SEVENTH REPORT:
A SEARCH TO FIND ‘GORKHA’ - point: RELIGION.
A SECTION OF NEPALESE IN DARJEELING AGITATING FOR ‘GORKHALAND’ STATE
BY SEPARATING THE STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.
Rajputs ancestry can be divided into two: the
"solar" or suryavanshi- who claimed descended from Rama, the hero of
the epic Ramayana, and the "lunar" or chandravanshi - who claimed
descended from Krishana, the hero of the epic Mahabharata. Later a
third clan was added, the agnikula or fire-born, said to have emerged
from the flames of a sacrificial fire on Mt. Abu. Rajputs were divided
into thirty-six races and twenty-one kingdoms. The Rajput clans gave
rise to dynasties like Sisodias of Mewar (Udaipur), the Kachwahas of
Amber (Jaipur), the Rathors of Marwar (Jodhpur & Bikaner), the Hadas
of Jhalwawar, Kota & Bundi, the Bhattis of Jaisalmer, the Shekhawats
of Shekhawati and the Chauhans of Ajmer.
From the beginning of man's presence in Rajasthan,
till around 1400 BC, the Bhil and Mina tribes roamed and ruled the
land. The Aryan invasion pushed them into the natural hideout forests
and the ancient and craggy Aravalli ranges, the Bhil and the Mina
tribes survived more easily. The northern, nomadic ethnic intrusions
continued into Rajasthan, such as Sakas, Kusanas, Abhiras, Huns etc.
'Bappa Rawal alias Prince Kalbhoj (ca 713 to
753 A.D.) eighth ruler of the Guhilot Dynasty and founder of the Mewar
Dynasty (ca. 734-753) in Rajasthan.
Bappa Rawal was one of the most powerful and
famous rulers of the Mewar Dynasty. A surviving member of the Guhilot
clan, Prince Kalbhoj (his actual name) did not continue the family
name when he came to the throne; he established the Mewar Dynasty. He
went on to become a celebrated hero on battlefields near and far, yet
his fascinating life is full of enigmas, and many were the legends
created about him. His father, Rawal Mahendra II had married a woman
of the Paramara Rajput clan, possibly from Mt. Abu or Chandravati,
both Paramara centres at that time. She was also the sister of Maan
Mori, the Paramara king who ruled much of the State of Mewar. This
included Guhilot clan land, which Paramara invaders from Malwa had
annexed a century or so earlier, set up their capital in the ancient
fortress of Chittorgarh. His father was assassinated in 716 A.D. and
at that time he was only three years old.
Bappa Rawal is said to have spent his childhood near a
place called Nagda. There are several legends from Bappa's early years
as a youth in the wild Aravalli Hills. His guru was an introspective
and perceptive sage and hermit named Harit Rashi, he was initiated the
mysterious rites of Shiva, and came to recognize Eklingji as the
supreme lord of the state of Mewar. Bappa Rawal built a temple on the
site where he first met his guru Harit Rashi.
Bappa Rawal played an important role in the
Battle of Rajasthan, a series of wars fought in the 8th century AD
between the regional rulers of North-Western India and the Arabs of
Sindh. After having ruled his kingdom for a long time he abdicated the
throne in favour of his son and he himself turned into Siva upasaka
( worshiper of Shiva) and became a Yati ( an ascetic who has full
control over his passions ).
The emergence of the Rajput warrior clans in
the 6th and 7th centuries played the greatest role in the subsequent
history of Rajasthan. From these clans emerged the name Rajputana, by
which the collection of princely states came to be known during the
Muslim invasion of India. The Sisodias of the Suryavansa Race,
originally from Gujarat, migrated to Rajas-than in the mid-7th century
and reigned over Mewar, which encompassed Udaipur and Chittorgarh.The
Kachhwa has, originally from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, travelled west
in the12th century. They built the massive fortress at Amber, the
capital later being shifted to Jaipur. Like the Sisodias, they
belonged to the Suryavansa Race. Also belonging to the Suryavansa
Race, the Rathores (earlier known as Rastrakutas) travelled from
Kanauj, in Uttar Pradesh. Initially they settled in Pali, south of
present-day Jodhpur, but later moved to Mandore in1381 and ruled over
Marwar (Jodhpur). The Bhattis driven from their homeland in the Punjab
by the Turks, settled themselves at Jaisalmer in 1156.
