SHOORVEER THAKUR BHAGWANT SINGH KHICHI - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS.

कहानी राजा भगवंतराय खींची की

असोथर के राजा भगवंतराय खींची के वीरता की कहानी पूरे फतेहपुर जनपद में सुनने को मिलती है. सन् १७१२-१३ में दिल्ली की गद्दी पर मुगल वंशज जहांदार शाह बैठा, तो बंगाल के सहायक सूबेदार फर्रुखसियर ने खुद को सम्राट घोषित ही नहीं किया, बल्कि १८ अक्टूबर को पटना से दिल्ली पर धावा बोलने के लिए कूच कर दिया. जहांदार शाह के पुत्र अजउद्दीन के नेतृत्व में फर्रुखसियर की सेना के जिले के खजुहा नामक जगह पर युद्ध हुआ. 

जिसमें ऐझी परगना प्रभावशाली जमीदार भगवंतराय खीची की मदद से फर्रुखसियर को विजय हासिल हुई और ११ जनवरी १७१३ में दिल्ली के सिंहासन पर बैठा. 

इसके बाद भगवंतराय का दबदबा बढ़ा और धीरे-धीरे असोथर स्टेट के राजा बन गए. मोहम्मद रंगीले शाह दिल्ली की कुर्सी पर बैठे, तो १७१९ में भगवंतराय ने अपने को स्वतंत्र राजा घोषित किया और चंदेल शासकों के पैनागढ़ (वर्तमान में पैनाकला) के किले की मरम्मत कराई. भगवंतराय की मित्रता छत्रसाल बुंदेला, डौडियाखेडा राव मर्दन सिंह बैंस,  जैसे प्रभावशाली राजाओं से थी. 

साल १७३४ में प्रधानमंत्री वजीर आजम ने कोड़ा के फौजदार और अपने साले जांनिसार खां को खत्म करने के लिए भेजा. भगवंतराय ने बड़ी चतुरता से आक्रमण करके फतेहपुर में जांनिसार को मार डाला और उसकी बेगमों की शादी अपने संबंधियों से कराई. जानिसार की बेटी की शादी अपने बेटे रूपराय के साथ करा दी. इसकी खबर मिलते ही कमरुद्दीन ने अपने ७०००० सैनिकों के साथ गाजीपुर किले में धावा बोला दिया. लेकिन इस बात की सूचना पाकर रात में ही भगवंतराय किला छोड़ दिया. 

यमुना नदी में बाढ़ के कारण कमरुद्दीन उनका पीछा नहीं कर पाया और उसे वापस लौटना पड़ा. जिसके बाद दिल्ली सरकार ने भगवंतराय को दबाने के लिए अवध के नवाब सआदत खां नर्वन को भेजा, जो कानपुर, खजुहा के रास्ते होकर गाजीपुर पहुंचा. 

युद्भ में भगवंतराय ने दस हजार सैनिकों के साथ मुकबला किया. जिसमें चालीस हजार सैनिकों वाली सआदत की सेना हार गई. ऐसी हालत में दोनों पक्षों में सुलह हो गई. इसके बाद भगवंतराय को १४ परगनों का स्वतंत्र राजा घोषित कर दिया गया. अवध के नवाब सआदत खां ने २७८ साल पहले राजा भगवंतराय खीचीं की विश्वासघात से हत्या कराकर असोथर स्टेट का अस्तित्व समाप्त कर दिया था. 

 भगवंतराय को राजा की गद्दी मिलने से नाखुश अवध के नवाब ने साजिश करके चौधरी दुर्जन सिंह द्वारा भगवंतराय की पूजा करते समय कटारी घोंपकर हत्या करवा दी. उनके सेनापति भवानी सिंह को भी मार डाला. इसके बाद से ही यह भू-भाग अवध नवाब के अधिपत्य में चला गया.

असोथर नरेश का समाधि स्थल अभी भी सांखा गांव से पास मुडचौरा में उनकी वीरता बयां कर रहा है.

~×××××××~

-Raja Bhagvant Ray Kheechi- 

head of Asother state, who defeated the army of Ibrahim Sharki and released women from his haram.

