Mastani: Difference between revisions
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Mastani was born to [[Bundelkhand]]'s [[Maharaja]] [[Chhatrasal]] of the [[Rajput]] clan. She was born in Mau Sahaniya, now a village in the [[Chhatarpur district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. There is a Mastani Mahal in [[Dhubela]] where Mastani lived.<ref>[http://rajakelkarmuseum.com/default/collection/c-mastani.htm Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: Bajirao and Mastani]</ref> |
Mastani was born to [[Bundelkhand]]'s [[Maharaja]] [[Chhatrasal]] of the [[Rajput]] clan {{citation needed}}. She was born in Mau Sahaniya, now a village in the [[Chhatarpur district]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. There is a Mastani Mahal in [[Dhubela]] where Mastani lived.<ref>[http://rajakelkarmuseum.com/default/collection/c-mastani.htm Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: Bajirao and Mastani]</ref> |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Revision as of 11:31, 15 June 2017
Mastani | |
|---|---|
 A painting said to be of Mastani Bai | |
| Born | Mau Sahaniya, Bundelkhand |
| Died | 1740 |
| Spouse | Baji Rao I |
| Children | Shamsher Bahadur I (Krishna Rao) |
| Parent(s) | Chhatrasal Ruhaani Bai |
Mastani Bai was second wife of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.[1] She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman, skilled in arts, literature and warfare.[2] She had been dearly loved by Peshwa Bajirao but always neglected by his mother Radhabai and his brother Chimnajiappa [citation needed].
Early life
Mastani was born to Bundelkhand's Maharaja Chhatrasal of the Rajput clan [citation needed]. She was born in Mau Sahaniya, now a village in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. There is a Mastani Mahal in Dhubela where Mastani lived.[3]
Biography
There are many legends associated with Mastani. One of the most well-known is that Mastani was daughter of Bundela Rajput leader Maharaja Chhatrasal(1649–1731), the founder of Panna State in Bundelkhand province.[4] When a Mughal officer from Allahabad, Pathan Mohammad Khan Bangash, invaded Chhattrasal's kingdom during 1727-28, Chhattrasal sent a secret message, seeking help, from Bajirao I, who happened to be on a military campaign in the vicinity of Bundelkhand. Bajirao came to the rescue of Chhatrasal. In gratitude, Chattrasal gave Bajirao his daughter Mastani and a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi, Sagar and Kalpi as well as 33 lakh gold coins to Bajirao. He also gifted a diamond mine to Bajirao in marriage to Mastani along with a handful of villages.
However, sources vary on this context. According to another view of Chhatrasal, she was the daughter of Nizam of Hyderabad. Nizam, defeated by Chhatrasal in 1698, was advised by his wife to marry his daughter to Chhatrasal to foster friendly relations with the Bundelas who had become the most dominant power in Central India.[5]
However, the most accepted and conclusive version is that she was the daughter of Chhatrasal with his Persian Muslim wife Ruhaani Bai. Mastani is often referred to as Bajirao's concubine or mistress, but she was his lawfully wedded wife.[6]
Mastani was skilled in horse-riding, spear-throwing and swordsmanship and a talented dancer and singer. She accompanied Bajirao on his military campaigns. Bajirao's first wife, Kashibai and Mastani bore sons to Bajirao within a few months of each other. Kashibai's child was named Raghunathrao and Mastani's child was named Shamsher Bahadur, who was named Krishna Rao at birth.
Bajirao bestowed the Jagir of Banda on Shamsher (Peshwa). The son fought on the side of the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat in 1761 against Ahmed Shah Abdali and is said to have been killed in the battle.[7]
Bajirao's love for his half-Muslim wife Mastani and neglect of Kashibai angered his mother, Radhabai. In deference to Radhabai, Bajirao's brother, Chimajiappa, tried to send Mastani into exile. Bajirao's son, Balaji, also tried to coerce Mastani into leaving his father, but she refused. Enraged by her growing influence on Bajirao and Bajirao's neglect of Kashibai, Balaji had Mastani placed under house arrest for a time, while Bajirao was on military campaign.
