Architects of modern India

Chankaya

Chanakya was a statesman and philosopher around 300 BC who raised voice against the corruption that had become a part of Magadh empire. He revolted against the Nanda king and averred that is he is a proper teacher he can create a proper king. Which he did.

Rishi Chanak named his son Vishnugupta. Being Chanak’s son he was also called Chanakya. Being a teacher himself, Chanak knew the importance of education. At a very early age little Vishnu started studying Vedas. The Vedas; considered to be the toughest scriptures to study were completely studied and memorized by him in his infancy. His education was done in Takshshila – the greatest university at that time with over 10,000 students from all over the world. He was attracted to studies in politics. In politics Vishnu’s acumen and shrewdness was visible right from childhood. He was a student of politics right from child hood. Known as a masterful political strategist. He invented what is now called GUERILLA WARFARE calling it “koot Yudha”. Vishnu was an ace in turning tables in his favor irrespective of the circumstances. He never budged to pressure tactics by the ruthless politicians. Because of this acumen he was also called Kautilya. In this way after studying religion and politics, he turned his attention to economics, which remained his lifelong friend. "Nitishastra", a treatise on the ideal way of life shows his in depth study of the Indian way of life.

After his altercation with the corrupt Dhanananda the Nanda emperor, he vowed to do what he had said – create a king and dethrone him. He picked an intelligent boy called Chandragupta and taught him all he knew. Chandragupta, under the astute tutelage of Chanakya grew into a brave warrior and strategist. His knowledge of all subjects made him popular among the populace as against the ill feelings they had for the Nanda king. Alexander’s pland for invasion became clear to Chanakya and he left the University to gather and unite the Indian kings to be able to present a formidable defence to the alien invader. Alexander was defeated and his armies went away. Subsequently the inevitable war with the Nandas happened and after various defeats and victories on either side, the Nandas were decisively defeated and Chandragupta established the Mauryan empire.

Chanakya’s two books are veritable treasurehouses of knowledge about politics and statesmanship

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Prithviraj Chauhan

 
Prithviraj Chauhan was the king of Delhi. His capitals were at Delhi and Ajmer. A brave and valiant warrior king, he is revered for his bravery and endearment to subjects. His fort in Delhi known as Rai Pithora is now being excavated and can be seen in South Delhi. He is reputed to be able to shoot arrows with accuracy on hearing just a sound. He resisted 16 times attacks by the afghan warlord Mohammed ghori but released him every time. The 17th time Ghori won but unlike Chauhan he captured him and blinded him. He was then caged and carried to Afghanistan like an animal.
 

Folklore has it how he got married by valiantly carrying off his beloved all alone from her palace with many kings being present but none could match the swordmanship of Chauhan.

Folklore also says how Ghori wanted to test Chauhan’s ability to shoot at sound source and he was asked to do so in the court of Ghori. Also present was his lifelong friend and poet – Chandbardai. Chandbardai wanted to say a poem before his king would shoot. In this poem Chandbardai cleverly indicated the exact location of Ghori to the blind Prithviraj Chauhan. Chauhan shot his arrow – not at the source of the sound but at Ghori and killed him. His mortal remains are still in Afghanistan.

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Meerabai

1498-1546

One of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna. The daughter of a prince and the daughter-in-law of a prince. She gave up every thing and faced persecution. The mughal king akbar is also said to have met her on one of her pilgrimages. She composed many devotional songs that live on the lips of people to this day.

Meerabai was born in 1498, to Rana Ratan Singh, the Rajput king of Merta. As a little girl, she watched a marriage procession and asked who her husband was. Amused, her mother pointed to a statue of Krishna. From then on, Krishna became her friend, her lover, and her husband.
 

When Meerabai was 18 years old, Vikram Deo arranged her marriage to the crown prince of Mewad. Meerabai was married to Raja Bhoj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga. Within 4 years of her marriage, Raja Bhoj was killed in a battle. Meerabai, a born rebel, refused to commit Sati. With her husband dead, she was left open to the rage of her in-laws. At least two attempts were made on her life. Her brother-in-law, the new king of Mewad sent her a glass of poison which she drank but to no effect.
 

