Barah Magarat : History

Guys, after many days I have found a good article in Kantipur about the Magars. Many had heard that the ancestors of the Shah dynasty were Magars, but there seemed to be a lack of facts on this point. But after reading this article, there is a strong belief that the history of the Shah dynasty goes hand in hand with the Magars.

Here I would like to add that if there is fact in this matter, then surely this matter is important for every Magar and this matter in itself will get an important place in the history of Magar. And the story of Shah Dynasty will start from Bhirkot / Lasargha and not from Gorkha.

So this is the article published in Kantipur.

The same event of the capture of Gorkhakot from Mansingh Khadgamgar under Dravya Shah on September 25, 1616 BS later unfolds as the starting point for the formation of the present day Nepal. This article will revolve around the royal Cuttack, which arrived in the last Magar kingdom of Magarat 460 years ago.

Magarat

Argha, Khanchi, Gulmi, Isma, Musikot, Ghiring, Baldhengadhi, Rudrapurgadhi, Deuchuli, Tanhang / Tanu-Hula '(Tanahu), Parbat, Galkot, Rising, Ghiring, Bhirkot, Satahu, Indigenous feudal areas including Garhu, Paiyun, Dhor, Kaski, Lyhe-Muu-Hula (Lamjung), Kahu, Liglig, Gorkhakot, Bungkot, Bahrakot (Bahkot), Targhakot (Takukot), Makwanpur were included. Somewhere as a tribal state, somewhere as a rajauta and local feudal lord. No own coin, no permanent army.

Magwar is the ancient name of Magarat. The origin of the Magars, or Magarat, was the region from the Marsyangdi River to Pyuthan (Pant / Sharma - The Two Earliest Copperplate Inscriptions from Nepal, Missions Paper, p. 6). Considering Nisi-Bhuji as the border, the western part was known as 18 Magarat and the eastern part as Barha Darlam, meaning 12 Magarat. Pang (Kham) is spoken in 18 Magarat (Rapti) and Dhut Magar is spoken in 12 Magarat (Gandaki) (Budhamagar, Political History of Bhojvikram-Magar caste, pp. 69/73).

The various kingdoms of the same twelve Magarats, which were initially said to be Magars in the early days of their existence from Ridi-Bhirkot and later became known as Thakuri by holding the title of Khan / Sahi / Shah, were swallowed up one after the other. Many Magar-administered areas like Bhirkot, Satahu, Garhu, Baldheng, Kihun, Ramkot seem to have fallen into the hands of the Khans without a fight. However, where there was a Gurung area, the Khans had to face a fierce battle.

Thus, in the Magar states of the Twelve Magars, when the royal cuttack reaches Gorkha Majhkot, it turns into a fierce battle. After fifteen days of continuous protests, the last Magar kingdom of the Twelve Magars falls into the hands of Gorkha Majhkot Dravya Shah. The same event of the capture of Gorkhakot from Mansingh Khadgamgar under Dravya Shah on 25 September 1616 BS later unites as the starting point for the formation of today's Nepal. This article will focus on the royal Cuttack, which came to play the royal tune in the last Magar kingdom of the fourteen hundred and sixty years ago.

From Lasargha to Gorkhakot

Dharma Pal, son of the feudal lord Gaj Brahma of the feudal area of ​​the Khas kingdom, had established an independent kingdom called Ribdikot around 1480 BS when the independent existence of small kings and rajautas began to be seen in the western Khas kingdom. After this, Argha, Khanchi, Dhurkot, Musikot, Isma and Parbat were also established as independent princely states in the hilly areas around Kaligand.

Rudra Sen moved the seat of the Sen kingdom of Ribdikot to Palpa (Khanal, Mohan Prasad-Political History of the Sen Kingdom, p. 19). In Baldhengadhi near Ribdikot, a strong kingdom of Magars existed. Around the same time as the Sen state was established in Gandaki province, the 'Khan' state was established in some northern part of the same province. The Khans had established eight kingdoms as they advanced eastwards and reached Gorkha. These states were also called the Eight Vaccines.

