Nainsi ri Khyat

Last updated

Nainsi ri Khyat (or 'Khyat of Nainsi') is a late 17th-century Marwari & Dingal [1] text chronicling the history of Marwar. Its author Muhnot Nainsi, an official of Marwar State, based the Khyat (or chronicle) on the Charan accounts and the traditional Rajasthani Vat(or bat) as well as local administrative records. [2] Nainsi-ri-Khyat is considered to be the most prominent of khyats. [1] The Khyat contains a collection of bats as well as kavitts, dohas, and vanshavallis (genealogies). [3]

Contents

The Khyat includes a comprehensive account of the genealogies and histories of the various ruling dynasties in the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat including Marwar, Mewar, Jaisalmer, Sirohi, Amer, Dhundhar, Kutch, Gujarat, Tharparkar, and Saurashtra. The histories of the Chauhans, Rathores, Kachhwahas and Bhatis are dealt with in great detail. The Khyat extensively mentions the battles fought and men who died fighting; along with the names of forts, towns, hills and rivers. [1]

The present day Nainsi ri Khyat is based on the 1843 version by Panna Vithu, who rediscovered the lost text and updated it with the information & events of the 18th & 19th century. [4]

Author

Muhnot Nainsi, the author of this Khyat, was however not a Charan, but an Oswal mutsaddi in the court of Jaswant Singh of Marwar. Early in his professional career, Nainsi was appointed successively as the hakim (administrative head) of various parganas in Marwar. [5] He remained the Diwan of Marwar from 1658 till he lost favour with Jaswant Singh in 1666 following which he was imprisoned.

After the death of Muhnot Nainsi, his son Karamsi left the service of Maharaja Jaswant Singh and he, along with his family, joined the service under Rao Raisingh in Nagaur. Raisingh died suddenly on May 29, 1676, after being ill for two-three days in Solapur village. On Raisingh's sudden death, his officers asked vaidya (physician) the reason for his death. The physician, from Gujarat, replied in Gujarati that 'Karmano Dosh Hai' implying that it is fault of Karma (destiny). But the chieftains of Raisingh interpreted that Karamsi (son of Nainsi) had poisoned their master. Due to this, Karamsi was executed and orders were sent Nagaur to kill rest of his family. Thus, most of Nainsi's family was killed and only 2 young sons of Karamsi were able to escape to Bikaner with the help of servants. [4]

Rediscovery

Source: [4]

The credit for the rediscovery and revival as well as systematic re-organization of Nainsi ri Khyat goes to Panna Vithu. Vithu Panna was a 19th-century Dingal poet and scholar from Bikaner who rediscovered the text and prepared a copy in 1843.

After the murder of Muhnot Nainsi and his entire family, his entire property and belongings were captured by Indra Singh. Since then, the manuscript changed many hands. It is said there were copies made of the original text but none have survived. Many of the Vats in Nainsi ri Khyat were added into the Rajasthani Vat literature collection when it was being prepared in the latter half of the 18th century. Therefore, some portions of Nainsi ri Khyat, were circulated and its popularity had spread in the region including Bikaner. Though uncertain of when and how, Nainsi ri Khyat somehow reached Bikaner.

In Bikaner, Panna Vithu found the Khyat and prepared its copy in 1843, while also adding his own contributions wherever he felt necessary. Due to these additions, there are mentions of events or lists related to rulers, chieftains etc. even after 1666 AD at some places. Thus, whatever systematic form this khyat gets today is the result of Panna Vithu's reorganisation of the text. And all historical copies of the Khyat available today are the copies of Panna Vithu's version.