Meerabai left on a pilgrim to Vrindavan, Mathura and finally settled in Dwaraka. She lived in the Ranchod Das temple, singing praises of her lord. Nearly 20 years had passed. Her in-laws now repented for their deeds. Udai Singh, the new king of Mewad sent a delegation of priests to bring her back. They met Meerabai. She agreed on the condition, that she spent one night in the Ranchod Das temple. She was never seen again. It is believed that she merged her existence into the idol of Lord Krishna at Dwarika.

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Maharana Pratap

9.5.1540 – 29.1.1597

Pratap Singh Sisodia I, (Patta) was born at Kumbhalgarh in Rajasthan. He was the fifty-fourth ruler of the Mewar dynasty, eldest son and successor of Maharana UDAI SINGH II, ascending the throne on February 28, 1572 at the age of 32. He ruled for twenty-five years. Pratap Singh is revered in history and legend as the Hero of Haldighati, Mewar's greatest warrior, and the country's first freedom fighter. During his childhood, Pratap learned the lessons of warfare, as did all Rajput princes. Pratap was fond of life in the Aravalli Hills and was accustomed to roughing it in the wilds where he gained the confidence of the forest dwellers, the BHILS.

At the time of Pratap's accession, many important areas of Mewar, including the ancient capital of Chittor, were under Akbar's control. Pratap vowed to free Mewar and regain the ancient capital. Many Rajput princes were with Akbar but secretly admired Pratap. Akbar was aware they might not take arms against Pratap, who was fast becoming a local hero.

The final battle for Mewar was on the golden hills of HALDIGHATI – It was Pratap’s, Mewar’s and indeed India’s greatest moment. June 18, 1576. The pitched battle that followed lasted only four hours but is now a part of Indian folklore. A small lake there – now called khooni talao ( bloody lake) is said to have been filled with blood of the dying soldiers. Here he also lost his famous horse CHETAK.

Pratap escaped badly wounded. He recovered and spent many years in exile. He finally got together his army and reclaimed many forts.

Says James Tod in his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan: There is not a pass in the alpine Aravalli that is not sanctified by some deed of the great freedom fighter, Maharana Pratap Singh, some brilliant victory or, more often, more glorious defeat.

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Shivaji

19.2.1630- 5.4.1680

Shivaji Bhonsle, born at the Shivneri fort on February 19, 1630, was the creator of the Maratha empire. Shahaji his father bequeathed his jagir (fiefdom) of Pune and Supa, which was practically independent, to his son, Shivaji, who founded the Maharashtra Raj. He united the different Maratha chiefs for a higher purpose - defeating the alien powers. He stabilised the state with effective civil and military administration and adopted a policy of religious tolerance to accommodate all religions and sects in his state.

The mughal empire in India was at it’s nadir. The emperor Aurangzeb and his anti – non-muslim laws had alienated Hindus and rebellion came in the form of Shivaji. He had strong beliefs and from his childhood he was determined to end this slavery of Hindus to the muslims. He grew up to be a very strong and able commander and was finally crowned as King of the Maratha empire- an empire of the HIndus which could never be crushed by the mughals. He had several battles with the imperial mughal army but his guerilla tactics won him victory after victory. He had a formidable army and his empire ranged from Western India to Central India. He is a legend and his exploits of how he outwitted the muslim dimwits is folklore.

The qualities of bravery, wisdom etc. came from his mother Jijabai. Even when he was a little child his mother Jijabai used to tell him stories of heroes, of saints and sages who appear in the scriptures. As Shivaji listened to these tales of heroism, he grew more and more eager to be like Rama or Krishna, Bheema or Arjuna. He was further blessed in that he had for his teacher and guides such a great man as Dadaji Kondadev was. He was also inspired by the memories of the glorious empire of the Vijayanagara Kings in Karnataka.

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Veer Hakikat Rai

A small 17 year old lad who at that age refused to submit to the tortures and intimidation by the mullahs who called the shots in India. He was finally asked to convert to islam failing which he would be killed. Hakikat Rai chose his faith and at the young age of 17 he was beheaded in public on the order of the mullas for not converting to islam.

