Hammiradeva
Hammiradeva | |
---|---|
Reign | 1283-10 July 1301 |
Died | 10 July 1301[1] |
Hammiradeva (
Hammiradeva ruled a kingdom centred around Ranthambore in present-day
Hammira is celebrated as a hero in several texts composed after his death including Nayachandra Suri's Hammira Mahakavya, Jodharaja's Hammira Raso, and Chandrashekhara's Hammira-Hatha.
Early life
Hammiradeva was a son of the Chahamana king Jaitrasimha (Jaitra Singh) and queen Hira Devi.[2] The name "Hammira" is a Sanskritized form of the Arabic title Amir.[3] Little is known about him, except the Hammira Mahakavya, written by a poet about 100 years after Hammiradeva's death and whose reliability has been questioned.[4][5] Hammiradeva had two elder brothers named Suratrana and Virama.[4]
When
Early rule
Soon after his ascension, Hammiradeva launched a series of raids against his Hindu neighbours until 1288. The Hammira Mahakavya presents these raids as a systematic digvijaya ("conquests in all directions") campaign. However, Hammiradeva's own inscriptions do not mention any dgivijaya campaign.[7]
The Balvan inscription of 1288 CE mentions that Hammiradeva captured the elephant force of Arjuna II, the Paramara king of Malwa.[8] The Paramaras had greatly declined in power, and their kingdom faced an internal rebellion after Arjuna's death. Taking advantage of this, several of their enemies had plundered Malwa.[9]
According to the
Out of all these raids, Hammira's own inscriptions mention only his successes in Malwa. Therefore, historian Dasharatha Sharma doubts the historicity of the other raids described in the Hammira Mahakavya, and considers its digivjaya account as fictitious.[9]
The Balvan inscription mentions that Hammira performed a ritual sacrifice known as Koti-yajna twice. This sacrifice appears to have been similar to the Ashvamedha ceremony, which was proved by ancient Indian kings to prove their sovereignty. The Koti yajna performed by the royal priest Vishvarupa.[10]
Conflict with the Delhi Sultanate
Hammira's wars with his Hindu neighbours ultimately left him without any allies against his powerful northern neighbour, the Muslim-ruled Delhi Sultanate.[11]
Jalaluddin Khalji
In 1290,
After Jalaluddin's retreat, Hammira recaptured Jhain. In 1292, Jalaluddin once again invaded Jhain, this time unsuccessfully.[12]
Alauddin Khalji
In the annals of Rājpūt chivalry, there is scarcely a name better known than that of Hammīra the haṭhī, ruler of Ranthambhor.
— Dashratha Sharma, Early Chauhān Dynasties
In 1299, some Mongol soldiers of Delhi Sultanate mutined against their generals. Hammira granted asylum to two of these leaders — Muhammad Shah (alias Mahim Shah) and Kabhru — and their followers.[13] He rejected the demands to surrender these soldiers, leading to an invasion from the Delhi Sultanate.[14]
Hammira lost his general Bhimasamha to an invasion led by the Delhi general Ulugh Khan.[12] Hammira held his minister Dharmasimha responsible for this debacle, and had him castrated and blinded. However, Dharmasimha soon gained back the king's favour, by raising money for his fight against the Delhi forces. This money was raised through heavy taxes on the general public, which made Hammira very unpopular among the masses. His brothers Bhoja and Pithasimha defected to Alauddin as a result of Dharmasimha's scheming.[15]
At Bhoja's instigation, Alauddin sent a stronger army to Ranthambore. However, this army was defeated by Hammira's generals, which included the rebel Mongol leaders.
After Nusrat Khan's death, Alauddin decided to personally lead the siege of Ranthambore. He ordered his officers from his various provinces to assemble their contingents at Tilpat, and then led a joint force to Ranthambore.[18] After a prolonged siege followed, during which Hammira's officers Ratipala and Ranamalla defected to Alauddin's side.[19]
By July 1301, Hammira was in a dire situation owing to the defections and a famine-like situation within the fort. Therefore, he decided to fight to death with his loyal men.[19] The ladies of the fort, led by his chief queen Ranga Devi, died by jauhar (mass self-immolation to avoid falling into the enemy hands).[20] Hammira offered safe passages to his brother Virama, his minister Jaja, and the rebel Mongol leader Muhammad Shah, but all of them refused to desert him. Virama died fighting by his side in a last stand. Jaja, whom Hammira had appointed as his successor, died two days later while defending the fort. Muhammad Shah was wounded in the action, and later executed on Alauddin's orders.[21] Hammira and his loyal companions marched to the top of the pasheb mound, where they fought to death with Alauddin's army.[1] Some Rajput-era bards claim that Hammira severed his own head and offered it to the god Mahadeva when faced with a certain defeat.[22]
Cultural activities
According to the
According to Sharngadhara-Paddhati, Hammira was a pupil of the scholar-poet Raghavadeva, who was a grandfather of the famous anthologist Sharngadhara. Hammira also patronised the poet Bijaditya.[23]
In popular culture
Hammira has been hailed as a hero in several works written after his death, including those written in
Two later Hindi works on his life include Hammira Raso by Jodharaja and Hammira-Hatha by Chandrashekhara. However, these are of little historical value.[10]
References
- ^ a b Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, p. 347.
- ^ Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 103.
- ^ Romila Thapar 2005, p. 120.
- ^ a b c d Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 106.
- ISBN 978-0-9876934-0-2.
- ^ Manabendu Banerjee 2004, p. 278.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, pp. 107–108.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 124.
- ^ a b c Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 108.
- ^ a b c d Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 107.
- ^ Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 336.
- ^ a b c Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 109.
- ^ Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 88.
- ^ a b Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, p. 342.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 110-111.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 111.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 112.
- ^ Banarsi Prasad Saksena 1992, pp. 343–344.
- ^ a b Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 113.
- ^ Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 112.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, pp. 118–119.
- ^ Kishori Saran Lal 1950, p. 104.
- ^ a b Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 115.
- ^ Dasharatha Sharma 1959, p. 116.
Bibliography
- Dasharatha Sharma (1959). Early Chauhān Dynasties. S. Chand / Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9780842606189.
- OCLC 31870180.
- OCLC 685167335.
- Manabendu Banerjee (2004). Historicity in Sanskrit Historical Kāvyas. Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar. OCLC 69734858.
- Romila Thapar (2005). Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History. Verso. ISBN 9781844670208.
- Sailendra Nath Sen (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. ISBN 9788122411980.
- Sudheer Maurya (2020). Hammir Hath (in Hindi) (1 ed.). India: Rajmangal Prakashan. p. 240. ISBN 9788194612278.