वीर बुन्देलों की वीरता का गुणगान पूरे देश में गौरव के साथ किया जाता है।
जुझारसिंह बुन्देला ओरछा के राजा थे। अपने पिता वीरसिंह बुन्देला की मृत्यु के बाद ओरछा के राजा बने| ये गहरवाल वंश के थे| जुझारसिंह शासन का भार अपने पुत्र विक्रमाजीत को सौंप कर स्वयं शाहजहाँ की सेवा में आगरा चले आये। शाही दरबार में उसका मनसब चार हजार जात और चार हजार सवार का था। जुझार सिंह बुन्देला एक शक्तिशाली शासक थे। विक्रमाजीत ने वि.सं. १६८६ (ई.सन १६२९) में विद्रोह कर दिया। जुझारसिंह भी अपने पुत्र के पास चले गए। वहाँ अपने आप को स्वतन्त्र शासक घोषित कर दिया। शाहजहाँ ने विद्रोह को कुचलने के लिए एक विशाल शाही सेना भेजी। इस सेना के साथ महावत खाँ अब्दुला खाँ और शाहजहाँ लोदी को भेजा। शाही सेना ने ओरछा पर आक्रमण कर विद्रोही बुन्देलों का विद्रोह शान्त कर दिया। इस युद्ध में बुन्दलों की पराजय हुई। ओरछा के कुछ इल अपने अधीन कर शाहजहाँ ने बुंदेलों को क्षमा कर दिया| संधि के अनुसार जुझारसिंह दक्षिण में शाही शिविर में चले गए, वहां शाही सेवा स्वीकार कर ली|
जुझारसिंह ने पाँच वर्ष तक दक्षिण में पूर्ण स्वामीभक्ति से कार्य किया| वह स्वतंत्र प्रवृति के व्यक्ति थे| दक्षिण से बिना इजाजत ओरछा आ गए| वि.सं. १६९२ (ई.स. १६३५) में शाहजहाँ के विरुद्ध विद्रोह कर दिया। वि.सं. १६८६ में जो क्षेत्र मुगलों ने अधीन कर लिए थे, उन्हें पुनः प्राप्त करने का प्रयत्न करने लगे।
राजा जुझारसिंह ने चौरागढ (मध्यप्रदेश) के किले पर आक्रमण कर दिया। वहाँ के राजा भीमनारायण (प्रेमनारायण) को परास्त किया। भीम नारायण गोंड को मार कर चौरागढ राज्य पर अधिकार कर लिया। शाहजहाँ इस कार्यवाही से कुध हुआ क्योंकि उसने चौरागढ (गोंडवाना) पर हमला न करने की चेतावनी दी थी। शाहजहाँ ने जीता हुआ क्षेत्र और लूटा हुआ पाँच लाख रूपये गोंड राजा के पुत्र को लौटा देने का आदेश दिया। एक शाही सेना भेजी और कहा कि एक जिला और क्षतिपूर्ति के ३० लाख रुपया सम्राट को भेंट कर क्षमा प्राप्त कर ले। परन्तु जुझारसिंह अडिग रहे। उन्होंने इस आदेश की अवहेलना की। इस पर कुद्ध होकर शाहजहाँ ने शाहजादे औरंगजेब को सेना के साथ ओरछा भेजा। इस सेना का वह मुकाबला न कर सके। मुगलों ने अक्टूबर ४, ई.स.१६३५ में राजधानी ओरछा पर अधिकार कर लिया| मुग़ल सेना के साथ चंदेरी के राजा देवीसिंह भी थे| देवीसिंह को यहाँ का राजा बना दिया गया| अपने परिवार के साथ जुझारसिंह धामुनी के किले में चले गए| धामुनी का किला सुदृढ़ था| इसके तीन तरफ दलदल और एक तरफ खाई होने के कारण सुरंगें खोदना मुश्किल था। रात्रि में शाही सेना के सिपाहियों ने निसेनियों (सीढियों) के सहारे गढ़ में प्रवेश कर वहाँ पर अधिकार करने के लिए युद्ध किया। जुझारसिंह ने शाही सेना का मुकाबला किया। यहाँ से जुझारसिंह अपने परिवार और खजाने सहित चौरागढ़ के किले में पहुँचने में सफल हुए। जुझारसिंह के योद्धा किले में रहकर युद्ध करते रहे, परन्तु अन्त में उन्हें परास्त होना पड़ा।
बुन्देला विद्रोह के दौरान सन १६३५ में जब औरछा के राजा जुझारसिंह बुन्देला मुगलों से अंतिम युद्ध कर रहे थे, इसके पहले उन्होंने अपने परिवार की महिलाओं और बच्चों को गोलकुंडा की ओर रवाना कर दिया था। मुगलों की ओर से युद्ध कर रहे खानजहान नुसरत जंग को इसकी खबर मिल गई। उसने अपने बड़े लड़के सैयद मुहम्मद को ५०० सवारों के साथ पीछा करने के लिए भेजा। उसने इस काफिले पर हमला किया पर विजय प्राप्त नहीं कर सका। तब दूसरे दिन खानजहान नुसरत जंग एक बड़ी सेना लेकर सहायता के लिए आ गया। युद्ध के अंत में खानजहान नुसरत जंग ने घायल महिलाओं के साथ जुझारसिंह का छोटा लड़का दुर्गभान सिंह तथा नाती दुर्जन सिंह को बंदी बना लिया।
