Friday 1 January 2016

Shamsher Bahadur ( Son of Bajirao - Mastani)

Shamsher Bahadur was the son of Peshwa Bajirao and his second wife Mastani .The origin of Mastani is shrouded in obscurity. Tradition makes her the offspring of a Hindu father probably Maharaja Chattrasal and a Muhammadan mother. Some consider her the daughter of the Nizam, while others refer to her as a courtesan of the court of some Muslim chief . Tarikh-i-Muhammadshahi mentions that “she was a Kanchani (a dancing girl) skilled in riding and handling the sword and spear. She always accompanied Baji rao in his campaigns and rode stirrup to stirrup with him” . The first mention of her name in authentic papers occurs in the accounts of the marriage ceremony of Bajirao's eldest son Balajirao which took place on 11th  January 1730. In the same year Bajirao built his Shaniwar palace in Poona and later added to it a portion named after Mastani , Mastani Mahal  (shaniwarwada's north-east corner) and had its own external doorway called Mastani darwaza. 
In 1734 she bore him a son who was named Krishnarao . But the brahmins of Poona refused to conduct the thread ceremony of Krishnarao , him being born from of a muslim woman. As a result the boy was brought up as a Muslim, by name Shamsher Bahadur. His mother and father both died in the year 1740 . But before his death Bajirao gave few districts of Bundelkhand to Shamsher Bahadur as his jagir  yielding 33 lakhs , which he himself had got as present from Maharaja Chattrasal . Shamsher Bahadur made Banda his chief town of residence and loyally served his half –brother Peshwa Balajirao . Shamsher bahadur was married to Mehrambai (or Lal Kunwar), the daughter of Lakshadhir Dalpatrai . A son was born to the couple in the year 1758 and he was named Krishna Singh alias Ali Bahadur. The descendents of Shamsher Bahadur later assumed the title of Nawab of Banda .


Shamsher Bahadur not only managed the affairs of Bundelkhand but also served the Peshwa in his campaigns against the Nizam . On 20th November , 1751 in a stiff action  with the Nizam near Parner (Ahmednagar District) Shamsher Bahadur's mare was wounded with a spear . Shamsher Bahadur also conducted land operations against Tulaji  Angre in 1756 during the Vijayadurg campaign .Shamsher Bahadur also accompanied Raghunathrao  in his first campaign to north in 1753 . Sahmsher Bahadur along with  Yashwantrao Pawar was dispatched to help the Sindhias in Marwad on 29th September , 1755 from Pune with an army of ten thousand . These two Maratha chiefs arrived bit late and  joined Dattaji (21st April 1756) in  the siege of Rupnagar in Rajputana after the Sindhias had ended their Marwar campaign . Bahadur Singh of Rupnagar State, submitted to the Marathas  and yielded the  city to his elder brother Samant Singh, whom he had ousted and whose cause had been taken up by Ram Singh and the Marathas. On reaching Kota , they besieged the fort and placed Ajitsingh on the throne.
In 1757 when Antaji was pushed to Mathura by Abdali’s men he requested the Maratha chiefs of Bundelkhand like Naro Shankar and Shamsher Bahadur to unite and drive off Abdali but he received no positive response .When Raghunathrao came to north India Shamsher Bahadur joined him in Rajputana, towards the end of July Raghunathrao began his march upon Delhi  . Shamsher Bahadur with the artillery and the advanced division reached Rewari on 27th July . He was ordered  to make a base at this city and occupy the Mughal possessions  in the district around . Prince Ali Jah (the Emperor's second son), who had come a few days earlier to Rewari for wresting the district from the hands of usurpers, was made prisoner on 30th July by Shamsher Bahadur. Raghunathrao and Malharrao towards the end of July, reached  Rewari and together they marched to Delhi . Where the Marathas ousted the domination of Najib Khan and restored Imad-ul-Mulkh to power .
In 1758 Raja Hindupat of Panna ,( Bundelkhand)  got his brother Amansingh murdered, usurped the throne of Panna  and banished his younger brother Khetsingh .On 1st July 1758 Shamsher Bahadur and Govind Pant went to meet   Hindupat  . Due to the efforts of these Maratha chiefs some portion of the kingdom of Panna was given to Khetsingh and Hindupat agreed to present 5 lakhs and one thousand to peshwa within three years and to finance the Maratha armies in his territories .Peshwa acknowledged  Raja Hindupat as the King of Panna and Shamsher Bahadur after making necessary arrangements at Kehciwada left for Puna on 3rd August 1758.
During the campaign of Panipat Shamsher Bahadur accompanied the Maratha armies to north with his 3,000 horsemen . In the finale battle of Panipat Shamsher Bahadur was positioned in the right wing of Marathas ,  when Viswasrao fell by the bullet shot Shamsher Bahadur rushed into Maratha centre and joined Bhausaheb in his finale combat .When Shah Pasand Khan left his position on the imperial road of Panipat , Shamsher Bahadur had every opportunity to abandon the battle field and escape unhurt  but instead he chose to join the action in the Maratha centre . The author of Bhausaheb’s Bakhar mentions that Bhausaheb took Shamsher Bahadur along with him and entered the mele killing many Afghans. In the end Shamsher Bahadur managed to reach Kumbher in a highly wounded condition where he was hospitably received by Jat King Surajmal , but he died of his wounds. Probably when he would have been separated from Bhausaheb in the crowd of Afghans and his only option would have been a retreat southwards . It is said that he died crying “Where will i go now ? To whom will i show my face now .... Bhau ! Bhau !” .

