggressive campaigns, Masud on the way destroyed several temples and converted many to Islam.
    • It was at Bahraich, where in the course of a battle in 1034 CE between Masud and a local king by the name Suhaldev that the former was wounded by an arrow and succumbed.
    • Suheldev is believed to have been the eldest son of the king of the Bhar community, from which emerged the Pasi community, a Dalit caste group of the region.

    [2] Warren Hastings and Maharaja Chait Singh

    • Another historical episode cited by Modi in his Kashi speech was about the first governor-general of Bengal Warren Hastings fleeing the city in 1781.
    • By the late 18th century, Benaras had declared independence from the Nawab of Awadh.
    • In 1771, Maharaja Chait Singh succeeded to the throne of Banaras with the help of British authorities.
    • Two years later, the Maharaja transferred the domain to the East India Company under the control of Hastings.

    Issues over Mysore war

    • When faced with the need for resources to fight the Mysore War against Hyder Ali, Hastings pressed Maharaja Chait Singh to make additional revenue payments and supply troops in 1778 and 1779.
    • When Singh failed to comply, Hastings marched to Benaras with his troops to confront the king.
    • A skirmish erupted between the British troops on the one hand and the Raja’s forces and his large number of supporters on the other.
    • As they fought, the Raja managed to escape from the fort through a window facing the Ganges.

    An embarrassing defeat for Hastings

    • Several of Hastings’ men were killed in the conflict and, left with no other option, the governor-general was forced to retreat.
    • Popular narrative goes that he left hurriedly at night for the nearby Chunar Fort riding an elephant.
    • The incident is believed to have given rise to the popular saying in Banaras: “Ghode par haudah, hathi par jeen, Kashi se bhaga Warren Hastings”.

    [3] Rani Bhabani

    • Bhabani was married to Raja Ramkanta Ray, the zamindar of the Natore estate in Rajshahi (present day Bangladesh).
    • After the death of her husband in 1748, the zamindari passed on to the hands of Bhabani, making her one among the very few women zamindars of the time.
    • For the next four decades, Bhabani is said to have managed the estate of Natore with utmost efficiency.
    • Bhabani is remembered most for her philanthropic efforts. She is known to have built several schools across Rajshahi district and offered a number of scholarships.
    • She is also known to have built the Durga Kund Mandir in Varanasi.
    • She also desired to build a Kashi in Bengal and, consequently in 1755 a complex consisting of a dozen temples was built in Baronagar in Murshidabad by her.

     

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  • Significance of Raigad Fort in Maratha History

     

    President Ram Nath Kovind is commencing his visit to Maharashtra by visiting the Raigad Fort where he will pay tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

    Where is Raigad fort located?

    • Raigad is a hill fort situated about 25 km from Mahad in the Raigad district and stands 2,851 feet above sea level.
    • The British Gazette states the fort was known to early Europeans as the Gibraltar of the East.
    • Its decisive feature is a mile and a half flat top which has adequate room for buildings.
    • In its prime, the fort had 300 stone houses and a garrison of 2,000 men.

    When was it built?

    • The fort, which was earlier called Rairi, was the seat of the Maratha clan Shirke in the 12th century.
    • The fort changed hands a number of times from the dynasty of Bahaminis to the Nizamshahis and then the Adilshahis.
    • In 1656, Chhatrapati Shivaji captured it from the More’s of Javli who were under the suzerainty of the Adilshahi Sultanate.
    • The fort not only helped Shivaji challenge the supremacy of the Adilshahi dynasty but also opened up the routes towards Konkan for the extension of his power.

    Significance of the fort in Shivaji’s life

    • In 1662, Shivaji formally changed the fort’s name to Raigad and added a number of structures to it.
    • By 1664, the fort had emerged as the seat of Shivaji’s government.
    • As the Marathas under the leadership of Shivaji gained strength in their struggle against the Mughals, the announcement of a sovereign, independent state was made.
    • On June 6, 1674, Shivaji was coronated at Raigad by Gagabhatt where he took on the title of Chhatrapati.
    • Six years later, Shivaji passed away in Raigad in 1680 and has been cremated at the fort.

    Importance of Raigad Fort in Maharashtra’s polity

    • Chhatrapati Shivaji is the tallest and the most revered icon in Maharashtra and there is a constant attempt by political parties of all hues to appropriate his legacy.
    • Due to the significance of Raigad in his life, many political leaders make it a point to visit the fort.
    • Maharashtra has already announced a mid-sea memorial in the Arabian Sea for the Maratha warrior king.