उधर मुगल सेनाएँ राजा जुझारर सिंह का लगातार पीछा करती रही। औरंगजेब चौरागढ में भी आ गया। यहाँ से जुझारसिंह चाँदा और देवगढ़ के प्रदेश से होते हुए दक्षिण की ओर निकल जाने का प्रयत्न करने लगे। परन्तु यहाँ भी पीछा करती हुई मुगल सेना एकाएक आ पहुँची, अब बचकर निकलना असम्भव था। शाही सैनिक उन पर टूट पड़े। इस युद्ध में बहुत से बुन्देले मारे गए और स्त्रियों को बन्दी बना लिया गया। जुझारसिंह और विक्रमाजीत जंगल में चले गए। जहाँ उन्हें गोंडो ने मार डाला और उनके मस्तक काटकर शाहजहाँ के पास भेज दिए गए। जहाँ बादशाह के आदेशानुसार ये कटे हुए मस्तक सीहोर नगर के दरवाजे पर टांग दिए गए।
२४ जनवरी १६३६ में खानजहान नुसरत जंग ने वीरसिंह देव महल दतिया में बंदी महिलाओं और दोनों राजकुमारों को शाहजहाँ के सामने पेश किया। शाहजहाँ के आदेश पर इन राजकुमारों को मुसलमान बना कर इनके नाम इस्लाम कुली खान और अली कुली खान रख दिए तथा इन्हें फ़िरोज़ जंग नाज़िर के संरक्षण में दे दिया। वीरसिंह देव की विधवा रानी की अत्यधिक घायल हो जाने से मृत्यु हो गई। अन्य स्त्रियों को धर्म परिवर्तन कराकर मुगल हरम में अपमानजनक जीवन व्यतीत करने को भेज दिया गया। दो पुत्रों उदयभान और दूसरा बालक था, ने अपने सेवक सहित गोलकुण्डा राज्य में शरण ली। गोलकुण्डा सुल्तान ने इन्हें बन्दी बना कर शाहजहाँ के पास भेज दिया। उदयभान और सेवक ने इस्लाम अपनाना स्वीकार नहीं किया अतः इन्हें कत्ल कर दिया गया।
शाहजहाँ के चले जाने के बाद चम्पत राय तथा अन्य स्वाभिमानी राष्ट्रभक्त बुन्देला सरदारों ने फिरोज जंग नाज़िर पर हमला कर उससे दोनों राजकुमारों को छीन लिए तथा उन्हें पुन: हिन्दू बना लिया। शाहजहाँ को जब इस घटना की खबर मिली तो उसने खानजहान नुसरत जंग को इन दोनों राजकुमारों को पकड़ कर क़त्ल कर देने के लिए भेजा। चम्पत राय मुगलों से इन दोनों राजकुमारों की रक्षा नहीं कर पाए। अंत में दोनों राजकुमार शहीद हो गए। खानजहान नुसरत जंग ने इन दोनों को मुसलिम रीति से दफ़न कर दिया।
आज भी दतिया में वीरसिंह देव महल के पीछे लाला के तालाब के बीच में इन दोनों राजकुमारों की कब्र बनी है जिसे लोग छक्का बक्का कहते हैं।
The Bundelas had a very interesting relationship with the premier power of India – The Mughals. Under its clan head Bir Singh Dev, the Bundelas had reached the zenith of their power. Bir Singh enjoyed very close relationship with Shahjahan so much so that there was nothing that was refused to Bir Singh. This was a time of great power and expansion of the Bundela domains. Bir Singh built magnificent forts and temples especially in Orcha & Mathrua. But Bir Singh and Shahjahan were not always on the same side. Bir Singh & Kurram (Later Shahajahan) were friends but Bir Singh stood with Jahangir during prince Khurram’s revolt. He fought & defeated Khurram’s army in decisive battles. Jahangir was so impressed by Bir Singh’s valour that he granted him the title of Maharaj in 1628 CE & granted Mansabdari of 2000 infantry & 1000 cavalry to his son Jujhar Singh. But later at strategic moments of the rebellion he chose to stand aside to let Khurram threaten Delhi. After Shahjahan’s ascension, he never forgot Bir Singh’s help and accepted all the new territories that Bir Singh had conquered in 1623-26 CE. Thus at it peak the Bundela Kingdom had 1,26,000 villages & 28 strategic major forts. His domains extended well into Malwa (MP). His treasure was estimated to be worth 38 crore gold mohars. He commanded a standing army of 20,000 cavalry besides matchlock men, and 50,000 infantry.
