Bappa Rawal
A boy's cow used to go somewhere at the time of milking every day. That boy often had to be hungry, so one day he went after the cow and saw that the cow went to the ashram of a sage and started anointing a Shivling with its milk. The boy was looking astonished when he saw a sage standing behind him smiling. The name of that sage was "Harit Rishi" and that child became famous as Bappa Rawal. Harit Rishi gave initiation to that child and with his cooperation, that child became the most glorious ruler of Mewar.
Introduction to Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal of Guhil or Gehlot dynasty is considered to be the real founder of Mewar because the power, fame and respect that Mewar gained was due to him. From this dynasty, the Sisodia dynasty is believed to have emerged, in which later the great kings Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Maharana Pratap were born. Bappa Rawal was impressed not by his name, but by his people's protection, patriotism, etc. The people honored him with the title of Bappa. He has been repeatedly called Raghuvanshi in the Virudavalis / Prashasti.
He was born in Nagda, Mewar. Most historians believe that his real name was Kalbhoj, but some consider him undefeated. In the same way, some historians call them Brahmin ancestry, while some call them Kshatriya ancestry. But in relation to caste, my opinion is that it is appropriate to consider them Kshatriyas according to the Sanatan Constitution, which has been going on for thousands of years, by ignoring the birth-based caste nonsense implemented since 1950, because their deeds were those of Kshatriyas. And if possible, leave this nonsense as well, it is enough for them to be Hindu.
The title of Rawal was given to Bappa Rawal by the Bhil chieftains. When Bappa Rawal was 3 years old, he and his mother were feeling helpless, then the Bhil community helped them both and kept them safe. Bappa Rawal's childhood was spent living among the Bhil tribe, later the Bhil community supported Bappa Rawal in the war against the Arabs.
Journey from Commander to Emperor
Bappa Rawal was probably the commander of the Maurya or Maurya ruler of Chittor in the beginning. The details of Bappa are found in the Chachnama, the official history of Sindh. This shows that along with Dahir's son Jaysen, his mother Rani Ladi Devi had come to Chittor seeking help. On this the Maurya ruler of Chittor sent his commander Bappa Rawal to help with the army.
But the Mauryan ruler Manmori or Mansih Maurya of Mewar was proving indifferent or incapable of the struggle against the Arabs. Then Harit Rishi told him the address of a secret treasure from where about fifteen crore gold currency came out. He made a military organization from that treasure and ordered Bappa to drive the Arabs out of the border of India. Bappa captured the Chittor fort by killing (or defeating) Manmori who was obstructing this work and prepared a huge military organization of twelve lakh seventy two thousand armies.
Bappa Rawal, a devotee of Mahadev
With the blessings of Harit Rishi, Bappa became a great devotee of Mahadev. He was so much interested in religion that wherever there was a blow to religion, Bappa's havoc would break there and he would again mix that place with Sanatan and waving saffron. He built the temple of Eklingji Maharaj in Kailashpuri, north of Udaipur, in 734 AD, which is still standing today. Near it is the ashram of Harit Rishi. He also got the Aadi Varaha temple constructed. This temple was built behind the temple of Ekling ji. Rawalpindi city of Pakistan is named Rawalpindi after Bappa Rawal.
Bappa Rawal of Arabs
Bappa Rawal along with Gurjara-Pratihara ruler Nagabhatta I and Chalukya dynasty Vikramaditya II started fighting by forming an organization against the Arabs. Emperor Nagabhatta drove the Arabs out of western Rajasthan and Malway. Bapa did the same work for Mewar and Sindh region.
When Al Junaid invaded India in 723 AD as the representative of the Caliphate, the coalition forces under the leadership of Bappa defeated Junaid's army and went ahead and conquered Alor as well. We get evidence of this from Chachnama. The defeated Junaid took the way to Kashmir but there too he had to flee after being killed by the then ruler Lalitaditya Muktapid. This army erected such cots of Arab's Al Hakam bin Alawa, Tamim bin Zaid Al Utbi, Abdulrahman Al Muri that even the name of Islamic ruler Bappa Rawal started trembling.
The mighty Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal, along with Avnijanashray Pulakeshi, the commander of Chalukyavanshi Emperor Vikramaditya II of Anhilvad, attacked the Arabs up to Ghazni. Bappa did not stop here, he badly defeated Salim, the ruler of Ghazni, and married his daughter Maiya and saved his life. He made his nephew sit on the throne there. He raised his power till Gandhara, Turan, Khorasan and Iran and established saffron rule there. Because of his fear, 18 Muslim rulers had married their girls to him.
After this, the Indian rulers also made a governance system by making the then Brahmanabad (Karachi) the center. With this, a new Rajput dynasty was formed here by converting the Kshatriyas who had accepted Islam on the strength of the sword again as Hindus. Their descendants are still seen in Sindh province of Pakistan.
When Al-Hakim attacked India in 736, Bappa Rawal trampled the Muslim invaders so badly that no Islamic invader could attempt an attack on India for the next 300 years. Bappa Rawal killed Al-Hakim, who dreamed of bringing India under the Khilafat. Its description is found from the inscription of Bhinmal. Evidence of this is also found from the Navsari inscription of 739 AD that the Kachhela, Sandhav, Saurashtra, Karkotak, Maurya and Gurjar armies together defeated the Muslim army.
Coins issued by Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal had issued his own special coins. This coin has Trishul on the left side and Shivling is made on the altar on its right side. On its right side Nandi is sitting facing the Shivling. There is a figure of a man worshiping under Shivling and Nandi, Bopp is written on the coin. On the reverse side there are signs of Sun and Chhatra which are proof of their being Suryavanshi. Under all this, a cow is standing facing to the right and near it is a calf drinking milk. All these symbols are associated with Bappa Rawal's devotion to Shiva and some incidents in his life.
Valuation of Bappa Rawal
Colonel Todd wrote of Bappa Rawal, "Bapp, who was the founder of a line of hundred kings, feared as a monarch, adorned as more than mortal, and according to the legend, still living, deserves to have the source of his pre-eminent fortune disclosed, which, in Mewar, it were sacrilege to doubt” (Tod, Annals, Pg. 184)
Historian CV Vaidya writes, "Bappa Rawal the reputed founder of the Mewar family was the Charles Martel of India against the rock of whose velor, as we have already said, the eastern tide of Arab conquest was dashed to pieces in India. Like Shivaji, Bappa rawal was an intensely religious man and he equally hated the new invaders of India who were cow-killers" (History of Medieval Hindu, Vol-II, pg. 72-73)
Historian Kaviraj Shyamal Das writes praising Bappa that, "There is no doubt that Bappa became the majestic, mighty and stunning Maharajadhiraj of India, and he re-published the majesty, nobility and might of his ancestors."
Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha writes, “Bappa was independent, majestic and the owner of a vast kingdom. Bappa is undoubtedly one of the most important people of Rajasthan."
Bappa Rawal's retirement
In 753 AD, Bappa Rawal surrendered power to his son and took retirement. His burial place is located in Nagda, a mile to the north of Eklingpuri.
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