Sources

This khyat depends upon the Charan accounts in order to put together a comprehensive history of the Rajput clans. At places, Nainsi acknowledges the individual Charans who authored these compositions and elsewhere refers to the anonymous source as '..aa bat suni hai' (this has been heard). [3]

Period of authorship

The Khyat was compiled from 1650 through 1665 during which period Nainsi served as the Dewan of Marwar. [6]

Events chronicled in the Khyat

Source: [7] [8]

The book opens with a description of the jagirs held by Maharaja Jaswant Singh in 1664 A.D. Then the history of Marwar is narrated from beginning, with the Pratihar rule in Mandore and the arrival of Rao Siha Setramot whose descendants laid the foundation of the Rathore kingdom. The earliest date mentioned is the year 1427 of the Vikram era. The dated history begins with the accession of Rao Jodha (1453 AD).

The first 20 reigns of the Marwar rulers covering a period of 260 years are very briefly dealt with, with comparatively few pages being devoted to them. However, the five reigns from Rao Maldeo (1532 AD) to Raja Sur Singh (died 1619) occupies a larger portion of the khyat while the last two reigns-a period of 45 years-occupies the largest part.

After the history, a description of the various villages of the Marwar State is given, arranged by respective parganas. It starts with a historical introduction of each Pargana, then the average revenue of every village in the pargana compared with the actual income for the years 1716, 1717, and 1718, of the Vikram era.

In the description of battles, a list of the killed and the wounded is provided, while the names of others that took part in the battles are also sometimes mentioned. The Khyat traces the origins of various Rajput clans to celestial sources as well as older Kshatriya clans like Gahadwalas of Kannauj. It contains the genealogies of various Rajput groups including Rathore, Sisodiya, Bhati, Jadeja, Chauhan, Gohil, Solanki, Sodha, and Kachhwaha. [3]

List of khyats & vats in the text

  1. Sisodiyāṃ rī khyāta
  2. Būṃdī rā dhaṇiyāṃ rī khyāta
  3. Vāgaḍaḍiyā cahūvāṃṇā rī pīḍhī
  4. Vāta dahiyāṃ rī
  5. Būṃdelāṃ rī vāta
  6. Vāratā gaḍhabaṃdhava rā dhaṇiyāṃ rī
  7. Bāta sīrohī rā dhaṇiyāṃ rī
  8. Bhāyalāṃ rajapūtāṃ rī khyāta
  9. Vāta cahuvāṃṇāṃ sonagarāṃ rī
  10. Vāta sācora rī, boḍaāṃ rī, khociyāṃ rī
  11. Bāta aṁahalavāḍaā pāṭanrī
  12. Vāta solaṃkiyāṃ pāṭaṇa āyāṃ rī
  13. Vāta rudramālo prāsāda siddharāva karāyo tiṇa rī
  14. Vāta solaṃkiyāṃ khairāāṃ rī, desūrī rā dhaṇiyāṃ rī
  15. Kachavāhāṃ rī khyāta
  16. Vāta gohilāṃ kheḍarā dhaṇiyāṃ rī
  17. Paṃvārāṃ rī utapata, Vāta paṃvārāṃ rī
  18. Aāṃkhalā jāgalavā, rāyasī mahipālota
  19. Soḍhāṃrī khyāta Vāta pārakara soḍhāṃ rī

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marwar</span> Region in Rajasthan, India

Marwar is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. The word 'maru' is Sanskrit for desert. In Rajasthani languages, "wad" means a protected area. English translation of the word 'marwar' is the region protected by desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rathore dynasty</span> Rajput clan in India

The Rathore or Rathor is an Indian Rajput dynasty belonging to the clan that has historically ruled over parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandore</span> Town in Rajasthan, India

Mandore is a suburb Historical town located 9 km north of Jodhpur city, in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durgadas Rathore</span> Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar (1638–1718)

Durgadas Rathore was the Rathore Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar. He is credited with having preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar, India, following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in the 17th century. In doing so he had to defy Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor. He commanded the Rathore forces during the Rajput War (1679–1707) and played a major role in the Rajput Rebellion (1708–1710) which became one of the main reason of decline of Mughal Empire. He was elected as the leader of the revolt along with Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. He won a number of victories against the Mughals and forced many Mughal officers to pay tribute to him in the form of chauth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodha of Mandore</span> Rao of Marwar and founder of Jodhpur (1416–1489)

