History of Garhwal (1223- 1804 AD) –part -10
History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -255
By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)
Sapadlaksh or Shivalik Hills
In any Karmkand ritual of a Garhwali in any part of world, Pundit chants a sentence ‘Kedarkhande ... madhye Garhwal kshetre …”. The Kedarkhand name is still relevant for every Garhwali living in Garhwal or outside Garhwal. However, politically, the Panwar Kings never provided any priority or importance to Kedarkhand name.
Rock inscription of Sahanpal in Bodhgaya mentions a name Sapadlaksh. Sapadlaksh is Shivalik or Sava Lakh. There is mention of Sapadlaksh region in Kumarikhand chapter of Skandapuran. Skandapuran mentions that, there are one and quarter lakh villages in Sapadlaksh region.
Muslim historians mentioned Shivalik mountain regions for various regions from today’s Haridwar, Dehradun, and Bhabhar of Pauri to Vyas River. Due to Khas population, this region was also called Sapadlaksh Shikhir- Khas Des. It is also said that there were one and quarter lakhs shrines in Sapadlaksh Mountain (now from Dehradun to Hoshiyarpur).
Muslim historians used Shivalik Mountain time to time for Bhabhar Garhwal, for Dehradun region, for Sirmaur of Himachal.
European travelers referred ‘Shiva’ region under Jahangir. Haridwar was head quarter of Shiva district under Jahangir.
Muslim historians also called south hills and regions of Garhwal as hills of Haridwar, Kutil, Kapil Ghati, Karachal or hills of Chandi .
Shrinagar a Nation
In sixteenth century, Garhwal king Ajaypal established his capital in Shrinagar from Devalgarh. That is the reasons that Muslim historians called Garhwal nation as Shrinagar or Sirinagar Rajya.
In Jahangirnama, King Shyam Shah is mentioned as Shyam Singh the Jameendar of Shrinagr (1621).
A traveler Father Androde (1624) called the Garhwal region as Shrinagar Kingdom or Rajya.
French traveler Barniyar who travelled India from 1656- 1668 mentioned Garhwal region as Serenagar. He also drew a map.
The historians of Aurangzeb period also mentioned Shrinagar Rajya.
The English traveler (1608-1611) William Finch described Garhwal region as Strong and prosperous Kingdom in between Yamuna and Ganga ruled by the King was Manshah and his capital was Shrinagar.
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com1/2//2014
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
(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 -256
