कांगड़े दा टीला ओ माता, गर्वे सिंघे घेरिया। अकबर कांगड़े चढ़ आया ओ मेरी माँ। सुत्ती ऐ की जाग दी तू, जाग अम्बे रानिये। गर्वे ने पाई लिया घेरा ओ मेरी माँ। A very famous bhajan from Kangra of Mata Bajreshwari Devi, remembered often across north-west India today, talks of the Kangre da Tilla or the Mound of Kangra, referring to the place where Bajreswari Devi is present. She is popularly also know as Kangra Mata, and the legend is that the place was set up by burying the kaan or ear of an asura who was killed by the Pandavas on the orders of the Devi. There are such bhajans for other major temples in the region as well, but as a history enthusiast, this one often draws my attention. The story of Kangra is as much the story of the civilizational wounds that the plains experienced; or perhaps it was worse, given how many times temple desecrations were made a conscious strategy. This song, at some level, seems to pass on the memory of one such gory experience that was witnessed by the peopl...
कांगड़े दा टीला ओ माता, गर्वे सिंघे घेरिया।
अकबर कांगड़े चढ़ आया ओ मेरी माँ।
सुत्ती ऐ की जाग दी तू, जाग अम्बे रानिये।
गर्वे ने पाई लिया घेरा ओ मेरी माँ।
A very famous bhajan from Kangra of Mata Bajreshwari Devi, remembered often across north-west India today, talks of the Kangre da Tilla or the Mound of Kangra, referring to the place where Bajreswari Devi is present. She is popularly also know as Kangra Mata, and the legend is that the place was set up by burying the kaan or ear of an asura who was killed by the Pandavas on the orders of the Devi. There are such bhajans for other major temples in the region as well, but as a history enthusiast, this one often draws my attention.
The story of Kangra is as much the story of the civilizational wounds that the plains experienced; or perhaps it was worse, given how many times temple desecrations were made a conscious strategy. This song, at some level, seems to pass on the memory of one such gory experience that was witnessed by the people in the year 1572 CE.
The stage was set. Bidhi Chand had to take up arms, for his father Jai Chand Katoch had been imprisoned in Agra for displeasing the emperor. Kabi Rai was given the province of Kangra as a jagir along with the title of Raja Birbal, and he was expected to take over the fort of Kangra. The Ain-i-Akbari gives as a good
segue into the circumstances of the rebellion in Nagarkot while talking of
Birbal, who had been made jagirdar:
“In the 18th year, Raja Jai Chand
of Nagarkot, who was at Court, happened to displease the emperor, and was
imprisoned. Nagarkot was given to Kab Rai as jagir. He also received the title
of Rajah Bir Bar. But Jai Chand’s son, Budh Chand…shut himself up in Nagarkot,
and Husain Quli Khan was ordered to conquer it….Birbal, in all probability, did
not get the jagir.”
What followed was a gorefest of unimaginable scale. Siege of Chittor had certainly set the stage for what could be expected.
सुत्ती ऐ की जाग दी तू, जाग अम्बे रानिये।
गर्वे ने पाई लिया घेरा ओ मेरी माँ।
पेहलिया लड़ाईया ओ माता सुहा तेरा लड़ दा।
लये दे वगि जांदे नाल मरी माँ।
Mughal troops first attacked the citadel of Dhul, where the temple of the goddess Mahamai was defended by the Rajput forces till the last man standing. Brahmin attendants were slaughtered, two hundred black cows killed and the invading soldiers filled their boots with the blood of slaughtered cows to splash it on the walls of the temple to desecrate it. With this, the siege of Kot Kangra commenced, wherein the forces held on with heroic valour despite heavy cannon fire. To quote from Tabakat i Akbari, as mentioned by Hutchison and Vogel:
“Continuing his march (beyond Kotila) he (Khān Jahān) came to a thickly wooded country through which it was difficult for an ant or a snake to creep, so a party of men was sent to cut a road through the jungle. On the 1st Rajab A.H. 980—8th November A.D. 1572, he encamped by a field of maize near Nagarkot.
The fortress of Bhún (Bhawan), which is an idol temple of Mahāmāi, and in which none but her servants dwelt, was taken by the valour and resolution of the assailants at the first assault. A party of Rajputs who had resolved to die, fought most desperately till they were all cut down. A number of Brahmans who for many years had served the temple never gave one thought to flight and were killed.
During the struggle nearly 200 black cows, belonging to the Hindus, had crowded together for shelter in the temple. Some savage Turks, while the arrows and bullets were falling like rain, killed these cows one by one. They then took off their boots and filled them with the blood, and cast it upon the roof and walls of the temple."
दुजिया लड़ाईया ओ माता शेर तेरा लड़ दा।
मुंडिया दे लगी जांदे ढेर मेरी माँ।
तीजिया लड़ाईया ओ माता, आप तुसां लड़ दे।
थर थर कंब्दी जमीन मेरी माँ।
Circumstances however changed on the ground, and turbulence in the Punjab plains came to the rescue, as Mirza Ibrahim Hussain managed to flee Akbar’s
grasp in Gujarat and sacked the towns of Sonepat, Panipat and Kamal on his way
to Lahore. The terrain and forests of Kangra were proving too much to bear for the Mughal soldiers. Eventually, Mughal troops worn down by the hardships of the hills combined
with this emergency to force Quli Khan to sue for peace, and a peace treaty was
signed with Bidhi Chand, but at much cost to the state of Kangra. This was perhaps attributed to a divine intervention, reinforcing the belief of the people (and rightfully so) in the divinity of Mata Bajreswari Devi.
There is a slight variation in the story from other sources, but broadly it seems to be verifiable. Guler’s annals however have a slightly different take. Jai Chand was arrested
by Ram-Chand of that State and sent to Delhi, where he was placed in
confinement. But before leaving Kangra he placed his son, a minor, in charge of
his kinsman, Gobind Chand, the Raja of Jaswan, who discharged his duty faithfully.
So the next time you hear this song, do remember of the sacrifices made for the honour of Dharam twice, and perhaps pay a silent tribute to the anonymous fallen.
H
Blochman Trans. Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl ’Allami Vol 1 1873
Bakhshish Singh Nijjar, Punjab under the Great Mughals 1526 – 1707 AD, 1968
J Hutchison and J Ph Vogel, History of the Panjab Hill States Vol 1, 1935
J Hutchison and J Ph Vogel, History of Kangra and Kullu States, 1986 reprint
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