     

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  • Paika Rebellion to be included as ‘case study’ in history textbook

    The 1817 Paika Rebellion of Odisha would be included as a case study in the Class 8 NCERT history textbook, informed the Union Culture Minister.

    Who were the Paiks?

    • The Paiks of Odisha were the traditional landed militia and enjoyed rent free land tenures for their military service and policing functions on a hereditary basis.

    Paika Rebellion

    • When the British started tinkering with the revenue system in 1803, the farming community of Odisha rose in rebellion.
    • At that critical juncture, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar — the military chief of the King of Khurda — led his army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat.
    • The rebellion came to be known as Paika Bidroh (Paika rebellion).

    When did it take place?

    • The rebellion, by the landed militia of Khurda called Paiks, predates the first war of independence in 1857 but did not get similar recognition.
    • It took place when the British East India Company wrested the rent-free land that had been given to the Paiks for their military service to the Kingdom of Khurda.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

    Q. With reference to the history of India, ‘ulgulan’ or the great tumult is the description of the which of the following?

    (a) The revolt of 1857

    (b) The Mappila rebellion of 1921

    (c) The Indigo revolt of 1859-1860

    (d) Birsa Munda’s revolt of 1899-1900

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”5jsad1unuu” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • [pib] Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas.

    Who was Lachit Borphukan?

    • The year was 1671 and the decisive Battle of Saraighat was fought on the raging waters of the Brahmaputra.
    • On one side was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s army headed by Ram Singh of Amer (Jaipur) and on the other was the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan.
    • He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom, located in present-day Assam.
    • Ram Singh failed to make any advance against the Assamese army during the first phase of the war.
    • Lachit Borphukan emerged victorious in the war and the Mughals were forced to retreat from Guwahati.

    Lachit Diwas

    • On 24 November each year, Lachit Divas is celebrated statewide in Assam to commemorate the heroism of Lachit Borphukan.
    • On this day, Borphukan has defeated the Mughal army on the banks of the Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671.
    • The best passing out cadet of National Defence Academy has conferred the Lachit gold medal every year since 1999 commemorating his valour.

    Try this PYQ:

    Q.What was the immediate cause for Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade and fight the Third Battle of Panipat:

    (a) He wanted to avenge the expulsion by Marathas of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore

    (b) The frustrated governor of Jullundhar Adina Beg khan invited him to invade Punjab

    (c) He wanted to punish Mughal administration for non-payment of the revenues of the Chahar Mahal (Gujrat Aurangabad, Sialkot and Pasrur)

    (d) He wanted to annex all the fertile plains of Punjab upto borders of Delhi to his kingdom

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”cm8azvlxsr” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • Who was Rani Gaidinliu?

    Union Home Minister has laid the foundation for ‘Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum’ in Imphal, Manipur.

    Rani Gaidinliu

    • Gaidinliu (26 January 1915 – 17 February 1993) was a Naga spiritual and political leader who led a revolt against British rule in India.
    • At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang.
    • The movement later turned into a political movement seeking to drive out the British from Manipur and the surrounding Naga areas.
    • Within the Heraka faith, she came to be considered an incarnation of the Goddess Cherachamdinliu.

    Meeting with Pt. Nehru

    • Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British rulers.
    • Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in 1937 and promised to pursue her release.
    • Nehru gave her the title of “Rani” (“Queen”), and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu.

    Her legacy

    • She was released in 1947 after India’s independence and continued to work for the upliftment of her people.
    • An advocate of the ancestral Naga religious practices, she staunchly resisted the conversion of Nagas to Christianity.
    • She was honored as a freedom fighter and was awarded a Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

     

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  • Mosques to honour 1921 Malabar Rebellion martyrs

    Granite plaquettes featuring the names of Variamkunnathu Kunjahamad Haji, Ali Musliyar, and other martyrs of the 1921 Malabar Rebellion will be put up at the precincts of a few mosques in Ernakulam.

    Malabar Rebellion

    • The Malabar Rebellion in 1921 started as resistance against the British colonial rule and the feudal system in southern Malabar but ended in communal violence between Hindus and Muslims.
    • There were a series of clashes between Mappila peasantry and their landlords, supported by the British, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
    • It began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown on the Khilafat Movement, a campaign in defence of the Ottoman Caliphate by the British authorities in the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar.
    • The Mappilas attacked and took control of police stations, British government offices, courts and government treasuries.

    Who was Variyankunna Kunjahammed Haji?

