Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath

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Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath
Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath.jpg
Born(1872-11-21)21 November 1872
Devpura, Shahpura State
DiedAugust 14, 1941(1941-08-14) (aged 68)
Other namesRajasthan Kesari
OccupationChief Counselor to Maharana of Mewar(Udaipur State);
Superintendent Ethnography of Kota State
Known forRevolutionary activities against British Raj
Notable work
Chetawani ra Chungatiya
MovementIndian independence movement
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Spouse(s)Manik Kanwar
ChildrenKunwar Pratap Singh Barhath

Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath (21 November 1872 – 14 August 1941) was an prominent Indian revolutionary leader, freedom fighter, and educationist from Rajasthan. He was the head/patriarch of the Barhath family, members of which actively participated in anti-British activities including son Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath and brother Zorawar Singh Barhath. Kesari Singh was at the top of the list among the revolutionaries to be monitored by the British CID.[1] He is also known as Rajasthan Kesari.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

He is known for dissuading Maharana Fateh Singh from attending the 1903 Delhi Durbar through his Dingal (Rajasthani) work Chetawani ra Chungatiya. He was the founder of 'Veer Bharat Sabha', a revolutionary organization based in Rajasthan. He also co-founded 'Rajasthan Seva Sangh' and 'Rajputana-Madhya Bharat Sabha'. He wrote extensively on the theme of nationalism and independence, and also composed poems in Dingal (Old Rajasthani).[8][9][10]

Life and education[]

Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath was born on 21 November 1872 in his ancestral Devpura jagir of erstwhile Shahpura State. His father, Thakur Krishna Singh Barhath, was one of the Chief Counsellors to the Maharana of Mewar. He belonged to the Sauda-Barhath lineage of Charans.[11] Singh spent his early childhood in Shahpura. At the age of 8, he joined his father Krishna Singh at Udaipur who was employed as chief counselor to the ruler of Mewar. It is there he completed his education.[11]

In Udaipur, Barhath was educated in Dingal, Sanskrit, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati,scriptures, astronomy, history, and ancient Indian philosophy. He was also taught Indian and European history. By 1889, at the age of 18, he had completed his education.[11]

In 1890, Barhath married Manik Kanwar, sister of Kaviraja Devidan of Kotdi thikana in Kota. After 3 years, on 25 May 1893, Kunwar Pratap Singh was born, at their residence in Kaviraja Shyamaldas Haveli in Udaipur.[12]

Career[]

Chief Counselor to Maharana Mewar[]

From 1891, Barhath started working in the service of Maharana along with his father Krishna Singh Barhath. Due to increasing political interference of the British in the administration, he left the service in 1893.[12][10]

Superintendent Ethnography of Kota State[]

After a few years of leaving the service of Maharana, in 1900, Barhath was invited by the Kota ruler Maharao Ummed Singh to continue service in his court. Two years later, in 1902, Barhath was appointed as the Ethnography Superintendent of the Kota State. He continued at this position till 1907.[12]

Maharao Bhim Singh Library[]

Barhath, during his service in Kota State, established The Maharao Bhim Singh Public Library in Kota. It is currently run by the Municipal Corporation of Kota.[13]

Chetawani ra Chungatiya[]

In 1903, British Viceroy Lord Curzon held Delhi Durbar to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII. All Indian Kings were invited and required to attend the ceremony showing their fealty to the British Empire. Barhathh composed Chetawani ra Chungatiya, a collection of 13 couplets, and exhorted Fateh Singh, Maharana of Mewar, to not attend the Delhi Durbar. Through his composition, he stated the tradition of Maharana's noble ancestors who never became part of the Mughal Court(Durbar), and the importance and the respect the throne of Mewar had in the eyes of Indians. The verses influenced Maharana Fateh Singh and he returned from Delhi without attending the Durbar.[11][10][14]

Revolutionary activities[]

During the period of 1900–14, Kesari Singh acquired an increasingly hostile view of British rule in India. Noticing the subservient nature of the native rulers towards the British Raj, Barhath believed that by organizing the common soldiers, Rajputs, Charans, and other martial races of Rajputana to take up arms, Rajputana would become free of British, and this way the revolution would spread to rest of India. He found like-minded friends in Arjunlal Sethi of Jaipur and Rao Gopal Singh Kharwa, and later came in contact with revolutionaries in other parts of India like Ras Bihari Bose and Sachindra Nath Sanyal. He became a part of the Revolutionary Party.[12]

