Vir Singh Deo

Last updated

Raja Vir Singh Ju Deo, also known as Bir Singh Dev, was a Bundela Rajput chief and the ruler of the kingdom of Orchha in the historic Bundelkhand region of modern Madhya Pradesh . He was a vassal of the imperial Mughal Empire. [1] and ruled between the year 1605 and either 1626 [2] or 1627. [3] Vir Singh Deo assassinated the Mughal chronicler and court historian Abul Fazl who was returning from Deccan in a plot contrived by the Mughal Prince Salim later Jahangir . [4] He is also credited to have built the Jhansi Fort .

Raja Vir Singh Ju Deo
Raja of Orchha
Brooklyn Museum - Portrait of Rao Vir Singh.jpg
Reign1605-1626/7
PredecessorRam Shah
Successor Jhujhar Singh
SpouseParmarji Amrit Kunwari of Shahbad

Parmarji Guman Kunwari of Khairuwar

Parmarji Pancham Kunwari of Shahbad
Issue Jhujhar Singh

Pahad Singh

Narhar Das

Tulsi Das

Beni Das

Hardev (Hardaul)

Bhagwan Rao

Chandra Bhan

Kishan Singh

Bagh Raj

Madho Singh

Parmanand

Kunj Kunwari
House Bundela Rajput
FatherMadhukar Shah
MotherParmarji Ganesh Kunwariji
ReligionHinduism
Vir Singh Deo ki Chhatri, Orchha Vir Singh Deo ki Chhatri, Orchha 01.jpg
Vir Singh Deo ki Chhatri, Orchha
The Royal Chhatris of Orchha The Royal Chhatris of Orchha 01.jpg
The Royal Chhatris of Orchha

Deo was among the Rajput rulers of his era who sponsored temples in the Brajmandal area that comprised Vrindavan and Mathura. [5] In addition, the Phool Bagh gardens, and the Lakshmi temple were all built by Deo.[ citation needed ] His mausoleum is located in Orchha, and features both Hindu and Mughal architecture.[ citation needed ]

Vir Singh Deo was succeeded by Jhujhar Singh, the first-born son of the senior of his three queens. [6]

Deo was patron to the poet Keshavdas, who wrote the 1607 hagiographic work Virsimdevcarit (Deeds of Vir Singh Deo). [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundelkhand</span> Geographical and cultural region in central India

Bundelkhand is a geographical and cultural region and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central & North India. The hilly region is now divided between the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, with the larger portion lying in the latter state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchha</span> Town in Madhya Pradesh, India

Orchha is a town, near the city of Niwari in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by a Bundela rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state of covering parts of central & north India, in the Bundelkhand region. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, 80 km from Tikamgarh & 15 km from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Datia</span> City in Madhya Pradesh, India


Datia is the district headquarter of the Datia District in north central Madhya Pradesh,a state of Central India. It is an ancient town, mentioned in the Mahabharata ruled by King Dantavakra. The city is 78 km from Gwalior, 325 km south of New Delhi and 344 km north of Bhopal. About 18 km from Datia is Sonagiri, a sacred Jain hill. Datia is also about 31 km from Jhansi and 52 km from Orchha. The nearest airport is at Gwalior. It was formerly the seat of the eponymous princely state in the British Raj. Datia is situated near Gwalior and on the border with Uttar Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikamgarh</span> City in Madhya Pradesh, India

Tikamgarh is a town and a tehsil in Tikamgarh district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city serves as a district headquarters. The earlier name of Tikamgarh was Tehri consisting of three hamlets, forming a rough triangle. In Tikamgarh town there is locality still known as 'Purani Tehri'. Until Indian independence in 1947, Tikamgarh, formerly called Tehri, was part of the kingdom of Orchha, which was founded in the 16th century by the Bundeli chief Rudra Pratap Singh, who became the first King of Orchha. In 1783 the capital of the state was moved to Tehri, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Orchha, which was home to the fort of Tikamgarh, and the town eventually took the name of the fort. The district is famous for the old fort of Kundar known as Garh Kundar, which was built by Khangars and remained the capital of Khangar rulers from 1180 to 1347.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikamgarh district</span> District of Madhya Pradesh in India

Tikamgarh district is one of the 52 districts of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. Tikamgarh town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Sagar Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundela</span> Rajput clan of the Indian subcontinent

The Bundela is a Rajput clan. Over several generations, the cadet lineages of Bundela Rajputs founded several states in area what came to be known as Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom from the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rewa (princely state)</span> Princely state in India

Rewa State, also known as Rewah, was a Rajput princely state of India, surrounding its eponymous capital, the town of Rewa.

