The great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, in one of his essays, chronicled China’s first Emperor Shih Huang Ti of the Qin dynas- ty who, in the 3rd century BCE, ordered the building of the al- most infinite wall of China. He also decreed that all books prior to him be burned. Borges was disturbed that both these vast operations should originate in one person; the paradox of con- struction and destruction, of preserving and perishing. Travelling with Borges in the Mewar region of Rajasthan is to discover parallels and para- doxes of history, across time, space, and infinity. Like the Chi- nese Emperor, Maharana Raj Singh, the Custodian of Mewar from 1652 to 1680 CE, planned and built Rajsamand, one of the biggest man-made freshwater lakes of its time; he ordered co- urt historians, poets, and genea- logists to install the largest set of inscriptions on marble detailing the history of Mewar and its Maharanas on the lake-front. As in ancient China, so in pre-modern Mewar, royal achie- vements are often seen literally but not metaphorically, which Borges compels us to do. It is not only the scale of operations that is awe-inspiring and withstands the rigorous tests of time; it cha- llenges the human mind to dis- cern the ‘why’ behind ‘what’ was being historically recorded and ‘where’. Maharana Raj Singh, on auspicious days, made public donations (Tula Daans) where he was once weighed against precious gems and not just gold or silver; this scale of donation was completely unheard of and an assertion of Mewar’s might at a time when the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb was flexing its muscles, ordering destruction of temples and imposing harsh taxes. According to GS Ojha’s ‘Udaipur Rajya ka Itihas’ (The History of Udaipur State), his Tula Daans were numerous and Brahman families that benefit- ted most remained loyal to Mewar through centuries. Ojha finds it intriguing that the Maha- rana, imbued with values of Kshatriya dharma, was uphold- ing the Brahmanical order. To introduce another para- dox here: In 1672 Maharana Raj Singh provided shelter to perse- cuted priests of the Vaishnav dharma and gave Lord Krishna, their highly-venerated God as Shrinathji, a new home at Nath- dwara, which remains till date the most-thronged Krishna pil- grimage after Mathura-Brindav- an. Dwarkanathji in Kankroli and Shrinathji in Nathdwara were bestowed with Royal char- ters from Mewar and became self-sustaining temple-towns, with temple head priests in con- trol. It is to be noted that Mew- ar’s reigning deity is an incarna- tion of Lord Shiva, Paramesh- wara Maharaj Shree Eklinganath ji, deified in the ancient temple at Kailashpuri. To his boon is attributed the founding, devel- opment, and sustenance of the Kingdom of Mewar. A Shaivite ruler establishing Vaishnavite pilgrimage-centres in an age when religious bigotry was be- coming rampant? Like Borges questioning the Chinese Emperor’s deeds, in Mewar it is time to go beyond the routine historical, factual and logical and, probably, look at Maharana Raj Singh’s pion- eering achievements as metaph- ors. Since water is the biggest buzzword of our century, Rajsam- and Lake (original- ly called Raj Samu- dra, the Sea of the Raj) is an amazing engineering feat accomplished in 17th century CE Rajasthan. It spans some ten sq. miles, is ringed by low hills and valleys, and took over thr- ee years to be con- structed, tested, and then inaugu- rated. What is of- ten ignored is the depth of knowle- dge regarding hydrology, civil engineering, digging and earth- moving, and of course mathem- atics and project management, which ensured the completion of this massive project in times which are termed ‘pre-modern’. Generations of historians, be it Colonel James Tod, Kaviraj Shyamaldas, GS Ojha, GN Shar- ma, SR Sharma and RV Somani, detailed the religious rituals car- ried out, the Royal invitees from far and near, and participation of extended families of Mewar along with their Brahman prie- sts. Rajsamand would have wit- nessed a unique historical occa- sion, which brings back Borges’ essays. Metaphorically, there are meanings hidden in the con- struction of Rajsamand Lake; moreover, what was its signifi- cance for the Maharana himself? Oceans, seas, and large water- bodies reflect the skies. The in- finity of space that lies above constantly changes colours, temperatures, and carries within it the fury of storms and rains, as well as calmness and serenity. As he moved away from the lake-system ~ well-established and prevalent in Udaipur, the capital-city of Mewar ~ the Maharana created a new world where water and infinity were the core, a source of spiritual realization, inspiration, strength, and security for those who reached its shores. Rig Vedic hymns, later Upa- nishads have innumerable ref- erences to the auspicious nature of water, not just as the source of life but as the primeval elem- ent from which