Chittorgarh is one of the most fiercely
contested seats of power in India. With its formidable fortifications,
Bappa Rawal, the legendary founder of the Sisodia dynasty, received
Chittor in the middle of the eighth century, as part of the last
Solanki princess's dowry. It crowns a seven-mile- long hill, covering
700 acres (280 hectares), with its fortifications, temples, towers and
palaces. From the eighth to the 16th century, Bappa Rawal's
descendants ruled over an important kingdom called Mewar stretching
from Gujarat to Ajmer.
[Meanwhile, the Arabs had followed up
their success in Baluchistan by the conquest of Sind. That province
figures in the narrative of Bana as one of the territories overrun by
Prabhakarvardhana and his more famous son, Harsha. In the days of
Hiuen Tsang the throne was occupied by a Sudra dynasty which gave way
to a Brahmana family founded by Chach. Dahar or Dahir, son of Chach,
was one the throne when al-Hajjaj, governor of Irak, incensed at the
action of certain pirates of Debal, sent several expeditions to Sind.
The earlier incursions were repulsed by Dahir. There upon al-Hajjaj
entrusted the work of punishment the Indian king to his nephew and son-
in-law, Muhammad ibn-Kasim. The young commander stormed Debal,
captured Nerun and some other cities and strongholds, and pushed on to
the western bank of the Indus. His work was greatly facilitated by the
treachery of certain Buddhist priests and renegade chiefs who deserted
their sovereign and joined the invader. With the assistance of some of
these traitors, Muhammad crossed the vast sheet of water separating
his army from that of Dahir and gave battle to the Indian ruler near
Raor (A.D. 712). Dahir offered a brave resistance, but was defeated
and killed. The fort of Raor fell next after a heroic defence by the
widowed queen. The invaders now pushed on to Bahmanabad and Alor,
which submitted. The turn of Multan came next. The whole of the lower
Indus valley was now dominated by the Arabs. But the invaders had no
mind to stop there. Already in the time of Muhammad ibn-Kasim minor
operations were carried on in the neighbouring provinces. A later
governor, Junaid or Junayd, pursued a more aggressive policy and sent
expeditions against Marmad (Marwar?), al-Mandal (Mando? near
Viramgam?), Dahnaj, Barwas (Broach), Ujjain, Malibah (Malwa),
Baharimad, al-Bailaman (Vallamandala?) and al-Jurz (Gujrat). According
to Indian inscriptions, the territories overrun by the invaders
included Sind, Cutch, Surashtra or Kathiawar, Chavotaka (some Chapa
principality of Gujarat or Western Rajputana), a Maurya principality
apparently in southern Rajputana or Broach. The progess of the Arabs
was stopped by the Chalukyas in the south, the Pratiharas in the east,
and the Karkotas in the north. But a new scene opened with the
foundation of the kingdom of Ghazni by Alptigin in or about A.D.962] –
page 171 & 172, R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri and Kalikinkar Datta,
‘An Advanced History of India’, The Macmillan Co. of India Ltd,
Calcutta, third edition 1967, reprinted 1970.
[Ala-ud-din also organized an expedition
against Mewar, the land of the brave Guhila Rajputs, which, being
provided by Nature with sufficient means of defence, had so long
defied external invasions. This expedition, as in the case of
Ranthambhor, was, in all probability, the outcome of the Sultan’s
ambitious desire for territorial expansion. If tradition is to be
believed, its immediate cause was his infatuation of Rana Ratan
Singh’s queen, Padmini, of exquisite beauty] – page 294, ibid.
POINTS: From the above-mentioned submission -
1. Bappa Rawal; 2.Name of the Guru of Bappa Rawal – Harit Rashi; 3.
Period – ca.713 to 753 A.D.; 4. Siva Upasak, Eklingji. 5. Temple for
his guru.