Walterkrit Hitkarini Sabha[]

Walterkrit Hitkarini Sabha, through the efforts of Kaviraja Shyamaldas, was established in 1880 under the chairmanship of the then Agent to the Governor General Colonel Walter in Rajputana. Its branches were in almost all the states of Rajputana. Annual conferences of this assembly were held. Proposals etc. were to be passed, but nothing was done beyond that. Barhath actively used the Botta branch of Walterkrit Rajputra Hitkarini Sabha as a medium and through it made constant efforts to make its central organization effective.[12][10]

In 1905 annual conference, Barhath proposed that the "Rajputra Hitkarini Sabha" be free from the influence of British, Agent to the Governor General should not be its permanent President but have a Rajput monarch in its place which keep changing every year. He insisted on taking the proceedings of the Sabha in Hindi and primarily focus on education. During 1905 to 1913, Barhath communicated with high positioned officers in the princely states of Rajputana, Kshatriya officers, Jagirdars and emphasized on caste reforms and for the end of outdated practices like Tika tradition. He wrote a detailed article in Hindi and English on the reasons for the origin of "Tika-practice" and its ill-effects to AGG and insisted for the end of the same through Hitkarini Sabha.[12]

Nationalist education[]

During the period 1904 to 1913, Barhath made many plans and efforts to promote national education. In his view, English-medium colleges like Mayo College Ajmer, where the feudal and ruling class of Rajputana sent their children to study, were creating inferiority complex among the students. He wished to promote Nationalist Education in which the students learn about their history, culture of their nation. In 1904, he prepared a plan for the establishment of a Kshatriya college in Rajputana. In January 1904, in the session of the Kshatriya Mahasabha in Ajmer, the proposal for the establishment of Kshatriya College was passed and a committee was formed under it. Barhath made a lot of effort for the implementation of this plan but due to the fear of repressions from the British, he did not get cooperation from the feudal class in Rajputana.[12]

Mazzini as political guru[]

Barhath considered Italy's father of nation Giuseppe Mazzini as his guru in politics. Veer Savarkar wrote Mazzini's biography in Marathi while studying in London and secretly sent it to Bal Gangadhar Tilak because at that time the book on Mazzini's biography was banned by the British Empire. Barhath did the Hindi translation of this Marathi book.[1]

Veer Bharat Sabha[]

In 1910, Barhath established Veer Bharat Sabha.[15][14]

He got involved in this work at the beginning of the First World War (1914) to prepare for the armed revolution. He sent a parcel of cartridges to the revolutionaries of Banaras and contacted the soldiers of the princely states and British army.[1]

British scrutiny[]

In the intelligence reports of the British government, Barhath was considered particularly responsible for spreading the revolution in Rajputana. In the year 1912, Barhath's name was at the top of the list of National Archives of India among the persons to be monitored by the British CID.[1]

Pyarelal murder case[]

To raise funds for the cause, the revolutionaries headed by Barhath found a rich & corrupt mahant Payrelal from Jodhpur. He was brought to Kota on the orders of Barhath, and was subsequently killed. Kesari Singh was arrested by the British Government in Shahpura on 21 March 1914 for sedition, conspiracy and murder in the Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy(Mahant Pyarelal) Case.[1][10]

Even as the trial was going on, the ruler of Shahpura confiscated the property of Barhath including his jagir and haveli in Shahpura.[16]

In this case, Barhathh was sentenced to several years of rigorous imprisonment and sent to Hazaribagh Central Jail, Bihar, away from Rajasthan.[1]

Release from jail[]

After the end of World War I in 1919, many political prisoners were released under general amnesty by the British. Under this, Barhath and other important leaders of Rajasthan like Arjun Lal Sethi, Gopal Singh Kharwa were released.[11]

After his release from Hazari Bagh prison in April 1920, he resumed his denunciations against the British rulers of India, writing a letter to the Governor General of Abu detailing a proposal for responsible government in Rajasthan and India's princely states. His plan called for a Rajasthan General Assembly comprising two chambers, one made up of representatives from the landlord and the klesser nobility, and a second council representing common people and the peasant and merchant classes.