the earth and its living beings originated. By spe- nding huge resources from the Mewar treasury, providing food and employment for over 60,000 people, and abundantly reward- ing legions of priests-engineers- architects-workers-soldiers, the Maharana was making history to be recorded on timeless pages of infinity, as Borges would have said. Moreover, like his illustrio- us predecessors Maharana Lak- ha, Maharana Mokal and Maha- rana Udai Singh II, Maharana Raj Singh built bridges with Mewar’s glorious heritage of creating lakes and sustainable cities. He was merging himself with his past. The biggest lake of its time also houses the largest set of ins- criptions or Raj Prashasti Maha- kavya, carved on marble and emb- ellishing its well- wooded lake-fro- nt. The Maharana ordered his best poets, historians and oral historians called Bhatts and Charans, and hea- ds of Royal Families to contri- bute genealogical details for the inscriptions engraved on 25 lar- ge slabs of black marble. Each slab is 3 feet by 20 feet; there are 24 cantos composed under the leadership of Ranchod Bhatt and fixed along the embank- ment area called Nauchauki. Through the Raj Prashasti it is the history of the world of Mewar which is inscribed; chis- elled, hammered by raj-mistris and sthapatis or royal sculptors / architects for posterity. Mod- ern-day historians and chroni- clers often find it difficult to gra- sp different strands of narration. Inscribed are not only hymns to Gods but also to different dei- ties, Maharanas of the past and to reigning Gods and Goddesses. It seems hagiographic, full of praise for the heroic Kings of Mewar, and achievements of Maharana Raj Singh, the mighty patron. In Borges’s narratives the usual distinction between form and content virtually disap- pears, as does that between the world of literature and the read- er’s world. At Nauchauki, the Raj Prashasti transports the Sansk- rit-knowing reader along a simi- lar axis of historical time and space, going from current politi- cal tussles with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, to battles fought and cities built in the Kingdom of Mewar, to origins of the Mewar dynasty and homage to its fou- nding-father Bappa Rawal. “It is where fact and fiction merge, becoming indistinguish- able,” wrote Ojha. It is a con- frontation of opposites in the real world and the inscribed word, at one place and a singu- lar time. In the realm of imperial po- litics and diplomacy, Maharana Raj Singh was able to confident- ly maintain status quo, taking every opportunity to quietly as- sert Mewari independence. Whether it was fortifying Chit- torgarh, ensuring Mewar’s pres- ence at the Mughal Court or meeting with senior Mughal officials like Munshi Chandrab- han, the Maharana developed his own skillful style with pana- che. His political and military negotiations, directly and indi- rectly with the Mughal Court, are a proven record of his lead- ership abilities. Through 1679-81, the Mah- arana’s relations with Emperor Aurangzeb remained cordial on the surface but there was tur- moil which Mewar utilised to its advantage, by giving up large territories and then gaining con- trol over them. It was a ‘give and take’ strategy by which Maha- rana Raj Singh preserved his capital-city of Udaipur and did not let the Mughals overwhelm them with large armies and re- sources. Historians focusing on political history highlight mater- ial gains and losses; the Maha- rana was equally adept in sav- ing and preserving his legacies and value systems which gave Mewar its unique identity in pre-modern times assiduously nurtured by iconic rulers like Maharana Kumbha, Maharana Sangha, and Maharana Pratap from the 15th century CE onwards. In politics, diplomacy and military strategies of Mewar of the 17th century CE, there is the sharpest confrontation of oppo- sites which would delight Borges in his constant search for meta- phors that existed across time and space: independence, self- reliance, patronage to the arts in times of war and peace, and giv- ing religion and religious prac- tices due respect. In Maharana Raj Singh’s era, painting and illustration of manuscripts reached heights of excellence. The ‘Nathdwara’ style of paint- ing also owes its development to these times. Borges often quoted Baruch Spinoza, the 17th century CE Dutch philosopher who said “all things long to persist in their being.” It provides a pointer to explaining why Maharana Raj Singh, one among the 76 Custo- dians of Mewar, built lakes, tem- ples, and palaces, fought wars, patronized art, preserved his Kingdom and inscribed its his- tory on stone. Like the Chinese Emperor Shih Huang Ti, a quest for immortality made the Maha- rana resolve contradictions and paradoxes in his lifetime with- out ever exhausting infinity.

The writer is an author- researcher on history and heritage issues, and former deputy curator of Pradhanmantri Sangharalaya

Advertisement