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removed Category:Hindu warriors; added Category:Indian warriors using HotCat

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox royalty
| title = [[Maharaja]] of [[Panna State|Bundelkhand]]
| name = Chhatrasal
| image = Maharaja Chhatrasal 1.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| succession = Ruler of [[Bundelkhand]]
| predecessor = Post established
| successor = Harde Sah ([[Panna State]]) Jagat Rai ([[Jaitpur State]]) Bharti Chand ([[Jaso State]])
| reign = 1675–1731
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1649|05|04}}
| birth_place = Kachar Kachnai, Mughal Empire (Present day: Kachar Kachnai, [[Tikamgarh District]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]])
| full name =
| house = [[Bundela]]
| father = Champat Rai
| mother = Lal Kunwar
| spouse = Dev Kunwari, Ruhaani Bai (protected)
| issue = Harde Sah Jagat Rai Bharti Chand [[Mastani]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1731|12|20|1649|05|04}}
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
}}
'''Maharaja Chhatrasal''' (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731) was an early modern Indian warrior from the [[Bundela]]
Rajput clan who fought against the [[Mughal Empire]], and established his own kingdom in [[Bundelkhand]].<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=187–188}}</ref>

== Early life ==

Chhatrasal was born at Kachar Kachnai in [[Tikamgarh]], on 4 May 1649, to Champat Rai and Lal Kunwar into the [[Bundela]] Rajput clan. He was a descendant of [[Rudra Pratap Singh]] of [[Orchha State|Orchha]].<ref name="historyfiles">[http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsFarEast/IndiaBundelkhandPanna.htm Bundela Rajas of Bundelkhand (Panna)]</ref> His ancestors were vassals of the Mughal emperor and he was born during the reign of [[Shah Jahan]].

== Power Struggle against the Mughals ==
[[File:Shivaji advice to Chhatrasal.jpg|thumb|270px|[[Chhatrapati]] [[Shivaji]] sending Chhatrasal to liberate his ancestral lands.]]

Chhatrasal was 12 when his father Champat Rai of [[Mahoba]] was killed by the Mughals during the reign of [[Aurangzeb]]. Inspired by [[Chhatrapati]] [[Shivaji]]'s ideals he travelled to Maharashtra and sought guidance from him. Chhatrasal raised the banner of revolt against the Mughals in Bundelkhand at the age of 22, with an army of 5 horsemen and 25 swordsmen, in 1671.<ref>Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813 pg.106</ref> During the first ten years of his revolt he conquered a large tract of land between [[Chitrakoot Dham (Karwi)|Chitrakoot]], [[Chhatarpur]] and [[Panna, India|Panna]] on the east and [[Gwalior]] on the west. His domains stretched from [[Kalpi]] in the north to [[Sagar, Madhya Pradesh|Sagar]], [[Garhakota]], [[Shahgarh]] and [[Damoh]] in the south. Some of the Mughal generals who were defeated by him were Rohilla Khan, Kaliq, Munawwar Khan, Sadruddin, Sheikh Anwar, Sayyid Latif, [[Bahlul Lodi|Bahlol Khan]] and Abdus Ahmed. He maintained an army of 25,000 soldiers in Bundelkhand.

Chhatrasal was able to defeat the Mughals until he was attacked by [[Muhammad Khan Bangash]] on December 1728. Chhatrasal was 79 years old when he led his army against Bangash, after a severe battle Chhatrasal was defeated and was forced to retreat to his fort at [[Jaitpur_(Vidhan_Sabha_constituency)|Jaitpur]]. The Mughals besieged him and conquered most of his territories. Chhatrasal made several attempts to ask the [[Baji Rao I]], the [[Peshwa]] of [[Maratha Empire]], for help. However, the Peshwa was busy and could not help Chhatrasal until March 1729. In a letter sent to Bajirao, Chhatrasal wrote: ''"Know you Bajirao! That I am in the same plight in which the famous elephant was when caught by the crocodile. My valiant race is on the point of extinction. Come and save my honour"''.<ref>Srinivasan, Bajirao I, pg77</ref> Peshwa Bajirao I personally led his army towards Bundelkhand and attacked several Mughal outposts, the Mughal supplies were completely cut off by the swift Cavalry of the Peshwa. Bangash who was surprised by the sudden involvement of the Marathas, sent several letters to the Mughal emperor for aid, however upon being denied any help he started negotiations with Chhatrasal and Bajirao. Bangash was allowed to retreat on the condition that he never returns or shows aggression towards Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal rewarded the peshwa with large tracts of lands and diamond mines in Bundelkhand which helped the Marathas to gain access in [[Central India|Central]] and [[North India]].<ref>Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813 pg.106</ref><ref>Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803) By G.S.Chhabra pg.24</ref>

== Relations with Bajirao I ==
[[File:Mastani 28tt13.jpg|150px|thumb|right|[[Mastani]], the wife of the Maratha Peshwa [[Baji Rao I]] was Chhatrasal's daughter]]
The [[Maratha confederacy|Maratha]] [[Peshwa]] [[Baji Rao I]]'s second wife [[Mastani]] was Chhatrasal's daughter born from his Muslim [[concubine]].<ref>{{Cite book|author=Jaswant Lal Mehta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC|title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813|date=2005-01-01|page=108|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=978-1-932705-54-6|language=en|quote=Of his own sweet will The Rajput king bestowed a large number of Personal Jagir to Bajirao near Jhansi and further offer hand of her daughter Mastani born from his Muslim Concubine}}</ref> <ref name="historyfiles"/> In his book ''Mastani'', the historian [[D. G. Godse]] states that the relationship between Chhatrasal and Baji Rao I was like that of father and son.