Rudra Pratap Singh Bundela was the founder and first raja of the kingdom that became the princely state of Orchha, India, during the Lodi dynasty. His name is sometimes spelled Rudrapratap Singh and his last name, Bundela, is often omitted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keshavdas</span> Sanskrit scholar and Hindi poet

Keshavdas Mishra (1555–1617), usually known by the mononym Keshavdas or Keshavadasa, was a Sanskrit scholar and Hindi poet, best known for his Rasik Priya, a pioneering work of the riti kaal of Hindi literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaturbhuj Temple (Orchha)</span> Hindu temple in Madhya Pradesh, India

Chaturbhuj Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is situated at Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, India. The name Chaturbhuj is a combination of 'chatur' meaning "four" and 'bhuj' meaning "arms" which literally translates to "one who has four arms" and refers to Rama an Avatar of Vishnu. The temple has a complex multi-storied structural view which is a blend of temple, fort and palatial architectural features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchha State</span> Princely state of India

Orchha State was a kingdom situated in the Bundelkhand region and later a princely state in British India. The state was ruled by Bundela clan of Rajputs. It was located within what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jahangir Mahal, Orchha</span> Palace in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

Jahangir Mahal, Citadel of Jahangir, Orchha Palace, Mahal-e-Jahangir Orchha, Jahangir Citadel is a citadel and garrison located in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Vrind (1643–1723) was an Indian saint and poet in Hindi language from Marwar, in present Rajasthan. He was an important poet of the Ritikal period of Hindi literature, known for his poems on ethics (Niti), and most known for his work Nitisatsai (1704), a collection of 700 aphorisms. He was the guru of Raj Singh, ruler of Kishangarh, where he was court poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jhujhar Singh</span> Raja of Orchha

Raja Jhujhar Singh Ju Deo was the Bundela ruler of Orchha Kingdom in the 17th century reining from 1627 to 1635 in the cultural Bundelkhand region of modern Madhya Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchha Fort complex</span> Historical monument site in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India

The Orchha Fort complex, which houses a large number of ancient monuments consisting of the fort, palaces, temple, and other edifices, is located in the Orchha town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The fort and other structures within it were built by the Bundela Rajputs starting from the early 16th century by King Rudra Pratap Singh of the Orchha State and others who followed him.

Chandel or Chandela is a Rajput clan from India. Families belonging to this clan ruled several kingdoms in north India and held various feudal estates. The most notable of these were the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti, who ruled the Bundelkhand region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajput architecture</span> Overview of the architecture by the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan

Rajput architecture is an architectural style notable for the forts and palaces of the many Rajput rulers, which are popular tourist attractions, many of the Rajput forts are UNESCO World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Orchha (1635)</span> Siege by Mughals during Shah Jahans reign

The siege of Orchha was a military expedition of Mughal empire under Aurangzeb aganist rebellious Bundela Rajputs under Jhuhar Singh.The Mughal army captured the Bundela capital during the combined siege of Orchha, on October 4, 1635. Aurangzeb raised the Mughal flag on the highest terrace of the Jahangir Mahal and installed Devi Singh as the new administrator, while Jhujhar Singh escaped.

References

  1. Mehta, Jaswant Lal (2005). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813. Sterling Publishers. p. 105. ISBN   978-1-93270-554-6.
  2. Michael, Thomas (2009). Cuhaj, George S. (ed.). Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900 (6th ed.). Krause Publications. p. 728. ISBN   978-1-44022-801-8.
  3. "Fort and Palace at Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. Aruna (2002). Orchha Paintings. Sharada Pub. House. p. 6. ISBN   978-8-18561-669-8.
  5. Busch, Allison (2011). Poetry of Kings: The Classical Hindi Literature of Mughal India. Oxford University Press. p. 7. ISBN   978-0-19976-592-8.
  6. Jain, Ravindra K. (2002). Between History and Legend: Status and Power in Bundelkhand. Orient Blackswan. p. 84. ISBN   978-8-12502-194-0.
  7. Busch, Allison (2011). Poetry of Kings: The Classical Hindi Literature of Mughal India. Oxford University Press. pp. 45–46. ISBN   978-0-19976-592-8.