As Barhath saw it, the proposed assembly should attempt to promote all-round development through "State religious, social, moral, economic, mental, physical and public benevolent powers." In his letter, he declared that the then prevailing system viewed the people as only “a sweet machine to make money,” and governance as a tool to take that money: "The style of governance is neither old nor new, nor a monopoly power or the entire bureaucracy.... It is an illusion to cover the fire with a sheet, it is a game or a trick. This is my witness."

Even after his release from the jail, Kesari Singh was back in revolutionary plots and conspiracies against the British. In connection to Nimej and Kota Murder Case, Director of Criminal Intelligence reported as follows:-[17]

“Gopal Singh and Kesari Singh were mixed up with the seditionists in British India and were furthering plots and conspiracies directly affecting British India. When the Thakur (Kesari Singh) was called upon to explain he spun out an evasive statement mouth after mouth, and meanwhile continued his plotting, and remained in possession of an extraordinary arsenal of fire arms and ammunitions.”[17]

Rajasthan Kesari[]

He was released from prison in the year 1919. After which, in 1920-21, Barhath shifted to Wardha on invitation by Seth Jamnalal Bajaj. A weekly newspaper named 'Rajasthan Kesari' was started in his name in Wardha, whose editor was Vijay Singh Pathik. Barhath had contact with Mahatma Gandhi in Wardha itself.[1][18][19][20]

Rajasthan Kesari, a weekly newspaper, named in honor of Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath, edited by Vijay Singh Pathik, another revolutionary and associate of Barhath. It was published in Wardha, Maharashtra.[21]

Barhath and Arjun Lal Sethi were active contributors.[17]

Later, it became a mouthpiece for the 'Rajasthan Seva Sangh' and its sister organization 'Rajputana Madhya Bharat Sabha'.[8]

Rajasthan Seva Sangh[]

In 1919, Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath met Mahatma Gandhi and on his advice established 'Rajasthan Seva Sangh' at Wardha, along with Arjunlal Sethi and Vijay Singh Pathik. Next year, they shifted the Sabha to Ajmer, which was a British province in Rajputana States. They also had their branches in Kota, Jaipur, and Jodhpur. The main objectives of this organization were:-[8]

  1. to obtain redress of the grievances of the public;
  2. to support the rightful claims of the rulers and Jagirdars; and
  3. to create friendly relations between people and the Jagirdars.

In 1920s, this Sabha became the leading organization behind the Bijolia peasant movement in Rajasthan. The atrocities committed by the police in Bundi, Sirohi, and Udaipur were highlighted and the 'Rajasthan Kesari' weekly was used for this purpose.[8]

Later, 'Navin Rajasthan', and subsequently 'Tarun Rajasthan', were started as a weekly to work as mouthpiece. Barhath wrote regular articles to familiarize the people with issues.[8]

Rajputana-Madhya Bharat Sabha[]

In 1920, Rajputana Madhya Bharat Sabha was established by Barhath along with Gopal Singh Kharwa and Arjunlal Sethi. The objective of this Sabha was to propagate the ideas of political liberty & freedom in Rajasthan.[17]

Assigned for killing Gibson[]

Barhath and Jwala Prasad were assigned the task of killing Gibson. Barhath was provided a revolver by Vijay Singh Pathik.[16]

Death[]

According to his granddaughter, Vijayalakshmi, during the last seven days of illness, Barhath used to recite the verses of the Gita and Upanishads continuously. In his last moments he was only looking at the picture of his son. When the picture was given in his hand, he spoke a couplet:

“कहाँ जाये कहाँ ऊपने, कहाँ लड़ाये लाड। का जाने केहि खाड में, जाय पड़ेंगे हाड॥”

Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath, a revolutionary and a poet, who had given his life for the freedom of the nation, breathed his last on 14 August 1941 with the utterance of 'Hariom Tat Sat'.[1]

Works[]

Source:[10]

  1. Chetawani ra Chungatiya (13 couplets addressed to Maharana Fateh Singh)
  2. Kavya-Kusumanjali (based on pun, presented to Lord Curzon)
  3. Hindi translation of Buddhacharita by Asvaghosa
  4. Hindi translation of the biography of Giuseppe Mazzini
  5. Roothi Rani[14]

Legacy[]

In January 2019, portraits of revolutionaries of Barhath Family including Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath, Zorawar Singh Barhath, and Kunwar Pratap Singh Barhath were placed in the gallary of Delhi Assembly .[22]

