Jabalpur/Bhopal
Maintaining that the Queen is the identity of our culture, our pride, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said, “I will make such a memorial that her name will remain immortal forever.” He announced that the memorial of Rani Durgawati will be built on the land of Madan Mahal in Jabalpur at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
It is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement, while launching the Sickle Cell Anaemia Mission on July 1, for nationwide celebrations to commemorate her 500th birth anniversary. The Government will also release of a commemorative coin and postal stamp besides a film on her inspiring life.
Chouhan’s announcement came while addressing a rally to mark the martyrdom of two other tribal heroes, Raja Shankar Shah and his son Kunwar Raghunath Shah of the Gondwana kingdom. In poll year, the move is also a part of the BJP’s tribal outreach.
Chouhan said, “The Britishers left this country but the Congress imposed the English language. However, we have decided to provide medical and engineering education in Hindi. This way, tribal children will also be able to counter oppression of the downtrodden.”
“We also implemented the PESA Act about which Congress only made lip service. We also provided the tribals with the right to their water, land and forests,” the CM said listing out his achievements.
Who were Raja Shankar Shah and Kunwar Raghunath Shah?
The two were the rulers of the erstwhile Gondwana Kingdom that included parts of Jabalpur and Mandla district and was nestled in the Vindyachal and Satpura ranges. The inhospitable terrain afforded it protection from invaders. While the region was relatively peaceful region, the advent of the British changed everything.
In 1857, the East India Company appointed Commander Clarke of the 52 Regiment in Jabalpur. He was extremely brutal and subdued all the small kingdoms and zamindars of the state, and extracted exorbitant taxes from them. This led to a lot of discontentment and the flag of revolt was raised under the leadership of then ruler of the State, Raja Shankar Shah and his son Kunwar Raghunath Shah.
They united the kings of neighbouring land and started a revolt which inflicted heavy casualties to the British. But they were captured and brutally blown from a cannon in 1857.
The two are highly revered among the tribal communities in Mandla, Dhindori and Jabalpur. In 2021, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a museum in the memory of the two rulers to be built at a cost of Rs.5 crore.
Who was Rani Durgawati?
The queen of the Gond kingdom of Garha-Katanga, the Rani took on the might of the Mughal Empire and chose to embrace death rather than falling into the hands of the enemy. She was born on 5 October 1524 in Kalinjar, one of the most impregnable forts of medieval India, which lies in the Banda district of the state of Uttar Pradesh in north India.
After the death of Shershah, Sujat Khan captured the Malwa zone and was succeeded by his son Baj Bahadur in 1556 A.D. After ascending the throne, he attacked Rani Durgavati but the attack was repulsed with heavy losses to his army and silencing him effectively.
In 1562, Akbar defeated Baj Bahadur and annexed the Malwa with Mughul dominion. Consequently, the state boundary of Rani touched the Mughal kingdom whose subedar invaded Rani’s state. After her Fauzdar was killed in the battle, the Rani decided to lead the defence herself. As the enemy entered the valley, soldiers of Rani attacked them. Both sides lost some men but Rani was victorious in this battle. She chased the Mughul army and came out of the valley.
Rani reviewed her strategy with her counsellors and wanted to attack the enemy in the night but her lieutenants did not accept her suggestion. The next morning the Mughals deployed big guns and though being herself injured she refused to leave the battlefield and took out her dagger and killed herself.
Her martyrdom day (24th June, 1564) is commemorated as “Balidan Diwas”.
