Ajay Kumar at 17:49, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T17:49:00Z

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{{Short description|16th-century warrior and poet (died 1527)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
'''Haridas Kesaria''' (died. March 1527; [[Devanagari|Devnagari]]: हरिदास केसरिया), or '''Haridas Mahiyaria''', was a 16th-century [[Kingdom of Mewar|Mewar]] [[Tribal chief|chieftain]], [[warrior]] and [[poet]] from [[Rajasthan]]. In the [[Battle of Gagron]] in 1519, he fought alongside the Mewar army led by [[Rana Sanga]], capturing and imprisoning the Sultan Mahmud Khalji II of [[Malwa]], thus quickly ending the war. He was a close friend of Rana Sanga, participating in many battles and campaigns of Mewar kingdom.

== Clan and family ==
<small>Sources:<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jośī |first=Vandanā |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ma0NAAAAIAAJ |title=Mahiyāriyā satasaī: eka anuśīlana |date=1986 |publisher=Sāhitya Saṃsthāna, Rājasthāna Vidyāpīṭha |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jijñāsu |first=Mohanalāla |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A85EAQAAIAAJ |title=Cāraṇa sāhitya kā itihāsa: Rājasthāna ke prācīna evaṃ Madhyakālīna 275 cāraṇa kaviyoṃ, unake kāvya ke vibhinna rūpoṃ tathā pravr̥ttiyoṃ kā Jīvanacaritra sahita aitihāsika evaṃ ālocanātmaka anuśīlana |date=1968 |publisher=Ujvala Cāraṇa-Sabhā |language=hi}}</ref></small>

The Kesaria clan of the [[Charan]]as originally belonged to [[Patan, Gujarat|Patan]] region of [[Gujarat]], named after an ancestor Kesaria-ji. Kesaria-ji lived in Patan under the rule of [[Jayasimha Siddharaja|Siddharaj Jaisimha]], who honored him with a [[jagir]] of Genasara including 6 [[village]]s. In time, a descendent of Kesaria-ji, Mandan Kesaria left Genasara and came to [[Mewar]], where the [[Maharana]] being pleased with his talent and [[knowledge]], awarded him the jagir of Mahiyari including 6 villages. It is from this jagir, the later Kesaria came to be known as Mahiyaria.

Haridas was born to Mandan Kesaria in Mewar. He, in turn, had four sons; three of which are named:

# Udaibhan
# Keshavdas
# Haribhagat

Keshavdas and Haribhagat died without issue. Haridas's [[Family|grandson]] through Udaibhan, Devidas Mahiyaria, was an accomplished [[warrior]]. He was the military [[General officer|general]] of Gopaldas Shaktawat and after their victory in the Battle of [[Varanasi|Benaras]], he was granted a [[jagir]] including 24 villages.

Haridas built a [[temple]] of [[Kuladevata|''kuldevi'']] of Mahiyaria clan, Shri Sunderbai, in the village of Madri ([[Rajsamand district|Rajsamand]]). Another [[shrine]] of this [[goddess]] was also built in village of Bhildi ([[Jahazpur]]), which is still present.

=== Anecdotes ===
Several [[anecdote]]s are popular about Haridas. One legend is that once [[Rana Sanga]] went hunting with his companions, one of his elephants which was tied nearby became enraged after being teased so that he broke the chain and ran after them. Others ran away but Haridas did not leave Sanga's side. When there was no way to escape, Sanga spoke to Haridas that you keep singing the [[praise]]s of your [[Kuladevata|kuldevis]], why don't you call them today for [[protection]]? On this, Haridas said a couplet to his ''Aradhyashakti Shri Sunderbai''-<blockquote>आण दबाया गज अठे, और न हेक उपाय। ‘सुन्दर’ मां सज आवजे, सांगा तणी सहाय।।</blockquote>And immediately they saw that the defiant [[elephant]] was being stopped by a force and it calmed down, thus preventing any harm to Sanga and Haridas.

== Battle of Gagron (1519) ==
{{Main|Battle of Gagron}}
<small>Sources:<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bāṅkidāsa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7INAAAAIAAJ |title=Kavi mata maṇḍaṇa: vistr̥ta jīvanī aura anya ajñāta racanāoṃ sahita |date=1983 |publisher=Jaina Brādarsa |language=hi |quote=राणा सांगा ने तो अपना दस करोड़ को आय वाला चित्तौड़-राज्य ही महियारिया शाखा के चारण हरिदास को प्रदान कर दिया था।}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c6djAAAAMAAJ |title=Maru-Bhāratī |date=1987 |publisher=Biṛlā Ejyūkeśana Ṭrasṭa. |language=hi |quote=युद्धवीर साँगा हम्मीर की तरह दानवीर भी थे। हरिदास केसरिया को चित्तौड़ ही दान कर दिया था पर उसने मांडू-विजय की खुशी में प्राप्त चित्तौड़ लोटा दिया।}}</ref></small>