    • He was one of the leaders of the Malabar Rebellion of 1921.
    • He raised 75000 natives, seized control of large territory from the British rule and set up a parallel government.
    • In January 1922, under the guise of a treaty, the British betrayed Haji through his close friend Unyan Musaliyar, arresting him from his hideout and producing him before a British judge.
    • He was sentenced to death along with his compatriots.

     

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  • Birsa Munda Jayanti to be celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas

    The Union Cabinet has decided to declare November 15 as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ to mark the birth anniversary of revered tribal leader and freedom fighter Birsa Munda.

    Who was Birsa Munda (1875-1900)?

    • Birsa Munda was an Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero who belonged to the Munda tribe.
    • He spearheaded a tribal religious millenarian movement that arose in the Bengal Presidency (now Jharkhand) in the late 19th century, during the British Raj.

    His legacy

    (A) Birth and early childhood

    • Born on November 15, 1875, Birsa spent much of his childhood moving from one village to another with his parents.
    • He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area.
    • He received his early education at Salga under the guidance of his teacher Jaipal Nag.
    • On the recommendation of Jaipal Nag, Birsa converted to Christianity in order to join the German Mission school.
    • He, however, opted out of the school after a few years.

    (B) New faith ‘Birsait’ against religious conversion

    • The impact of Christianity was felt in the way he came to relate to religion later.
    • Having gained awareness of the British colonial ruler and the efforts of the missionaries to convert tribals to Christianity, Birsa started the faith of ‘Birsait’.
    • Soon members of the Munda and Oraon community started joining the Birsait sect and it turned into a challenge to British conversion activities.
    • The Mundas called him Dharati Aaba, the father of earth.

    (C) The Ulgulan

    • The Great Tumult or Ulgulan was a movement started by Birsa Munda against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals by the local authorities.
    • Although the movement failed, it did result in the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act which forbade tribal lands passing to non-tribals, protecting their land rights for the foreseeable future.

    (D) Death

    • On March 3, 1900, Birsa Munda was arrested by the British police while he was sleeping with his tribal guerilla army at Jamkopai forest in Chakradharpur.
    • He died in Ranchi jail on June 9, 1900, at the young age of 25.

    (E) Creation of Jharkhand

    • Birsa Munda’s achievements are known to be even more remarkable by virtue of the fact that he came to acquire them before he was 25.
    • In recognition of his impact on the national movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2020

    Q. With reference to the history of India, “Ulgulan” or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following event?

     

    (a) The Revolt of 1857

    (b) The Mappila Rebellion of 1921

    (c) The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60

    (d) Birsa Munda’s Revolt of 1899-1900

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”ok4dlnd0am” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

     

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  • [pib] Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar

    The Prime Minister has recalled the rich contributions of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on Thevar Jayanthi.

    Who was M. Thevar (1908-1963)?

    • Muthuramalingam was a politician and a patriarch of Thevar community in the state of Tamil Nadu.
    • He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency.

    His legacy:

    (a) Association with INC

    • Thevar attended the 52nd annual session of the Indian National Congress, held in Tripuri in March 1939.
    • At this meeting the presidency of Subhas Chandra Bose was challenged by Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Sitaramayya had the active support of Gandhi.
    • Bose was elected president again over Gandhi’s preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
    • Thevar strongly supported Bose in the intra-Congress dispute and joined the Forward Bloc.

    (b) Opposition to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)

    • The CTA had been enacted in 1920 by the government of the Madras Presidency and was subsequently implemented in a piecemeal fashion.
    • CTA criminalized entire communities by designating them as habitual criminals.
    • Adult males of the groups were forced to report weekly to local police, and had restrictions on their movement imposed.
    • Thevar mobilised resistance to it, touring villages in the affected areas and leading protest rallies for the rights of the individuals registered under it.

    (c) Temple entry movement

    • The Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act was passed by the government of C. Rajagopalachari in 1939.
    • This removed restrictions prohibiting Dalits from entering Hindu temples.
    • Thevar supported this reform and on 8 July 1939 he helped the activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer take Dalits to Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.

     

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  • Places in news: Mount Manipur

    The Union government has rechristened Mount Harriet, a historical tourist spot in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as ‘Mount Manipur’ to commemorate the1891 Anglo-Manipur war.

