Indian Antiquary Vol 55

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 22

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
( JANUARY, 1928
advancing to recover his lost possessions. The king had encamped at Singoli, where he was attacked, was defeated and made prisoner by Hammira. The king suffered a confinement of three months in Chitor, nor was liberated till he had surrendered Ajmer, Ranthambhor, Någor and Sui Sopur, besides paying fifty lakhs of rupees and one hundred elephants."
This version of the tale is, however, doubtful. According to that reliable historian of Rajputana, Mubnot Nansy,' MAladeva Chauhan lived for seven years after he was given Chitor by 'Alau'ddin Khilji, and there he died. 'Alau'ddin Khilji himself died in A.D. 1316 (s. 1373), and Muhammad Tughlaq became Sultan of Delhi nine years afterwards, i.e., in A.D. 1325 (s. 1382). So, it is most unlikely that Maladeva was alive at the period of Col. Tod's story. It is probable, however, that Jaisa, his eldest son, went to the Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq for aid, and brought about an invasion of Chitor by the Sultan's ariny. Moreover, the imprisonment of the Sultan by Hammira, besides its inherent impossibility, and the cession of Ajmer and the other towns above mentioned is not authenticated by contem. porary historians. This fact throws further doubt on the accuracy of Tod's account, especially as the towns referred to are known to have been annexed by Mahårāņa Kumbha at a later period. However, from an inscription dated s. 1495 (A.D. 1438), of the time of Mabárána Kumbha (Kumbhakarņa) in the temple of Mahavirasvami at Chitor, it appears that Hammira established his fame by killing a large number of Muhammadans.8 It is quite possible that these Muhammadans belonged to the army of Delhi, which was defeated by Mahåråņå Hammira.
Regarding other exploits of Hammîra, we learn from another inscription, dated s. 1485 (A.D. 1428) of the time of Mahârâņ& Mokal at Spingi Rishi, five miles from Eklingajf in Mewar, that Hammîra took by force a place called Chelakhyapura (Jilwårå), and put to flight his enemy in a battle and burnt & town called Palahanapura (Palanpur).10
It is also known from the same inscription that Hammira killed his enemy Jaitresvara (Rana JaitrA): and in the Ekalinga Mahatya, 11 it is recorded that the best of kings (Hammira) conquered Jîtakarna, the king of Iladurga or Idar.12 By way of proof of the identity of these two names, it will be interesting to note a few passages, in which this place is differently named by different authors.
1 He flourished in the court of Maharaja Jagwant Singh (1638-78 A.D.) of Jodhpur. 8 Journal of the BBRAS., vol. XXIII, p. 50:
वंशे तत्र पवित्रचित्रचरितस्तेजस्विनाममणी श्रीहम्मीरमहीपतिः स्म तपतिक्ष्मापानवास्तोष्पतिः॥ तौरुष्काऽमितमुण्डमण्डलमिथः संघहवाचानिसा
यस्थाचापि बदन्ति कीर्तिमभितः संपामसीमाभुवः॥९॥ • Unpublished inscription at Bringi Rishi:
चलाख्यं पुरममहीदरिगणान्भिल्लान्गुहागोहकाभिस्वा सानखिलानिहत्य च बजारस्यातासिना संगरे T........
After यो दूरस्थितपाल्हणापुरमापि क्रोधाकुनी दग्धवान् ॥४॥
10 This village was founded by and named after Prabládanadove, the younger brother of Dhardvartha, the Paramara ruler of Abu.
11 Ekalinga Mahatya, Rajavartan Adhyâya :
प्रल्हादनपुरं हत्वा तयेनादुर्गनायकं। जितवान् जिसकणे यो क्वेष्ठं श्रेष्ठो महीमृतां ॥८॥ Jitakarna was the son of Lapakarna and father of Rao Radamalla Rathor of Idar.
13 It was an old practice among the writers of Sanskrit in RajputanA to substitute of 'fort. and 7. Accordingly, the word 'OT' is written for and Iladurga for the fort of Ida or Idar.
In Sanskrit books, the authors generally change the form of the popular names according to their own whims. Thus, the words 'हमीर' fromअमीर, 'सरचाण' from सुजतान, 'कच्छपघात' from कछवाहा are ooined ; although there is no connection between the meanings of the two sets of words,