Rao JodhaRathore was a Rajput chief of Rathore clan who ruled Mandore in the present-day state of Rajasthan. He was the son of Rao Ranmal. He is known for his illustrious military career and for founding the city of Jodhpur in 1459.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Bikaner</span>

The region of Bikaner, stretching across northern Rajasthan State in India, was earlier known as Jangladesh. It included the present-day districts of Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, and Hanumangarh. It is bounded on the south by Marwar and Jaisalmer regions, on the east by Ajmer-Merwara region.

The Dalpat Vilas is the surviving fragment of a historical manuscript. Written in the Rajasthani language, it is the earliest known Charan source of Mughal-Rajput relations. The initial portion of the manuscript covers the genealogy of the Rathores and the Sur dynasty. The bulk of the manuscript chronicles events in Marwar and adjoining areas during the reign of Akbar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingal</span> Ancient Indian language with literature in prose and poetry

Dingal, also known as Old Western Rajasthani, is an ancient Indian language written in Nagri script and having literature in prose as well as poetry. It is a language of very high tone and requires a specific style of speaking. Dingal was used in Rajasthan and adjoining areas including Gujarat, Kutch, Malwa, and Sindh. Most of Dingal literature is said to be composed by Charans. It was prominently used in composition of war poetry praising the martial exploits of Rajput and Charan war heroes.

Rajasthani literature is an tradition in Indian literature dating to the 2nd millennium, which includes literature written in the Rajasthani language. An early form of Rajasthani started developing in the 11th century from Saurseni Prakrit as Maru-Gurjar or Gurjar Apabhramsa. Early Rajasthani literature was usually written by Charans. Earlier Rajasthani was known as Charani or Dingal, which was close to Gujarati. Medieval Rajasthani literature was mostly heroic poetry mentioning the great kings and fighters of Rajasthan. Rabindra Nath Tagore, a Bengali polymath, once said, "The heroic sentiment which is the essence of every song and couplet of a Rajasthani is peculiar emotion of its own of which, however, the whole country may be proud". It is generally agreed that modern Rajasthani literature began with the works of Suryamal Misran, including the Vansa Bhaskara and the Vir Satsai. The Vansa Bhaskara contains accounts of the Rajput princes who ruled in what was then Rajputana, during the lifetime of the poet (1872–1952). The Vir Satsai is a collection of hundreds of couplets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Marwar</span> Kingdom in Rajasthan, India, 1243 to 1818

Kingdom of Marwar, also known as the Jodhpur State under the British, was a kingdom in the Marwar region from 1243 to 1818 and a princely state under British rule from 1818 to 1947. It was established in Pali by Rao Siha, possibly a migrant Gahadavala noble, in 1243. His successors continued to struggle against regional powers for domination and 9 out of 15 rulers till 1438 died in combat. In 1395, its capital was changed to Mandore by Rao Chunda of Mandore and to Jodhpur in 1459 by Rao Jodha.

Muhnot Nainsi (1610–1670) was a medieval historian and Dewan of Rathore ruler Jaswant Singh of Marwar. He is known for his studies of the region now encompassed by the state of Rajasthan in India. He was son of Jaimal Muhnot, who was Senior Office holder under reign of Sur Singh and Gaj Singh Early in his professional career, Nainsi was appointed successively as the hakim of various parganas in Marwar. The extensive, first-hand knowledge he collected of the region informed his later writings. In 1658, he was appointed dewan of Marwar, in which position he served until 1666. The literary works he is most known for are Marwar Ra Pargana Ri Vigat and Nainsi Ri Khyat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dursa Arha</span> 16th-century warrior and Rajasthani poet