    Manipur’s connection to Mount Harriet

    • After the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, several Manipuris who had fought the British in the war, including Maharaja Kulachandra Dhwaja Singh, were exiled to the British penal colony in the Andaman Islands.
    • Since the cellular jail (Kalapani) was yet to be built, Kulachandra and the prisoners were kept on Mount Harriet, a hillock in what is now the Ferragunj tehsil of South Andaman district.
    • 23 men, including King Kulachandra and his brothers, were “transported for life” to the Andamans.
    • While some died there, Kulachandra was released and shifted elsewhere before his death.

    This is why Mount Harriet is an important symbol of the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891.

    About Anglo-Manipur War of 1891

    • Considered an epoch in the history of Manipur, the Anglo-Manipur War was fought between the kingdom of Manipur and the British over a month in 1891.
    • The battle was triggered by a coup in the palace of Manipur, which had been marked by internal factionalism in the years leading up 1891.
    • The British government took advantage of the internal dissension among the princes of the royal family.

    Battle for throne

    • In 1886, when Surchandra inherited the throne from his father Chandrakirti Singh, the kingdom of Manipur was not under the British rule but had links with the crown through different treaties.
    • However, Surchandra ascension to the throne was controversial and his younger brothers — Kulachadra, Tikendrajit — revolted against him.
    • The1890 coup by the rebel faction deposed Surchandra, and proclaimed Kulachandra, the next oldest brother, the king.
    • Surchandra fled to Calcutta seeking British help to reinstate him.
    • Instead, the British dispatched James Quinton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, with an army to Manipur.
    • His mission was to recognise Kulachandra as the king under the condition that they be allowed to arrest the coup leader Crown Prince Tikendrajit and deport him from Manipur.

    This aggressive imposition of British law in a sovereign state was rejected by the king, precipitating the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.

    Its aftermath

    • In the first phase of the war, the British surrendered and their officers — including Quinton — were executed in public.
    • In the second phase, the British attacked Manipur from three sides, and finally capture the Kangla Fort in Imphal.
    • Prince Tikendrajit and four others were hanged by the British, while Kulachandra, along with 22 others, were banished to the Andaman Islands.

    Significance of the war

    • Many say the war was described as a blow to British prestige.
    • In India, it was viewed as being part of the general uprising against British rule in the country, soon after after the Revolt of 1857.
    • The war led to Manipur officially becoming a princely state under the indirect rule of the British crown.

     

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  • In news: Battle of Chamkaur (1704)

    The new Punjab CM represents the Assembly constituency of Chamkaur Sahib, which is of significance in Sikh history.

    For such history-related topics, one must not forget to note the contemporaries of a particular period.

    The Battle of Chamkaur

    • The coalition forces of Mughals and hill rajas led by Wazir Khan, the Nawab of Sirhind, had laid siege to Anandpur Sahib in the hope of capturing Guru Gobind Singh in May 1704.
    • After seven months of fighting and heavy losses, the coalition forces offered a safe passage to the Guru and his followers.
    • The heads of the coalition pledged they would not harm the Guru, his family, or his soldiers.
    • The peace treaty was sent in the name of Emperor Aurangzeb himself.
    • But when Gobind Singh and his followers stepped out of the Anandpur Sahib fort on the night of December 20, they were attacked.
    • Historically, this was where that Guru Gobind Singh lost two of his elder sons in a battle with the coalition forces of Mughals and the hill rajas.

    What happened at Chamkaur Sahib?

    • The Guru, accompanied by panj piaras (the five Sikhs he had initially baptised), his elder sons and around 40 soldiers, regrouped in a fortress-like two-storey house, with high compound walls made of mud.
    • They were surrounded by an army commandeered by Wazir Khan and Sher Mohammed Khan, the younger brother of Malerkotla’s chieftain.
    • The Guru sent out soldiers in small squads for hand-to-hand combat. Two such attacks were led by his sons, both of whom died fighting.
    • Three of the panj piaras — Mohkam Singh, Himmat Singh and Sahib Singh — too died fighting.

    How did the battle conclude?

    • When very few soldiers were left, they decided the Guru should leave so that he could carry on his mission.
    • It was at the Chamkaur fort that panj piaras issued an edict (hukumnama) ordering the Guru to leave.
    • This was the first edict issued by panj piaras after the formation of the Khalsa on April 13, 1699.
    • Before leaving, the Guru gave his attire and distinguishing kalgi to Sangat Singh, a Mazhabi Sikh who resembled him.
    • Three other soldiers too left the fort, and went in separate directions. The following day, the enemy forced their way inside to find only two soldiers who fought till their last breath.
    • Five days later, Guru Gobind Singh’s two younger sons, aged nine and seven, were bricked alive for refusing to convert.

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