HAD BHAGWANT SINGH JI NOT BEEN HINDU, OUR SICKULAR REPUBLIC WOULD HAVE MADE HIM SUPERHERO, BECAUSE HE WAS HINDU AND FIGHT FOR HINDUS, SO NO HINDU (DHIMMI) REMEMBER HIS NAME

BUT THANKS TO @CHANDRAPIDA1 SIR HIS GREAT NAME AND SACRIFICE WILL LIVE ON FOR DHARMIC GENERATIONS AHEAD TO BE PROUD OFF..

From a ballad written by a Mohamadian about the brave Kichhi Chauhan zamindar of Fatehpur (UP) Bhagwant Singh. Describing the killing of the Mughal Faujadar stationed at Fatehpur by Bhagwant -

"seized him like a child does a whirligig, and in a moment killed him" Bhagwant Singh was only a petty zamindar, but was nightmare for the imperial army. 

From the same ballad by the Mohamadian - 

"The Moghuls all gave way, he smote them down wherever he found them,

They besought quarter; what a warrior he was! 

He rushed on striking, he cut through gauntlet and breast-plate,

As the smith beats iron on the anvil with his sledge hammer.

Bhowani Singh fights and shouts his war cry,

He plants his foot in front and does not retreat a jot." 

"When the two forces met in battle shock, it was a moment of delight,

They were like the waves of a river too broad to see across.

All had spears in their hands, all had Sylhet shields,

On their shoulders were shawls, it was a beautiful sight to see. 

All Bhugwunts men wore saffron robes, and carried bow and quiver.

They were fine young men with the down on their cheeks.

They came rolling up like a mass of clouds, a great confusion arose,

Even Indra trembled when he heard the battle cry.

Spears and arrows hurtled till the battle field rang again,

They fell like thunderbolts, and the cannon never ceased.

Bullets hissed-guns and cross bows rattled,

Armour was shivered by them as by a hatchet.

The ear was bewildered by the incessant fall of arrows,

On that notable day they were red-hot sparks of fire.

The quiver was emptied by the bow, the soldiers were weary,

Swords were plied, all order was forgotten.

Same ballad describing a batte between Sadut Khan, the Nawab of Oudh and Bhagwant Singh.

Some 80 km far from Varanasi is district of Ghazipur. A local Rajput hero Bhagwant Singh who was shrewd as fox but lion in battle and gave considerable difficulty to Mughals in 18th century. Fight started on some religious dispute between him and Faujdar.

The Faujdar Jan Nisar Khan was relative of Mughal Wazir Qamruddin Khan and marched against Bhagwant Singh. Singh was a lion and despite his low numbers reached direct to tents of Khan. Khan sat on elephant and tried to fight

However Bhagwant Singh pounced upon them like a lion and killed Jan Nisar Khan and his followers quickly. Then Mughal wazir sent another huge army. Bhagwant Singh escaped, then when main army returned he again killed local incharge and expelled all Mughals out of district.

When 2 attempts to reduce Singh failed, finally Wazir Qamruddin Khan himself marched with some 70k troops against a small chieftain of one district! Bhagwant Singh tricked them,kept on firing at Mughals and escaped at midnight.

Bhagwant Singh frustrated even this attempt and drove out Wazir's men from Ghazipur. All the armed might could not subdue one chieftain! Finally Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah Rangila appointed Saadat Khan ( the guy who fought Nadir Shah) to chastise Bhagwant Singh.

Saadat Khan the first Nawab of Awadh was one of finest soldiers of his times and he had a huge army of 40,000 with artillery by his side. Bhagwant Singh had some 12,000 men and he gave a fierce battle but lot of his men were killed by deadly fire of Mughal guns.

Abu Tarab leading van of Saadat Khan was charged by Singh who thinned his troops and galloping on horse thrust his spear so strongly that it got stuck on howdah after piercing Tarab. Then Khudayar Khan with 7000 men tried to stop him but he too was put to flight. What a hero!

Then Bhagwant charged  Saadat Khan himself but host of Muslims surrounded him and shot arrows on Singh. He faced it bravely and killed many of attackers but was finally shot dead.(  Aur fir ek Hindu ne ek Hindu ko dhokha diya... Aur haraa kaun "Hindu Dharma".....) His head was cut and his skin stuffed was sent to Delhi.

Thus this lion met his death.

( Shot by his own relative! For every lion like Bhagwant Singh , we were cursed with a hyena like Durjan Singh.)