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Guru Gobind Singh Ji

22.12.1666 - 7.10.1708

The tenth and the last Guru or Prophet-teacher of the Sikhs, was born Gobind Rai Sodhi 22 December 1666 at Patna, in Bihar. His father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Guru, was then travelling across Bengal and Assam. His early education included reading and writing of Punjabi, Braj, Sanskrit and Persian. Guru Tegh Bahadur was soon murdered most cruelly by the ruling muslim king on 11 November 1675.
 

Guru Gobind Singh was formally installed Guru on Baisakhi day 29 March 1676. He wrot ea few books but the choice of a warlike theme for his compositions such as the two Chandi Charitras, mostly in Braj, was made to infuse martial spirit among his followers to prepare them to stand up against injustice and tyranny. He set up the sikh religion and asked his followers not to trim their hair and beards, nor smoke tobacco. A Sikh must not have sexual relationship outside the marital bond, nor eat the flesh of an animal killed slowly in the Muslim way (or in any sacrificial ceremony).
 

Guru Gobind Singh's sacrificed his all for the nation. His two younger sons, Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh 9 years and 6 years old and his mother, Mata Gujari, were murdered by the muslim commander of Sirhind, who had the young children executed on 13 December 1705. His other two sons Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh only slightly older died on the battlefields of Chamkaur Sahib again battling the muslims.

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Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi

16.11.1835 – 18.6.1858

The queen of the kingdom of Jhansi. She was married to the king of Jhansi but had no son so she adopted a child. The british were trying to annex kingdoms by hook or crook and invaded her kingdom on the pretext of the adoption being illegal. She was outnumbered but she carried on her battle with the reins of her horse in her mouth and swords in both hands – always leading from the front slaying many british soldiers until the cowardly british decided to stay at a distance and finally shot her in the back from far. A reminder of Joan of Arc – the French commander.

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Lala Lajpat Rai

28.1.1865 – 17.11.1928

A freedom fighter also known as the LION OF PUNJAB. He resisted the british occupation and the associated loot of the country and their various schemes to divide India and Indians. Divison of Bengal and it’s reunification is one of the many areas that saw his work and fiery speeches. He was arrested many times. He established the ‘INDIA HOME RULE LEAGUE” in America in 1917. In 1921 he established the “ servants of the people society”, he started many newspapers to highlight the british atrocities and torture of women and children. In 1928 he was leading a peaceful protest march against the Simon Commission when the british tried to murder him by bludgeoning. From his bed he said- "...every blow aimed at me is a nail in the coffin of British Imperialism....".
 

He recovered from the wounds left by the British but he remained emotionally scarred at the brutality of the "civilized" British.These thoughts racked his spirit till the very end. Lalaji died on November 17, 1928 of heart failure.

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Bhagat Singh

27.9.1907 – 23.3.31

He is the symbol of the heroism of the youth of India. A revolutionary. He grew up in a patriotic atmosphere. He threw a harmless smoke bomb when the Legislature was in session, to warn the British Government. He was put to death but lives in the hearts of his countrymen. A freedom fighter, he along with Chandrashekhar azad and others decided to eliminate Saunders the superintendent of Police who murdered Lala Lajpat Rai. He shot Saunders and fled. finally and after a life of protests against the british occupation he was arrested and jailed. The british concocted various charges and finally murdered him on 23rd or March by hanging him in Jail. So terrified were they of the public rage that the date of hanging was actually 24th March but there being no law the british hanged him a day earlier. On 24th of March 1931 Bhagat Singh walked upto the hanging rope kissed it and put it around his neck to be hanged Bhagat Singh was newly married at this time.
 

Bhagat Singh grew up at a time when the Freedom struggle was all around him. Since his young age he wondered why so many Indians could not get freedom from a few British invaders, he dreamed of a free India. The massacre at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919 where the british machine gunned hundreds of men women and children (something like Jews in Germany) drove him to go to Amritsar, where he kissed the earth and brought back home a little of the blood soaked soil, he was just 12 years old then. "
 

Bhagat Singh became "Shaheed Bhagat Singh" or Martyr at the age of 24. The stories of his courage and patriotism became an inspiration for many youth at that time who wanted to see India independent. Even today Shaheed Bhagat Singh's memory continues to inspire the youth and many poems and songs have been written about his courage and undying patriotism.

