Vansaj of Gond Raja Vartaman Main
“My objective of this writing is to compare the lifestyle inpresent time of the VANSAJs of the people who fought with the British and had participated in the freedom struggle , participated in the freedom movement being in the Garm Dal and Naram Dal as well as and who had been supporting British Govt. directly and / or indirectly. It is a case study of Gond Dynasty.”
The Gond rular Raja Shankarshahi and Prince Raghunathshahi were trapped by British with the conspiracy against them arranged by the two bankers of Jabalpur named Girdhrilal and Sumer Singh and both of them were rewarded by the British Govt. for this act. Interestingly the Ministers of the Gond rular viz., Beohar Aman Simha, Ganes Mishra, Sooraj Prasad and others were not caught and they went underground and never surfaced. Here the question arises that they might have been informed by some source and saved at the cost of the Gond king and the prince. The things may be clarified if a researcher could contact to the families of Ganes Mishra and Sooraj Prasad, dare to do conversation with the family of Girdharilal and Sumer Singh. It is a matter of study and scrutiny. The Beohar family hardly knows about the family members of Shankarshai. The Beohars who had been the Amatya of Gond Dynasty the family members are residing at Beoharbagh, Jabalpur. They must be having other properties of the time of Gond dynasty in MP but where about of the family members of the Gond rular Shankarshahi hardly people know. Even few historians do not know about them. (Actually after the arrest of Shakarshahi and Raghunathshai the family members of them run away to the dense forest and Chttani Pahar of Hata.) I was very excited to know about them and so discussing with intellectuals and lay men and one day I come across with a researcher of Damo district who searched few historic Murties. Few months back I also found few historic Murties of 10-11th AD (at Kuan village, Sehora Tahaseel, Dist. Jabalpur and sent the information to ASI), I thought to give information about these to him and help the researcher. During this I came to know that he had heard that the family members of the Shankarshahi are residing in the interior village of Hata-Damoh district. I took an appointment with that gentleman Shri Santosh Tiwari and reached Hata. Without wasting single minute I went Shilapali (Shilapari- the Gond people generally pronounce Ra as La) about 15 km via Rajkauri village of Hata –Chatarpur road. On reaching the Shilapari, the question was how to locate our destination. Due to the mercy of God I came in touch with the old man and given him hint that I want to talk with the Gond family who have come first to this village. Then he told us Shri Lakshaman Singh’s house. On reaching his house and mentioning the purpose of visit, he introduced his wife madam Ramkali the 2nd daughter of Late Gond ruler Sundershah to get details.
She told me that after Independence, the then prime Minister of India late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru invited to her father Raja Sundershah to give him honor to perform a ritual to open the gate of Madan Mahel as a symbolic as other states were coming under the flag of Indian democratic rule. The Prime minister presented a sword, Shahi Poshak (royal dress) in his honor and a gift of seven Mani land in Damo District to Raja Sundershah. The sword and the Shahi Poshak is now with his elder son Raja Indelshah (Indershah). This was the honor that the ancestors of this family sacrificed their life and peace and luxurious life of their family for the sake of our motherland and fought with the British. We should feel proud of them.
Madam Ramkali told about the rest of her maternal family. Her maternal family shifted from Shilapari to Aanini Belkhedi years before. There are four sons and three daughters of late Raja Sundershah, their names are as in hierarchy:
1. Raja Indul (Inder)Shah ,
2. Raja Brijmohan Shah,
3. Raja Sooraj Shah and
4. Raja Gyan Shah,
Daughters:
1. Rajkumari Phoolwati,
2. Rajkumari Ramkali Singh,
3. Rajkumari Parwati.
I could not visit Aanini Belkhedi due to lack of time and wanted to see other historical sights of the surroundings of Shilapari (Shila means Chttan-rocky).
On returning from Laxman Singh’s house, we moved towards Rajkauri. On the way there is a bridge on Swaran river. From there we took a right turn and moved into the forest to short cut route to reach Garhi Kanoura.
Here I observed a temple in ruined form surrounded by bushes and grass on the walls of the temple. I recalled a part of my ancestors’ house in Sondhi Tola, Lucknow on observing the brick and binding Masala used in building the temple structure. This must be around three hundred years old. (The ASI is not putting details of history in the Notice Boards except writing the monument is under the protection of ASI etc…).
On traveling about a kilometer I reached another Shiva temple. It looks quite old as per its architecture and artistic designs made on the stones. It is different from the art of Khajoraho and Bhoramdev. You cannot reach to these both temples easily as the encroachers have blocked the passage to walk. You can guess on observing my photographs how I gone under the water pool to reach these places.
Even a layman can reach to this conclusion on observing these temples that ASI has no monitoring system to protect the monument. What is the objective of putting Notice Boards that it is a protective monument under ASI?