Mastani lived for some time with Bajirao at his palace of Shaniwar Wada in the city of Pune. The palace's north-east corner held Mastani Mahal and had its own external doorway called Mastani Darwaza. Because of his family's intolerance of Mastani, Bajirao later built a separate residence for Mastani at Kothrud in 1734,[4] some distance away from Shaniwar Wada. The site still exists at the Mrutyunjay temple on Karve road. The palace at Kothrud was dismantled and parts of this are displayed at a special section of Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum.[2][4] Court records(Bakhars) during Bajirao's regime specifically never included any reference to her.[citation needed] Historians have determined that the paintings of Mastani in both Raja Kelkar Museum and Wai museum are not authentic.[citation needed]
Mastani is believed to have been a skilled horse-rider and a warrior. She also assisted Bajirao Peshwa in running the day-to-day affairs of courts.[citation needed]
According to a local folklore, the lake near Dive Village, on Pune-Saswad Road, was funded by Mastani to fulfill the water requirements of nearby villages.[citation needed]
Death
In April 1740, while Bajirao was inspecting his lands at Khargon, he suddenly became ill from fever(possibly heat stroke) and died. Kashibai, Chimajiappa and Balaji(Nanasaheb) came to Khargon. Mastani was not permitted to attend the funeral.[citation needed] Bajirao's mortal remains were consigned to flames on April 28, 1740, at Raver Khedi on the banks of Narmada River. Mastani died at Pabal Village near Pune, soon afterwards.[citation needed]
How Mastani died is still a mystery. It is not known if she committed suicide, was assassinated or died of shock after hearing the news of her husband's death. One folk story claims that she committed suicide by sati.[8]
Mastani's grave is in Pabal and is called Mastani's samadhi or mazaar.[9]
Descendants
Kashibai took Mastani's six-year-old son Shamsher Bahadur into her household and raised him as one of her own. He was given the jagir of Banda and Kalpi.[10] The Nawabs of Banda are his descendants.[11] In 1857, the Nawab of Banda sided with the Rani of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[12] The descendants now live in Bhopal, Indore and Sehore.[citation needed]
Mastani In Popular Culture
- The story of Baji Rao and Mastani was made into a motion picture, Mastani, directed by Dhirubhai Desai, and released in 1955.[13]
- A Marathi serial, Rau, was produced in 1990s, based on a Marathi book of the same name by historical novelist N. S. Inamdar about the life of Baji Rao and Mastani.
- A serial was broadcast on ETV Marathi by the name, Shrimant Peshwa Bajirao Mastani.[14]
- In the 2015 drama film Bajirao Mastani directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Mastani was portrayed by Deepika Padukone.[15]
- The television series Peshwa Bajirao which is now airing on Sony TV is based on the story of Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao.
References
- ^ "How Bajirao and Mastani became a byword for doomed romance".
- ^ a b Tribure India accessed 3 March 2008
- ^ Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum: Bajirao and Mastani
- ^ a b c Rajakelkar Museum accessed 3 March 2008
- ^ Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803) - G.S.Chhabra - Google Books. Books.google.co.in.
- ^ How Bajirao’s Mastani united Hindus and Muslims after her death
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Jaswant Lal Mehta (1 January 2005). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 125. ISBN 978-1-932705-54-6.
- ^ Mishra, Garima (20 November 2015). "Grave of Mastani: Hindus call it samadhi :), Muslims mazaar". Indian Express. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ THE MASTANI MYSTERY By MITALI PAREKH, Ahmedabad Mirror, 13 September 2015
- ^ The Nawabs of Banda
- ^ नवाब बांदा को राखी भेजकर रानी लक्ष्मीबाई ने मांगी थी मदद, Amar Ujala, 29 August 2015
- ^ Mastani at IMDb
- ^ "ETV website". Etv.co.in. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Jha, Subhash K (19 October 2015). "Bajirao Mastani review: This gloriously epic Priyanka, Deepika and Ranveer-starrer is the best film of 2015". Firstpost. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
Further reading
- Godse, D. G. Mastānī, Pôpyulara Prakāśana, 1989 (Marathi)
- Anne Feldhaus. Images of women in Maharashtrian society. SUNY Press (1998), p. 70.
- Stewart Gordon. The New Cambridge History of India vol. 2 part 4: The Marathas 1600-1818. Cambridge University Press (1993),p. 130.
