ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>V&#256R AMAR SI&#7748GH K&#298</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279<i>V&#256R AMAR SI&#7748GH K&#298</i> is a versified account of a battle fought in AD 1774 between R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh, the ruler of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and the neighbouring Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 R&#257jp&#363t chiefs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The writer is <i>Kavi</i> (poet) Kesho D&#257s, a Br&#257hma&#7751 bard at the court of the R&#257j&#257 of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257. He was a resident of the state of Bik&#257ner, and had served its ruler R&#257j&#257 Gaj Si&#7749gh before he came to Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bha&#7789&#7789is were R&#257jputs by origin, and had embraced Islam forsaking the faith of their forefathers. Now they were staunch opponents of the Hindus and Hinduism. They were haughty and tyrannical towards the people. Their treatment of their Hindu subjects was far from mild. They insulted and humiliated them in many ways. After the death of R&#257j&#257 &#256l&#257 Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in 1765, these Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 chiefs were further emboldened and they then started plundering the villages of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state. In their abjectness, the subjects of the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299 rulers called on R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh who was camping at &#7692ho&#7693e fort (Bhav&#257n&#299ga&#7771h). His mother R&#257&#7751&#299 Hukm&#257&#7749 felt much distressed to hear their tales of woe. Poet Kesho D&#257s is profuse in praise of R&#257&#7751&#299 Hukm&#257&#7749, though he seems to be confused about her relationship with R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh ---his statement implies that she was his r&#257&#7751&#299. The poet compares her to great women of mythology and legend, such as &#346ach&#299, queen of Indra; Kau&#347aly&#257, the mother of R&#257ma, and S&#299t&#257, his wife; and Draupad&#299 the wife of Arjan. Hukm&#257&#7749 was a woman of determination and was well versed in the strategy of war. She counselled her son to march against the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s forthwith. R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh said his <i>ard&#257s</i> and marched with his troops towards the village of M&#363&#7751ak, where his main force from the capital joined him.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s, on hearing of the invasion of Amar Si&#7749gh, assembled their armies at B&#299ghar. A fierce battle took place. The Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s suffered heavy losses and retreated to the fortress of Dh&#363lko&#7789. The Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 force stormed the fortress, but did not succeed in capturing it. Kesho D&#257s narrates a miracle here. The R&#257j&#257 had vowed to subdue the Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s before sunset. Seeing how time was running out, he made a prayer to the Lord Almighty. According to Kesho D&#257s, the prayer was heard and the sun came to a standstill allowing him more time to force the issue. Another assault was made and the fortress fell. The Bha&#7789&#7789&#299s accepted defeat. The fort of Fateh&#257b&#257d was also surrendered to R&#257j&#257 Amar Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is probable that the poem was composed by the poet just after the campaign in 1775 or 1776. The verse is eloquent and vigorous. The language used is Braj, with some admixture of Punjabi and R&#257jasth&#257n&#299. Kesho D&#257s is an experienced poet, who has command of Indian prosody. He has successfully employed a large number of metres; <i>dohr&#257, chhapay</i> and <i>kabit</i> having the highest frequency. The ballad has in all 52 stanzas of varying length. Extracts from this <i>V&#257r</i> have since been published in the collection entitled <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Ja&#7749gn&#257me</i>, edited by Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok and published by Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Ashok, Shamsher Si&#7749gh, <i>Pr&#257ch&#299n Ja&#7749gn&#257me</i>. Amritsar, 1950<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>