ALLAHABAD: In sharp contrast to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's image of a temple destroyer in history books, an Allahabad-based historian has claimed that he had offered lavish grants and land to the ancient Someshwar Mahadev temple on the banks of Sangam in Arail.
Historian and principal of Serveshwari Degree College Pradeep Kesherwani made this claim based on certain historical facts. "During one of his military campaigns, Aurangzeb and his army had spent time near the temple. During the stay, he not only visited the temple but also offered grant and land for its maintenance. This fact is mentioned on the 'Dharma Dand' (religious pillar) situated on the temple premises," Kesherwani told.
READ ALSO: Aurangzeb did not gift land to Gayawal Pandas, says Bihar religious trust board chief
GAYA: Contrary to popular belief, the most controversial Mughal emperor Aurangzeb did not gift 5500 bighas of land to Gayawal Pandas, superior priests having monopoly over the performance of Pindadan rituals, says Acharya Kunal Kishore, researcher and chief of the Bihar religious trust board.
Setting the record straight, the religious trust board chief said that the said land was gifted to an ex Panda who embraced Islam during Aurangzeb's reign. On the issue whether land gift was used to induce conversion or it was a reward for conversion, Kunal, a former IPS officer deeply involved in spiritual affairs said that as the land was gifted post conversion it can not be classified as inducement.
On the reward aspect he was not very sure and being a researcher he can not afford to hazard a guess on an issue of deep academic interest, said the researcher. Kunal also said that he was writing a book to counter the claim of a section of historians which was hell bent on establishing Aurangzeb's 'secular' credentials.
Gifting land to Hindu religious entities was against the core belief of the Mughal king, said Kunal.
That the land subsequently came into the possession of the Pandas was another matter, said Kunal who heads the Trust that is involved in litigation with Gayawal Pandas for the control of the World famous Vishnupad Temple. The Pandas claim the temple to be their property, a position unacceptable to the Kunal headed Religious Trust Board.
In the cathedral Survey 1914, major part of southern Gaya is named as Alamgirpur (present day Gayawalbigha), Alamgir being Aurngzeb's nickname . But the original farmaan (royal order) concerning the gift is missing.
Panda leader Mahesh Guput said that he and many other Pandas have been told that the land was gifted to the ancestors of Shankarlal Parwatia Chaudhary, a Gayawal Panda. Chaudhary being issueless, the original Farman (royal order) went missing. May be it was produced in the court in connection with a property dispute among the Pandas that went to the Privy Council during the British period, said the Panda leader.
On the point of the Mughal king known for his fanatic religious views also gifting landed property to the Bodh Gaya Mahanth, head of the Shivite Monastery in Bodh Gaya, Kishore Kunal said that the land to the Hindu monastery was not gifted by Auranzeb. It was Muhammad Shah, another Mughal king who gifted the land to the Bodh Gaya Mahanth. Muhammad Shah ruled the Mughal empire between 1719 and 1748.
According to Rai Madan Kishore, retired special secretary, govt of Bihar, he had the occasion to see the royal order awarding land to the Bodh Gaya Matth during his stint as the circle officer, in the 1990s.
Such documents need preservation for their relevance for historians, said Rai Madan Kishore.
Historian and principal of Serveshwari Degree College Pradeep Kesherwani made this claim based on certain historical facts. "During one of his military campaigns, Aurangzeb and his army had spent time near the temple. During the stay, he not only visited the temple but also offered grant and land for its maintenance. This fact is mentioned on the 'Dharma Dand' (religious pillar) situated on the temple premises," Kesherwani told.
READ ALSO: Aurangzeb did not gift land to Gayawal Pandas, says Bihar religious trust board chief
GAYA: Contrary to popular belief, the most controversial Mughal emperor Aurangzeb did not gift 5500 bighas of land to Gayawal Pandas, superior priests having monopoly over the performance of Pindadan rituals, says Acharya Kunal Kishore, researcher and chief of the Bihar religious trust board.
Setting the record straight, the religious trust board chief said that the said land was gifted to an ex Panda who embraced Islam during Aurangzeb's reign. On the issue whether land gift was used to induce conversion or it was a reward for conversion, Kunal, a former IPS officer deeply involved in spiritual affairs said that as the land was gifted post conversion it can not be classified as inducement.
On the reward aspect he was not very sure and being a researcher he can not afford to hazard a guess on an issue of deep academic interest, said the researcher. Kunal also said that he was writing a book to counter the claim of a section of historians which was hell bent on establishing Aurangzeb's 'secular' credentials.
Gifting land to Hindu religious entities was against the core belief of the Mughal king, said Kunal.
That the land subsequently came into the possession of the Pandas was another matter, said Kunal who heads the Trust that is involved in litigation with Gayawal Pandas for the control of the World famous Vishnupad Temple. The Pandas claim the temple to be their property, a position unacceptable to the Kunal headed Religious Trust Board.
In the cathedral Survey 1914, major part of southern Gaya is named as Alamgirpur (present day Gayawalbigha), Alamgir being Aurngzeb's nickname . But the original farmaan (royal order) concerning the gift is missing.
Panda leader Mahesh Guput said that he and many other Pandas have been told that the land was gifted to the ancestors of Shankarlal Parwatia Chaudhary, a Gayawal Panda. Chaudhary being issueless, the original Farman (royal order) went missing. May be it was produced in the court in connection with a property dispute among the Pandas that went to the Privy Council during the British period, said the Panda leader.
On the point of the Mughal king known for his fanatic religious views also gifting landed property to the Bodh Gaya Mahanth, head of the Shivite Monastery in Bodh Gaya, Kishore Kunal said that the land to the Hindu monastery was not gifted by Auranzeb. It was Muhammad Shah, another Mughal king who gifted the land to the Bodh Gaya Mahanth. Muhammad Shah ruled the Mughal empire between 1719 and 1748.
According to Rai Madan Kishore, retired special secretary, govt of Bihar, he had the occasion to see the royal order awarding land to the Bodh Gaya Matth during his stint as the circle officer, in the 1990s.
Such documents need preservation for their relevance for historians, said Rai Madan Kishore.
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