Gorakhnath (also known as Gorakshanath) was a Nath Yogi
of the 11th to 12th century and the Nath Yog is connected with
Shaivism. Two most important disciples of Matsyendranath were
Gorakhnath and Caurangi. Two gurus Adinath and Matsyendranath were
preceding him in the succession. A tradition has identified Adinath
with Lord Shiva and Matsyendranath was the direct teacher of
Gorakshanath.
The Nath tradition underwent its greatest
expansion during the time of Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath. He produced a
number of writings and even today is considered the greatest of the
Naths. It has been purported that it was Gorakshanath who wrote the
first books on Laya yoga. In India there are many caves, many temples
built over them, where it is said that Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath spent
time in meditation. The Sanskrit word nāthá (Hindi nāth) is the proper
name of a siddha sampradaya (initiatory tradition) and the word itself
literally means "lord, protector, refuge".
One legend states that Guru Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath,
the "eternal sage" traditionally associated with Hatha Yoga (one of
the branches of Yogic practices). The Nath Rahasya, which literally
translates into the mystery of the masters, recounts birth, work, and
death of nine such Naths (masters), and Guru Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath
was the ninth Nath, preceded by his Guru, the eighth Nath, namely,
Matsyendranath. But one tradition claims six gurus between
Matsyendranath and Adinath. Sanskrit term Adi Natha means first or
original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for Shiva, Mahadeva, or
Maheshvara, and beyond these supramental concepts, the Supreme
Absolute Reality as the basis supporting all aspects and
manifestations of consciousness.
Traditionally, Guru Gorakshanath/Goraknath is
believed traveled widely across the Indian subcontinent, and accounts
about him are found in some forms or others several places including
Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Punjab, Sind, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal, Assam,
Bengal, Maharashtra, and even Sri Lanka.
Guru Gorakshanath/Goraknath is the traditional
author of the first treatise on Hatha Yoga. The Goraksa-sataka,
Hundred Verses of Goraksa, is a basic Hatha Yoga text and describes
the six 'limbs' of yoga: asana, postures, pranayama, control of the
breath, pratyahara, sense withdrawal, dharana, concentration, dhyana,
meditation, and samadhi, cosmic consciousness. Hatha Yoga ("Forceful
Yoga"): a major branch of yoga, developed by Goraksha and other adepts
c. 1000 C.E. Goraksha: Goraksha ("Cow Protector"): traditionally
said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga.
The sun, in the yogic texts, represents the
element of change and destruction and the moon represents the element
of creation and preservation. There are 72,000 nadis, channels in the
subtle body, for prana, life energy, to flow. The main one is sushumna
in the centre of the spinal column, with two major nadis parallel to
the spinal column, ida in left, and pingala in right, which start at
the respective nostrils. The left nostril is the moon and the right
nostril is the sun. It is by balancing the ida and pingala that Hatha
Yoga, which is union of ‘ha’ = sun, and ‘tha’= moon, takes place by
the passing of the kundalini, the coiled serpent energy at the base of
the spine, up the sushumna. The moon is associated with Shiva, which
is the part of the body above the navel, and the sun is associated
with Shakti, which is the part of the body below the navel.
Yoga raises the Shakti from the lowest
region of change to the head, the highest region of rest, to unite
with Shiva. Shakti as kundalini raises through nine cakras, lotuses or
wheels, which are energy vortices of the subtle body, from the
Muladhara cakra, the lowest earth cakra, via the sushumna to the
Sahasrara cakra in the head, the thousand-petalled lotus (the Goraksa-
sataka mentions seven cakras). There are practices to open the
bandhas, locks, to release the kundalini. This union produces the
siddhis, supernatural powers, and attainment of anaman, 'nameless,'
meaning supreme reality. The yogin is equal to Shiva after twelve
years of practice.
The most important of the yogic practices is khecari mudra when the
tongue is turned backwards into the hollow above. This seals the tenth
door of the body and prevents amrita, soma or nectar, flowing from the
moon in the Sahasrara cakra to be burnt up by the sun below. This
amrita is the quintessence of the visible body and flows down a curved
duct called the banka nala. The khecari mudra enables the yogin to
drink the amrita, and by this he becomes immortal.
