History of Unknown Successors of King Devpal the King of South and West Garhwal and Haridwar

 History of Garhwal including Haridwar (1223- 1804 AD) –part -39

                                            

 History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -285

                       By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

              No doubt, historians don’t have full account of Devpal as being King of West-South Garhwal including Haridwar. However, the Muslim historians writings provide some clues that Rana Devpal or Ranapal had rule over Santurgarh (Garhwal , Shivalik Hills including Haridwar, Saharanpur).

                          Mogul Attacks on Garhwal  

  The successors of Ranapal or Devpal had to suffer a lot with their subjects. In 1296, Ala ud-Din Khilzi ascended the Delhi crown by killing his uncle cum father in law. Ala ud-Din Khilzi had been one of the strongest rulers among Khilzi dynasty. He extended his rule up to south. He was busy in south. In the same time, from 1296Mogul attacked on north India with huge force and looted the territory, killed innumerable people cruelly. Ala ud-Din Khilzi and his army could save his capital with difficulty.

          Mogul army central Asia) attacked (twice) on Dehradun, Shivalik and destroyed the region. One attack was from Alibeg and Tartak the successors of Changez Khan in 1305. The whole of Uttar Pradesh including Dehradun, Haridwar was in disastrous position. There was fire and, blood, cry everywhere. Ala ud-Din Khilzi sent his army and defended the territory from cruel Mogul attackers.

                              Mogul Attacks on Shivalik Hills

         Badshah Ala-ud-Din Khilzi died in 1316 and Gaya Suddin Tuglaq captured the Delhi crown in 1320.

             Mogul from central Asia attacked on Shivalik hills and was marching towards east. The Delhi sultan army came forward to rescue Garhwal territories including Saharanpur. Delhi Sultan army defeated Mogul army in Samannagar of Shivalik Hills. Another battle happened between Mogul and Delhi Sultan army at the bank of Vyas River and here too Delhi Sultan army defeated Mogul army.

                         Subordinating Delhi Sultan by Garhwal Chieftains

           The smaller chieftains of Gadhs of Bhabhar, Dehradun and Haridwar including Saharanpur Garhwal were unable to defend themselves from Mogul and Delhi Sultan as well. Therefore, it might be that chieftains of south Garhwal (Bhabhar, Dehradun and Haridwar including Saharanpur) took shelter under Delhi Sultan became the subordinate Chieftains of Delhi Sultan. Perhaps the chieftains of Garhwal might have offered gifts or tribute in form of tax.

       Canal Construction by Firoz Shah Tughlaq

   The chieftains of Garhwal had cordial relations with Firoze Tughlaq.  Firoze Shah Tughlaq constructed five canals for irrigation. He constructed a cnal from Yamuna to Hisar. One canal was dug from Sirmaur hills and was taken to Hansi , Araman. There he constructed another canal from rivers as Sarusuti, Salima Rivers. In Araman, Firoze built a fort as Hisar Firoja fort.

                          Firoze Shah Tughlaq Visiting Dehradun

     In 1397, Sultan Firoze Tughlaq visited Dehradun (hills of Saharanpur in book) via Ambala, Shahabad, Samannagar (Santurgarh as per another book). The chieftains of west Garhwal as Sirmaur, etc offered gifts to Firoze Tughlaq. After a sort stay, Firoze returned to Delhi.

                           

Read in next chapter about Asylum to Prince of Delhi Sultanate by a Garhwal chieftain …

(Main reference – Firojshai, Tarikh i-Mubarakshahi (Elliot and Dowson)

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com 11/3//2014

                                      References

1-Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral, 1971, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag-4, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, Pauri Garhwal, India 

2-Harikrishna Raturi, Garhwal ka Itihas

3-Dr. Patiram, Garhwal Ancient and Modern

4-Rahul Sankrityayan, Garhwal

5- Oakley and Gairola, Himalayan Folklore

6- Bhakt Darshan, Garhwal ki Divangit Vibhutiyan

7-Foster, Early Travels in India William Finch

8-Upadhyaya, Shri Shankaracharya

9-Shering, Western Tibet and British

10-H.G. Walton, Gazetteer of British Garhwal

11-B.P.Kamboj, Early Wall Paintings of Garhwal

12-H.g Walton, Gazetteer of Dehradun

13- Vimal Chandra, Prachin Bharat ka Itihas

14-Meera Seth, Wall Paintings of Western Himalayas 

15-Furar, Monumental Antiquities

16-Haudiwala, Studies in Indo-Muslim History

17- Rahul Khari 2007, Jats and Gujjar Origin, History and Culture

18- Upendra Singh, 2006, Delhi: Ancient History, Barghahan Books

19- B.S. Dahiya, 1980, Jats the Ancient Rulers (A Clan Study) , Sterling Publications

20- Maithani, Bharat –Gotrapravardeepika

21 Prem Hari Har Lal, 1993, The Doon Valley Down the Ages

22-Dashrath Sharma, Early Chauhan Dynasties

23- Shailndra Nath Sen, Ancient History and Civilization

24-H.M Elliot, 1867, The History of India as told by its Own Historians

25- Jaswant Lal Mehta, 1979, Advance Study in Medieval India

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

History of Garhwal from 1223-1804 to be continued in next chapter          

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -286  

Notes on Early Medieval History of Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Pauri Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Chamoli Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Rudraprayag Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Tehri Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Uttarkashi Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Dehradun, Garhwal; Early Medieval History of Haridwar ; Early Medieval History of Manglaur, Haridwar;  Early Medieval History of Rurkee Haridwar ; Early Medieval History of Bahadarpur Haridwar ; History of Haridwar district to be continued…