A Brief Sketch of the History of Tribhuvanagiri Fort and it's famous rular Kunwarpala of Jadon clan ---

A Brief Sketch of the History of Tribhuvangiri Fort and it's famous Rular Raja Kunwarpala of Jadon Clan  ----

Kunwarpala was the legitimate son and heir of Dharmpala .When Kunwarpala grew up , he built in Sambat 1153 a fort at Golari , near Jhiri on the Chambal , traces of which are still visible( Powlett .P ) .Kunwarpala cherished the desire of recovering Tahangarh and with that object he ingratiated himself with his uncle the usurper Har Pala , when on the first opportunity he murdered , after which event all Har Pala 's adherents joined him.Dharmpala was sent for from Dholdera , and Kunwar pala having thus restored his father to his rights returned to his for at Golari called Kawargarh .

  Tribhuvangiri Fort history--

In the year A.H.592 ( A.D. 1196 ) , Muhammad Gauri and.Kutbu-d-din Aibak marched towards Thangar (Thangar or Tahangarh ) is the name of the fort near Bayana and the centre of idolotry and perdition became the abode of glory and splendour (Ettiot &Dowson ).The Thankar ,this name is written Thankar, Bhankar at 297and 304 intra.Ranking (B.I.51, tr.1.71 note )and the writer of the article on Budan in the I.G.are mistaken in identifying it with Bangarh near  Budaun .f.(I.59 ,I.2)asserts in his characteristically careles way , that it is now known as Bayana and paverty has reiterated and disseminated the error (T.N.tr.471 note ) .But Thangar is realy "Tahangarh" ,a fort lying about 15 miles south of Bayana (seely , Road book of India ,19 ).
Minhas states that Tribhuvangiri was the country of Bayana (304 infra ) .It was as built by Tahanpal (Tribhuvanpala ) Jadon, the ancestor as the raja of Karauli (I G.XV.27 ) .The contemporary writer Fakhuru-d-din Mubarak Shah calls it Tahank (g?) iri, and says it was taken in 592 H (Tarikh, ed.Ross , 25 , I.5ff.) Tahangarh is now in the state of Bharatpur (I.G.xv.27, 34 ).But presently it is in Karauli State .The Rai of Bhangar (Recte Tahangarh ) is mentioned in the Tarikh -i-Mubarak Shahi also (E.D.IV.62 ,I.9 ff .q.v my note ) .Tahangarh was a place of importance even in Babur 's time  and is mentioned by him in his Tuzak (B.N.tr.538 ) .It is marked in the Oxford Indian School Atlas ofJohn Bartholomew , pl.24 and also in the I.G.Atlas pl.34 ,E2. The local pronunciation on now seems to be Timangarh .
Kumarpala was the king of Tribhuvanagiri in 1157 A.D., when Jinachandrasuri visited that place (KB p.19). Kumarpala enjoyed a long reign.He was the ruler of Bayana (KB pp.19-20).He was defeated by Muhammad Ghori in 1196A.D., and both the forts of Vijayamandirgarh and Tahangarh were then occupied by the invaders , garrisoned with Turkish troops and placed under the command of Bhauddin Tughril.Tughril established a military station at Sultankota in order to use it as the base of operations in the plains ( HIED, II p.30).

The fort Tahangarh is no less stronger than the Ranathambhaur fort.There is a thick wall of 30 feet height  surrounding the fort which is about 20 to 30 feet wide at the base . The fort is spread in about 8 Kms rounded area , encloses  a garden  ,temples including Shiva , Ganesh And a large Lake named "Sagar " , large bazaar with sixty shops  having Jagan Pol and Suraj Pol two main inference gates , Nanad-Bhaujai well , other wells for the inhabitants and places for the use of the ruler.It is for this reason that in the earlier days it was also known by the name of Trimuri Nagar.A gate called the Jagan Pol is the most  complete portion of the remains.Near it is a mosque and dargah  ,but they are now the haunts of panthers and of a solitary.Hindu hermit of the Sat Nath order .A large  Sagar tank covered with singharas and abounding in fish and wild fowl lies below the fort.A stream from this piece of water irrigates the village of Bhojpura and joins the Jambura Nala mentioned above.On Jeth Sudi 10th (June) a Fakir takes place on the banks of the tank ,and thousands of people assemble there usually.
Tarhati ,better known in history as Tamangarh fort ,is a small  village in Karauli .It remained a famous seat of Jainism and a centre of the Pashupati section of the Saivas in the 12 th century .It stands on a height of 1309 feet above sea level and has a difficult approach.The fort is now in  ruins except for a solitary gate

