History of Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a Kumaoni King Contemporary to Jahangir

(History of Kumaon from 1000-1790 AD)

         (History of Chand Dynasty Rule in Kumaon)

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 176

                                              By: Bhishma Kukreti

       Lakshmi Chandra is described in different records as Jahangirnama, Manoday, Smritikaustabh by Lakhmi Chand, Lakshman Chandra or Lakshmi Chandra.

Rudra Chandra the father of Lakshman Chandra ruled from 1565-1597 AD

 His ruling is from 1597-1621

Contemporary to Lakshman Chandra –

Delhi – Akbar (1556-1605

Delhi Jahangir – 1605-1627

Garhwal – Manshah 1591-1611

Garhwal- Shyam Shah 1611-1625 and death in 1631

Inscriptions of Lakshman Chandra available -1602, 1605 and 1616 AD

              Shakti Gusain was elder son of Rudra Chandra but he was blind by birth. Therefore Lakshman Chandra got crown.

                         Attacks on Garhwal by Lakshman Chandra

                Rudra Chandra attacked on Garhwal in 1591 and got defeat. In this battle, Purushottam or Purkhu Pant was killed.  Rudra Chandra was alive till 1597. Lakshman Chandra took vow to win over Garhwal Kingdom.

  Garhwali Kings established Garhi to protect from Kumaoni attacks. These Garhis were at Badhan, Chandpur, Chaud, Top, Rani, Lohaba, Dhauna, Van, Kanda, Gujadu, Paino etc.

                 According to Atkinson, Rahul, Pande and Viashnav; Lakshman Chandra attacked on Garhwal. A Garhwali traitor Surju Dangwal had friendship with Kumaoni king Rudra Chandra and Lakshman Chandra.  Surju Dangwal was in way, spy of Kumaoni king.  The Garhwali king Balram Shah died just before the attack of Rudra Chandra on Garhwal. Surju Dangwal took shelter in Kumaon court. When successor of Balram Shah Man Shah took over the Garhwal regime he called all his Jameendar or chieftains to capital. When Man Shah came to know that Surju Dangwal is n Kumaon he sent message for him to come back to Garhwal.

          Surju Dangwal did not attend Man Shah Court.  Now, Man Shah sent message to Kumaoni king to send Surju Dangwal to Garhwal.  Kumaoni king Lakshman Chandra cautioned Garhwali king that if Garhwali king would insist on calling Surju he (Kumaoni King) would attack on Garhwal.  Lakshman Chandra attacked on Garhwal. It seems that first time, Lakshman Chandra attacked on Garhwal in 1597.

  Lakshman Chandra attacked on Garhwal for seven times. Each time, Lakshman Chandra got defeat from Garhwali king and his army.  Every time, Lakshman Chandra used to start his campaign from ‘Rajbungi’ a fort near Garhwali border. Due to repeated defeats to Lakshman Chandra, local people started calling ‘Rajbungi’ as ‘Syalbungi’. Syal or fox is a symbol of coward and cunning character.

          On the seventh time, Lakshman Chandra attacked Paino Garh of Garhwal. According to Poet Bharat, now, Garhwali king vowed to teach lesion to Lakshman Chandra. Man Shah took huge army for defeating Lakshman Chandra. King man Shah sent his two army commanders Nandi and Bhringi to defeat Kumaoni King Lakshman Chandra.  

              At Paino Garh, Garhwali army killed maximum soldiers of Lakshman Chandra. There were a few soldiers alive with Lakshman Chandra. The defeated army and Lakshman Chandra ran from Paino Garh. Garhwali army ran after Kumaoni king.  Kumaoni king sat inside a Pinus and soldiers kept rugs on Pinnus.  The carriers of Pinus farmers used to speak,”  Papi Raj apu lai chore ki char bhaajnau chh, hmalai dukh deeno chh.” (The sinful king is running as thief and he is giving pain to us). The defeated king lakshman Chandra could not do anything against these farmers.  By any means, Lakshman Chandra reached to Almora.

                        Attack of Garhwali king on Champawat

              After analysis the writings of Attikinson, Rahul, Pandey, Manoday by Bharat poet, Raturi and folklores of Himalaya, Dr Dabral states that Garhwali king attacked Kumaon from two sides. One army marched towards south Kumaon that is Bhabhar and mal. Second army led by Garhwali king Man Shah marched from north via Gwaldam or Gairsain to Baijnath, Bageshwar, Rameshwar, Lohughat to Champawat.

   It is said that there was fierce war between Garhwali and Kumaoni army for seven days in Champawat. Thousands of soldiers from both sides were killed there.

  Lakshman Chandra ran away from battle field. In this awkward circumstance, the queen of Lakshman Chandra had to lead her army and she fought the battle for many days. At the end, Man Shah defeated Kumaoni king.  At the end queen of Lakshman Chandra had to hand over Surju Dangwal to Garhwal king Man Shah.

 Man Shah returned to Garhwal.

   It seems the battles between Garhwali king and Kumaoni were not to capture other’s kingdom but to show the supremacy on each other.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti -bckukreti@gmail.com 30/10/2013

                                      References

Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag 10, Kumaon ka Itihas 1000-1790

Badri Datt Pande, 1937, Kumaon ka Itihas, Shri Almora Book Depo Almora

Devidas Kaysth, Itihas Kumaon Pradesh

Katyur ka Itihas, Pundit Ram Datt Tiwari

Oakley and Gairola, Himalayan Folklore

Atkinson, History of District Gazette

Menhadi Husain, Tuglak Dynasty

Malfujat- E Timuri

Tarikh -e-Mubarakshahi vol 4

Kumar Suresh Singh2005, People of India

Justin Marozzi, 2006, Tamerlane: Sword of Islam

Bakshsingh Nijar, 1968, Punjab under Sultans 1000-1526 

The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 13 page 52 

Bhakt Darshan, Gadhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

Mahajan V.D.1991, History of Medieval India

Majumdar R.C. (edited) 2006, The Sultanate

Rizvi, Uttar Taimur Kalin Bharat

Tarikhe Daudi

Vishweshara nand , Bharat Bharti lekhmala

Aine-e Akbari

Akbari Darbar

Tareekh Badauni

Eraly Abraham, 2004 The Mogul Throne

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

                           

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -177  

History of Kumaon (1000-1790) to be continued….

 Middle Himalayan, Indian Medieval Age History of Chand Dynasty rule in Kumaon to be continued…

  (Middle Himalayan, Indian Medieval Age History (740-1790 AD to be continued…)

Notes on Medieval History of Kumaon; Medieval History of Pithoragarh Kumaon; Medieval History of Bageshwar, Kumaon; Medieval History of Baijnath, Kumaon; Medieval History of Garud, Kumaon; Medieval History of Champawat Kumaon; Medieval History of Nainital, Kumaon; Medieval History of Almora, Kumaon; Medieval History of Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon; Medieval History of Kumaon, Himalaya; Medieval History of Kumaon, North India; Medieval History of Kumaon, South Asia; History aspects of Lakshman Chandra a Kumaoni King Contemporary to Jahangir; History aspects of Kumaon Lakshman Chandra attacking on Garhwal; History aspects of Rajbungi as ‘Syalbungi’; History aspects of Garhwal king man Shah attacking on Champawat , Kumaon; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a Champawat , Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a Pithoragarh  , Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ; ; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a  Bageshwar , Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ; ; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a  Nainital , Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ; ; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a  Almora, Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ; ; Lakshmi Chand /Lakshman Chandra a Udham Singh Nagar , Kumaon King Contemporary to Jahangir ;