We covered the 3 Hindu Sources of mainland Bengal of the Bangāl Subah that refer to Maratga Conquests. There is one we left out, the Odiya text "Samara Taranga."
It is a court-ballad, funded by a miserly Dhenkanal Zamindar, glorifying a petty skirmish as some War of sorts.
It is a court-ballad, funded by a miserly Dhenkanal Zamindar, glorifying a petty skirmish as some War of sorts.
Odiya Scholar Dr. B. C. Ray stated Zamindar of Dhenkanal was defeated by a 17-Year Old Maratha Prince with an army of local Odiya Rajas.
Dhenkanal Zamindar murdered the adopted son of Brahmin Shivbhatt Sathe and collaborated with Muhammad Raza Khan against Hindu rule.
Dhenkanal Zamindar murdered the adopted son of Brahmin Shivbhatt Sathe and collaborated with Muhammad Raza Khan against Hindu rule.
Atrocities by local Zamindars of Dhenkanal and others from Bangāl Subāh were whitewashed by their hagiography writers.
Badajena's hagiography is decidedly only half-truth in the main premise itself. Dhenkanal Zamindar was NOT victorious against Marathas. More falsities follow...
Badajena's hagiography is decidedly only half-truth in the main premise itself. Dhenkanal Zamindar was NOT victorious against Marathas. More falsities follow...
Bahadur Mohindra the Dhenkanal Zamindar was in fact NOT the legitimate Raja but a murderous usurper. Badajena, the talented but pauper Odiya author, was bribed by Bahadur with a village & sum of 500 Cowrie kahans to compose this hagiography.
But things take a turn here onwards.
But things take a turn here onwards.
Odiya editor Shri Sudhakar Pattnaik discovered that this "village" which was granted to Badajena as a bribe was no better than a group of desolate jungle shanties, which was so horrid and inhabitable that Badajena offered to return this slum back to the Dhenkanal zamindar!
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The dishonourable Dhenkanal Zamindar, after having that false hagiography Samara Taranga commissioned in return for fraudulent bribes, ignored and excommunicated Badajena.
Pauper Poet Badajena ran after Dhenkanal Zamindar's palanquins to beg for charity for SEVEN long years!
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Pauper Poet Badajena ran after Dhenkanal Zamindar's palanquins to beg for charity for SEVEN long years!
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The poem Samara Taranga itself is false. Bahadur was NOT Victorious. Badajena's account of the battle ends merely when usurper Bahadur Mohindra had upper hand during a favourable phase of the skirmish.
The usurper was ultimately crushed by the Maratha-Odiya Allied Hindu forces.
The usurper was ultimately crushed by the Maratha-Odiya Allied Hindu forces.
Badajena, the author who composed the false hagiography Samara Taranga in return for bribes, was excommunicated by his dishonourable Dhenkanal usurper zamindar patron Mohindra Bahadur, and after begging for 7 long years, Badajena shifted to Mahratta Vassal Raja of Khurda's court.
Badajena died a tragic death due to Dhenkanal Zamindar's abuse and maltreatment. After being a beggar for 7 years living with family in slums eating only one meal a day under rule of Dhenkanal zamindar, he migrated to Maratha Vassal Odiya Raja of Khurda's lands and at last died.
Real Story of Samara Taranga is that usurper Mohindra Bahadur had killed original Dhenkanal Raja's family (elders, women & children included), then murdered the adopted son of Brahmin pandit Shivbhatt Sathe and looted his property.
Later Dhenkanal zamindars invited Britishers...
Later Dhenkanal zamindars invited Britishers...
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British soldiers joined the Dhenkanal army and the Dhenkanal Zamindar allied with other traitor zamindars of Hariharpur and Kujang and jointly refused to pay tax to the Indian government.
Brahmin Governor Pandit Rajaram led the punitive campaign against the Deshadrohīs...
British soldiers joined the Dhenkanal army and the Dhenkanal Zamindar allied with other traitor zamindars of Hariharpur and Kujang and jointly refused to pay tax to the Indian government.
Brahmin Governor Pandit Rajaram led the punitive campaign against the Deshadrohīs...
...
In order to restore the Hindu rule against the British agent and usurper Dhenkanal Zamindar, 17-Year Old Mahratta Prince Chimnājiraje Bhonsale led the freedom struggle with support of Odiya Hindu Raja of Keonjhar's 20,000 Khandāyat warriors.
Samara Taranga begins here...
In order to restore the Hindu rule against the British agent and usurper Dhenkanal Zamindar, 17-Year Old Mahratta Prince Chimnājiraje Bhonsale led the freedom struggle with support of Odiya Hindu Raja of Keonjhar's 20,000 Khandāyat warriors.
Samara Taranga begins here...
...
Samara Taranga of pauper poet Badajena goes on to falsify the accounts, and declares Dhenkanal Zamindar the victor. In reality, after crushing Dhenkanal traitor zamindars, Shrimān Chimnajiraje Bhonsale led the freedom struggle against British agent Mayurbhanj zamindars.