Location of Tribhuvanagiri /Tahangarh Fort---

A.Cunningham ascribes the foundation of Tribhuvanagiri /Tahangarh fort , in the 11th century , by the Yadava ruler Tribhuvanapala or Tahanpala , the son of Maharaja Vijayapala of Vijayamsndirgarh ( Bayana /Sripatha ).  Tahanpala was a powerful ruler of this Yadava race .He extended his kingdom by bringing the major part of Dang , Alwar ,Bharatpur ,Dholpur , Gurgaon , Mathura ,Agra and Gwalior ( A.Cunnigham ,p.3).He got the title of Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraj Parmeswara ( A.Cunnighanm , p.3) .According to the history of Braj ,Tribhuvngiri and the area that it commanded in eastern rajputana , was a part of Surasena -desha/ Janpada .This country took it's name from Surasena ,the son of Sahstravahu Arjuna's son Sura or Surasena .He belong to Haihya branch of Yadavas ruled at Mathura .Surasena Janpada covered the present area of Mathura , part of Agra , Gurgaon ,Bharatpur ,Dholpur, Karauli  and some part of Gwalior district .Shri Krishna ,the god and hero of Braj or Mathura as we know from Puranas and Vedas , was a  Yadava or Yaduvanshi of Surasena branch (Vrishni ) , kshatriya of  Lunar Race . Hence the their descendants of Surasena dynasty who ruled from Bayana (Sripatha ) were also known as the Yadavas (K.C.Jain) .

The word "Yadava " is admittedly a vedic patronymic derived from Yadu .The chiefs of this Tribe was titled as Yadava .

Mahabharat says -- "It has been remberbed the Yadavas  were the descendants of Yadu , the son of Yayati -Nahusa. "The Philologists declare that the " Y" in "Yadava  "may be replaced by "J" ,that is both the forms "Yadava " and "Jadava  "are permissible and therefore interchangeable . Several historians From Yadavas to Jadavas and then to Jadons or Jadauns was an early etymological transformation (Cunningham.A.,p.2cf ,Gahlot, J.S.pp.593-597 )
The Yadavas are again separately treated in the purans they have no right to be Kings owing to the alleged curse of Yayati.Their clans are modern Jadon ,Bhattis ,Jadeja Jadhava ,Banafars and  Wadiyars etc and their sub -branches. Their ruling States were Karauli ,Jaisalmer ,Kutch ,Devagiri ,Dwarsamudra ,Vijayanagar and Mysore .

The importance of Tribhuvanagiri (Thangir or Tahangarh ) fort ----

It may be judged from the fact that it was regarded as a strong fort in northern India and was perceived an adjunct of the larger fort at Bayana. Both these forts were constructed by Yadava Rajputs. Thus along with
Bayana, the fort of Thangir served as an important military-cum-
administrative centre in the region of eastern Rajasthan. The contemporary historian Hasan Nizami in his Taj-ul- Ma’asir records that at the time of Ghurid conquest Thangir (Tahangarh) was ruled by Yadava ruler Kunwar Pal. The ruler displayed much proud on his large forces and fortification. But he utterly failed to resist the combined forces of Sultan Muhammad Ghori and Qutbuddin Aibek and escaped disaster by agreeing to pay the usual tribute. The territory thus came under the complete
control of the Ghuridcommanders.

Bahauddin Tughril  became Governor of Tribhuvanagiri ---

Sultan Muizzuddin conferred
the government of Thangir to Bahauddin Tughril who was an able administrator as well as the brave commander. However, contemporary accounts throw considerable light on Bahauddin Tughril’s skills and competence in administering the newly conquered province. Hasan Nizami records the firman of
the Sultan which was handed over to Malik Bahauddin Tughril on
his appointment as the muqta of Thangir. The firman explains that
it was the duty of the newly appointed muqta to exert himself in the territory and also obey the provisions of Shariat (Muslim Law). He should always preserve the laws of justice and elucidate the stipulations of equality. In all circumstances he should act in such a manner that he leaves behind good deeds and a fair name. However during his governorship, Bayana flourished and became prosperous through his efforts. He administered it with great efficiency and took steps to develop it. He endeavored to stimulate the urbanization programme of the Ghurids in northern India by encouraging considerable Muslim settlements in that province. In
his brief note about the Malik Bahauddin Tughril, Minhaj writes that from different parts of Hindustan and Khurasan, large number of merchants, scholars and men of repute had joined him. In turn, Tughril facilitated provisions and resources for their settlements in various
parts of Bayana tracts.
To strengthen his policy of urbanization Malik Tughril founded the city of Sultankot in the territory of Bayana and made it his headquarter. Minhaj narrates that Bahauddin Tughril and his army did not like to reside in the fort of Thangir, because of its out-of-the way position and inconvenience of access. Thus he founded the city of Sultankot and made it as his place of residence. It was the first Muslim city as recorded by historians to have been built in northern India. Thus, Sultankot served the purpose as a base for constant operations for the occupation of Gwalior which was the unfinished expedition of Sultan Muizzuddin. After strengthening his military base at Sultankot, Tughril made preparations for Gwalior
expedition.