Singh along with other members of Barhath family of Shahpura are taught as part of secondary syllabus in RBSC board in Rajasthan.[23]

There is a 'Kesari Singh Barhath Colony' on Shahpura-Bhilwara road in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.[24]

Haveli of Late Shri Kesari Singh Barhath[]

‘Haveli of Late Shri Kesari Singh Barhath’ located in Shahpura is a State Protected Monument by the Government of Rajasthan.[25]

At the 100th death anniversary of Pratap Singh Barhath, the Barhath Haveli of Shahpura has been converted to Shri Kesari Singh Barhath Government Museum.[26]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "केसरी सिंह बारहठ: वह कवि जिसने रोका मेवाड़ के महाराणा को अंग्रेजों के दिल्ली दरबार में जाने से!". The Better India - Hindi. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
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  3. ^ Sarasvatī (in Hindi). Iṇḍiyana Presa. July 1972. राजस्थान केसरी ठाकुर केशरीसिंह बारहट केवल कवि ही नहीं ऊंचे दर्जे के विचारक तथा संस्कृत, राजनीति एवं दर्शन के महान् पंडित थे।
  4. ^ Nāṭāṇī, Kamaleśa Kumāra (1999). Rājasthāna jñāna kosha: Rājasthāna Loka Sevā Āyoga, Ajamera dvārā āyojita kī jāne vālī Rājasthāna Rājya evaṃ Adhīnastha Sevāem̐ Saṃyuktta Pratiyogī Parikshā (R.A.S. & R.T.S., Exam) kī prārambhika evaṃ mukhya parīkshā ke lie pūrṇarūpa se upayogī pustaka, 1999-2000 (in Hindi). Jaina Prakāśana Mandira. ISBN 978-81-87449-03-4. ठा. जोरावर सिंह बारहट राजस्थान केसरी ठा. केसरी सिंह बारहट के छोटे भाई और अमर शहीद प्रताप सिंह बारहट के चाचा थे। उनका बाल्यकाल शाहपुरा उदयपुर और जोधपुर के जागीरी घरानों के साथ बीता।
  5. ^ Sarasvati, Swami Dayananda (1980). Rishi Dayananda Sarasvati ke patra aur vidhyapan (in Hindi). Ramlal Kapoor Trust.
  6. ^ Bhartiya, Bhawanilal (2002). Svāmī Dayānanda Sarasvatī ke patra-vyavahāra kā viśleshaṇātmaka adhyayana (in Hindi). Dayānanda Adhyayana Saṃsthana. इन किसनजो बारहट के सुपुत्र राजस्थान केसरी श्री केसरीसिंह बारहट व जोरावरसिंह तथा पौत्र प्रतापसिंह राजपूताने के प्रसिद्ध क्रान्तिकारी थे, जिन्होंने देश के लिये नानाप्रकार की यातनाएं सही
  7. ^ Natani, Prakash Narayan (1999). Rajasthan Nirman Ke Pachas Varsh, In 2 Vols (in Hindi). Poinṭara Pabliśarsa. ISBN 978-81-7132-237-4. शाहपुरा के जागीरदार, वंश-भास्कर के टीकाकार ठाकुर किशनसिंह के ये द्वितीय पुत्र थे । आपके बड़े भाई राजस्थान केसरी केसरीसिंह एवं छोटे भाई जोरावर सिंह ने राष्ट्रीय क्रांति युग में भाग लिया ।
  8. ^ a b c d e Mathur, Vishnu Dayal (1984). States' People's Conference: Origin and Role in Rajasthan. Publication Scheme. ISBN 978-81-85263-30-4.
  9. ^ Natani, Prakash Narayan (1999). Rajasthan Nirman Ke Pachas Varsh, In 2 Vols (in Hindi). Poinṭara Pabliśarsa. ISBN 978-81-7132-237-4. केसरीसिंह बारहठ शाहपुरा के रहने वाले थे। वे स्वामी दयानन्द सरस्वती के शिष्य थे। आपको स्वामी जी से राष्ट्रीय प्रेम प्राप्त हुआ। केसरीसिंह विद्वान थे।
