KANHAD DEV SONGARA,KHILJI & FIROZA

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Rao Samant Sinh Songara, ruler of Jalore with a view to retain the independence of Jalore against the Muslim invasion during his life time, he placed Kanhaddev on the throne of Jalore. 

This Songara king Kanhaddev was also known by names (i) Nahar Dev (ii) Shiligram (iii) Golaknath & (iv) Krishna(Lord Krishna’s tenth avatar-incarnation).This Kanhaddev had a brother-Maldev Songara. 

Songara king Kanhad dev had two issues, Son Viramdev & Kunwar Virmati Bai. 

Rao Shri Kanhaddev & his brave son Viramdev were died in battle fought against the sultan Ala-ud-Din khilji in year 1311; this battle of Jalore was terrible. Ongoing through the “KANHAD-DE-PRABANDH ” it appears that Jalore resisted the invasion for 3-4 years before it fell , the brave songara chauhans had kept up the  tradition. Father Rao shri kanhad dev and brave son viram dev sacrificed their lives for their country-mother land Jalore , religion, pride as well as for the honor, respect and protection of the women of mewar and other parts of our present HINDUSTAN. These members of royal family had also sacrificed their lives for preventing the Hindus being converted to Muslims by the sultan khilji and his supporters. At that time, the massive Islamic take over the Hindus - India was underway. The sultan khilji and other Muslim rulers had decided to convert entire Hindustan into Islamic world. One may accept or not, but, this process is continued in one or other way even to-day.   

It is said in kanhad-de prabandh that FIROZA a daughter-princess of the sultan khilji fell in love with viram dev son of kanhad dev songara who was on attendance at the court of khilji in place of his father. Son viram dev won the game of panja wrestling.  Firoza impressed by the game played and won by viram dev, she fell in his love.Infect it was a conspiracy hatched by  the sultan to kill this viram dev songara. The sultan khilji forced viram dev to marry his daughter Firoza , ultimately quarrel picked up and turned into Jalore battle.But , in fact, khilji was in search of cause for capturing Jalore and he did get it in refusal of viram dev to marry his princess Firoza.Firoza was a princess , she was a daughter of khilji, but , her mother was not one of the queens-begums of khilji, she was born out  from Harem. The prostitutes were too used to keep in harem and therefore  viram dev songara did not think it proper to marry this TURK GIRL-TARKADI CHHORI and under the pretext of coming with Barat-Jaan-wedding  procession, he left Delhi for Jalore and met in the battle . The  real cause of the invasion with the sultan khilji was the detertinition to put an end to the independence of Jalore as was done with the other states of RAJPUTANA, Jalore was the part of mewar, the sultan khilji had been long anxious to add mewar to his sultanate  and Jalore was going to be more and more powerful which made khilji mad-ferocious to attack on it. Khilji had consolidated his authority in Mewar, Kanhaddev’s semi independent status was construed as contumacy  and his contry was invaded.  

In the battle of Jalore,lastly, the Sultan khilji  sent a strong force under the commandment of kamaluddin Garg, with the help of some ambitious  local persons the task of kamaluddin became easy, songara king kanhad dev, his son viramdev and their army men were killed in a close combat and the fort was captured. It was fall of songara chauhans . Jalore ,Bhinmal and sanchor were kept under the dominance of Muslims.

In this battle kanhaddev, viramdev  and others followers were killed, but, Maldev- a brother of kanhaddev was survived,this Maldev secured the faith and trust of khilji, he was  handed over the charge of chittor. Once upon a time, Jesodev  songara –son of Maldev had forced the sultan to part with sambhar.

After sacrifice of kanhaddev songara and viramdev  songara, khilji conquered  Jalore , it became the part of sultanate –empire  of Delhi till India became independent .Ofcourse, for some period Jalore was restored to Mewar ,but , the Muslin rulers continued  their dominance on it  till 1947, when India became  independent  sovereign.

