Contribution of Sindh in Freedom Movement of India
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2013 Contribution of Sindh in Freedom Movement of India This is the translation from the Hindi Book by Prem Tanwani “Swatantra Sangram Aur Sindh Ka Yogdan” Translated by: Deepak Ramchandani CONTRIBUTION OF SINDH IN MOVEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE OF INDIA Author Prem Motiram Tanwani B-28, Galaxy Residence, Amlidih , Raipur (Chattisgadh ) Mobile-9301179876 Translated By: Deepak Ramchandani S.D.B.90, Adipur-Kachchh, Pin-370205 M-9426321521, 02836-262275 2 From My Pen: I started reading history at the age of 45 years; most of the books I read were issued from N.R.Malkani library at Adipur. One day I got a book by Prem Motiram Tanwani “Swatantra Sangram Aur Sindh Ka Yogdan” I read this and shared my views with my wife that this book is worth translating into English, so that our generation which does not read Hindi could read the translated version. My family lives in Adipur and I am posted at Gandhinagar in Water Supply Board as Executive Engineer (Civil), I also shared the same with my colleagues and also narrated some important chapter of Parcho Vidhyarthi. But the question was of availability of time. On 17th May 2013 I encountered with an accident and was injured on head, skull and teeth, I proceeded on medical leave, this had given me opportunity of passing time during rest period. I spoke to the author Mr. Prem Tanwani on his mobile phone and got his permission and blessing. I am neither scholar of Hindi nor English as being technocrat there is less use of English in our Job, so the translation is in simple language. I can only translate facts, but translating feeling of the author is not possible, hence there are certain restrictions which may be regretted. Also errors and omissions may please be regretted. I also thank my Wife and Children for cooperating in my work. Deepak Ramchandani 3 Alexander was defeated in Sindh: All the books of history are influenced by British, in which they always termed the attacking forces on nation as powerful. Alexander is termed as the conqueror of the world. He defeated Porus in India. He started from Iran and on the way towards Afghanistan he conquered almost small and big kingdoms. King Porus of the kingdom near Jhelum River in Punjab gave the tough fight to Alexander. Due to which he did not dare to attack on Magadha which was the powerful kingdom with large army. Alexander was opposed in Afghanistan and there was instability there so he wanted to return to Greece through route of Sindh. At that time Sindh was ruled by Sambas whose ancestors were Shri Krishna and Jhambwanti; this was the time of 324 BC when Alexander attacked Sindh. As per the book written by H. T. Lembark “ Sindh before Muslim conquest” When Alexander started attack on Sindh with slogan “ Al illahi “, at the first instant Sindh soldiers was shocked and ran back , their King also ran back. There after they gathered courage and planned to attack back. At that time Brahmins were the dominating, intelligent and respectable personality in Sindh, they motivated the public to take revenge and attack, they also motivated King Sambas that to attack and bear his responsibility of protection of nation. At that time Sindh was extended up to Western Punjab and Multan. The attack on Alexander was severe by Sindh and this was the worst period of Alexander in his life. In another book written by Plutarch” In one village of Multan, there was a camp of soldier which were termed as "mal pahalwan" ( mal is the art of fighting by body builder youths of this skill are known as Mall Pahalwan). These soldiers were famous in the nation. Reaching at this place Alexander had put himself in danger. Some these soldiers attacked Alexander and his arms were injured. One arrow penetrated his protection jacket into his chest. The attack was so deadly that he could not stand and rested on his knees. One soldier ran towards sword but was intervened by Macedonian soldier, otherwise it was the last day of Alexander. There was also 4 rumor of Alexander’s death during this event, but he was taken by a Macedonian soldiers in safe place where he was treated. After Alexander became healthy, he displayed his cruelty by killing hundreds of unarmed Brahmins, as due to Brahmins king Sambas and his soldiers gather courage to attack Alexander. When Alexander returned back out of 40000 soldiers only 15000 soldiers could return alive, remaining died during war. As per the biography of Alexander written by Robin Len Paul, “ Majority of the soldiers of Alexander who returned back were of opinion that they had faced maximum difficult