Reference --

1-The old name Santipura as known from the local tradition is not confirmed by the epigraphical and literary sources.
2-Et.,XXII ,pp.121-122.
3-Copy of the Manuscript in the Sastra Bhandara of Bayana , see Appendix No .I. for the text.
4-IA,XXI ,p.57.
5-HIED, II ,p.304 and p. 308 .
6-Ibid .
7-CII ,III ,p.251.
8-C H,III ,p.252 .
9-IA ,X ,pp.34-35 .
10-EI ,XXII, 121.
11-V.V.Mishra attributes some coins to king Vatsadaman of the Surasena dynasty .See.IHQ.XVIII ,p.71.
12-G.H.Ojha and R.Burn illustrated the coins of the cow-suckling calf type with legend Sri Vappa.See JASB (1927 ), Num ,Suppl.XXII ,pp14-18.and JNSI ,XXII ,p.279.
13-EI,XXII ,p.121.
14-Ibid III ,p.263.
15-SJS ,XXI (Introduction ) .
16-JSSI.,pp.197-198.
17-The Struggle for Empire ,p.13.
18-Archaeological Survey of India Report ,A Tour in Eastern Rajputana (1882-83) ed Alexander Cunningham ,Vol .XX.reprint Varansi ,1969 .
19-Rajasthan District Gazetteers -Bharatpur ,History pp.50-51.
20-ARRMA, 1913-14 ,pp.1-2.see also IA,XIV ,p.10.
21-ONS ,III ,p.1(see Virtavilasa ).
22-VV.,p.1494.
23-Karauli Ka Itihas -Mahavir Prasad Sharma
24-Karauli ki Jaga Pothi-Late Kulbhan Singh ,Akolpura Thikana.
25-Gazetteer of the Karauli State 1874-Percy Powlett.
26-A Gazetteer of Eastern Rajputana : Comprising the Native States of  Bharatpur ,Dholpur and Karauli  ,1905-H.E.Drake-Brockman.
27-Jaisalmer Khyati; 28-Archaeological Survey of India ,Vol ,.20.p.38 .
29-Cultural and Historical Study of Karauli District.-Dr Mohan Lal Gupta .
30-Emperical Gazetteer ;Rajaputana Gazetteer 31- Karauli State gazetteer by P.Powlette.
32- Rajasthan District Gazetteers -Sawaimadhopur ,
33-Rajputana -ka-Itihas -J.S.Gahlot 34-Timangarh Durg,Kala evnm Sanskritik Adhyayan -Ramji Lal Koli.
35-Karauli Rajaya Ka Itihas -Damodar Lal Garg.
36-Archaecological Survey of India ,Vol .,20 .p.3.
37-ONS,III,p.1
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40-The Struggle for Empire ,p.55.
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43-ARRM, 1913-14 ,No 4, p.2.
44-KB ,pp.19-20.
45-Singh ,R.B.,History of Chahamanas ,Varansi (1964) .
46-Rajasthan District Gazetteers -Bharatpur ,History pp.51 .

47-Bayana:A Concept of historical archaeology.by Dr .Rajeev Bargoti .
48-Jadu-Vamsa-Ganga Singh ,
49-Jaton Ka Naya Itihas-Dr .Dharmendra Vidhyasankar 50-Cunningham.A.Archeological Survey of India Report of a tour in eastern Rajputana in 1882-83 , pp.68-69.
51- New Epigraphical Evidence located at Tahangarh  fort -by V.K.Singh IHC:Proceedings 60th Session 1999,pp.1126-1134.
52-Archaeological Survey of India Report.,Alexander Cunningham ,p57.
53-Macdonell A.A. and Keith A.B.:Vedic Index of Names and Subjects ,(Varanasi ,1958 ),Vol.II.,pp.185,186.
54-Pargiter ,op.cit .,pp.84-87.
55-Mahabharata ,Adi-parva , ch.75, w.30-32.
56-Supplementry Glossary of N.W.P.by S.H.M.Elliot.
57-Trives and Casts of the North-Western Provinces and Wish.Vol I., By William Crooke .p128-129.
58-Russell,R.V.and Rai Bahadur Heera Lal .The trives and casts of the central provinces of India.Vol.Iand Vol.II.

60-Studies in Indo-Muslim History by S.H.Hodivala, Vol .I edited by before .-Sanjay Garg.
61-History of Jainism:Medieval Jainism by Kailash Chand Jain.
62-Tahangarh Fort:A study in Historical Archaeology by Dr Vinod Kumar Singh &Dr Manvendra Singh .
63-Elliot and Dowson ,op.cit .Vol.II.pp.226.
64-Jaisavala Jaina, Eka Yuga, Eka Pratika.

Author- Dhirendra Singh Jadaun
Village-Larhota near Sasni
District-Hatharas ,Uttar Pradesh
Associate Prof in Agriculture
Shahid Captain Ripudaman Singh Govt.College ,Sawai madhopur 'Rajasthan ,322001.

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