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Chandrashekhar Azad

23.7.1906 – 27.2.1931

His original name was Chandrashekhar Sharma but was popularly known as Chandrashekhar Azad. In his short life span he became an ardent nationalist and raised voice against the bitish occupation. Instead of Gandhi’s peaceful methods he used the armed path. He was arrested several times starting at the age of 14. He was incensed at the murder of Lala Lajpat Rai and vowed revenge and executed many british. He was finally surrounded in ALBERT PARK in the city of ALLAHABAD by the police and the firing started. Azad had a mauser and fired back till he ran out of ammunition. He used the last bullet to end his glorious life. It is said that so terrified were the british of him that they kept on shooting his body long after he was dead. 63 bullets were recovered from his body.

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Subhashchandra Bose

23.1.1889 - …………….

An ardent nationalist. He was an astute strategist and planner. He chose armed resistance to the british misrule in India. He founded the Indian National Army to oppose the british. He joined hands with other anti-british forces like the Germans and the Japanese. As an Aryan he was accorded state welcome by Hitler in Berlin and many of his officers were trained by the Wehrmacht. His end is unknown. Some say he was murdered by british collaborators who later came to power in India, some say he met his end a few years ago in isolation. Others maintain he is still around. The speculation is endless.

Subhashchandra Bose was the most visionary and fierce activist in the pre-independence era. Known as Netaji, his declaration of Independent Indian government with a cabinet & its own army was seen in form of the Indian National Army was un ique and unparalled.

Subhas Chandra was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. He joined the Indian Civil Services in England as per his parent's wishes. This kept him a little away from the Indian Freedom Movement. He finished those examinations also, at the top of his class (4th rank), he could not complete his apprenticeship and returned to India, being deeply disturbed by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre where the British had machine gunned hundreds of unarmed men women and children. Due to his outspoken character, he was jailed around 11 times between 1920 and 1941.

He was the man whom the Indians looked upon as their future leader.

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Dr. Keshavrao Baliram Hedgewar

1.4 1889 – 21.6.1940

Dr. Keshavrao Baliram Hedgewar was born on New Year’s day in 1889 (Varsha Pratipada) – He established the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) – the largest social organization in the world as per the Guiness book. He was a devout nationalist and raised voice against the british ruling India and the social evils in the society. A medical doctor, he decided to stay unmarried and work full time for the society. He realized that though many centuries ago Indians were the most advanced people in the world with regard to science, culture, philosophy etc. repeated attacks by foreign invaders destroyed most of this knowledge, and the country went from one barbaric ruler to another simply because Indians were never united. He tried to create a United India that could resist foreign onslaughts. He devised a unique method to unite the Hindus of India by the concept of daily shakhas. His concept of a Hindu was that anybody who lived in Hindustan (Bharat or India) was a Hindu with freedom to go to a temple, mosque or church. Vested interests and vote bank politics have not allowed this so far. Today the members of the RSS number in millions worldwide.

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Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar

Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar or Guruji as he is fondly known was the successor of Dr. Hedgewar as the chief of the RSS. A divine personality, he was known throughout India as Guruji, His was an impressive personality: dignified gait; a long flowing beard reaching down to his chest; curly locks of hair touching the shoulders; a face luminous with innate intellect and learning. His was an inspiring presence. It aroused instant reverence. Whoever saw him spontaneously folded their hands and bowed their heads. Such was Guru.
 

He instilled patriotism in the hearts of millions of youths of the country. He explained to them the Hindu (Indian)way of life and philosophy in simple words. Like a true friend, he shared in the joys and sorrows of his countrymen. He molded them into effective instruments for the worship of Bharat Mata (mother India) as her worthy children. He demonstrated that strength derives from organization.

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

2.10.1869 – 30.1.1948

Better known as Mahatma Gandhi – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbandar in Gujarat state. He became a barrister and chose to practice law in South Africa. He was appalled by the apartheid there and was even offloaded from a train from the first class compartment even after having a valid ticket. This made him determined to fight imperialism and decided to do it at home in India against the british. His method of non-violence foxed the british. Though he was arrested several times and jailed the british could not hold him for long . Finally the british were forced to get out of India in August 1947 after nearly 200 years of blatant loot and plunder and massacre of Indians.