It is mentioned in the genealogies written at different times that the local roots of today's Shahs arose from the Jain (Jait) 'Khan / Khanna' in Lasargha around 1500 BC. A few years later, the foundation of Bhirkot Thakurai seems to have been laid by cultivating land in Khilung on the right bank of Andhikhola (Brief Biography of Acharya Baburam-Shri 5 Bada Maharaja Prithvinarayan Shah (1), p. 6).

According to the Gorkha dynasty, Jain Khan's son Surya Khan rose from Lasargha and established a kingdom in Khilung. His eldest son Karhancha (Khancha) left Khilung and ruled in Bhirkot and his youngest son Mirhancha (Micha) in Nuwakot. In the native Magar dialect, Karhancha means eldest and Mirhancha means youngest. If the Shahs were Rajputs from Chittaur, why did they have to keep their sons, the eldest and the youngest, in the native Magar dialect?

The descendants of Karhancha grew up from Bhirkot and ruled over Dhor. Mirhancha took his son to Navkot in Bahardarlam around 1510 BS. Bahadurlam is a Magar settlement. Although his eldest son Bhakti Khan remained in his native kingdom, the youngest Bichitra Khan was not only satisfied with the Magar settlements around Andhikhola but also took control of the settlements to the north and formed an independent state. This state later came to be known as Kaski State (Acharya, Baburam-Nepal's Brief History (2), p. 89).

After the bizarre mine, Jagati Khan snatched the kingdom of the Ghales in Ghale (Khol, Siklis, Armalakot) from the leadership of the local ruler Rakse Gurung and incorporated it into the Kaski kingdom of Khans. A (Mechi to Mahakali, Part 3, p. 445). He took the name 'Kulmandan' in place of Jagati as he was able to expand the Kaski kingdom and increase the prestige of the clan. The Kulmandal seems to have been more of a Kulmandan than a Kundan Mandan compared to the Mandan king Nala of the mythical Kundin country (Sharma, Gopinath-History of the Twenty-Four Kingdoms, p. 32).

He had seven brothers and a son. The eldest Narraj Khan was the king of Kaski. First Kalu Sahi and later Jasbam (Yashobrahm) Sahi were taken to Lamjung and made king. After the same Narraj Khan used the title of 'Sahi', Yashobrahm also assumed the title of 'Sahi'. Narahari Sahi, the eldest son of Yashobrahma, was the king of Lamjung, and he sent his youngest Dravya Sahi as administrator of Raginaskot in Magarat, southeast of the Marsyangdi and Chepe rivers (Acharya, ibid., P. 90).

The same Dravya Shah captured the native Magar-administered Ligligkot in 1515 BS, and on 25 September 1616, he defeated Mansingh Khadga of Majhkot, now the Gorkha Durbar, and conquered the last Magar kingdom of the Twelve Magars. At the same time, the Sahi Cuttack rested over the Magar kingdom in the Twelve Magars, and after that it moved forward to increase the size of the unitary Sahi kingdom by swallowing the Tamu, Tamang, Newar, Kirant and other native kingdoms.

Iron to cut iron

In Gorkha Vek, the population of Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Dalits in the western hilly region, which had been moving and migrating during the recent expansion and dissolution of the Khas and Palpa states, had become dense. Certain rites, cultured Brahmins, Kshatriyas were feeling uncomfortable and insecure in the native culture, accustomed to practice.

The antagonism between the two communities intensified when the native Magars could not cope with the growing aspirations, strength and numbers of the visiting Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The feudal lords, who had been holding back the traditional social norms, did not have the ambition and need to address the aspirations and needs of the newcomers to the East to meet the many aspirations and growing needs from the West.

The Kshatriyas and their poor Brahmins, who had become centralized in Gorkha from Khas, Parbat, Isma, Palpal and other places, were not able to cope with the wisdom, strength and tactics of the native Magar community.

In the same way, the anti-crocodile crocodiles had adopted crooked cunning to cut iron by inciting the indigenous crocodile Gangaram and others who were dissatisfied with the feudal system.

The intense antagonism between the Ghale / Khadga Magars living between Bhusundikhola Panidhalo, Chepe Panidhalo and Daraundi Panidhalo and the Rana, Vushal, Maski, Pulamimagars did not suffice.