Before his death on 20 December 1731, Chhatrasal bequeathed Mahoba and the surrounding area to Baji Rao I in return for Baji Rao's assistance against the Mughals. Also , Chhatrasal put an army of 5,000 men under service of Peshwa in Pune. Chhatrasal also payed 12 lakh rupees as a tribute to Maratha Emperor ( Chhatrapati ) so as to establish long time relationship with Satara royal family.

== Patron of literature ==

Chhatrasal was a patron of literature, and his court housed several noted poets. His eulogies written by [[Kavi Bhushan]], Lal Kavi, Bakhshi Hansaraj and other court poets helped him gain lasting fame.<ref name="KKKusuman1990">{{cite book | author=K. K. Kusuman | title=A Panorama of Indian Culture: Professor A. Sreedhara Menon Felicitation Volume | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4JqgSUSXDsC&pg=PA157 | access-date=10 December 2012 | year=1990 | publisher=Mittal Publications | isbn=978-81-7099-214-1 | page=157 }}</ref>

== Religious views ==

Chhatrasal was a disciple of [[Mahamati Prannathji]] and accepted him as his [[guru]]. Their meeting took place in [[Mau Sahaniya]] in 1683, a place near [[Panna, India|Panna]]. His nephew Dev Karanji who had met Swami Prannathji, earlier in [[Ramnagar, Varanasi|Ramnagar]], was instrumental for this meeting. Chhatrasal was highly impressed of Prannathji and became his disciple. When Maharaja Chhatrasal came to meet him, he was going for a battle against [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]]s. Swami Prannathji gave him his own sword and covered his head with a scarf, saying, "You will always be victorious. Diamond mines will be discovered in your land and you will become a great emperor." His prophecy came true and even today [[Panna District|Panna region]] is famous for their diamond mines. Swami Prannathji was not only the religious Guru of Chhatrasal; but he guided him too in political, social, and economic matters. It was by being granted the boon of finding diamonds in Panna by Swami Prannathji that Maharaja Chhatrasal became prosperous.<ref>Pranami Faith : Saints of Pranami Dharma : Texts</ref><ref>The Pranami Faith: Beyond `Hindu’ and `Muslim’- Dominique-Sila Khan</ref><ref>Identity and religion: foundations of anti-Islamism in India By Amalendu Misra</ref>

== Successors and descendants ==
[[Chhatrasal]] gave a third of his kingdom to Marathas under Peshwa [[Baji Rao I]] for his assistance, the other parts of his kingdom was divided amongst his sons. The eldest son, Harde Sah was given the kingdom of [[Panna State]]; second son, Jagat Rai was given [[Jaitpur State]] and the youngest son Bharti Chand was given [[Jaso State]].{{sfn|Jain|2002|p=3}} The [[Jaitpur State]] was further divided into [[Ajaigarh State]], [[Bijawar State]], [[Charkhari State]] and [[Chhatarpur State]] by his descendants.

==Legacy==
[[File:Chhatrasal Samadhi.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Chhatri]] of Maharaja Chhatrasal, at Dhubela (near [[Chhatarpur]])]]
The [[Chhatarpur]] town and its [[Chhatarpur district|eponymous district]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]] are named after Chhatrasal. Several places in Chhatarpur, including the [[Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum]], [[Maharaja Chhatrasal Station Chhatarpur railway station]] (a railway station in [[Chhatarpur]]), are named after him. The [[Chhatrasal Stadium]] in Delhi is also named after the Maharaja Chhatrasal.

''Veer Chhatrasal'' is a 1971 Indian historical film about the king by [[Harsukh Jagneshwar Bhatt]], starring [[Ajit Khan|Ajit]] in the titular role.<ref name="RajadhyakshaWillemen1999">{{cite book|last1=Rajadhyaksha|first1=Ashish|last2=Willemen|first2=Paul|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofi0000raja|url-access=registration|accessdate=12 August 2012|year=1999|publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==

* Bhagavānadāsa Gupta, ''Life and times of Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela,'' New Delhi, Radiant (1980). {{ISBN|1-135-47177-0}}
* Bhagavānadāsa Gupta, ''Contemporary Sources of the Mediaeval and Modern History of Bundelkhand (1531-1857),'' vol. 1 (1999). {{ISBN|81-85396-23-X}}.
* "Mastani" by [[D. G. Godse]]
* ''Dharmika Teja'', a [[Kannada language]] historical novel; the story revolves around Maharaja Chhatrasal's youth

==External links==
*{{commonscat inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chhatrasal}}
[[Category:History of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:1649 births]]
[[Category:1731 deaths]]
[[Category:Maharajas of Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rajput rulers]]
[[Category:Indian warriors]]

Chhatrasal - Revision history

Bot at 17:16, 24 November 2022

>Marcocapelle: removed Category:Hindu warriors; added Category:Indian warriors using HotCat