History of Oppression, Repression, Exploitation Era in Pradyuman Period in Garhwal

History of Garhwal including Haridwar (1223- 1804 AD) –part -184     

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -432 

                       By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Research Student)

 From the time Harsh Dev Joshi inspired Gorkhas to capture Garhwal, Garhwal experienced repression, subjugation, suppression, exploitation, power abuse of Gorkhas/Nepalis.

          Gorkha had a treaty with Garhwal that Garhwal would pay three thousand rupees as tribute to Nepal.  However, by various suppressive methods, Gorkha increased the tax from three to nine thousand rupees annually. The Nepali representative and his assistant in Shrinagar used to collect gifts with force or with notorious methods from Garhwal King and people. Whenever, Nepali administrators used to visit Badrinath or Char Dham Yatra the Garhwal Kingdom had to bear the cost of their visits. By this way, Garhwal Kingdom was paying very high amount for defusing the tension from Gorkhas.

                   Gorkhas Raids on Garhwal

    Gorkha soldiers were cruel and used to raid on border villages of Garhwal Kingdom from Kumaon. They used to loot wealth, animals, food and used to capture women too. Burning the standing crops or destroying standing crops was common phenomenon for Gorkhas.

  When Garhwal King was unable to take actions against Gorkha raiders the people of border villages of Garhwal started resisting Gorkhas and started fights with Gorkha soldiers. Garhwalis were ready to take revenge by killing cruelly Gorkha soldiers.

Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops? A Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale

                    In hills of Uttarakhand, when the barnyard millets and finger millets plants get height of six or seven inch after sowing the farmers  plough millet field. This is very peculiar agro-custom.

                 However, there is a folk saying for plough the standing millet crops when the shoots are six seven inches in height.

              It is said that before rule of Nepal on Kumaon and Garhwal, the standing millet crops was not ploughed.  Gorakha soldiers of Nepal were very cruel. They used to find ways and means to suppress the citizens. Their mean of controlling the citizens was to create fear among citizens of Garhwal and Kumaon. Gorakha soldiers used to burn the standing crops to create fear among citizens. They used to beat or punish people without any reason. They used to burn forests too.

              Once, a few Gorakha soldiers thought to create fear by destroying standing crops of barnyard millets and finger millets. The pants of both millets are grown in rainy season. The sowing time between barnyard millets and finger millets is fifteen days to one month. The shoots of both millets were grown from six to eight inches height in that village. Gorkha soldiers first plowed the plough in barnyard Millet fields and then went the area where finger millets were grown. Those soldiers plowed the plough on standing finger millet crops.

            After plowing the plough on standing millet crops the Gorakha soldiers returned to their Chauki. The farmers were in shock that now the barnyard and finger millets crops are destroyed completely. Citizens were afraid of feminine after rainy season.

 However, that year rain rained normally. Farmers were shocked to find that the millet plants in those fields which were plowed by Nepal soldiers flourished more than the normal. That year the crop production was also more from those fields where standing millet crops were plowed by Gorakha soldiers.

  From that time, farmers started plowing (though not fine but on wider line) plowing the standing barnyard and finger millet crops when the shoots are half feet high.

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com16/9/2014

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -433

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