in Sindh area during attack on the Asia.” 5 Alexander waterloo in Sindh EVEN MORE than the Vedas and the Epics, Sindh figures very prominently in, of all places, the annals of Sikander that is Alexander. British historians used to talk of Alexander as ``the world conqueror'' who ``came and saw and conquered'' every land he had visited. He is still advertised in Indian text-books as the victor in his war with India's Porus (Puru). However, the facts as recorded by Alexander's own Greek historians tell a very different tale. And Marshal Zhukov, the famous Russian commander in World War II, said at the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, a few years back, that India had defeated Alexander. Alexander fared badly enough with Porus in the Punjab. Indeed, Porus put him on the spot when he told him: ``To what purpose should we make war upon one another. if the design of your coming to these parts be not to rob us of our water or our necessary food, which are the only things that wise men are indispensably obliged to fight for? As for other riches and possessions, as they are accounted in the eyes of the world, if I am better provided of them 6 than you, I am ready to let you share with me; but if fortune has been more liberal to you than to me, I have no objection to be obliged to you.'' Alexander had no reply to the questions posed by Porus. Instead, with the obstinacy of a bully, he said: ``I shall contend and do battle with you so far that, howsoever obliging you are, you shall not have the better of me.'' But Porus did have the better of Alexander. In the fighting that ensued, the Greeks were so terrified of Indian prowess that they refused to proceed farther, in spite of Alexander's angry urgings and piteous lamentations. Writes Plutarch, the great Greek historian: ``This last combat with Porus took off the edge of the Macedonians' courage and stayed their further progress in India.... Alexander not only offered Porus to govern his own kingdom as satrap under himself but gave him also the additional territory of various independent tribes whom he had subdued.'' Porus emerged from his war with Alexander with his territory doubled and his gold stock augmented. So much for Alexander's ``victory'' over Porus. However, what was to befall him in Sindh, was even worse. In his wars in Iran. Afghanistan, and north-west India,. Alexander had made so many enemies that he did not dare return home by the same route he had come. He had, therefore, decided to travel via Sindh. But in Multan the Mallas gave him hell. When Alexander's hordes invaded Sindh with the novel war-cry ``Alalalalalai! `` the Sindhis were obviously scared. The rulers of Musicanus, Sindemana, and Patala --- identified by Dr. H.T Sorely I.C.S. author of The Gazeteer of Sind (1968), as Alor, Sehwan, and Hyderabad, respectively- fled. (``Patala'' is believed to be a Greek corruption of ``Patan'' which means river bank or sea shore). But before long they collected their wits and gave Alexander a very bad time. Notes H.T. Lambrick, a former commissioner of Sindh, and author of the Sindh before Muslim Conquest: ``There was a subtle power in Sindh which created the will to resist the foreigner, the influence of the Brahmins.'' Dushhala's settling of 30,000 Brahmins in Sindh had not gone in vain! Alexander confessed to his friends back home: ``They(Sindhis) attacked me everywhere. They wounded my shoulder, they hit my leg, they shot an arrow in my chest, and they struck me on my neck with a loud thud.'' At one stage word had spread in the Greek camp that Alexander was dead --- and he had to be propped up and exhibited as alive! Alexander never excused the Brahmins for persuading the Sindhi king Sabbas to stand up and fight. To the horror of the local people, he had a whole lot of them slaughtered. However, he 7 was so impressed with the quality and spirit of the Brahmins that he captured and kept with him ten of them. Plutarch's account of Alexander's questions and their replies makes interesting reading. ``The first brahmin being asked whether he thought the most numerous the dead or the living, answered, `the living, because those who are dead, are not at all'. Of the second he desired to know whether the earth or the sea produced the largest beasts, who told him. `The earth, for the sea is but part of it . His question to the third was, `which is the cunningest of animals?' `That,' said he, 'which men have not yet found out.' He bade the fourth to tell him what argument he used with Sabbas to persuade him to revolt 'No other,' he said, `than that he should either live nobly or die nobly.' Of the fifth he asked, what was the oldest, night or day.