Vijay Nath Sondhi
29.09.2013
Anani
Belkhedi, Hata Tahaseel, District Damoh,M P
“In
Jubbulpore cantonment, Gadadhar Tiwari, on 16-06-1857, opened fire on his European
superiors and sparked the Independence movement. His supreme sacrifice did not
go waste as the movement caught momentum in the region, albeit, was short
lived. It broiled for more than four months during which the British were petrified, became
extremely vulnerable and dreaded the worst. They ran out not only of support
but also of supplies and were besieged along with European
women and children in their own citadel - the Agency Mansion (now Divisional
Commissioner's residence). They survived only because a pro-British local
banker-merchant came to their rescue which bought them time for reinforcements
to arrive. The 1857 movement was locally
spearheaded by Gond Raja Shankarsahi and Prince Raghunathsahi who were later
arrested and detained in a jail which still exists next to the DRM office. The
same pro-British local banker-merchant's spy Girdharilal Marwari of Belkhadu
and his aide Sumer Singh fabricated and planted written evidence at the citadel
of Raja Shankarsahi to prove conspiracy against the British. While the banker-merchant
received rich favors, recognition and rewards from the British, the freedom movement culminated
with the martyrdom of Raja Shankarsahi and Prince Raghunathsahi from the mouth
of a cannon on 18-09-1857 at the very spot where Lady Elgin Hospital now
stands. Subsequently, their supporters and masterminds Thakur Singh Parmar,
Beohar Aman Simha, Ganga Mishra, Sooraj Prasad and others went underground for
some time. Most of their estates and assets were confiscated.”
The family of Raja Shankarsgahi
run away in the forest of Shilapari of Damoh District and passed their tough
life. The inheritor of that family Shri Sundershah had shifted to Anani
Belkhdi, a few kilometers from Shilapari . The exact date of shifting was not
known to Shri Brijmohan Shah the 2nd son of Late Raja Sunder Shah.
He told that he was born in Anani
Belkhedi. Anani Belkedi is about 20 kms from Hata bypass. I could not meet his
eldest brother Raja Inder Shah and youngest brother Raja Gyan Shah ( Rajju
Raja)as both were gone to the fields with agricultural work. However, Mr.Moheet Singh, the son of the
eldest
daughter of Raja Sunder Shah Rajkumari Phoolwati of Raja Sunder Shah was
present there. However, The kids of all the four sons of Raja Sunder Shah are doing their study in the Govt.
school of villages only.
(Right side>Shri Indulshah in his Anjani Belkhedi residence)
(Mr. Vikram Shah in my house as my guest in Jabalpur)
The eldest son Mr. Vikram Shah, of Raja Inder Shah has
passed 10+2 and trying for a Govt. job. He had applied twice for a job in MP
Police Department but no preference was given to him as narrated by Raja Suraj
Shah the 3rd son of Raja Sunder Shah who is a primary school teacher
in Agara and staying in Fotera not very far from Anani Belkhedi. His wife is
also primary school teacher. Raja Suraj Shah is very well known in the surrounding
of Fotera the Shah of Madan Mahel . When I asked that your father was honoured
by Indian Government after Independence at Madan Mahel with a sward,Shahi
Poshak and 7 Mani (1 Mani= 4Acres} land, he told me that he did not know about
that land and the same answer was given by his elder brother Shri Brijmohan
Shah at Anani Belkhedi. When I requested to show the document and Shahi Poshak
which was presented to his father at Madan Mahel, then he had given a very shocking
response that all those and other documents burnt few years back when their
unknown enemy put fire to his house
and
the fire could not controlled as there was no facility was available for it.
The sword is still with his elder brother Raja Inder Shah. In the last week of February,2014 when Dr. Nitendra ingh invited me at lunch, I came to know that few documents and photographs are still avalable with him and his MAMA (maternal uncle) Raja Inder Shah. It was a good news. The historians should contact them for their research work.
Master Suraj Shah ji
mentioned that earlier their family were getting invitation from Bhopal to attend
the ceremony of Independence Day/Republic day but from year togethers they are
not getting any invitations. They are not even being invited by the Gondavana
Society to attend the Martyrdom Day of Rani Durgawati celebration. This appears
a political game.
Master
Saheb Suraj Shah informed that in the year 1988, at the time of Chief
Ministership of Digvijay Singh, Shri Arjun Singh had given a 15 Acre land to
Shah family in Sadpur village of Hata
Tahaseel, however Digvijay Singh had announced for 50 Acre land but he showed
his unawareness about the 7 Mani land given to Raja Sunder Shah after
Independence. In 1988, the Congress Government might have given this piece of land to get political favour in the form of support of Gond society. As talking with that family, it was obvious that they were strong supporter of Congress. I put up my thought that a citizen should be an observer not a blind devotee of any particular political party.
V.N.Sondhi
8.10.2013
updated on 25.03.2014
My objective of this writing is to compare the lifestyle of the VANSAJs of the people who had participated in the freedom movement the Freedom Fighters , participated in the freedom struggle being in the Garm Daland, Naram Dal as well as and who had been supporting of British Govt.directly and / or indirectly.
It is a case study of Gond Dynasty.
The Beohars (Jangirdar) who had history from Kaltury period i.e. since 945C.E. on wards, served the Gond rulers as Amatya/Diwan/Wazir ,their vansaj are still having royal life style and on the other hand the Vansaj of the banker Girdharilal Marwari (and his aide Sumer singh who were informer to British and Gond Raja Shankarshahi and his son prince Raghunathshahi were put on the mouth of cannon) are living in house like palace.
Beohar family has built and donated one of the ghats on it's banks of Hanumantal, Jabalpur. The VANSAJ of Beohars are living at Beoharbagh in Jabalpur. They have their other residences in the country and abroad also. The Vansaj of Girdharilal are living a palace life style at Hanumantal, Jabalpur.
The Vansaj of Gond Raja Shankarshahi living in the interiors of villages like ordinary villager and doing forming in Sadpur-Bathiyagarh, HataTahaseel, Damoh. The picture of their house is as under:
vijaynathsondhi@gmail.com
