History of Mohan Chandra Becoming Second Time the Kumaon King

 (History of Kumaon from 1000-1790 AD)

                          

                     (History of Panwar Dynasty Rule in Kumaon)

History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar) - Part 231

                                              By: Bhishma Kukreti

Second time rule of Mohan Chandra – 1786-1788

Inscriptions – 1786, 1787,1788

Contemporary Kings

Garhwal- Pradyuman Shah

Nepal (Kantipur or Kathmandu) - Gorakshadhis Ranbahadur Shah -1777-1799

 With the help of army of Parakram Shah, Mohan Chandra defeated the army of Harsh Dev who was representative of Pradyuman Shah (king of Kumaon and Garhwal).

  Mohan Chandra took Kumaon crown in 1786 again.

                 Friendly Treaty with Parakram Shah

           Mohan Chandra had friendly treaty with so called Garhwal King Parakram Shah. They both demarked the boundaries of Kumaon and Garhwal. However, there is no historical record in Garhwal that Parakram was king of Garhwal for a moment.

                New Taxes in Kumaon

                  Mohan Chandra won the Naithana Garh battle by hiring professional soldiers. Those soldiers were pursuing Mohan Chandra for their salaries. The treasury was empty. The administration was in total mess.

  Mohan Chandra collected tax (Manga Kar) from the subjects and rich people by suppression. Mohan Chandra collected money from Mara and Fadtyal group by force and tactful methods. By that money, Mohan Chandra paid the salaries of hired soldiers.

               Donations

 Mohan Chandra donated land for religious works

He donated land to Bageshwar temple thrice, Bhairav temple twice and Raghunath, Badrinath and Bhairavnath temple once.

              Treaty with Nepal King

         When there was unrest, civil war type situations in Kumaon and Garhwal, Nepal kingdom was emerging with one entity by winning small kingdoms of Nepal. There was fear of Nepali army terror everywhere in Nepal and the news of their terror was reaching to Kumaon too. Kumaon Kingdom wisely requested a friendly treaty with Nepal Kingdom.

         The friendly treaty was signed by Nepal King Gorkhadhis Ranbahadur Bahadurshah Shamsher Jang and Kumaon King Mohan Chandra on 13^thJanuary 1788 witnessed by deities as Lakshmi Naryan, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Kalika and Purvpeeth deities. It was called Dharmapatra or religious deeds. According to that deeds Nepal and Kumaon were friends and enemy of anyone would enemy of both.

                Resurgence of Harsh Dev Joshi

  Harsh Dev Joshi was always active in exile. In Badhpur, Joshi collected army of soldiers from Kumaon, Rohila and Badhapuri Rajput.

 Harsh dev Joshi marched towards Almora via Havalbag. Mohan Chandra came with his army. There was battle between two armies in Sitoli-Railkot. Harsh dev Joshi defeated Mohan Chandra, His army captured Mohan Chandra and his brother Lal Singh. Harsh dev Joshi pardoned Lal Singh.

  Mohan Chandra was taken towards Narayan Tiwari temple below Hari Dungari. There in small hut, Mohan Chandra was killed for his cruel deeds.

  Mahesh Chandra the son of Mohan Chandra ran away from Almora to Rampur.

            Now, Harsh Dev Joshi was the ruler of Kumaon. Harsh dev Joshi was aware that people would not accept a Brahmin as the King.  

  Harsh dev Joshi invited Pradyuman Shah to rule over Kumaon. However, Pradyuman Shah refused to come to Almora. Pradyuman was aware the plan of Harsh Dev Joshi. Harsh Dev Joshi ruled Kumaon without a king.  

 Harsh dev Joshi was now, in search of Rautela who would become Kumaon king.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti -bckukreti@gmail.com 29/12/2013

                                      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

Maularam- Gadh Rajvansh Kavya

Ramayan Pradeep

Annatdev’s Smriti-Kaustubh

Sarkar, History of Aurangzeb

Jadunath Sarkar, History of Aurangzeb

Sarkar, fall of Mogul Empire

Sailendra Nath Sen, 2010, An Advanced History of Modern India

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

                           

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -232  

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

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

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

Xx

Notes on History of Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Pithoragarh Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Champawat Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Bageshwar Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Nainital Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Almora Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Himalaya; History of Kumaon, Himalaya, North India; History of Kumaon, Himalaya, South Asia;