The origin of Hatha Yoga is still obscure but
probably emerged in the eighth or ninth centuries as the last phase of
the widely spread Siddha cult in which kaya-sadhana, cultivation of
the body, was of central importance.
There are no reliable facts about the life of
Gorakhnath. It is believed with what seems considerable truth that
Gorakhnath spread the doctrine and practice of yoga throughout India.
There are many fascinating legends about him from all over India.
Bengal literature describes him as the purest and strongest of yogins.
The goddess Durga was put to shame by Gorakhnath's purity and
strength. Medieval saints such as Kabir composed songs to him. He is
said to have had a discourse with Guru Nanak of the Sikhs. Nath
literature says that traditions throughout India saw Gorakshanath/
Gorakhnath as the supreme Guru. Because of this mass of accumulated
legends it is impossible to construct a historical account of the life
and teachings of Gorakhnath.
Different legends account for his birth. In
Bengal he came from the matted hair of Mahadeva (Shiva). In another
legend he was born of a cow by Mahadeva. His place of birth is the
subject of different controversial legends. One account gives the
Punjab, another Kathiawar, while Nepalese tradition says he lived in a
cave at Gorakhnath, the cave and town being named from him.
Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath, these two individuals are also
revered in Tibetan Buddhism as Mahasiddhas (great adepts) and are
credited with great powers and perfected spiritual attainment.
The doctrine of Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath is open to
all castes, which helps account for Gorakhnathis being found all over
India. The monastic order, according to the principles of the Guru
Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath, does not follow caste conventions as in other
Hindu religious groups. Thus, non-Brahmins may serve as priests.
The district of Gorakhpur is named after a renowned
ascetic Guru Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath. He is a saint of a Hindu
religious group. Gorakhnath Temple exists on the same spot where he
practised "Hath Yoga" - branch of Yoga which tends to control natural
power. The temple at Gorakhpur is said to contain the samadhi shrine
(tomb) and gaddi (prayer seat) of Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath.
Guru Gorakshanath/Gorakhnath is thought to have
authored several books including the Goraksha Samhita, Goraksha Gita,
Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, Yoga Martanada, Yoga Siddhanta Paddhati,
Yoga-Bija, Yoga Chintamani. He is believed to be the founder of the
Nath Sampradaya.
POINTS : From the above-mentioned presentation –
1. Gorakhnath also known as Gorakshanath; 2. Name of the Guru of
Gorakhnath - Matsyendranath; 3. Period – ca 1000 to 1200 A.D.; 4.
Hatha Yoga; 5. Disciples - all castes; 6. Gorakhnath was not a warrior
saint.
CLAIMS:
Gorkhas, known also as Gurkha, allegedly claim that they descent from
the Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of Northern India who entered modern
Nepal from the West. Warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath had a Rajput
Prince-disciple, the legendary Bappa Rawal, born prince Kalbhoj,
founder of the house of Mewar, who became the first Gurkha and is said
to be the ancestor of the present Royal family of Nepal. Later
descendants of Bappa Rawal moved further east to found the house of
Gorkha. When Bappa Rawal was a teenager in hiding, when he came upon
the warrior saint, while on a hunting expedition with friends in the
jungles of Rajasthan. Bappa Rawal. Bappa Rawal choose to stay behind,
and care for the warrior-saint, who was in deep meditation. When Guru
Gorakhnath awoke, he was pleased with the devotion of Bappa Rawal. The
Guru gave him the Kukri knife, the famous curved dagger of the Gurkha
soldiers. Guru Gorakhnath told Bappa Rawal that he and his people
would henceforth be called Gurkhas, the disciple of Guru Gorakhnath,
and their bravery could become would famous.
