Vijay Chandra a Chand King who was Victim of Conspiracy

(History of Kumaon from 1000-1790 AD)

         (History of Chand Dynasty Rule in Kumaon)

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 181

                                              By: Bhishma Kukreti

               Ruling Period of Vijay Chandra- 1624-1625

              After Rudra Chandra’s death, Kumaon witnessed various internal conflicts among administrative and regional groups.  Dilip Chandra had twenty one sons. Dilip Chandra died in 1624. The three Sor group leaders Karki, Gusain and Bhatt became powerful in Dilip Singh court and they were more powerful than other separate groups led by separately by Pande, Upreti, Tiwari, Joshi and Pant. There were other groups too in Dilip Singh court. Karki, Gusain and Bhatt group crowned sixteen years old Vijay Chandra one of sons of Dilip Chandra on Kumaon Kingdom. It is said that group of Karki, Gusain and Bhatt was conning group, cruel and very selfish too.

               The Sor group led by Karki, Bhatt and Gusain saw that teen aged King Vijay Chandra became addicted to women, wine and hemp etc. The queen of Vijay Chandra was princesses of Badgujar of Bulandshahar. Sor group provided various medium of entertainment especially women for Vijaya Chandra.  Vijay Chandra became habitual of living in harem. Vijay Chandra did not have any interest in rule or court.

        Neel Gusain one of the Sons of late King Lakshmi Chandra or brother of Dilip Chandra opposed the lust of Vijay Chandra and conspiracy of Karki group. Sor group asked to make Neel Gusain blind with the permission of Vijay Chandra. Sor group led by Sukhram Karki, Piru Gusain and Vinayak Bhatt killed one by one the aspirants of crown or their supporters. Trimal Chandra son of Lakshmi Chandra ran away to Shrinagar Garhwal and took shelter under Garhwal kingdom. Another son of Lakshmi Chandra Narayan Chandra too shelter in Doti kingdom.

           Karki, Gusain and Bhatt group did not leave children in killing them brutally. The child of Neel Gusain was saved by a maid. A widow of a Tiwari pundit of Chaunsar village looked after the son of Neel Gusain without knowledge of the trio group.  Later on, this child became the Kumaon King as Baj Bhahdur Chandra.

   Vijay Chandra used to live in Harem and very rarely used to attend the court. Once he offered land to Damu Pande in 1625 without knowledge of Sor group (inscription). Vijay Chandra also built the door for Almora fort without knowledge of Sor group.  Karki, Gusain and Bhatt became angry by seeing the independent decisions of Vijay Chandra. The Sor group planned a conspiracy to kill Vijay Chandra. They wanted to ascend throne to a Rautlea clan.

                   Trimall Chandra in Shrinagar Garhwal

  Trimall Chandra stayed in Shrinagar Garhwal for some time. Trimall Chandra contacted Piru Gusain one of leaders of Sor group. Piru Gusain was relative of Chandra king family. It was decided that when Trimall Chandra would be made Kumaon King he would look after the interest of Piru Gusain and his group.  It seems that Karki and Bhatt were ready to help Trimall Chandra.

        Trimall Chandra was happy in Shrinagar and he showed his gratitude to Garhwali after he got kingdom.  Garhwali king helped Trimall Chandra monetarily too.

  There is a folklore Garhwali King involving attack on Kumaon. In Ramayana Pradip, Bahuguna wrote about Pradip Shah attacking Kumaon. However, the history does not permit both folklore and Ramayana Pradip.

                          Cruel Murder of Vijay Chandra

      Sukhram Karki killed Vijaya Chandra and there are a couple of stories related to Karki murdering Vijay Chandra.

 It seems that Sor group led by Karki, Gusain and Bhatt designed killing of Vijay Chandra. Karki got support from the Kitchen officer and a maid ‘Saruli’.  When the king was without arms, without body guards, and half naked for washing his hand after taking lunched, Karki murdered Vijaya Chandra by strangling.

  After murdering Vijaya Chandra, Sukhram Karki declared that king is dead due to mysterious reason. He declared that till, the king is elected he would look after the Kingdom.

 Since Sor group killed all the aspirants for Kumaoni Kingdom, only Trimall Chandra and Narayan Chandra were contenders for the Chand Kingdom.

 Mara group wanted Trimall Chandra as King. Fadtyal group wanted Narayan Chandra as king. Mara group brought Trimall Chandra to Almora immediately. It seems that Trimall Chandra was hiding near Almora.  Mara group crowned Trimall Chandra as king. Though a few Joshi, Pande, Pant groups opposed crowing time as inauspicious.

   Narayan Chandra was in Doti far from Almora. With the help of Fadtyal group, when he reached Chinakhan at Suval Rive Ghatr, Trimall Chandra was already crowned. Knowing the news of crowning of Trimall Chandra, Narayan Chandra and Fadtyal people ran away to Doti.

 Vijay Chandra was killed in 1625.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti -bckukreti@gmail.com 4/11/2013

                                      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

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Bakshsingh Nijar, 1968, Punjab under Sultans 1000-1526 

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Bhakt Darshan, Gadhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

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

Rizvi, Uttar Taimur Kalin Bharat

Tarikhe Daudi

Vishweshara nand , Bharat Bharti lekhmala

Aine-e Akbari

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The Tazuk-i-Jahangiri

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Ramayan Pradeep

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

                           

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -182  

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…)

Xx

Notes on Medieval History of Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Askot Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Johar Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Sor Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir; Medieval History of Dwarhat Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Pithoragarh Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Bageshwar Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Champawat Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Almora Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Nainital Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Ranikhet Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period; Medieval History of Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon contemporary to Jahangir period;