  10. ^ a b c d e f Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: A-Devo. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1. BARAHATHA KESARISIMHA (Rajasthani; b. 1872 d. 1941) was a revolutionary and patriotic poet of Khari Boli, Rajasthani and Braja. He was born at Devaj-ka kheda, his ancestral Jagir village in former Sahapura state. He served in the erstwhile states of Udaipur and Kota in various capacities. He played an important part in bringing about social reforms among the Rajput and Charana communities, in his capacity as an active member of the Walter-Rajput-Hitakarini Sabha (1905). He was arrested and imprisioned for 20 years on the charge of murdering a wealthy sadhu, Pyarelal, and was sent to Hazaribagh Jail. He was released in 1919 on the occasion of the victory celebrations of the first World War. Thereafter he devoted himself to meditation and performance of religious austerities.
  11. ^ a b c d e Yadav, Kripal Chandra; Arya, Krishan Singh (1988). Arya Samaj and the Freedom Movement. Manohar Publications. ISBN 978-81-85054-42-1.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Dr. D.l.paliwal (1956). Krantikari Barhat Kaisrisingh Vyaktitva Avam Kratitva [ Vol.1 ].
  13. ^ Chaudhary, S. K. (2002). Modern Library Strategies. APH Publishing. ISBN 978-81-7648-371-1.
  14. ^ a b c "Merged 4 Min 1 1 PDF | PDF | Sikhism | Business". Scribd. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  15. ^ Meena, R. P. RPSC RAS Prelims: History of Rajasthan Complete Study Notes With MCQ. New Era Publication.
  16. ^ a b Eshwar, L. M. (1968). Sunset and Dawn: The Story of Rajasthan. FACT.
  17. ^ a b c d Saxena, K. S. (1971). The Political Movements and Awakening in Rajasthan, 1857 to 1947. S. Chand.
  18. ^ EduGorilla (2 July 2020). Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) - General Studies 2020 | Paper 1 | 8 Full Length Mock Test + Previous Year Paper 2018 | With Complete Solution (in Hindi). EduGorilla. सन 1920-1921 ई. में जमनालाल बजाज के आमंत्रण पर केसरी सिंह जी सपरिवार वर्धा चले गए। वर्धा में उनके नाम से ‘राजस्थान केसरी' नामक साप्ताहिक समाचार पत्र शुरू किया गया, जिसके संपादक विजय सिंह पथिक थे। वर्धा में ही केसरी सिंह का महात्मा गाँधी से घनिष्ठ संपर्क हुआ।
  19. ^ Gupta, Dr Mohan Lal. Revolutionary Thakur Kesari Singh Barhath: क्रांतिकारी ���ाकुर केसरीसिंह बारहठ (in Hindi). Shubhda Prakashan. इस समाचार पत्र का नामकरण ठाकुर केसरीसिंह के नाम पर किया गया। इस समाचार पत्र का सम्पादन अर्जुनलाल सेठी करते थे। इसमें देशी राज्यों और मुख्यतः राजस्थान की रियासतों से सम्बंधित विचार, समाचार आदि प्रकाशित होते थे। केसरीसिंह बारहठ भी इसमें लेख लिखते थे।
  20. ^ Team, YCT Expert. Modern History of India & National Movement (in Hindi). Youth Competition Times. क्रांतिकारी केसरी सिंह बारहठ को महन्त प्यारे लाल हत्याकांड में सजा मिली। केसरी सिंह बारहठ एक कवि और स्वतन्त्रता सेनानी थे। इन्हें मार्च, 1914 को गिरफ्तार किया गया और इन्हीं के नाम से महाराष्ट्र के वर्धा में 'राजस्थान केसरी' साप्ताहिक समाचार पत्र जारी किया गया, जिसका संपादन 'विजय सिंह पथिक' ने किया। जोरावर सिंह (केसरी सिंह बारहट के सगे भाई) का नाम लार्ड हार्डिंग बमकाण्ड (दिल्ली) में आता है।
  21. ^ TEAM, YCT EXPERT. HISTORY OF MODERN INDIA AND NATIONAL MOVEMENT (2020-21 ALL IAS/PCS) (in Hindi). Youth Competition Times.
  22. ^ "शहीद केसरीसिंह बारहठ का चित्र दिल्ली विधानसभा में लगेगा". Patrika News (in Hindi). Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  23. ^ "कोटा के क्रांतिकारी केसरीसिंह की जीवनी पढ़ेंगे छात्र". Dainik Bhaskar. 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
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