EXPLANATION:
1. Period of existence of Bappa Rawal was ca.713 to 753 A.D. BUT the
period of existence of Guru Gorakhnath, also known as Guru
Gorakshanath was between ca.1000 to 1200 A.D.;
2. Name of the Guru of Bappa Rawal was Guru HARIT RASHI and the Guru
preached him on Shiva and he became Shiva worshiper; BUT the Guru
Gorakhnath was a Nath Yogi connected with Shaivism and preached on
Hatha Yoga;
3. Neither the Guru Harit Rashi nor the Guru Gorakhnath was warrier-
saint;
4. The matter of -‘Bappa Rawal received a Kukri knife from his Guru
Gorakhnath,’ does not arise at all.
From the 8th. to the 16th. century, Bappa Rawal’s
descendants ruled over an important kingdom called Mewar but there is
no document that they claimed, they are Gurkhas and they practiced
Hath Yoga; On the other hand, Nepal 's King has traditionally been
viewed by the Hindus as a reincarnation of a Hindu God Bishnu; both
Bappa Rawal and his descendents and family of King of Nepal followed
traditional Brahmanical teachings;
In the year 1560, the legendary King Drabya Shah
[the ancestor of the king Prithivi Narayan Shah] captured a
principality, named Gorkha, when Nepal was divided into 50
principalities and established his Gorkha kingdom. Reminders of this
kingdom stand proudly in the form of the Gorkha Royal Palace, the
Gorkha Bazaar and Gorkha Durbar. The Gorkha Palace is located in the
east side of the Gorkha Durbar and a one-hour walk from the downtown
Gorkha.. Gorkha palace resides on top of a hill at an altitude of 3281
feet (about 1000 meter).
On the southwestern side of palace lies the temple
of Goddess Gorakh-kali. The place is picture-perfect to have a view of
Mansalu, Himalchuli peaks of Himalayas and Goddess Gorakh-kali Temple.
It is the information that the door of the GORAKH-KALI temple is
always closed and that is only opened once in the year when the King
of Nepal visits this temple and that he can see the deity under a
curtain and the door again closes for the whole year. The legend is
that the Goddess is furious nature and it was the meditation place of
Guru Gorakhnath.
Goddess Manakamana was the favourite and patron
goddess of the King of Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Shah. Tulaja or Taleju
was the favorite goddess of the Malla Kings.
Gorkha is a small mid-western district in Nepal,
about 120 km west of Kathmandu. Gorkha district, a part of Gandaki
zone, is one of the 75 (seventy-five) districts of Nepal, a landlocked
country of South Asia. The district has its district headquarters,
covers an area of 3,610 km² and has a population (2001) of 288,134.
Village Development Committee (VDC) of
Gorakhkali is in Gorkha District in the Gandaki Zone of northern-
central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a
population of 9,275 and had 1942 houses.
VDC's in Gorkha District -
Aanppipal, Aaru Arbang, Aaru Chanuate, Aarupokhari, Asrang, Baguwa,
Bakrang, Bhirkot, Bhumlichok, Bihi, Borlang, Bunkot, Chhaikampar,
Chhoprak, Chumchet, Chyangli, Darbhung, Deurali, Dhawa, Dhuwakot,
Finam, Fujel, Gaikhur, Gakhu, Ghairung, Ghyachok, Ghyalchok,
Gorakhkali, Gumda, Hansapur, Harbhi, Jaubari, Kashigaun, Kerabari,
Kerauja, Kharibot, Khoplang, Laprak, Lapu, Lho, Makaising, Manakamana,
Manbu, Masel, Muchchok, Namjung, Nareshwor, Palumtar,
Panchkhuwadeurali, Pandrung, Prithbinarayan, Prok, Ranishwara,
Samagaun, Saurpani, Shreenathkot, Simjung, Sirdibas, Swara, Taklung,
Takukot, Takumajhalakuribot, Tandrang, Tanglichok, Taple, Tara Nagar,
Thalajung, Thumi, Uiya, Warpak
Khukuri (kukri) is a knife and is used by
almost every Nepalese. Every Nepali has at least kukri in their house.
