Lakhs of heroes had contributed to the freedom struggle of the country by sacrificing their lives for a cause in a fearless and inspiring manner and a brave Gondwana Raja of Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and his son remained one of them.
When the nation was liberated on August 15, 1947, it was the result of millions of citizens, including higher-ups, who laid down their lives to continue the freedom struggle for hundreds of years.
Among them were the brave martyr royals of the princely state of Gondwana. The Garh-Mandla Gondwana dynasty, which ruled the Mahakaushal region, is still remembered for the heroic stories of its rulers.
Two members of this dynasty have a special place in the freedom struggle of the country.
Commander Clark, who was posted in the 52nd Regiment of the British in the year 1857, was a stone hearted officer. He was cruel to the kings, zamindars and common people of small states.
Unable to bear the injustice, the Raja of Gondwana, now known as Jabalpur, decided to raise his voice.
Raja Shankar Shah and his son Raghunath Shah were both good poets, so they used their poetry to revolt against the British in the state.
The king had expelled from his court a corrupt employee, Girdhari Lal Das, who met the British general and began to explain the meaning of the poem to him. The officer understood that the king was about to do something big.
Both the king and his son were placed under the care of the British and were offered pensions. Both always had direct contact with the people who considered Shankar Shah as the real ruler of the princely state.
The harsh poetry used by both struck a chord with the masses and also with Indian soldiers in the British Army.
He sent some spies to the fort who returned with the information that the king was going to attack the cantonment area in the next few days. After the revolt of the great freedom fighter Mangal Pandey in the year 1857, Raja Shankar Shah also planned to attack the local British cantonment with the help of local zamindars.
Commander Clark attacked the fort on 14 September, capturing the king and his army unawares as they were completely unprepared. The British army took the king and his 32-year-old son Raghunath captive.
From 15 September the Raja’s loyal landlords and well-wishers started marching towards Jabalpur with arms and ammunition and planned an attack on the cantonment at night but the plan leaked. Well prepared soldiers of Madras Infantry repulsed the attack but the rebels set fire to several bungalows of British officers and killed a large number of British soldiers but could not free the captives.
Some historical accounts say that soldiers of Indian origin in the British army revolted the same night, killed a senior officer and went on to become part of the First War of Independence.
on September 18, 1857; Both (the king and the prince) were bound by cannons but the fearless father-son duo recited an inspirational poem even as they saw their end in front of them.
Started with father…
Mlechhon ka mardan karo, Kalika Mai.
Moond Mukh dandin ko, chugli ko chabai khai.
Blood to the enemy, Enemy destroyer,
The son concluded with a couplet-
Kalika Bhavani Mai Araj Hamari Son,
Daal Mudmaal Gare Khadag Kar Dhar le….
As the lines concluded, the public praised their brave king and prince in a loud voice, causing the British commander to panic. He quickly ordered his men to fire, loud noises were heard and courageous royals attained martyrdom and became an inspiration for generations to come.
This poem was found from his palace as the British had arrested him and was translated by one of the British informers as, “The king, Shankar Shah, meditating on the terrifying image of the goddess Chandi, says,” Mouth stop the slanderers; Trample the sinners! Enemy samaharike! Killer of enemies!) Hear the call of Dharma; Support your servant. Mother Kalike! kill the British; destroy them; Mother Chandi! “
Later, Queen Phoolkunwar cremated the mortal remains of the king and prince on the banks of the Narmada River and set out to avenge the death in the form of a man with soldiers. He attacked the fort of Ramgarh and killed many British soldiers in the process. As her men continued to die in battle, she too fell from her horse at one point and, maintaining her dignity, killed herself with her knife.
Historians claim that this was the first instance in the Indian freedom struggle when members of the royal family were killed in this manner (through cannons) by the British.
Valor and martyrdom are still proudly remembered in the Mahakaushal region on 18 September.
Jabalpur played an important role in the attack on Lord Hardinge in 1912.
The city of Jabalpur also played an important role in the 1912 bomb attack on the then Viceroy Lord Hardinge, who was seriously injured in the attack at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi. Later it came to be known as Delhi Conspiracy Case. Rash Behari Bose, a great freedom fighter who was seen as the mastermind of the attack, had planned a deadly attack on Lord Hardinge when he met Chidambaram Pillai in Jabalpur. Mock drill of attack on local Madan Mahal hills in Jabalpur. Weapons smuggled into the country via the famous Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship, were also hidden in the hills of Madan Mahal in Jabalpur. Some youths were also given training to use these weapons.
(Inputs Pratik Mohan Awasthi)
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