After Bir Singh’s death, his son & heir Jauhar Singh ascended the throne in 1627 CE. Shahjahan, too recognized Jujhar Singh and sent him the ceremonial Tikka & Royal Robes to Jujhar Singh as mark of friendship and royal favour. After the ceremony Jujhar Singh left Orcha and went to Akbarabad (Agra) to pay homage to Shahjahan. During the course of celebrations, that went on for months, Shahjahan was petitioned by jealous courtiers & Jujhar’s estranged relatives, to investigate the wealth of Bundelas. The main instigator was Devi Singh, a cousin of Bir Singh and a claimant of the bloodline of the founder of the Bundela Dynasty, Raja Rudra Pratap. This betrayal by Devi Singh marked the end of peace between the Mughals & Bundelas.
Always greedy, the emperor ordered the detention of Jujhar Singh as the royal guards were on their way to detain Jujhar Singh, he slipped out of the Palace and rode through the night. His desperate flight took him to the fort at Irich (40 miles from Jhansi). Shahjahan dispatched an army of 34,500. Irich was attacked from 3 sides (the fourth side had Betwa River) and the fort was overrun. But Jujhar Singh had already left for Orcha. Unaffected, the mughal army slaughtered 2000 civilians including old and children. Women were taken as slaves and young boys forcibly converted to Islam. Inspite of paying a very heavy fine, the Raja of Irich was forced to witness the genocide of his people. The brutal slaughter of Hindus of Irich caused much anger and proved to be a trigger in the ever widening schism between Bundelas & Mughals.
Jujhar Singh, planned the revenge for Irich and its hapless citizens. In1628, he rose in revolt against the mughalia saltant. In response to his revolt, Shahjahan in October deputed 3 armies under –
Sayyid Khan-e-Jahan with 10,500 men from Badaun.
Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firoz Jung with 6,000 men from North.
Khan-e-Dauran with 6,000 men from Gwalior.
Meanwhile the Bundela Army was severely depleted after the battle at Irich and numbered only 15,000 (5,000 cavalry & 10,000 infantry). The mughal army was predominantly horsemen with only a limited number of infantry. The mughal army chose speed and therefore relied on its cavalry. Amongst the mughal army was the traitor Devi Singh Bundela who had now staked a claim on the throne of Bundelas. The traitor Devi Singh helped the mughal army traverse the dense jungles of the region and he pointed out the weak points in the defense of Bundelkhand region.
