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Tag: Akbar

  • Flaming Devi Jwalamukhi Shakti Peeta

    Devi‘s Head fell in Vaishnav Devi near Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.

    There are versions that it the place where The Devi’s Tongue fell.

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    Here The Goddess called Jwalamukhi, Flamng Face,is with a Flaming Mouth.

    “Jwalayam Vishnavi devi, Gaya Mangalya gourika //’ Ashtadasa Stotram Ad Shankaracharya.

    The Emanating Flames are worshiped as the manifestations of the different forms of Goddess Jwala Maa.

    The Nine flames are,

    Maha Kali,

    Annapurna,

    Chandi,

    Hinglaj,

    Vindhyavasini,

    Maha Lakshmi,

    Maha Saraswati,

    Maa Ambika and

    Anjana Devi.

    The Fires continue to burn without any Fuel being added.

    Mughal Emperor Akbar visited this Temple to verify this.

    How To Reach.

    By Air: Gaggal airport, also known as Dharamsala airport, in Kangra valley is about 40 km away from Jwalamukhi. This airport connects domestic flights to Delhi. International travelers have to connect through Delhi Airport, which is about 450 km away from Dharamsala. Delhi Airport is connected to all major cities in India and abroad.

    By Road: Regular bus services ply regularly from several cities to Jwalamukhi and Kangra. Private luxury buses are also available from Delhi and other north Indian cities.

    By Rail: Nearest railway station is Kangra Mandir but all trains do not stop here. The nearest railhead is Pathankot, about 85 km away from Dharamsala. Pathankot is well connected to all major cities in India.

    Temple Timings.

    Timings – Opening & Closing:
    Monday – Friday: 6.00 AM – 7.00 PM ,
    Saturday: 6.00 AM – 7.00 PM ,
    Sunday: 6.00 AM – 7.00 PM ,
    Public Holidays: 6.00 AM – 7.00 PM

    The Legends:

    One is known to all, that of Daksha Yaga and Sati immolating herself.

    According to another legend, the Goddess appeared in a dream to a Brahmin in faraway South India, and directed him to proceed to the hills of Kangra in the shadow of the Dhauladhars and search for small tongues of flame leaping from the ground. The Brahmin, it is said responded discovered the sacred spot and in due course of time, erected a temple. Some people believe that Jwalamukhi represents the flaming mouth of Jalandhara, the demon whom Lord Shiva crushed to death by placing on him a huge mass of mountains.

    Dhyanu Bhagat is well known devotee of Maa Durga. It is him who spread Devi Mata’s name. He lived at the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Dhyanu Bhagat was going to Jwalaji with a group of pilgrims. Akbar summoned him to his court to inquire into the nature of their Goddess. Dhyanu Bhagat told him She is all powerful and answers the prayers of Her devotees.

    To test Her power Akbar cut off the head of Dhyanu’s horse ordering him to have the Goddess put it back. Dhyanu went to Maa Jwalaji and prayed day and night to no avail. Out of desperation he cut of his own head and offered it to Devi Maa. She then appeared to him riding a lion. She reconnected both his head and that of the horse. Devi Maa also offered Dhyanu Bhagat a boon. He requested that it should not be so difficult for pigrams to show their devotion. Mata said that in the future if someone offered a coconut she would accept it as if they had offered their own head. To this day people continue to offer coconuts to the Goddess in Her temples all over the world. After the knowing that the head of horse is reconnected, Akbar the great Mughal Emperor visited the temple. The water course which today drips into a tank in the temple premises is said to have been constructed by Akbar in an attempt to douse the jets of flames in the temple.

    The story goes that when the flames refused to be vanquished by the water channel specially constructed for the purpose, Akbar with utmost humility, became a devotee of the Goddess, and overcome by emotion, presented a chattra (umbrella) of gold to the Goddess. But when leaving, the Emperor looked back with immense pride at the valuable gift that he had made to the Goddess, and was mortified to find that the gold had turned into copper! Later Akbar’s son Jahangir invaded the Kangra valley and after seeing Jwalamukhi, wrote in his Tuzk (memories) near the temple and on the slope of the hill there is a sulphur mine and its heat causes flames to continually burst forth. They call it Jwalamukhi(flaming face or fiery mouth), and regard it as one of the idol’s miracles. Jahangir goes on to relate the legend of Shiva and Parvati and other stories connected with Jwalamukhi.

    Citation:

    http://www.maavaishnavi.com/2011/12/11/maa-jwala-devi-jwalamukhi-shakti-peeth-9th-among-51-shakti-peethas/

     

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  • Was Akbar Really Great Facts

    From the history Tet Books taught in India,it is generally excepted that Akbar (14 October 1542 – 27 October 1605) , the Mughal Emperor who ruled India was a benevolent,Tolerant,a man with out a blemish.

