Varanasi - Medieval History

[SarthakGanguly]

Varanasi, Benaras, Kashi - one of the oldest cities of India has had a very troubling history.
This weekend I went up to the State Central Library and dug up a few books on the medieval history of this place. And what I found was traumatic. True, I did come to know about two temples from shakha etc but never bothered to read more about it. I will write everything I noted down in my diary. This is not for the faint of heart.

1. Varanasi is one the seven holiest cities of Hinduism and Jainism. Lord Buddha also established Buddhism here.

2. Jayachandra and Prithviraj Chauhan had become rivals and this weakened them both. In the end, Ghauri's forces under the command of General Qutb-ud-din Aibak successfully defeated Jayachandra's forces(after Prithvi) and beheaded him in the city. (This was a common occurrence)

Aibak was interested in the city's treasures more than anything else. The city was plundered and looted for days and carried off by 1400 camels.

More than a thousand temples were destroyed, razed to the ground and mosques built in their place.

3. The religious way of life of Benaras was disturbed many times.

4. At least 5 more attacks were faced by this city. -
by -
Feroz Shah Tughlaq
Shangi Kings of Jaunpur (not sure about them)
Sikander Lodhi
Shah Jahan (so what he built the Taj Mahal )
Aurangzeb

5. Aurangzeb renamed Varanasi to Muhammadabad and even Vrindavan to Muminabad.

6. Akbar's reign was the only period of respite for the city. His Rajput allies also built the ghats, some of which exist to this day (Man Singh Ghat etc)

7. In this troubled time, the cultural, social and economic life went underground.

8. Kashi Khanda was written in the 14th century, part of Skanda Purana.

9. Bhakti Movement started here and Vaishnav saints came from all over the country - Kabir, Chaitanya, Tulsidas etc.

10. Once the Mughals grew weaker, Benaras passed over to Hindu rule.

11. Mansaram, Balwant Singh ruled in early 18th century.

12. Maharaja Chet Singh refused payment of taxes to the British and even rallied his people for support.

13. Benaras provided shelter to Shivaji when he escaped from Aurangzeb's fortress. In gratitude, the Marathas largely built the city. Whatever ghats, temples etc - everything is built almost entirely by the Marathas. After the British gained control, they continued this.

I have deliberately not mentioned the name of the temples demolished etc because discussing these events should only be for the sake of academics, but knowing our people here, I would hold it.

Source - A Banaras on Varanasi - Kunal Sinha
Also read the Wiki article here - the have listed a lot of references.(attached)
Varanasi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disclaimer - I don't claim this to be historically completely accurate, any argument is most welcome.

@Indischer @levina @Joe Shearer @Ravi Nair @INDIC @jarves @punit @madhu_greenleaf @Manvantaratruti @scorpionx @ExtraOdinary @45'22' @chak de INDIA @AUSTERLITZ @Imran Khan @GURU DUTT @DRAY @jha @Skull and Bones @jandk @Soumitra @SpArK etc

 

[punit]

going great ! keep digging ! Har Har har har .. Mahadev !!!

 

[Android]

I didn't know all those Majestic Ghats at the bank of Ganga were built by Marathas

 

[SarthakGanguly]

I didn't know all those Majestic Ghats at the bank of Ganga were built by Marathas

I didn't know anything. For us India used to end in Delhi I am surprised as well. Some apparently was built during Akbar's time as well

 

[Manvantaratruti]

Interesting topic. Bring it to Central & South Asia and we can discuss it there.

 

[Levina]

Great topic!!!
I will tell you what I gleaned on the topic.
Varanasi is around 3000 years old city in the world.Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Also known as the city of God as it is considered that it was manufactured by the Lord Shiva. It is the center for origination of the Hindustani classical music from Benares Gharana.
The King of Kashi Naresh’s generations still lives in the fort of the Ramanagar.
The origin of the name of Varanasi is behind the names of two rivers, the Varuna and the Assi. The old speculation about its origin is that the river Varuna itself was known as Varanasi.
According to the Rigveda, Varanasi was referred as Kasi or Kashi. The Varanasi is known as the centre of learning, literature, art as well as culture.

 

[scorpionx]

When I hear this name Varanasi, first thing my mind sees an ancient sacred city at the heart if India on the bank of the holy Ganges bearing the sumptuous legacy of Vedic literature,philosophers, sages and millions of devotees coming all over from India. This is a city which holds the heritage of Sri Shankaracharya and legends like Sri Trailanga Swami. I am not much religious person but I respect the antiquity and richness of this city along with river Narmada from the bottom of my heart. If someone wants to know about India's past, Varanasi and Narmada are two subjects must to be understood first.

 

[SpArK]

Varanasi, Benaras, Kashi - one of the oldest cities of India has had a very troubling history.
This weekend I went up to the State Central Library and dug up a few books on the medieval history of this place. And what I found was traumatic. True, I did come to know about two temples from shakha etc but never bothered to read more about it. I will write everything I noted down in my diary. This is not for the faint of heart.

1. Varanasi is one the seven holiest cities of Hinduism and Jainism. Lord Buddha also established Buddhism here.

2. Jayachandra and Prithviraj Chauhan had become rivals and this weakened them both. In the end, Ghauri's forces under the command of General Qutb-ud-din Aibak successfully defeated Jayachandra's forces(after Prithvi) and beheaded him in the city. (This was a common occurrence)

Aibak was interested in the city's treasures more than anything else. The city was plundered and looted for days and carried off by 1400 camels.

