King Lakshmi Chandra visiting Jahangir Court

History of Kumaon from 1000-1790 AD)

         (History of Chand Dynasty Rule in Kumaon)

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 178

                                              By: Bhishma Kukreti

                Commerce with Tibet in Lakshmi Chandra Regime

          

          After capturing Johar and Darma regions, Chand kingdom had territory bordering Tibet too.  Kumaoni King Lakshmi Chandra settled the border line between Chand Kingdom and Tibet kingdom. Manasbhumi King Lakhmi Chand /Lakshmi Chandra also reviewed the working of Bhotiya traders trading with Tibet. It seems that Lakshmi Chandra levied new taxes on Bhotiya traders for trades between Tibet and Kumaon.

                     Plague in India in Badshah Jahangir Period

        In 1616, a deadly plague occurred in Punjab. The plague spread Kashmir, Ganga-Yamuna doab and other parts of India. The disease was there for eight years and lakhs of people died due to plague. Jahangir writes that the disease was unknown till date.

 There is no record or folklore about spread of plague in Garhwal and Kumaon of that time.

                         Control over Sor and Establishing Pithoragarh

                    Kumaoni King contemporary to Badshah Jahangir captured Sor territory from Katyuri family around 1620.

                  The chief politicians of Sor, Sukhram Karki and Peer Gusain started influencing Kumaoni King Lakshmi Chandra the contemporary of Badshah Jahangir. They came to Almora. Peer Gusain was far relative of Chand family. Piru Gusain was given charge of land management and land revenue by Kumaoni king contemporary to Badshah Jahangir.  Analysing the geaographical situation, Piru Gusain or Prithwi Raj Gusain founded a fort as Prithvigarh in Sor region and the city is now called as Pithoragarh (now a district head quarter).  

  Later on Vinayak Bhatt also joined Piru Gusain and Sukhram Karki to influence Kumaoni King Lakshmi Chandra.

      

                        King Lakshmi Chandra in Jahangir Court

                    Rudra Chandra became the Jagirdar of plains of Kumaon -Chaurasi Mal under Mogul rule. Rudra Chandra was also free King for hill region of Kumaon. It was necessary for Lakshmi Chandra to renew his Jagir under Jahangir the Mogul King.

          Jahangir described about Lakshmi Chandra in his autobiography Jahangirnama. Badshah Jahangir writes that Lakshmi Chandra requested him to send son of Aitamaduddaula for receiving Lakshmi Chandra. Jahangir sent Shahpur to receive Lakshmi Chandra. Lakshmi Chandra presented him before Jahangir in 1612 in Shahi camp. Lakshmi Chandra brought various rare gifts from hills as Pahadi horses, hunter  birds, musk inside intestine of deer, deer skin, Khadga, Katar of Hills etc. Jahangir wrote that Lakshmi Chandra was very rich king among other hill kings. Jahangir wrote that there were gold mines in Kumaon.

 Lakshmi Chandra spent at least ten days in capital or Badshahi camp. Jahangir offered gift of hundred horses and an elephant to Lakshmi Chandra. Jahangir wrote that his Akbar offered gift of two hundred horses to Rudra Chandra the father of Lakshmi Chandra. Jahangir gifted Khilaten and gem carved knife to Lakshmi Chandra and his brothers. Jahangir renewed the Jagir of Bhabhar or Chaurasi Mal to Lakshmi Chandra.

 Though Lakshmi Chandra was independent King for Hills of Kumaon but was under Mogul for Chaurasi Mal. The Jahangirnama shows that Lakshmi Chandra used to send his representative to Jahangir and used to send gifts.

 According to Jahangirnama, in 1620, Lakshmi Chandra sent gift for Jahangir most probably with his brother as representative. The gifts for Jahangir from Lakshmi Chandra were Baj, Jurr and many other hunter animals.  In Jahangirnama, there is no mention of person that brought gifts for Jahangir from Lakshmi Chandra

              Arrival of Jahangir in  Haridwar

        In 1621, Jahangir came to Haridwar from Agra due to his health problem. Jahangir was of an opinion that in case, Haridwar was better place than Agra he would settle there for summer and would establish a city. However, the season of Haridwar did not suit Jahangir. Jahangir offered gifts to Hindu religious priests and scholars.  

 It is not clear whether Kumaoni king attended Jahangir or not.  It said that the Mogul army visited Talladesh (South of Kumaon that is Bhabhar or plains) at Tanda nad Piaplfata and camped at Badshahi garden.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti -bckukreti@gmail.com 1/11/2013

                                      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 Tazuk-i-Jahangiri

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

                           

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -179  

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…)

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 Notes on History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Pithoragarh-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Champawat Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Almora-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Nainital-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Dwarhat-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Johar-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Ranikhet -Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Udham Singh Nagar -Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Bageshwar- Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Sor- Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Lakshmi Chandra the Askot-Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court; History aspects of Central Himalayan King Lakshmi Chandra the Kumaon King visiting Jahangir Court;