    Is it so?

    After reading some of my posts , one of the readers from the Facebook community asked me this question and wanted to know the facts.

    Here they are.

    Mughal Emeperor Akbar
    Akbar, The Great Image credit. http://www.warchat.org/history/history-asia/second-battle-of-panipat/

    Akbar, The fanatic.

    In 1567, Akbar moved to reduce the Chittorgarh Fort in Mewar. The fortress-capital of Mewar was of great strategic importance as it lay on the shortest route from Agra to Gujarat and was also considered a key to holding the interior parts of Rajputana. Udai Singh retired to the hills of Mewar, leaving two Rajput warriors, Jaimal and Patta, in charge of the defense of his capital.[34] Chittorgarh fell on February 1568 after a siege of four months. Akbar had the surviving defenders massacred and their heads displayed upon towers erected throughout the region, in order to demonstrate his authority.[35][36] The total loot that fell into the hands of the Mughals was distributed throughout the empire.[37] He remained in Chittorgarh for three days, then returned to Agra, where to commemorate the victory, he set up, at the gates of his fort, statues of Jaimal and Patta mounted on elephants.”

    ”

    Xavier, a Jesuit in Akbar’s court, gives a typical instance of Akbar’s perfidy in making people drink water in which his feet had been washed. Xavier writes, says Smith (p.189), Akbar posed ” as a Prophet, wishing it to be understood that he works miracles through healing the sick by means of the water in which he washed the feet.” Badauni says that this [the above] special type of humiliation was reserved by Akbar only for Hindus. Says Badayuni, “… if other than Hindus came, and wished to become disciples at any sacrifice, His Majesty reproved them.” Where was his broadminded and tolerant nature then?

     

    Yet another Xavier’s letter (MacLagan, p.57 and Du Jarric, p.90) states, “The Christian fathers got little opportunity of holding religious discussions with Akbar or influencing him in favour of Christianity …Akbar silenced Xavier by telling him that the freedom accorded to him in preaching his religion was itself a great service.” Akbar was not at all a tolerant of other religious faiths.

     

    Akbar had filled both his hands with 50 gold coins when Badayuni expressed his strong desire to take part in a “holy war” (massacring Hindus) and “dye these black moustachois and beard in (hindu) blood through loyalty to Your Majesty’s person” (sic). Akbar far from dispproving of Badayuni’s despicable desire, gladly presented him with a decent premium.”

    ”

    According to chronicles in Akbar’s time[11], there was just one attack on Chittor by Mughal forces. But in his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan[12], James Tod mentions two, the first in which the Imperial army was driven back, and a second in which it was successful and Chittor fell.

    Udai Singh’s wife led infiltrations into the Mughal camp during the first attack, and in one such foray the Rajputs reached the heart of the camp and forced the Mughal Imperial army to retreat.

    The second siege of Chittor by Akbar was successful. When the northern walls were breached and it became inevitable that Chittor would fall, jouhar was prepared and 13,000 kshatriya women leapt into the raging flames. Jouhar was committed by the women when it was certain that they would be dishonored by Akbar’s army after the fall of Chittor. The Rajputs of Chittor committed saka, in which they rode out in saffron robes to meet Akbar in a final battle. In the end, 32,000 Rajputs were killed. In the sacking of Chittor, the Mughal army had incurred large losses and Akbar was furious that the siege had taken so long (October 20, 1567-Februrary 23, 1568). Upon victory, Akbar issued Fathnama-i-Chitor[13]. He began this letter with praise for Allah, and quoted several verses of the Quran leaving no doubt that he derived his inspiration from the Quran and that he viewed himself as a jihadi annihilating the infidel Rajputs. He declared that

     

    in conformity with the happy injunction of the Quran (27:40)…[he was busy] in subjugating the localities, habitations, forts and towns which are under the possession of the infidels…may God forsake and annihilate all of them, and thus raising the standard of Islam everywhere and removing the darkness of polytheism and violent sins by the use of sword. We destroy the places of worship of idols in those places and other parts of India. The praise be to Allah, who hath guided us to this, and we would not have found the way had it not been that Allah had guided us…. in accordance with the imperative Command – and kill the idolaters all together (Quran 9:36), those defiant ones who were still offering resistance having formed themselves into knots of two to three hundred persons, were put to death and their women and children taken prisoners.

     

    According to the various contemporary accounts of Abul Fazl, Badauni, etc, there were between 22,000 and 40,000 women, children, and the old and infirm still alive inside the fort as Akbar’s victorious army entered it[14]. Akbar, according to his own fathnama, ordered the butchering of the defenseless civilians. Akbar confirms what he did with those women and children:

     

    According to the promise – Allah promised you many acquisitions which you will take (Quran 48:20), immense booty and spoils in cash and kind were acquired.

