Maya Bhadauria
In Indian history, Queen Durgavati is depicted as a great warrior queen. The 500th birth centenary of this Virangana of the Gondwana kingdom is currently being celebrated. Queen Durgavati is a unique example in Indian history of a woman holding the reins of a vast empire for more than 16 years. Let's talk about how the queen made the state of Gadha (former name Gondwana) 'sone ki chidiya' during her long reign… Rani Durgavati was the virgin of Kirat Raya, the Chandel king of Kalinjar. He was born on October 5, 1524 on Durgastami in the Kalinjar fort (present-day Banda district of Uttar Pradesh) of the Chandel dynasty. From childhood, Kunvari was interested in swordsmanship and archery, listening and reading stories of chivalry, shooting guns and riding horses. In 1542, she was married to the Gond king Dalpat Shah. At the time when Akbar ascended the throne of Delhi, Gondwana was ruled by God Koituros. Gondwana was famous for its prosperity and splendor. Gadha Katanga (Jabalpur) was ruled by Dalpat Shah, son of the great king Sangram Shah of the Marawi dynasty of Gonds. Queen Durgavati inherited the vast kingdom of Gondwana from father-in-law Sangram Shah and husband King Dalpat Shah. At that time the entire empire was divided into 52 small forts and 57 parganas. After the untimely death of Dalpat Shah within four years of marriage, Queen Durgavati installed her five-year-old son Veeranarayan on the throne and took charge of the kingdom.
The golden age of Gondwana under the queen's rule expanded its frontiers: according to contemporary historians there were 70 thousand villages and by the time of Queen Durgavati the number rose to 80 thousand. The number of forts was 57, parganas were 57. Gondwana became a happy and prosperous state. The state was bordered by Jharkhand to the east, Rewa state to the north, Southern Plateau to the south and Raisen region to the west. Its length was 300 miles from east to west and width 160 miles from north to south. All these borders were extended by Queen Durgavati. Tax system like GST: The GST tax system prevalent there was implemented during the reign of Queen Durgavati. At that time Gondwana was the only state in India where people paid gold and elephants as taxes. The grain was so ripe that it was exported to Gujarat-Deccan. Abu Fazl, one of Akbar's followers, has mentioned this in Akbarnama. Educated women: The queen tried hard to educate women at that time. Small industries of lac jewelery were also developed for them. He also gave priority to trade in charoli, shingoda, mahua and timber. He also encouraged trade in herbal medicines.
Construction of 1000 ponds and 500 ponds: Queen Durgavati's schemes in terms of water management and environmental protection are as relevant today as they were then. He constructed 1000 ponds and 500 ponds in his empire, but in Jabalpur he made a beautiful arrangement of 52 ponds and 40 ponds. It had three types of ponds. 1. Shikhar Lakes which are mountain lakes for protection of flora and fauna, 2. Terai Lakes, which are constructed to store water in the foothills and 3. Urban Lakes. These three types of lakes were connected to each other by underground.
A powerful army and a skilled warrior queen Durgavati was unmatched in warfare and diplomacy. Rani was skilled in not one but nine traditional martial arts. Apart from Vajra Vyuha, Cronch Vyuha, Crescent Vyuha, Magar Vyuha, Garuda Vyuha, he had learned many other types of martial arts. The queen prepared a huge army. It had 20 thousand horsemen, one thousand elephants and a large number of soldiers. Gondwana was the first such state in the then India, which had a contingent of women soldiers
Baj Bahadur, the Ayyash king of Mandu, invaded Gondwana twice, but was routed both times by Rani Shahidi Vahori, who took over the kingdom of Gondwa. Mughal ruler Akbar also wanted to win the kingdom of Queen Durgavati and place her in the harem, but he never succeeded. He ordered General Asaf Khan to mount. Queen Durgavati's army was small against the Mughal army. However, for the first time, he disguised himself as a man and took the leadership of the war in his hands and crushed the Mughal army. On that day the queen won. Next day Asaf Khan marched again with big guns. At that time the queen rode her favorite white elephant Sarman and entered the battlefield. Then one arrow hit near the ear, another arrow hit above the neck. The generals persuaded the Rani to leave the battlefield, but to prevent this Virang from falling into the hands of the enemy, she pierced her body with a spear and suffered martyrdom. That day was June 24. After fighting against the Mughals, Rani became virgati. Even though Gondwana is struggling to survive today, it has a glorious and glorious past.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