8 comments:

  1. What a great warrior and patriot! Instead of fleeing from the battle field when the course of the battle was clear , he chose to remain and fight to the end. Hope some one is inspired by his tale and makes a film

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  2. What a great warrior and patriot! Instead of fleeing from the battle field when the course of the battle was clear , he chose to remain and fight to the end. Hope some one is inspired by his tale and makes a film

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  3. This is my India. Shamsher Bahadur you were a true patriot. We salute you.

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  4. Shamsher bahadur a great warrior

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  5. Now is the time when two hundred and fifty eventful years of Indian history have gone by,we the sons and daughters of present day India may simply imagine how the bravest of the brave Sadashivrao Bhao,the Maratha commander could have faced the situation where death was so imminent and sure,but he fought to the last breath and last strength along with so loved ones like Vishwas rao and Shamsher Bahadur while he had lost Vishwas Rao for whom he had promised all safety to his mother .And Shamsher Bahadur died Shouting the name of his dearest Bhao.
    Even after such a vast period,the heroes of Panipat R alive and real.vow to them.

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  6. Ok bin j étais Shamsher Bahadur , enfaite se pas tellement comme ça que sa c'est passé , Sadashivrao Bhau nous a dit de pénétrer l armée Afghan avec des masques et de les attaquer de revers , nous avons tous les 3 lancé notre javelot sur le chef Afghan mais sans le toucher et de fuire . A la sortie des canons nous attendais les 2 autres cousins se sont fais toucher pas moi j ai réussir a fuir mais mon instinct de guerrier a pris le dessus d aller les récupérer , ils étais pas morts mais leurs cheval oui , du cout on est monté a 3 sur le miens mais trop lourd et l ennemi a réussit a nous rattraper et nous a dévoiler nos visages et tirer d une balle chacun dans la poitrine fin . A propos de ma mère Mastani , elle c'est fais tuer par un guerrier Marâthe , par contre je ne l en veux pas , il n a fais que exercer sont rôle désoler , l'Empire Maharashtra Hindouisme est plus fort que tout dans le coeur d'un guerrier Marâthe surtout si se pour reconquérir sauver ses terre de l étranger , A la vie a la mort URE AKATEPE

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    1. L'empire Maharashtra Hindouisme est plus fort que tout dans le coeur d'un guerrier Marathe , surtout quand il s'agit de reconquérir et sauvé ses terre . A la vie a la mort URE AKATEPE

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  7. Désoler mais c'est parce qu' ils ne voulaient pas de religion étrangère dans leur pays encore moins celle de leur ennemi . Encore désoler j ai rien contre le Musulman c'est une très belle religion merci de votre compréhension , enplus c'est pas moi qui disait ça mais plutôt les dirigeants Peshwa plus âgé et mieux intelligent , avertit , combatif , qui avec bravoure défendaient s'est convictions don la religion Hindou passait avant d'autre .

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