Jahangiri Fantasy: Rough Justice (chain of, scales of) to Malik Ambar, his ill-omened Ethiopian-Deccan foe. Fantasy rendered by the faithful Abu'l Hasan, Nadir-uz-Zaman. Mughal. Early 17th Century. Chester Beatty Library.
Malik Ambar was defeated by Prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan) but evaded the rough justice anticipated by Jahangir. Shah Jahan, in turn, took a liking to his father's balancing act. Here, he accepts the submission of Jujhar Singh Bundela. By Bichitr. 1630.
According to the treaty, Jujhar Singh went to the royal camp in the south, accepted the royal service there. Jujhar Singh worked in the South with full devotion for five years.
But do we know?
'Bikramjit's victory over Darya Khan Rohilla in 1631 AD'. As Khan revolted against Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, Bikramjit Bundela was ordered to defeat Khan. Later, Bikramjit too revolted against Mughals & so this painting was not included in PadshahNama.
Jujhar Singh, son of Bir Singh Bundela of Orchha, Re-asserted his independence during the reign of Shah Jahan. It invited a full-fledged invasion of Bundelkhand by the imperial army, which was commanded by Prince Aurangzeb. Imperial army defeated Jhujhar Singh in 1635.
King Jujhar Singh Bundela was a person of independent nature. Came to Orchha from South without permission. Revolted against Shah Jahan in 1692 (AD 1635). In 1686, the areas which had been subjugated by the Mughals, started trying to recover them. King Jujhar Singh attacked the fort of Chauragarh (Madhya Pradesh). Defeated the king Bhimnarayan (Premnarayan) there. By killing Bhima Narayan Gond, he captured the state of Chauragarh. Shah Jahan was infuriated by this action as he had warned against attacking Chauragarh (Gondwana). Shah Jahan ordered to return the conquered area and the looted five lakh rupees to the son of the Gond king. Sent a royal army and asked to get pardon by presenting a district and 30 lakh rupees of compensation to the emperor. But Jujhar Singh remained adamant. He disobeyed this order. Enraged on this, Shah Jahan sent Shahzade Aurangzeb along with the army to Orchha.
As a result of which, Shah Jahan organised an expedition to hunt him down.
The expedition consisted of 32,500 Muslim soldiers. He also appointed Aurangzib (16 yrs) as their Supreme commander in chief. As they were assisted by Devi Singh & other treacherous Bundela & Gond chieftains, namely Bhagwan Das Bundela (brother of Jujhar Singh), Raja Bharat Bundela, Pahar Singh Bundela, Raja Bittal Das Gaur. They actively helped the mughals with men and material, leaving Jujhar Singh to fight alone.
Mughal armies reach Orcha. Both armies clashed 2 miles outside Orcha on 2nd October 1635. Aurangzeb deputed the Bundela chieftains to lead the first attack. As Hindu spilled Hindu blood, mughals stood aside. By late afternoon, the treacherous Bundela chieftains were slowly being routed and Jujhar Singh was in sight of victory. Just then Mahmat Khan, deputy of Aurangzeb was ordered to attack with his matchlock (rifle men). Concerted salvos of lead balls disrupted the Bundela advance. Eyeing an opportunity Aurangzeb ordered the cavalry to attack the hill top where Jujhar Singh was preparing his reserve forces for another attack.
Sudden reversal of fortunes forced Jujhar Singh to retreat back to Orcha. Knowing mughal tactics, Jujhar Singh left Orcha with his family & army. Jujhar Singh sought shelter in the Dhamuni. On October 4 1635, the mughal army sized the fort of Orcha. What followed is the textbook case of religion fueled retribution against the citizens of Orcha. After the bloodbath ebbed, Shahjahan appointed Devi Singh as the new ruler of Orcha & set about extracting his revenge.
Mughals gave chase to Jujhar Singh. As they reached Dhamuni, Jhujar Singh had already left. If Shahjahan thought that taking the fort of Dhamuni would be easy, they were sorely mistaken. The quiledar of Dhamuni, Ratnai fought bravely till midnight but a body of Ruhelas (Rohillas – Afghan mercenaries) tunneled underground to reach a bamboo thicket near the side gate of the fort. The gate was opened from inside by a loyalist of Devi Singh (Betrayed once again by a fellow Bundela). What followed was the customary slaughter of men and rape of Hindu women. But Ratnai was not done yet. He fought his way to the armoury and lit a fuse to blow up a section of the wall where the mughal forces had accumalated. The blast blew up 80 yards of the wall, killing 300 mughal soldiers and blowing up 200 horses.