    He also ordered his troops to collect the necklaces from the necks of the fallen Rajputs for the royal treasure. This bounty weighed approximately 800 pounds.

    Akbar had the gates of Chittor removed and taken to Delhi along with two massive nagaras (drums) used to announce the departure and arrival of Chittor princes. A huge candelabra from the Kallika Mata temple was also removed and taken to Agra. Chittor was then razed to the ground and the rest of its inhabitants (Brahmins and lower castes) killed. Chittor was razed so thoroughly, that it was still barren and lifeless two centuries later.”

    Akbar’s Treatment of Hindus.

    ”

    The holy Hindu cities of Prayag and Banaras, writes Vincent Smith (p.58), were plundered by Akbar because their residents were rash enough to close their gates! No wonder Prayag of today has no ancient monuments — whatever remain are a rubble! It is rather obvious that Akbar had no respect and reverance for cities considered holy by Hindus, let alone esteem for human life and property. Also, it is evident from this instance that Akbar’s subjects were horrified and scared upon the arrival of their king into their city. If at all Akbar was so magnanimous, why then did not the people come forward and greet him?

    Monserrate, a contemporary of Akbar, writes (p.27), “the religious zeal of the Musalmans has destroyed all the idol temples which used to be numerous. In place of Hindu temples, countless tombs and little shrines of wicked and worthless Musalmans have been erected in which these men are worshipped with vain superstition as though they were saints.” Not only did the muslims destroy the idols, but usurped the existing temples and converted them into tombs of insignificant people”

    Akbar, a Man without Blemish.

    Akbar’s Harem

    Unlike many others, Akbar used political marriages to cement ties with other kingdoms. These marriages came about when kingdoms submitted before him, either peacefully or after defeat in war[3]. Virgin daughters of these Kings were converted to Islam prior to their marriage. By the end of his life, his harem had over 6000 women[4]. In fact, one of the greatest shames endured by the Rajput nobility of what is now Rajasthan was having their daughters being forced to enter Akbar’s harem.

     

    Sources:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar_the_Great#Jihad_Against_Hindu_Kings

    http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Akbar

    http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/modern/akbar_ppg.html

     

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  • Shah Jahan Mumtaz Love Story A Lie

    Nobody knows who started this fairy tale of a Love Story between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

    Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
    Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

    It is as true as the Love story of Ambikapathy and Amaravathy in Tamil lore.

    Both have no historical references except in poetic works.

    As Shakespeare took the germ of an idea for his famous Dramatic works,from Plutarch’s Lives,people have taken fancy to some ideas and developed an interesting story;the difference being that Shakespeare’s works had some facts as basis, while these have none.

    Let’s look at the story of Shah jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

    “Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. In 1607 when strolling down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight and the girl was Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum at that time. At that time, he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her. The match got solemnized after five years i.e., in the year 1612.(http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/story.html)

    Another version:

    “Beginning of a Love Story
    The story goes back in 1607, when a prince of the royal Mughal household strolled down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, he caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. Five years and a wife later (in those days princes did not marry for love alone) the regal 20-yr-old went to wed his 19-yr-old bride.”(http://www.taj-mahal-travel-tours.com/taj-mahal-story.html)

    Facts.

    ”

    In 1607, Prince Khurram was engaged to Arjumand Banu Begum – when they were 15 and 14 years old, respectively. The young girl belonged to an illustrious Persian noble family which had been serving Mughal Emperors since the reign of Akbar, the family’s patriarch was Itimad-ud-Daulah, who had been Emperor Jahangir‘s finance minister and his son; Asaf Khan – Arjumand Banu’s father – played an important role in the Mughal court, eventually serving as Chief Minister. Her aunt was the Empress Nur Jahan and is thought to have played the matchmaker in arranging the marriage.

    But for some reason, the Prince was not married to Arjumand Banu Begum for five years, which was an unusually long engagement for the time. However, Shah Jahan married a Hindu princess during this time, whose name has not been recorded by contemporary chroniclers, with whom he had his first child – a daughter – who died in infancy.[9]

    Politically speaking, the betrothal allowed Prince Khurram to be considered as having officially entered manhood, and he was granted several jagirs, includingHissar-Feroze and ennobled to a military rank of 8,000, which allowed him to take on official functions of state, an important step in establishing his own claim to the throne.

    In 1612, aged 20, Prince Khurram married Arjumand Banu Begum on an auspicious date chosen by court astrologers. The marriage was a happy one and Prince Khurram, while married to her, remained devoted to her and she bore him fourteen children, out of whom the seven survived into adulthood. In addition, Khurram had two children from his first two wives”

    1.Was Mumtaz a bead seller or a Persian Princess or a Daughter of a Noble Man?