Ganesh Pandey from Palpa, Narayandas Aryal from Isma, Sarveshwar Khanal from Argha and Bhagirath Panth from Keshav and Keshav Bohara from Salyan formed a front and the group refused to accept the native Magars as their rulers. After Gangaram, who was dissatisfied with the Magar ruler for various reasons, joined the same group, the group took the opportunity to satisfy their cravings by putting forward the material of Bhirkote Khan / Sahi Khalak, who was running the administration of Raginas.

The tenth that Magar did not obey

Mainstream historians have mentioned that Dravya Shah captured Ligligkot by defeating the Ghalemgars who joined the race on the tenth of 1615 BS to choose their king. However, it is not clear why Dravya Shah invaded Liglig on the day of Vijayadashami by killing the Ghales who had joined the king's race. The Ghales were followers of Tibetan Buddhism.

Therefore, Vijayadashami of the Hindus was not a festival for him (Acharya, Ihi (1), p. 43). According to the legend, after the division of the Palpali Sen kingdom in 1605 BS, when the native Dalsur Ghalemgar was the administrator, many controversies arose.

At the same time, it was the time when those who were strong were considered to be the strongest in defending their territory, and the practice of the Ghales was a part of measuring that 'strong' strength. Dravya Shahi, while practicing a fast republic below Liglig Mahavilathok, cut the five houses participating in the race and spread the melody of 'winged' unitary literature in Liglig.

Inclusive forces

Dravya Shah had brought some Lamjunge Gurungs with him when he came to kill Liglig, whom he later appointed as Umra. By the time of Ram Sahi, Warpak, Syartan, Athar Sayakhola, Salyan, Vasyahari, Khari, Maidhi, Dhading and other states were merged into Gorkha.

After the Khan / Sahi intervention in Ligligkot, Majhkot, Upallokot, Tallokot, Sihranchowk and Ajirgarh, the power of Magar, Baram, Kshatriya, Brahmin, Majhi, Kumal, Dalit and Gurungs was already integrated with Gorkhali. Similarly, Dravya Shah was carried from Raginas to Gorkha by the Brahmins (Identification of the Baram and Chhantyal-Baram castes, p. 28). The Kumals of Gorkha were mobilized as runners during the expansion of the Gurkha kingdom and acted as messengers (Mukhiya, Study of the Baghvir-Kumal Caste, p. 29).

As the Gorkhas increased in size, the country's largest fighting force merged into a single military camp. It has nowhere to be found in state armies with a definite single ethnic composition Kier did not stand. Even the powerful British troops stationed in Nagarkoti and Guhar, which were hired by the kings of the Kathmandu Valley, could not hold out for more than a decade after the state of the valley fell under Gorkhali Taro.

The brown-tailed deer of Kot and Thumaipicha had become a source of excitement to the people by appeasing the state and the feudal lords. On top of that, the rapid change of such feudal lords had aroused the need for a stable and strong state among the people. The increasing migration and the association with the newcomer consciousness from the west to the east had led to a sharp contradiction with the traditional governing consciousness of the society.

The society was transformed into a collective ethnic structure while the ruling army of the country was in a mono-ethnic form. As a result, with the combination of collective wisdom and strength, such single ethnic forces could not stand in front of the inclusive Gurkha army. On the contrary, it had a strong response to the Gorkhali attack until the army of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur had a strong military force in the army of Kirtipur.

But when the strategy of splitting the Gorkhalis and killing them at the same time was advanced, the mono-ethnic army of the valley did not even get a chance to raise its head with the multi-ethnic army of the Gorkhalis. On the contrary, the comparatively inclusive Lamjunge army, on reaching the northeastern region by defeating the Gorkhalis, was always on the sidelines.

After the Unified Gurkha army squeezed the arrogance of the British and Muslim armies in Sindhuli and Makwanpur, it moved forward aggressively. As much as the Gurkha state incorporated the Bhure-Takure state, the result of the Gurkha expansion campaign eventually took the form of a gigantic country and raised the flag of existence as Nepal. After the great encounter of Nepal with the British on various fronts in 1872 BS, the Nepali morale of state expansion has shrunk in the relentless efforts to preserve the independence, freedom and self-respect of today's geography.