Samara Taranga of pauper poet Badajena goes on to falsify the accounts, and declares Dhenkanal Zamindar the victor. In reality, after crushing Dhenkanal traitor zamindars, Shrimān Chimnajiraje Bhonsale led the freedom struggle against British agent Mayurbhanj zamindars.
This is the comprehensive account of truth behind Samara Taranga poem.
There are only 2 Hindu sources on Mahratta conquests of Bangāl Subah which demonize Marathas as showcased above, because they are false hagiography of 2 traitor Usurpers (Mohindra Bahadur & Alivardi Khan).
There are only 2 Hindu sources on Mahratta conquests of Bangāl Subah which demonize Marathas as showcased above, because they are false hagiography of 2 traitor Usurpers (Mohindra Bahadur & Alivardi Khan).
1) Maharashtra Purana
2) Citracampu
3) Anandamangala
4) Samara Taranga
The 1st & 4th are both incoherent false hagiography of Usurpers. 2nd Source Citracampu does not qualify as a chronicle & 3rd Anandamangala is favourable towards Maratha conquests as divine justice for Bangāl.
2) Citracampu
3) Anandamangala
4) Samara Taranga
The 1st & 4th are both incoherent false hagiography of Usurpers. 2nd Source Citracampu does not qualify as a chronicle & 3rd Anandamangala is favourable towards Maratha conquests as divine justice for Bangāl.
All Four of them are however fictional, with elements of deranged fantasy & bombastic hyperbole.
Historians took these texts seriously only when Sir Jadunath Sarkar used these to slander the Maratha Empire for his Fall of the Mughal Empire series and was knighted as a reward.
Historians took these texts seriously only when Sir Jadunath Sarkar used these to slander the Maratha Empire for his Fall of the Mughal Empire series and was knighted as a reward.
Agenda of Sir Jadunath Sarkar, stated in Foreword of his Fall of Mughal Empire Series.
According to him Mughals united India in such a way that except for our myths of the past it had never happened!
Meaning that all our Itihasas, & Puranas, all our empires were false.
According to him Mughals united India in such a way that except for our myths of the past it had never happened!
Meaning that all our Itihasas, & Puranas, all our empires were false.
In short, there are no legitimate contemporary chronicles recording any atrocities by either Marathas or Bargi troops.
That is NOT to say there was no violence or exceptions. Bargi troops often had larger numbers of local Muslim Afghan soldiers accompanying them in Bangāl Subāh.
That is NOT to say there was no violence or exceptions. Bargi troops often had larger numbers of local Muslim Afghan soldiers accompanying them in Bangāl Subāh.
Bangāl Subāh Usurper tyrant Alivardi Khan's atrocities were so extreme that even Afghan Muslims begged and invited Senasahebsubah Raghujiraje Bhonsale to come and rescue them in an alliance against Alivardi Khan.
Alivardi's hordes had spread into Bihar, agitating th Pashtuns.
Alivardi's hordes had spread into Bihar, agitating th Pashtuns.
Afghan atrocities are graphically recorded. After allying with Maratha Bargir horsemen they were all umbrella termed as "Borgis".
Local Zamindars who could not maintain salaried troopers released them during upheaval period of Borgi raids, to loot & cut their paycheck themselves.
Local Zamindars who could not maintain salaried troopers released them during upheaval period of Borgi raids, to loot & cut their paycheck themselves.
Actual East Maharashtrians in Senasahebsubah's armies were always fewer than 14,000, sometimes as low as 1,000-2,000, and the actual Maratha warriors ONLY numbering in hundreds! All rest of the Bargir-class mercenary soldiers were local levies of Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Odissa.
Mahratta goal extended beyond mere plunder and was aimed at actual sack of Murshidabad subsequent conquest of Bangāl Subāh. Even when Alivardi's wife begged peace from Senasahebsubah Raghujiraje Bhonsale to end the warfare, he decided to heroically make a dash upon Murshidabad.
The main tragic reason Marathas did not conquer Murshidabad and liberate Bangāl completely was due to death of Senasahebsubah Raghujiraje's wife (Mahratta Prince Janojiraje Bhonsale's mother) due to which he had to return to Nagpur, reversing all his progress in 1748 CE.
Sources (for entire Bengal Series of Tweets):
•Orissa Under Marathas 1751-1803 B.C. Ray
•Maratha History Seminar Papers by A.G. Pawar
•Land & Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal by John R. McLane
•Trans-Colonial Modernities in South Asia by M S. Dodson, B A. Hatcher
•Orissa Under Marathas 1751-1803 B.C. Ray
•Maratha History Seminar Papers by A.G. Pawar
•Land & Local Kingship in Eighteenth-Century Bengal by John R. McLane
•Trans-Colonial Modernities in South Asia by M S. Dodson, B A. Hatcher
•Fall of the Mughal Empire Vol 1 (Biased Source/BS)
•Alivardi and His Times (BS)
• Journal Of The Department Of Letters, Vol.XX (Maharashtra Purana)
•Alivardi and His Times (BS)
• Journal Of The Department Of Letters, Vol.XX (Maharashtra Purana)
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