    2.Where is much celebrated Love angle where it is indicated that Shah Jahan’s Father, Jahangir opposed this and the lovers were married amidst a lot of trials and tribulations?

    3.The name Mumtaz is a Nom de plume., meaning ‘Pride of Palace’

    4.Shah Jahan was engaged to Mumtaz for 4 years, a very long period of waiting in Muslim tradition and in the meanwhile married a Rajput Princess.

    5.He was engaged to Mumtaz at the age of 15 , when Mumtaz was 14!

    6..Shah Jahan had three wives.

    1. Arjumand Banu Begum aka Mumtaz Mahal
    2. Akbarabadi Mahal
    3. Kandahari Mahal .

    Number of concubines.

    Like all his ancestors, Shah Jahan’s court included many wives, concubines, and dancing girls. Several European chroniclers noted this. Niccolao Manucci wrote that “it would seem as if the only thing Shahjahan cared for was the search for women to serve his pleasure” and “for this end he established a fair at his court. No one was allowed to enter except women of all ranks that is to say, great and small, rich and poor, but all beautiful”.  When he was detained in the Agra Fort, Aurangzeb permitted him to retain “the whole of his female establishment, including the singing and dancing women.” Manucci notes that Shah Jahan didn’t lose his “weakness for the flesh” even when he had grown very old,. Shah Jahan also had an affair with Farzana Begum, Mumtaz Mahal’s sister. It was said that Farzana Begum’s son was the son of Shah Jahan, and Manucci wrote, “as for myself, I have no doubt about it, for he was very like Prince Dara..

    Allegations of incest
    Several European chroniclers suggested that Shah Jahan had an incestuous relationship with his daughter Jahanara Begum. The European traveller Francois Bernier wrote, “Begum Sahib, the elder daughter of Shah Jahan was very beautiful… Rumour has it that his attachement reached a point which it is difficult to believe, the justification of which he rested on the decision of the Mullahs, or doctors of their law. According to them it would have been unjust to deny the king the privilege of gathering fruit from the tree he himself had planted.” Joannes de Laet was the first European to write about this rumour. Peter Mundy and Jean Baptiste Tavernier wrote about the same allegations. However, the historian K.S. Lal pointed out that Aurangzeb may have been involved in “magnifying a rumour into a full-fledged scandal,” and that “Aurangzeb had disobeyed Shahjahan, he had incarcerated him for years, but if he really helped give a twist to Shah Jahan’s paternal love for Jahan Ara by turning it into a scandal, it was the unkindest cut of all his unfilial acts.” He remarked that in “these circumstances, it is not possible to say anything with finality.”(http://sj-shahjahan.blogspot.in/)
    There is no reference to this ‘Love’ in Shahnama and other Chronicles, excepting in the latter that Shah Jahan loved Mumtaz and she deserved it.
    Neither this Love is mentioned in the works by the people who were commissioned  by Aurangzeb to write his history.
    During the reign of Aurangzeb the man picked to write the AlamgirNamah was Mirza Muhammad Kazim Shirazi. He successfully compiled facts about the first 10 years of Aurangzeb’s rule….

    Apart from the AlamgirNamah and Maasir-i-Alamgiri we have the collection of letters belonging to Aurangzeb compiled by his meer munshi Inayat Ullah Khan Kashmiri known as the Rukhaat-e- Alamgiri and the Adabe-e-Alamgiri. The mother of Inayatullah Kashmiri Hafeza Maryam was appointed as the hifz ustad (teacher appointed to help memorizing the Quran) for Zebunnisa Begum the eldest daughter of Aurangzeb.

    The third source we have is the Ahkaam-e-Alamgiri ascribed to the pen of Hamiduddin Khan Bahadur who wrote a series of essays on the life and times of Aurangzeb Alamgir. Hamiduddin Khan was a very trusted officer of Aurangzeb so much so that he even entrusted Hamiduddin Khan with his last will for dividing his empire amongst his sons.

    The fourth source we have is the Muntakhab-ul-lubab written by Khafi Khan. It is said that Khafi Khan did not scribe the Muntakhab-ul-Lubab with anyone’s permission or knowledge. The interesting fact attributed towards Muntakhab-ul-Lubab is that it was brought out after some 30 years from the death of Aurangzeb. Khafi Khans father was a servant in the service of Prince Murad Baksh. Muntakhab-ul-lubab provides some critical analysis on the rule of Aurangzeb from the early Mughal historians. It is pertinent to mention here that Khafi Khan belonged to the Fiqh – e – Jafaria who were extremely hostile to scholars of Fiqh – e- Hanafia who were favored by Aurangzeb.

    The fifth source is Miraat-Ul-Khayal by Sher Khan Lodhi.(http://aurangzeb.org/history.htm)

    “
    People say this is Eternal Love!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan

    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_wives_did_Emperor_Shah_Jahan_have

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