Our Heroine continues.
If my first post did not already reveal the identity of our heroine, I am sure this post will give a more significant clue :)
In the 11th Century CE, a clan of Karnata-Kshatriyas, South Indian warriors, migrated to Bengal to explore new horizons. The Sena clan eventually took over the region and began ruling under the name of ‘rajaputraveera.’ The rajaputraveras were staunch Hindus and though they were divided into multiple states, they were united under the banner of defiance. They refused to pay taxes to the Islamic rule and wanted a Hindu Raj. Towards the end of the Delhi sultanate, i.e. the period between 1206-1526, there is much mention about the Ranas of the Rajputs. Mewar arose as the prominent defiant kingdom, beginning with the reign of Rana Kumbha and ending with Rana Sanga, who challenged Babur, but was defeated. Nonetheless, the campaigns of the Rajputs dented the power of Muslim sultanates and preserved a dominant and united Hindu kingdom for nearly a century.
As the Rajputs grew in power, so they grew in civilian population and thus they began to flourish commercially as well. They built several temples and forts in Pali, Merta, Udaipur and Bhilwara as well as in the capital cities of Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Jaipur. History lends to itself, and just as the military origin resulted in a civilized state, so to, temples and towns required a militarily strong state to protect them from being looted and from foreign occupancy, thus the military grew.
Of particular interest to our tale is the role of the bard, since our story is about a bard and can only be conveyed by the bardly function of story-telling. Every Rajput army had a bard, or bhat. The bard was essential to keep up the morale of the troops, singing to the warriors of their ancestors and heroes. Also, the poetry written by the bards and passed down from generation to generation is our historical evidence and often succeeds in transporting us to the times of Mewar and the Rajput states.
stay tuned...
In the 11th Century CE, a clan of Karnata-Kshatriyas, South Indian warriors, migrated to Bengal to explore new horizons. The Sena clan eventually took over the region and began ruling under the name of ‘rajaputraveera.’ The rajaputraveras were staunch Hindus and though they were divided into multiple states, they were united under the banner of defiance. They refused to pay taxes to the Islamic rule and wanted a Hindu Raj. Towards the end of the Delhi sultanate, i.e. the period between 1206-1526, there is much mention about the Ranas of the Rajputs. Mewar arose as the prominent defiant kingdom, beginning with the reign of Rana Kumbha and ending with Rana Sanga, who challenged Babur, but was defeated. Nonetheless, the campaigns of the Rajputs dented the power of Muslim sultanates and preserved a dominant and united Hindu kingdom for nearly a century.
As the Rajputs grew in power, so they grew in civilian population and thus they began to flourish commercially as well. They built several temples and forts in Pali, Merta, Udaipur and Bhilwara as well as in the capital cities of Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Jaipur. History lends to itself, and just as the military origin resulted in a civilized state, so to, temples and towns required a militarily strong state to protect them from being looted and from foreign occupancy, thus the military grew.
Of particular interest to our tale is the role of the bard, since our story is about a bard and can only be conveyed by the bardly function of story-telling. Every Rajput army had a bard, or bhat. The bard was essential to keep up the morale of the troops, singing to the warriors of their ancestors and heroes. Also, the poetry written by the bards and passed down from generation to generation is our historical evidence and often succeeds in transporting us to the times of Mewar and the Rajput states.
stay tuned...
posted by crazybard at 8:28 AM
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