Jujhar Singh had taken refuge in Chauragarh. When the mughal army reached Chauragarh they found that Jujhar Singh was moving through south through the god kingdoms. He had with him 6000 soldiers, 60 elephants & was making 14 miles a day. The mughals with their cavalry took pursuit. They covered 40 miles per day and soon closed on Jujhar Singh near the border of Gond kingdom of Chanda. The obstinate Jujhar Singh refused to surrender, fought & lost. He sought shelter in the jungles with his family and a few loyal retainers.
Even after a relentless pursuit, the mughals failed to capture Jujhar Singh who fought a brave rearguard battle against the pursuing mughals. Due to continued losses inflicted by Jujhar Singh, mughals bribed the local Gond tribal chiefs to track him. The Gonds informed the mughals of the location of Jujhar’s family. The mughals, in a surprise attack killed Jujhars family and imprisoned the women and daughters of the royal family. Though the Bundela women tried to perform Jauhar, only a few were successful the remaining were captured. Meanwhile, the Gonds were also tracking Jujhar Singh & his son Jograj Singh (who had taken a different route).
Jujhar singh and his eldest son Bikramajit, Who Retreated deeper into the jungle. Both were killed by the Gonds(local tribesman). Gonds killed them and butchered their heads beacuse of their greed for a reward, from the Emperor. Later, they sent those heads to Shah Jahan, who hung them on the gates of his camp.
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| The painting shows Shah Jahan's commander Dauran Khan gifting the slain heads of Hindu rebel kings of Bundelkhand, Jhujhar Singh Bundela and his son Vikramaditya Singh Bundela to Shah Jahan. trueIndology. |
Khan Dawran receiving heads. This painting shows the end of the rebellious Jujhar Singh and his son Bikramajit as well as several of their followers. In spite of having been pursued by more than twenty thousand cavalry soldiers, they had managed to evade their Mughal pursuers, but were finally killed by a tribe of Gonds in January 1636. The text tells us that when Khan Dawran heard this news, he 'rode to where the traitors' bodies were, and ordered their heads, which were beehives of sedition and corruption, severed from their bodies.' It is this moment that is captured in the foreground of the illustration. The Mughal forces in the right-hand side of the sheet are mostly shown in profile view. Khan Dawran is seated on the horse with the pink saddle cloth and Abdullah Khan (Firoz-Jang) on the horse with the green saddle cloth. Together they receive the severed heads. The rebels are shown being rounded up in the left-hand side of the sheet. They are mostly depicted in three-quarter face, and look out at the viewer. In the background, the diminishing size of the horses surrounding the group of elephants, conveys a sense of distance. The text refers to this incident too. 'At Khan Dawran's order the warriors raised the wounded women from the dust and took them, along with the elephants and other booty to Firoz-Jang.'
The women were conveyed in the covered howdahs. - Jujhar Singh's mother and daughters were converted to Islam and forced to lead the disgusted life of Mughal Harems.
Where, they were left to suffer. - There were two sons and a grandson of Jujhar as well, who weren't killed because of their tender age.
They were made Muhammadans.
- Another son, Udaybhan, who had taken refuge in Golkonda was delivered to Shah Jahan and he refused to convert to Islam.
He was executed in cold blood, then and there.
Such brutality. Isn't it?
When Shah Jahan was on his way toward the city of Orchha with Aurangzeb, he ordered his army to destroy the grand Chaturbhuj temple built by Bir Singh Bundela, adjacent to the royal palace. It was turned into a mosque.
Temple Destruction was endorsed by Shah Jahan to the great joy of fanatical element, which had remained subdued since the days of Akbar. Major part of Bundelkhand was overrun by imperial troops.
This should give you an idea about the life of war prisoners in Mughal Rule. Also, the same fate was reserved for those who betrayed Mughals or didn't dance on their tunes.
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