They use Kukri for different purposes like; kitchenware, cutting wood,
decorations, safety purpose etc. Khukuri (kukri) has awesome cutting
power. This knife (khukuri) is very popular in Nepal. It is not just
a knife. It has a strong relationship with the Gurkha Soldiers and
Nepalese History. Khukuri (kukri) is the national knife of Nepal,
originated in ancient times. It is a versatile working tool and
therefore an indispensable possession of almost every household,
especially of those belonging to the Gurung, Magar, Rai and Limbu
ethnic groups of central and eastern Nepal. Moreover, apart from the
fact that the Khukuri symbolizes bravery and valour and it is a
Nepalese cultural icon, it also represents an exquisite piece of
Nepalese craftmanship.
Some categories of Kukri as - ARMY KHUKURI (KUKRI):
Ceremonial Kukri, Jungle Kukri, Nepal Army Kukri, Service No. 1 Kukri;
DRAGON KHUKURI (KUKRI): Bhojpure Dragon Kukri, Brass Angkhola Dragon
Kukri, Kothimora Dragon Kukri, Long 18 Dragon Kukri; MINIATURE KHUKURI
(KUKRI): 6” Kukri, Biltong Kukri, Khurmi Kukri, Mini Jungle Kukri
etc.
EXPALANATION:
1. The matter of -‘Bappa Rawal received a Kukri knife from his Guru
Gorakhnath,’ does not arise at all as – (A) Guru Gorakhnath was not a
warrier saint, (B) This Kukri knife would also be used in Rajasthan,
(C) the story of use of the Kukri knife after a prolong of about 800
years (the period – between Bappa Rawal [ca. 716 to 753 A.D.] and
capture of Gorkha principality [in ca.1560 A.D.] by the descendants of
Bappa Rawal, is untenable, (C) Kukri is used by almost all Nepalese
in everyday life for different purposes and it’s use, manufacture
suggests that it is originated in ancient times in Nepal;
2. King Drabya Shah captured an area and established the Gorkha
kingdom in 1560 and it was one of the 50 kingdom/principalies of that
time. The previous name of the area before the capture is not
mentioned anywhere. So it suggests that – before the capture, this
area was also known as Gorkha and King Drabya Shah retained the
name;
3. According to story/legend -Guru Gorakhnath visited Nepal and he
meditated/ performed rituals inside the cave temple of Kali which in
latter time named as GORAKH-KALI TEMPLE. The time of Guru Gorakhnath
was ca.1000 to 1200 A.D. and the King Drabya Shah captured the area in
ca. 1560 A.D.; there is a village named Gorakhkali and downtown
Gorkha, and the area named as Gorkha District. Gorkha District is the
old Gorkha kingdom. It suggests that - the local people, after the
meditation/ performance of rituals by Guru Gorakhnath, named the Kali
Temple as GORAKH-KALI Temple, named their village as GORAKH-KALI and
the area known as GORKHA before the capture in ca. 1560 A.D. by King
Drabya Shah, the ancestor of King Prithivi Narayan Shah. The name
GORKHA came from the name GORAKH.
From the above-mentioned presentation, it suggests that
– THERE IS NO GORKHA ETHNIC GROUP IN NEPAL OR THERE IS NO GORKHA RACE
IN NEPAL.
After enquiry it is found -
THERE IS NO EXISTENCE OF ‘GORKHA ETHNIC
GROUP’ IN NEPAL, AND
THERE IS NO EXISTENCE OF ‘GORKHA RACE’ IN
NEPAL – according to National Census of Nepal 2001.
THE ORIGINATION OR EXISTENCE OF ‘GORKHA ETHNIC
GROUP’ OR
‘GORKHA RACE’ IN INDIA DOES NOT ARISE AT ALL.
Human Rights Philosophy and Jurisprudence do not
support the word GORKHA as ethnic group or race. so the word GORKHA
may be considered to be deleted from DARJEELING GORKHA HILL
COUNCIL.
Date: 10/08/2009.
Dipak De
[Human Rights Activist; M.Phil in Human
Rights; Member of Amnesty International; in touch with: PWAP, India;
PUCL, India; Asian Human Rights Commission, Hongkong; Human Rights
Watch, Geneva; United Nations on line volunteer on Human Rights]
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