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{{Short description|Folk deity}}
'''Sahlesh''' was a folk hero of the [[Dusadh]] caste in [[Nepal]] and [[India]]. He is believed to have been the ruler of the [[Mahisautha]] in what became Nepal. In some parts of North India. Sahlesh is respected by communities apart from the Dusadhs. In local culture, he is portrayed as a symbol of prowess, valour and benevolence.<ref name="Jnanpith" /> Dauna Malin is believed to be a beloved of Sahlesh, while his four assistants namely [[Chauharmal]], Moti Ram and Karikant are also worshipped. Chauharmal is worshipped by Dusadhs of [[Bihar]] and is considered to be the military commander of King Sahlesh. Moti Ram and Karikant are considered as his brother and nephew, respectively. [[Biratnagar]], which is considered to be the land of Sahlesh, houses one of the finest temple of King Sahlesh.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-NinRMPp1cUC&pg=PA56 |title=Scheduled Castes Today|author=Makhan Jha
|publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd.|year= 1997|
isbn=8175330600|page=56}}</ref> Sahlesh is also known as Rajaji.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yOST-_H3oGcC&pg=PA130 |title=Changing Status of Depressed Castes in Contemporary India Essays in Honour of Professor S.C. Dube
|author=Shyam Nandan Chaudhary
|publisher=Daya Books|year=1988|
isbn=8170350425|page=130|accessdate=13 June 2022}}</ref> They worship mainly Salhesh Maharaj or Rajaji and his associates. In the region of [[Mithila (region)|Mithila]], several [[Raja Salhesh Mandir|Salhesh temples]] are built at different places dedicated to the King Salhesh and his associates. Within the Danuwar community, Salhesh is regarded as the royal wrestler of Danuwar King Kuleshwar Singh kingdom of Pakariya gadh, located in present day [[Siraha District|Siraha district]] of Nepal.<ref>{{Cite book |author=नथुनी सिंह दनुवार |title=लाेक नायक सलहेश एवं सिरहा जिल्लाका प्राकृतिक सम्पदाहरु |publisher=काठमाडौं : प्राकृतिक स्वास्थ्य संस्था}}</ref>

==Folklore==
Sahlesh saves [[Dalit]]s from the [[feudal lord]]s their women from the atrocities of the kings and their men. [[Dalit]] [[bride]]s were frequently kidnapped and raped by the feudal lords and the kings, and Sahlesh is known for confronting and challenging these practices. The root word "Sahlesh" also stands for "King of the mountains", and it is believed that his empire extended to parts of Bihar.<ref name="Jnanpith">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDqENKs_nZgC&pg=PA101 |title=दलित साहित्य का समाजशास्त्र|author=हरिनारायण ठाकुर|publisher=Bhartiya Jnanpith|year=2009|pages=101–103
|isbn=978-8126317349|accessdate=13 June 2022}}</ref>

Sahlesh was born in Mehsautha village in the [[Mithilanchal]] region into the Dusadh [[caste]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SClADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT51 |title=Lore of the Land Storytelling Traditions of India
|author=Nalini Ramachandran
|publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited|year= 2017|
isbn=978-9387326217|accessdate=13 June 2022}}The Dusadhs, on the other hand, narrate the story of their king, Salhes.' A Humble King Centuries ago, there was a time when Shailesh (Salhes in the local dialect), a skilled man from the Dusadh community, ruled over Mithila.</ref> This caste is known for valour and for theft and robbery. Sahlesh was a critic of these crimes as well as the feudal structure of society. Sahlesh had an egalitarian ideology who wanted to remove the ills of society like [[untouchability]] in favor of a society based on equality.

Salesh created a large army with the help of forest dwellers.<ref name="Jnanpith" /> Mithilanchal during those times was a war-torn region facing invasions by [[Chinese people|Chinese]] and [[Mongol]]s. His army of forest dwellers defeated them all. [[F. E. Pargiter]] says that the devastation of the [[China|Chinese]] [[Shan County, Shandong|Shan]] army was such that not a single man was left to take the message of their defeat back to China.<ref name="Jnanpith"/>

Anang Kusuma, also known as Dauna Malin, is a [[nun]] of the [[Mahayana]] sect of [[Buddhism]] and the beloved of king Sahlesh.<ref name="Jnanpith"/>

==Rule of Sahlesh==
It is believed that Sahlesh focused on local governance and created local bodies, where he listened to people's problems. He is said to have punished a [[Tantra|Tantric]] named Chakranath for following inhumane practices such as ''Nagdasi''. Every year two young girls were forced to [[breastfeed]] a venomous [[snake]], which killed them. The people were fearful. Sahlesh ended this practice by defeating Chakranath with Anang Kusuma's help.<ref name="Jnanpith"/>

==Commemoration==
The Dusadh community over [[Uttar Pradesh]] and Bihar commemorate their folk heroes, including Sahlesh and [[Chauharmal|Reshama-Chauharmal]] via festivals and singing. They installed statues and formed socio-political organizations.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7feHAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA47 |title=Women Heroes and Dalit Assertion in North India Culture Identity and Politics
|author=Badri Narayan
|publisher=SAGE Publications India|year= 2006|
isbn=8132102800|page=47|accessdate=13 June 2022}}</ref>

In [[Darbhanga]] [[district]] of Bihar, potters make the figures of Sahlesh and his companions that are worshipped by the Dusadhs of the region.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7fzpAAAAMAAJ&q=sahlesh+dusadh |title=Art of India Prehistory to the Present|editor=Frederick M. Asher|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|year=2002|
isbn=0852298137|page=307|accessdate=14 June 2022}}The potters of Darbhanga in Bihar make equestrian figures of a legendary hero, Raja Salhesh, and his male and female companions, who are worshipped by the scheduled caste, the Dusadhs .</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W-HZAAAAMAAJ |title=Documenting Dissent Contesting Fables, Contested Memories, and Dalit Political Discourse|author=Badri Narayan|publisher=Indian Institute of Advanced Study|year=2001|
isbn=8185952930}}

[[Category:Indian folk culture]]
[[Category:Caste system in India]]
[[Category:Indian folklore]]

Salahesh - Revision history

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