The [[battle]] was fought between the Mewar kingdom on one side and the [[Malwa Sultanate]] assisted by [[Gujarat Sultanate]] on the other. The Mewar army was reinforced by [[Rathore]]s of [[Merta City|Merta]]. Sultan Mahmud Khalji II headed the Sultanate army and marched thorugh [[Gagron Fort|Gagron]] where he was faced by a large army of Rana Sanga. In the ensuing battle, Mewar army fought bravely and Haridas captured the Sultan and presented him to Sanga.<ref name="Sandhu2003">{{cite book |last=Sandhu |first=Gurcharn Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xi3cAAAAMAAJ |title=A Military History of Medieval India |publisher=Vision Books |year=2003 |isbn=9788170945253 |page=386}}</ref>

In the celebration of this victory, Rana Sanga, pleased with the bravery and courage of Haridas, granted him the fort of [[Chittor Fort|Chittor]]. However, Haridas humbly returned the [[Fortification|fortress]] back to Maharana and accepted a small [[jagir]] of twelve villages. The jagir included villages of Madri, Beri, Panchali etc. Panchali remained with Haridas's descendents until modern times.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Mahendra Pratap |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V0NuAAAAMAAJ |title=Shivaji, Bhakha Sources and Nationalism |date=2001 |publisher=Books India International |language=en |quote=Rana publicly announced that he would give away his whole kingdom of Mewar to Charan Haridas of the Mahiyaria clan. Haridas humbly refused the offer and accepted only twelve villages . One of those villages was still kept in the possession of Charan's descendants , when Kavi Raja Shyamaldan wrote his book in the closing decades of the 19th century.}}</ref>

At the Rana Sanga panorama built in [[Khanwa]] ([[Bharatpur, Rajasthan|Bharatpur]]), Sanga's [[victory]] in the Battle of Gagron and his benevolent behavior towards the defeated Sultan is displayed in the inscribed historical [[Dingal]] verses, authored by Haridas himself:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarda |first=Har Bilas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRBDAAAAYAAJ |title=Maharana Sāngā, the Hindupat: The Last Great Leader of the Rajput Race |date=1970 |publisher=Kumar Bros. |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=राणा सांगा पैनोरमा, खनुआ, भरतपुर |url=https://artandculture.rajasthan.gov.in/content/raj/art-and-culture/en/departments/rajasthan-heritage-protection-promotion-authority/heritage-projects/completed/rana-sanga-panorama.html |website=Government of Rajasthan: Art and Culture Portal}}</ref>
{|
![[Dingal]]
![[IAST]] Romanization
![[English language|English]] translation
|-
|<blockquote>मांडव गढ़ गर्जर ग्रह मुके,
रैणवां दीघ चत्रगढ़ राण।</blockquote>
|<blockquote>māṃḍava gaढ़ garjara graha muke,
raiṇavāṃ dīgha catragaढ़ rāṇa।</blockquote>
|<blockquote>Thou, O! Rana, didst allow the kings of [[Mandu, Madhya Pradesh|Mandu]] and [[Gujarat]] to return home, and gavest away the fortress of [[Chittor Fort|Chitor]] to Renwa [[Charan]].</blockquote>
|}

== Death – Battle of Khanwa (1527) ==
{{Main|Battle of Khanwa}}
[[File:Babur’s army in battle against the army of Rana Sanga at.jpg|thumb|244x244px|Mughal painting depicting the [[Rajput|Rajput Army]] (Left) battling the [[Mughal Army]] (Right)]]
Throughout his life, Haridas was a valued member of Mewar court and fought many battles. In March 1527, Haridas died fighting valiantly alongside Sanga in the [[Battle of Khanwa]] against the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] ruler, [[Babur]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7X23AAAAIAAJ |title=Mahārāṇā Pratāpa ke pramukha sahayogī |date=1997 |publisher=Rājasthānī Granthāgāra |language=hi |quote=सांगा ने हरिदास महियारिया को चित्तौड़ का राज्य देकर प्रथम राष्ट्र कवि के पद पर आसीन किया । हरिदास ने खानवा प्रथम स्वाधीनता के निर्णायक युद्ध में अपने प्राणों की आहुति दी।}}</ref>

== Works ==
Haridas was a good [[poet]] and some of his miscellaneous works including [[Dingal]] Gits on Rana Sanga are found.<ref>{{Cite book |last=कोठारी |first=देव |url=https://jainelibrary.org/book-detail/?srno=012043 |title=मेवाड़ प्रदेशके प्राचीन डिंगल कवि |publisher=श्री अगरचंद नाहटा अभिनन्दन-प्रन्थ प्रकाशन समित्ति |year=1977}}</ref>

* ''Moja Samaṃda Mālavata Mahābalū'' (मोज समंद मालवत महाबलू)
* ''Dhana Sāṃgā Hāta Hamīra Kalodhara'' (धन सांगा हात हमीर कलोधर)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1527 deaths]]
[[Category:History of Udaipur]]
[[Category:Charan]]
[[Category:History of South Asia]]
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Dingal poets]]

Haridas Kesaria - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:49, 23 July 2023