Dursa Arha was a 16th-century warrior and Rajasthani (Dingal) poet from India. He earned the epithet of the 'First Nationalist Poet Of India' or Rashtrakavi because of his nationalist stance in his bold Dingal poems commending Maharana Pratap of Mewar in his struggle against the Mughal Empire. He is one of the most highly regarded poets of the time, who was also a valuable and respectable part of the Mughal court. He was a renowned litterateur, historian, war general, consultant, administrator, feudal lord, and magistrate. He had close relations with the rulers of many erstwhile kingdoms. On the basis of wealth, fame, and honor Dursa Arha acquired in his lifetime and his contribution to medieval Indian history and literature, the historians and litterateurs consider him as one of the greatest poets. Dursa Arha attained heights of opulence and grandeur reached by no other poet in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abhai Singh of Marwar</span> Maharaja of Marwar (1704–1749)

Abhai Singh Rathore was an 18th-century Indian Raja of the Kingdom of Marwar (Jodhpur).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rao Ganga</span> Rao of Marwar (1484–1531)

Rao Ganga or Rav Gango Vaghavat was an Indian king from the Rathore dynasty who ruled the traditional Rathore realm of Maruwara (Marwar) in the present-day state of Rajasthan. Ganga ascended to the throne in 1515 through the support from his family nobles. During his reign, the Rathores consolidated and expanded their rule in Marwar.

Rao Ranmal, also called Ran Mal or Ridmal, was the Rathore ruler of Marwar. A notable expansionist and skilled warrior, Ranmal is also noteworthy for having twice served as regent of the kingdom of Mewar under two different kings.

Khyat is a form of bardic historical prose that was prevalent in the western Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is a collection of events or continuous history. Khyats generally contained histories of a ruling dynasty or a person. In the former states that now constitute Rajasthan, Khyatas were written by the Charans under the patronage of rulers who wished to perpetuate their exploits. These accounts contained histories of battles, sacrifices, valour, and chivalry, values that came to be associated with Rajputs. Khyatas are often known by the name of their authors; e.g., Bankidās-ri-Khyāt. Nainsi-ri-Khyat written by Nainsi is considered to be the most prominent of khyats.

MahamahopadhyayaKaviraja MuraridanAshiya served as the Dewan of Marwar during the reign of Jaswant Singh II (1873–1895). Kaviraja is remembered as an astute politician and a farsighted administrator, who made significant contributions to the history of Marwar. He was a Tazimi sardar (noble) and a renowned scholar, known for his prominent works including Yaśavaṃta-Yaśo-Bhūṣaṇa and Tawarikh Marwar.

Deora or Devda, Devra is a clan of Rajputs. The Deora dynasty historically ruled over Bhinmal, Sirohi and Chandravati, India. Rao Deoraj was the progenitor of the Deora clan.

Dadhivadia is a clan of Charanas of Rajasthan. It is also used as a surname.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Paniker, K. Ayyappa (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN   978-81-260-0365-5.
  2. Chatterjee, Indrani (2004). Unfamiliar Relations: Family and History in South Asia. Permanent Black. ISBN   978-81-7824-083-1.
  3. 1 2 3 Kothiyal, Tanuja (2016-03-14). Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-316-67389-8.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rajasthan Ke Itihaskar - Dr. Hukum Singh Bhati | PDF". Scribd. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  5. Peabody, Norbert (2001). "Cents, Sense, Census: Human Inventories in Late Precolonial and Early Colonial India". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 43 (4): 819–850. ISSN   0010-4175. JSTOR   2696671. PMID   18646375.
  6. Medieval Indian Literature: An Anthology. Sahitya Akademi. 2000. p. 64. ISBN   978-81-260-0365-5.
  7. Gupta, Manik Lal (1989). Sources of mughal history. Atlantic Publishers & Distri.
  8. Sharma, Sri Ram (1938). A Bibliography of Mughal India (1526-1707 A.D.). Karnatak publishing house.