Raja Sálbán
{{short description|King of the Indian subcontinent in the 2nd century CE}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2024}}
{{confuse|Shalivahana}}
{{Punjabi folklore}}
Raja Sálbán (also known as Salivahan){{Cite book |last=Khalid |first=Haroon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ny6iEAAAQBAJ&dq=salivahan+sialkot&pg=PT181 |title=Walking With Nanak |date=2022-12-26 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5492-847-5 |pages=81 |language=en}} was a legendary Indian monarch who is said to have founded the city and the Sialkot Fort in Punjab.{{Efn|Alternatively spelt as 'Raja Sálwan'.|group=note}}{{Cite book |last=Anjum |first=Zafar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=infNBAAAQBAJ&dq=Raja+S%C3%A1lb%C3%A1n+sialkot&pg=PT242 |title=Iqbal: The Life of a Poet, Philosopher and Politician |date=2014-10-13 |publisher=Random House India |isbn=978-81-8400-656-8 |pages=242 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=E.Y |first=Mbogoni, Lawrence |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szgMAwAAQBAJ&dq=sialkot+fort+salban&pg=PA172 |title=Human Sacrifice and the Supernatural in African History |date=2013-11-03 |publisher=Mkuki na Nyota Publishers |isbn=978-9987-08-242-1 |pages=172 |language=en}} According to Punjabi folklore, he was father of Puran Bhagat and Raja Rasalu, the protagonist of the Adventures of Raja Rasalu.{{Cite journal |date=1883 |title=Four Legends of King Rasalu of Sialkot |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1252821 |journal=The Folk-Lore Journal |volume=1 |issue=5 |pages=129–151 |doi=10.1080/17442524.1883.10602650 |jstor=1252821 |issn=1744-2524}}{{Cite book |last1=Savill |first1=Sheila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P-AZTZbjjvMC |title=Pears Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends: The Orient |last2=Parrinder |first2=Geoffrey |last3=Barker |first3=Mary |last4=Cook |first4=Chris |date=1977 |publisher=Pelham |isbn=978-0-7207-1001-4 |location=London |page=121 |language=en}} Monarchs of Sialkot in Punjabi folklore such as Raja Sálbán and Raja Rasalu may have belonged to the Takka kingdom.{{Cite book |last=Ḍār |first=Saifurraḥmān |url= |title=Taxila and the Western World |date=1984 |publisher=al-Waqar Publishers |location=Lahore |pages=25 |language=en |oclc=1172089120}}
Story
Raja Salban's first wife, Queen Icchira gave birth to Puran Bhagat. Upon the suggestion of local astrologers, Puran was sent away from the King for the first 12 years of his life, as it was said that King could not see the face of his son.{{Cite web |last=Miraj |first=Muhammad Hassan |date=2012-10-08 |title=Pooran Bhagat |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/755152/pooran-bhagat |access-date=2016-01-22 |website=dawn.com}} While Puran was away, the king married a young girl named Luna, who a tanner's daughter. After 12 years of isolation, Puran returned to the royal palace. There, Luna became romantically attracted toward Puran, who was of the same age. Being the step-son of Luna, Puran disapproved of her advances. A hurt Luna accused Puran of violating her honor.
The infuriated monarch ordered Puran to be amputated and killed. The soldiers carried out his orders and cutoff the Puran's hands and legs and threw him in a well in the forest named the Puran's Well.[http://www.dawn.com/2003/02/12/fea.htm Tareekh-i-Sialkot] After several years Guru Gorakhnath, who was passing by with his followers, heard voice from the well. He took him out using a single thread and unbaked earthen pot. He was later adopted by Baba Gorkhnath, and himself became a jogi.{{Cite book |last=Kaul |first=H. Kumar |title=Aspects of Yoga |publisher=BR publishing corporation |year=1994 |isbn=9788170188100 |location= |pages=}}
Eventually, he confronted his father, and it was due to the ascetic's blessings that the king had another son who eventually became Raja Rasalu, another folk legend that became popular in Punjab.{{Cite book |last=Khalid |first=Haroon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ny6iEAAAQBAJ&dq=salivahan+sialkot&pg=PT181 |title=Walking With Nanak |date=2022-12-26 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5492-847-5 |pages=181 |language=en}}
Claims of descent
Various historical figures have claimed descent from Salban. Rao Bhati, the common ancestor of the Bhati Rajputs claimed descent from Salban and so did Bhati's descendant, Jaisal Singh, the founder and first monarch of Jaisalmer.{{Cite book |last=Kothiyal |first=Tanuja |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=be-7CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 |title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian |publisher=Cambridgre University Press |year=2016 |isbn=9781107080317 |page=73}}{{Cite book |last=Vadivelu |first=A. |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.05831 |title=The ruling chiefs, nobles and zamindars of India |publisher=G. C. Loganadham Bros |year=1915 |location=Madras |pages=205}} Other claims of descent from Salban, via Jaisal Singh's lineage, include the Punjabi Phulkian dynasty.{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kirpal |url=https://archive.org/details/BabaAlaSingh |title=Baba Ala Singh: Founder of the Patiala Kingdom |publisher=Guru Nanak Dev University |year=2005 |edition=2nd |location=Amritsar |pages=113–120}}{{Cite book |last1=Bond |first1=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC |title=Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey |last2=Wright |first2=Arnold |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=2006 |isbn=978-81-206-1965-4 |location=New Delhi |pages=325 |language=en |access-date=16 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620210317/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_States/47sfj8DUwNgC?hl=en&gbpv |archive-date=20 June 2024 |url-status=live}}
See also
Notes
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References
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{{Punjabi folk religion}}
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Category:2nd-century Indian monarchs