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Thus, the Gorkhali Shah dynasty, led by a society that proved itself superior by concentrating collective and inclusive power on the weakness of the military and state structure of a single character, came to the time of Mahendra and focused on unity in a single language, a single disguise, a single thought. Unable to cope with the growing reality of color.

Forgetting the fact that he had knelt before others five hundred years ago in the decisive struggle between social pluralism and autocratic unity, the new necessity developed in the monarchy society, led by Mahendra's mono-conscious power, could not stand in the decisive struggle of social relations and departed forever. Just as yesterday's mono-ethnic powers collapsed due to multi-ethnic social realities, so too did the reality of social pluralism dismiss monarchical monotheism.

Shahi Cuttack in Gorkhakot

Less than a year after Liglig's invasion, he and his army reached Dravya Majhkot (now the site of the Gorkha Durbar). Dravya Sahi was anointed by Narayandas Aryal as the 'King' of Gorkha on 25 September 1616, after the sword king was killed on the sixteenth day after a fifteen-day long battle. In the same way, the kingdom of Gorkha Majhkot, which was added by Dravya Sahi, had reached Sihranchowk, Ajirkot in his time to celebrate victory.

After winning and losing many times till the time of Narbhupal Sah, Gorkha Barpak, Salyan, Khari, Maidhi, Dhading, Simjung, Mazhuwa, Syartan, Athar Sayakhola, Baseri, Charange, Nibharchowk, Firkep and Katunje were captured and reached Gorkha on the Trishuli River. In the time of Narabhupal, Gurkha was present as a state with 12,000 households before Prithvinarayan's rule after he was defeated in Jhitikatak of Kathmandu.

Muslims or not?

Controversial debates over who were the ancestors of the Shahs who later became rulers in central Nepal through different parts of Nepal are not entirely new. Some have speculated that they were Muslims because they were given the title Khan and the Shah's ancestors had names like Khancha and Mincha.

However, this argument does not seem particularly strong. Instead, the list of facts that the ancestors of the Shahs were Magars is abundant. The Magars of the Gandaki region made great progress and formed a union of twelve Khans (kings) and established a kingdom called 'Barha Magarat'. All these places had their own khans (kings). However, the khan (king) of Bhirkot was fond of Badakhan (Sharma, ibid., P. 4).

Alam Devi of Lasargha is the fort of Jain Khan. The victory flag of Durga Bhavani is hoisted in the fort. Vijay Dhwaj is called 'Alam' in the local language. That is why Durga Bhavani is called Alam Devi. Alam Devi is the Khan of Athtika and the family goddess of Sahi / Shah dynasty. The worship of Alam Devi takes place from the unmarried Maski Ranamagar (Gurung, Jagman - Cultural Heritage of Gandaki Flowing Area, p. 102). Until he reached Gaddinsin in Kathmandu, he used to visit an Asarfi Alam Devi from the royal palace every year (Sharma, ibid., P. 9).

Abhay Ranak (Magar) of the Palpali Sen dynasty mentions that Sen married Kantimati, the daughter of a Magar king named Gajsingh of Makwanpure, in the genealogy of the Sens (Ghimire, Bishnu Prasad-History of the Palpa Kingdom, Part 2, p. 15). Mukunda Sen was of the thirteenth generation of Abhay and Kantimati. Mukunda Sen was also married to Mahadevi Suvarnamala, daughter of Magar Raja (?) Of Parkot.

Manikya Sen Palpali Gaddim was born from them (Gurung, Jagman, Historical Narrative of Tamuwan, p. 19).

Books written from Sikkim also refer to the Sen dynasty kings as Magar kings (Pradhan, Kumar-ek Prahar, p. 6). In the handwritten book 'Naradasmriti' in the Keshar Library, Sen King Mukunda Sen is mentioned as the Magar King. The friendly agreement reached between the Malla kings of Kathmandu in the first decade of the seventeenth century states that they should unite to avoid the invasion of the Palpali Magars.