Gandhi’s faith and confidence in humanity and nationalism from all sections of the society was not liked by all specially when he was proved wrong several times. Hindu refugees coming from the new state of Pakistan were ill treated in India while muslims were given special status. This new form of apartheid in post british India was disliked and finally on 30th January 1948, a nationalist Nathuram Godse first paid obeisance to the Mahatma to seek forgiveness for what he was about to do and then shot him at point blank range. He later surrendered to the police.

This apostle of peace is known the world over for his peaceful efforts to achieve what many considered impossible. It is a moot point why he has never been considered for a Nobel prize for peace.

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Sardar Vallabhai Patel

13.10.1875 – 15.12.1950

India's Man of Steel also known as the ‘Bismarck of India'. He gave up his practise in order to fight for the freedom of the country. He was sent to prison many times. He became the Deputy Prime Minister of India after the british left. As the Deputy Prime Minister of free India, he became the architect of the integrity of India by merging of hundreds of princely states with the Indian Union.

Vallabh Bhai Patel, the iron-man of India was born on 13th October, 1875, in a small village Karamsadh of Bombay region. His father Jhaber Bhai Patel was a simple farmer and mother Laad Bai was a simple lady. From his childhood itself, Patel was a very hard-working individual. He used to help his father in farming and studied in a school at Patelaad. He passed his high-school examination in 1896.
 

Sardar Patel hated to work for anyone especially the Britishers. He was a person of independent nature. He started his own practice of law in a place called Godhara. Soon the practice flourished. He soon he became aware of the local life, activities and people's problems. He became an extremely popular person and around 1915, he came across Mahatma Gandhi. The British government's atrocities were increasing. He forced several laws to be rescinded.The British government considered him as a threat and his lectures were considered anti-government and he was imprisoned several times.
 

With great wisdom and political foresight, he consolidated the small kingdoms. The public was with him. He tackled the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Junagarh who intially did not want to join India. There were a lot of problems connected with the reunion of the numerous states into India. Sardar Patel's untiring efforts towards the unity of the country brought success. Due to the achievement of this massive task, Sardar Patel got the title of 'Iron Man'. ' He is one of the prestigious leaders of the world who became immmortal by uniting a scattered nation without any bloodshed.
 

Gandhiji's death in 1948 left him broken. On 15th December, 1950 he died of a cardiac arrest.

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Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888, at Tiruttani, forty miles to the north-east of Madras, in South India. His early years were spent in Tiruttani and Tirupati, both famous as pilgrim centres.
 

He graduated with a Master's Degree in Arts from Madras University. In his own words, "Religious feeling must establish itself as a rational way of living. If ever the spirit is to be at home in this world, and not merely a prisoner or a fugitive, spiritual foundations must be laid deep and preserved worthily. Religion must express itself in reasonable thought, fruitful action and right social institutions."
 

In 1918, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy in the University of Mysore. Three years later, he was appointed to the most important philosophy chair in India, King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science in the University of Calcutta.In 1929, Radhakrishnan was invited to take the post vacated by Principal J. Estin Carpenter in Manchester College, Oxford. From 1936-39, Radhakrishnan was the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University. In 1939, he was elected Fellow of the British Academy. From 1939-48, he was the Vice-Chancellor of the Banaras Hindu University. He held various high offices in the Government of India and from May 1962 to May 1967, he was the President of India.
 

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan passed away on April 17, 1975. In India, September 5 (his birthday) is celebrated as Teacher's Day in his honor.

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Lal Bahadur Shastri

2.10. 1904 – Jan 1966

A freedom fighter and the second Prime Minister of India. He was responsible for good relations with the rest of the world and also for the decisive victory over Pakistan when Pakistan invaded India in 1965. He had a poor background and remained a poor man till his death in Tashkent in Russia. He was a totally honest person and refused to use his office to gain personal wealth.
 

He had always been identified with the interests of the working class and peasants since the days of his involvement with the freedom struggle, he gave a slogan which became very popular -"Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" ("Honor the Soldier, Honor the Farmer").
 

In Tashkent where the Russians brokered the peace saving Pakistan, Shatri is said to have suffered a heart attack and passed away but evidence seems to indicate he was poisoned at the behest of people who later took his place as leaders of the country.

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