God or super entity is believed to be immortal. They are not subject to death as  mortal human dies. It can do anything, nothing is impossible for such super human,it can appear from anywhere at any time, the people loving, honoring, respecting such super entity are not ready to accept that such person possessing God’s virtues even can die. Some  persons were believing that this Songara king kanhaddev was tenth Avtar  (incarnation) of Lord Krishna-vishnu .The Lord, particularly,  Lord Krishna how can die ? Thy is not supposed  to die as mortal human dies and therefore though the brave Songara king  kanhaddev was died in the battle fighting against royal army, it is said that he was disappeared from the battle field. Perhaps, he might have taken calculative back foot step  for some better preparing and replying the Royal army in the battle field ,this action of Songara  king kanhaddev might have been taken as his disappearance    from the battle.

Alludin khilji was believing him self as Alexander II and was trying to establish the same. This khilji did get  prepared the coins of his name and described him as Alexander II on the coins. The great Alexander once upon a time had decided to be the empire of entire universe and accordingly he entered in to India, but,the brave Hindu king porus  forced  this Alexander to return and during return journey he was murdered.  Khilji also made with the same fate i.e he died unnatural death in January 1316.

It also requires to remember that Lohani Nawabs of Palanpur claim that their ancestor who was a minister of parihar ruler had captured  Jalore from him, but, the claim of Palanpur Nawabs has no historical support ,however they are trying to keep-up their heads. 

Jain Muni Gyan sundarji says in his “RATANPURIYA GACHH” that songara chauhan Ratansinh had established a new kingdom of his own name “ RATANPAR NAGAR in vikram samvat year 1082. [ Perhaps this Ratanparnagar may be a village of sanchor Taluka of Jalore district, State of Rajasthan. This Ratanpar village of Sanchor Taluka is not far away from Jalore. ] The direct discendent of songara chauhan king Ratansinh accepted Jainism. These  discendent and his family members were called “RATANPURA” .There are ten branches/sub gotras of Ratanpura, they are Songara,Ramsena,Katariya,Bohra and others on the names of persons of Ratanpura family.

It is useful to note here that there is an ancient village namely “RAMSIN” near Jalore.The Songara chuhan habitants  of this Ramsin village are called “RAMSENA”. Songara chauhans of “RAMSAN”village of Banaskantha district ,state of Gujarat are also called “RAMSENA” after the name of this village Ramsan  and therefore the say of Muni Gyan sundarji in regard to acceptance of Jainism by the descendent  of songara king Ratansinh seems not to be correct /true. Ramsena,Songara chauhans and katariya all these are kshatriyas , no Songara chauhan or Ramsena is a Jain.

It  is painful to say that prior to independence,not only the Muslims invaders had tried to put an end to the “ HINDU INDIA-BHARAT VARSH ” , but , during years  1143 to 1172 , a Hindu- chalukya king kumarpal who adopting Jainism became jain under impression of famous HEMCHANDRACHARYA had also destroyed so many Hindu temples and the destroyed  hindu temples were converted to jain temples. It is the misfortune of Jalore that the ruler of sambhar vigrahraj chauhan had too put Jalore badly on fire. Jalore was so badly burnt in that fire as it was destroyed completely.

After sacrifice of kanhaddev and viramdev, who are the successors of these brave members of Royal family ?  who are the direct descendents of kanhadev songara as well as  Maldev songara ? whether with the sacrifice of these brave members of Royal family, their pedigree comes to an end/ ceases ? all these questions are remained  unanswered / are not solved .

Even above quoted questions are  answered / solved in their proper aspect, context and in its true spirits in future, One more puzzle remains. Rao chachingdev songara had  men issues (i) Samant sinh (ii) Raningdev. Samantsinh  and his sons kanhaddev & Maldev were known/called  as songara chauhan,but, second son  Ranningdev was called as “ THAKUR”. Why one son is called “songara chauhan” and second one is called “ THAKUR” ?                                        

These Kanhaddev and viramdev had left no one behind them, except, glorified memories,they are very popular amongst all rulers of Rajputana region, these members of royal family are well sung heroes of folk songs being sung in entire Rajsthan  as well as some parts of Gujarat.No reference of successors of these kanhaddev and viramdev has been given even in “Kanhad-de-Prabandh” ,but ,it makes no difference , it is the matter of pride for songara chauhans that one of their ancestors was Kanhaddev songara.