Prithvinarayan's kingdom was Mawli Palpali Sen. His mother Kaushalyavati was the daughter of Palpali king Gandharva Sen. It is not only interesting to observe the behavior of Gorkhali / Bhirkote Khan / Shahs with the Palpali Sens who have shown Magar by different genealogies, notes, behavior, but its depth helps to find the special roots of Shah dynasty. Prithvinarayan himself is found to have proclaimed 'I am the King of Magarat' (Yogi and Acharya, Divya Upadesh, p. 28).

Folklore has it that the Magars, who are the closest allies of the Khan / Shah Thakurs, are also known as the Mawli Khalaks of the Thakurs (Subedi, History of the Rajaram-Kaski Kingdom, p. 87). Expanding from Bhirkote 'Khan', it is equally interesting to see that Maski Ranamagar is the priest in Alam Devi, the ancestral worship of the Sahi / Shah. If we look at the universal practice of every family, tribe, clan having only priests of their own dynasty in the temple where the clan of any dynasty is worshiped, then the question of why there are only crocodile priests in the temple of clan worship of the Khan / Shahs helps to understand the ethnicity of the Shahs.

According to the legend prevalent in Shah / Khan / Sen, Bhupalji Rao worshiped Wange (Chwanche) and ate the meat of Chwanche (pig). Were Pigs are still sacrificed at Alam Devi during Dashain. Even the Shah kings of Nepal used to offer pigs and liquor to Alam Devi till the middle of the Rana period just like the Magars. It is only later that the Shah kings started offering bundles in place of pigs.

Not only in Lasargha Alam Devi, the Magars have been kept by the Shah dynasty monarchs everywhere and made priests in the temples of their deities and goddesses. Sarumagar in Bhirkot, Baralmagar in Gahraunkot, Saru in Nuwakot, Pulami in Satahunkot, Chumi Thapa in Sarangkot, Darlami in Dhorna, Dudharana in Lamjung, Bhusal / Maski in Gorkha Kalika, Sarjari in Dhading. This forces the Shahs to focus on the ethnic Maghos.

Khan / Sahi / Sah / Shah

The 'dynasty' that Ram Shah used to write Chitravilas seems to have connected the ancestors of the Shahs to Chittaurgarh. But since the Gurkha dynasty of Gorkha is Chandravanshi and the Rawal dynasty of Chittaur is Suryavanshi, after Ram Shah's attempt to link the Sahis to Chittaur was exposed, it seems that Dharanidhar (commentator?) Was tried to correct it by writing 'Goraksha dynasty'.

This time, an attempt has been made to show the Suryavanshi by raising the Sahi dynasty from the Suryavanshi king Ayativum. In 'Gorakshadhis-Champu' written in the time of Rajendra Bikram, an attempt has been made to prove the Gorkhali Shah dynasty as the Rana dynasty of Chittaur. The 'Biography' and 'Gurkha Genealogy' written by Sherman Singh and his brother Buddhiman Singh in Rajendra's time also link the Shah dynasty to Rishiraj Bhattarak Ranaji Rao of Chittaur

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Jain seems to have the title of 'Khan' in Turkish, which means king / chieftain / eminent person. It seems that the royal title held by the Kalyal kings of Jumla at first as Rai and later as Sahi was imitated by Jagati or Nararaj Khan of Kaski. The book written in the time of Ram Shah seems to have used both Sahi and Sah. Since Jahangir Shah was in power in Delhi at that time, it can be understood that he wanted to write Delhi 'Sah' instead of Jumli 'Sahi'. But the use of Sahi seems to have been shifting to the time of Prithvinarayan.

In the seal stamped by Prithvinarayan in 1811 BS, he has kept the title of Sahi. During his time, there was a tendency to treat unmarried children as 'Sahi' and married children as 'Sah'.

Palpali Mukunda Sen (II) used the title 'Bahadur' in Turkish to denote bravery and heroism, so the same can be said of 'Shamsher Jang Bahadur' by adding 'Bahadur' to the Persian words 'Shamshir' and 'Jang' The title was held by Prithvinarayan - Acharya, Uhi (1), p. 39-41). In the time of Tribhuvan, the pure form of Persian 'Shah' was changed to 'Sah' and later the title 'Shah' was written. "

Author: Yadav Devkota. Many thanks to Devkota Ji for this invaluable article. 

Source: www.ekantipur.com