More than a thousand temples were destroyed, razed to the ground and mosques built in their place.

3. The religious way of life of Benaras was disturbed many times.

4. At least 5 more attacks were faced by this city. -
by -
Feroz Shah Tughlaq
Shangi Kings of Jaunpur (not sure about them)
Sikander Lodhi
Shah Jahan (so what he built the Taj Mahal )
Aurangzeb

5. Aurangzeb renamed Varanasi to Muhammadabad and even Vrindavan to Muminabad.

6. Akbar's reign was the only period of respite for the city. His Rajput allies also built the ghats, some of which exist to this day (Man Singh Ghat etc)

7. In this troubled time, the cultural, social and economic life went underground.

8. Kashi Khanda was written in the 14th century, part of Skanda Purana.

9. Bhakti Movement started here and Vaishnav saints came from all over the country - Kabir, Chaitanya, Tulsidas etc.

10. Once the Mughals grew weaker, Benaras passed over to Hindu rule.

11. Mansaram, Balwant Singh ruled in early 18th century.

12. Maharaja Chet Singh refused payment of taxes to the British and even rallied his people for support.

13. Benaras provided shelter to Shivaji when he escaped from Aurangzeb's fortress. In gratitude, the Marathas largely built the city. Whatever ghats, temples etc - everything is built almost entirely by the Marathas. After the British gained control, they continued this.

I have deliberately not mentioned the name of the temples demolished etc because discussing these events should only be for the sake of academics, but knowing our people here, I would hold it.

Source - A Banaras on Varanasi - Kunal Sinha
Also read the Wiki article here - the have listed a lot of references.(attached)
Varanasi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disclaimer - I don't claim this to be historically completely accurate, any argument is most welcome.

@Indischer @levina @Joe Shearer @Ravi Nair @INDIC @jarves @punit @madhu_greenleaf @Manvantaratruti @scorpionx @ExtraOdinary @45'22' @chak de INDIA @AUSTERLITZ @Imran Khan @GURU DUTT @DRAY @jha @Skull and Bones @jandk @Soumitra etc

Interesting read.

I am not in @ list.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Great topic!!!
I will tell you what I gleaned on the topic.
Varanasi is around 3000 years old city in the world.Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Also known as the city of God as it is considered that it was manufactured by the Lord Shiva. It is the center for origination of the Hindustani classical music from Benares Gharana.
The King of Kashi Naresh’s generations still lives in the fort of the Ramanagar.
The origin of the name of Varanasi is behind the names of two rivers, the Varuna and the Assi. The old speculation about its origin is that the river Varuna itself was known as Varanasi.
According to the Rigveda, Varanasi was referred as Kasi or Kashi. The Varanasi is known as the centre of learning, literature, art as well as culture.

And I will be honest. I thought Kashi and Varanasi were two different places just a couple of days back

Interesting read.

I am not in @ list.

Sorry :'(

 

[madhu_greenleaf]

I didn't know all those Majestic Ghats at the bank of Ganga were built by Marathas

Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar to be precise. One of the greatest Queens we had.

From Wiki:

Rani Ahilyabai was a great builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples and Dharmshala (free lodging) at sacred sites outside her kingdom, at prominent religious places like Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges, Ujjain, Nasik, Vishnupad Mandir, Gaya and Parali Baijnath in Maharashtra. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somanath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus.

 

[SarthakGanguly]

Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar to be precise. One of the greatest Queens we had.

From Wiki:

Rani Ahilyabai was a great builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples and Dharmshala (free lodging) at sacred sites outside her kingdom, at prominent religious places like Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges, Ujjain, Nasik, Vishnupad Mandir, Gaya and Parali Baijnath in Maharashtra. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somanath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus.

Such tenacity Our history books have not done justice. I am reading her name for the first time in my life.

 

[Levina]

legends like Sri Trailanga Swami.

Who is that??

And I will be honest. I thought Kashi and Varanasi were two different places just a couple of days back

Ki ki ki

 

[Android]

Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar to be precise. One of the greatest Queens we had.

From Wiki:

Rani Ahilyabai was a great builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples and Dharmshala (free lodging) at sacred sites outside her kingdom, at prominent religious places like Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges, Ujjain, Nasik, Vishnupad Mandir, Gaya and Parali Baijnath in Maharashtra. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somanath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus.

omg she was communal :O

Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar to be precise. One of the greatest Queens we had.

From Wiki:

Rani Ahilyabai was a great builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar and Indore. She also built temples and Dharmshala (free lodging) at sacred sites outside her kingdom, at prominent religious places like Dwarka in Gujarat east to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi on the Ganges, Ujjain, Nasik, Vishnupad Mandir, Gaya and Parali Baijnath in Maharashtra. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somanath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus.

omg she was communal :O

 

[SarthakGanguly]

omg she was communal :O




omg she was communal :O

By our current Indian definition of secularism/etc she indeed was a rabid communal/fanatic. So what she did not touch a mosque.

Interesting topic. Bring it to Central & South Asia and we can discuss it there.

Actually to tell you the truth, I want the polarization to happen in the Member's Club thread to be devoid of trolls.

 

[Manvantaratruti]

By our current Indian definition of secularism/etc she indeed was a rabid communal/fanatic. So what she did not touch a mosque.

Actually to tell you the truth, I want the polarization to happen in the Member's Club thread to be devoid of trolls.

....and my objective in pdf is to bring realization to as many as possible. Including the trolls. No point in preaching to the converted. I would rather focus on the "secularists".