History of Garhwal King Lalit Shah part - 1

History of Garhwal including Haridwar (1223- 1804 AD) –part -165    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -412

                       By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

Name of Lalit Shah- All the lists describe him as Lalit Shah including Maularam. However, his name is engraved as LalitKumarShah in his coin.

          Information Source about Lalit Kumar Shah

There are sources of information about Lalit Shah as-

1-Maularam

2-Coins and inscriptions

3-History accounts of Sikh and Rohillas

4-A Portrait drew by Maularam

                        Ruling Period of Lalit Shah  

There are following suggestions for ruling period of Lalit Shah –

1-Becket and Walton- 1772-1780

2-Raturi- 1780-1791

3-Williams- 1774-1781

 The Deevan of Garhwal informed to Hardwick that Lalit Shah expired in 1781. That is why Williams suggested the death of Lalit Shah in 1781. By reading Gadhrajvanshkavya by Maularam it is obvious that his son Pradyumna Shah did not reach to Kumaon in his father Lalit Shah’s life.  

  Lalit Shah died while he was campaigning for Kumaon win. He caught Malaria and died in August.  

 After death of Lalit Shah, Jaykrit Shah sent Pradyumn Shah to Kumaon. The first copper inscription of Pradyumna Shah (son of Lalit Shah) is 1781. That means Lalit Shah was no more before 1781.Therefore, historians suggested that Lalit Shah died in around 1780.

            Family of Garhwal King Lalit Shah

       Lalit Shah had three queens. He had four sons. The eldest queen of Lalit Shah was princess of Kyunthal. Jai Krit Shah was born from eldest queen of Lalit Shah. Lalit Shah did not have good relation with prince Jaikrit Shah and his mother. Lalit Shah used to shout  on Jai Krit Shah and his eldest queen.

 Second wife of Lalit Shah was daughter of Doti King Kridam Sain. At the time of marriage of Lalit Shah with princess of Doti, Garhwal King had treaty with Kumaon King Duli Chand. The marriage procession of Lalit Shah passed through Kumaon. The marriage of Lalit Shah with Doti prince might have held before 1777.  Mohan Chand (Kumaon King after Duli Chand) was married to daughter of Doti King Deepsain the son of Kridamsain.

  Lalit Shah had heist affection for Doti princess and she was called Doti Rani. Her sons were Pradyuman and Parakram.

 Thrid queen of Lalit shah was daughter of elite from Garhwal called as Thakurani. Her son was Pritam. Perhaps she did not get due regard and importance in kingdom as she was not from king family. Historians do not get much record about prince Pritam. That means Pritam was also ignored by administrators and King.

 The birth years of princess of Lalit Shah are presumed as follows

Jaikrit Shah – 1760

Pradyumn Shah – 1766

Prakram Shah – 1769

Pritam Shah - 1774

                       Management of Badrikashram Temple

    Folklore describes that Shankaracharya handed over the charge of rituals and management of Badrinath temple to his disciple Trotakacharya. The disciples of Trotakachary looked after ritual management till fifteenth century. From fifteenth century till 1776, Dandiswami used to look after rituals and management of Badrinath.

  According to Raturi, a Dandiswami Ram Krishna died in 1776. There was no other Dandiswami available for the ritual performances. There was Gopal a Nambudaripad Brahmin who used to cook food and Prasad in the kitchen. Lalit Shah was also present in Badrinath when Dandiswami ram Krishna died. Lalit Shah handed over the job of Dandiswami to Gopal bu offering him Chhatra, Chanvar, income source etc. Lalit Shah positioned the post as Rawal.

 Gopal requested to the King that after he becomes Rawal his family would not have income source. The King offered Gopal and his family Dimar village and from that day the family members of Gopal Nambudiparad were called Dimri. The king also arranged other source of income for Gopal and his family members as gifts (Vriti) of Lakshmi Mandir.

 From that day, Rawal had been being appointed from Nambudiparad families of Kerala.

                                               Honoring Scholars

          Lalit Shah honored scholars as his predecessors used to honor. He appointed Ram Datt Bahuguna (son of Medhkar Shastri) as Dharmadhikari. The Dharmadhikari post was continued till Devi Prasad Bahuguna of Pokhari village.  

 Bahgunas constructed a library in Pokhari. Kumaoni Pundits took those books at the time of Johsiyani.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com26/8/2014

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -413

(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 ….

XX                     

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