Bundela
{{Short description|Rajput clan of the Indian subcontinent}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{South Asia in 1250|right|The Bundelas and neighbouring South Asian polities circa 1250 CE.{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |pages=21, 147|isbn=0226742210 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=048}}|{{Annotation|118|105|32px}}}}
File:Orchha Betwa River Cenotaphs India.jpg (cenotaphs) of Bundela rulers, on the Betwa River near Orchha]]
The Bundela is a Rajput clan.{{cite book|author= Jaswant lal Mehta|title= Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813|year=2002|pages=105|isbn= 9781932705546|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&q=Bundelkhand&pg=PA10|quote=The Bundelas, who imparted their name to their habitat, were a clan of Rajputs, who emerged as a political entity in central India in the early medieval period.|language=en}}{{cite book |author= Nandini Chatterjee |title= Land and Law in Mughal India: A Family of Landlords across Three Indian Empires|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=0HzUDwAAQBAJ&dq=bundela+Rajput&pg=PA84 |publisher= Cambridge University Press|year=2020|pages= 84|isbn= 9781108486033| language=en}}{{cite book|author= Eugenia Vanina|title= Medieval Indian Mindscapes: Space, Time, Society, Man |year=2012|pages=147}} Over several generations, the cadet lineages of Bundela Rajputs founded several states in area what came to be known as Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom from the 16th century.{{cite book|author= John F Richards|title= Mughal Empire, part 1, Volume 5|year=1995|pages=129}}{{cite book|author= Jaswant lal Mehta|title= Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813|year=2002|pages=105|isbn= 9781932705546|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&q=Bundelkhand&pg=PA10|language=en
}}
Etymology
As per Jaswant Lal Mehta, the word "Bundela" is based on a deity, named Bind-bhasini Devi, who is believed to have her abode on the Bindhachal, the northern most part of the Vindhya ranges.{{cite book|author= Jaswant lal Mehta|title= Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813|year=2002|pages=105|isbn= 9781932705546|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&q=Bundelkhand&pg=PA10|language=en}}
Expansion legends
According to Bundela legends, Jagdas' descendant Arjunpal was the ruler of Mahoni. His eldest son Birpal succeeded him as the king of Mahoni, although his younger son Sohanpal was the best warrior. To get his share of the kingdom, Sohanpal sought help from Naga (alias Hurmat Singh), the Khangar ruler of Kurar (Kundar). Naga demanded a matrimonial alliance in return. When Sohanpal refused, Naga tried to detain him and forcibly agree him to the condition. Sohanpal escaped, and unsuccessfully sought help from the Chauhans, the Salingars, and the Kachwahas. Ultimately, a Panwar chief named Panpal (or Punyapal) agreed to help him. Their joint army defeated Naga in 1288 CE.{{sfn|Jain|2002|pp=14-15}} Sohanpal killed all the Khangar men in the fort, but spared the babies on the condition that the Khangars would serve as the servants of the Bundelas.{{sfn|Jain|2002|p=27}} Sohanpal became the king of Kurar, and his daughter married Panpal.{{sfn|Jain|2002|pp=14-15}}
Historical kingdoms
Rudra Pratap Singh (reigned 1501-1531 CE), said to be a descendant of Sohanpal, moved his capital from Garh Kundar to Orchha in 1531 CE.{{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=PA151 |year=1990 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-214-1 |page=151 }} The Orchha State was the parent Bundela kingdom. Datia State (1626 CE) and Panna State (1657 CE) separated from the Orchha State. After the death of Panna's founder Chhatrasal in 1731, Ajaigarh State, Bijawar State and Charkhari State separated from Panna.{{sfn|Jain|2002|p=3}} The official records of the Chhatarpur State also mentioned the clan of its rulers as "Panwar Bundela". Its founder was a Panwar, who was in service of the Bundela ruler of Panna State until 1785 CE.{{sfn|Jain|2002|p=3}}
The Bundelkhand ("Bundela domain") region was named after the Bundelas.{{sfn|Jain|2002|p=1}}
The different Bundela chieftains of Bundelkhand often fought against each other which the Mughals often took advantage of.{{cite journal | author=Amir Ahmad | title=The Bundela Revolts During the Mughal Period: A Dynastic Affair | journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume = 66| year=2005–2006 | pages= 438–445|jstor = 44145860}}
File:Chhatris (Cenotaphs) on the bank of Betwa River, Orcha, Madhya Pradesh.jpg|Chhatris (Cenotaphs) on the bank of Betwa River, Orcha, Madhya Pradesh.
File:Bundela king's chhatri.jpg|Bundela king's chhatri.
See also
- Bundelkhand Agency#States
- Banaut - Branch of Bundela Rajputs in Bihar and Jharkhand
- Banaphar
References
{{Reflist}}
= Bibliography =
- {{cite book |author1=Catherine B. Asher |author2=Cynthia Talbot |title=India Before Europe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvaGuaJIJgoC&pg=PA99 |year=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-80904-7 }}
- {{cite book |author=Cynthia Talbot |title=The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Cauhan and the Indian Past, 1200–2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m3DjCgAAQBAJ |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781107118560 }}
- {{cite book |first=Ravindra K. |last=Jain |title=Between History and Legend: Status and Power in Bundelkhand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fghQhiowlycC&pg=PA1 |year=2002 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-2194-0 }}