The Ujjainiya or Ujjainia (Hindi: उज्जैनिया) is a clan of Rajputs mainly found in Bihar and Purvanchal. They are an off-shoot of Paramara dynasty of Malwa. The Ujjainiya dynasty historically ruled over the parts of Bhojpuri region during the medieval era. They were mainly rulers and aristocrats holding major power of the region.[1]
| Ujjainiya उज्जैनिया वंश | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent house | House of Paramara |
| Country | |
| Founded | 1320s |
| Founder | Raja Bhojaraja, an younger brother of Mahalakadeva |
| Titles |
|
| Style(s) | |
The members of the clan held numbers of principalities during medieval and British Raj era and are considered to have played a prominent role in the political history of the Bhojpur region. Some of the most notable principalities are Dumraon and Jagdishpur.[2]
Origins
editAccording to Tawarikh-i-Ujjainiya, an official document of Dumraon Royal family, the Ujjainiyas traced their ancestry to the royal house of Malwa. This document contains a family genealogical tree which links the Ujjainiyas to the Parmar rulers.[3] In fact, the term Ujjainiya highlights the fact that their place of origin was Ujjain which was then ruled by Paramara dynasty. The locals started calling them as Ujjainiya when they settled in the Bhojpur region after defeating the Chero rulers and established themselves as the rulers of the newly formed Kingdom of Bhojpur.[1][4]
The Ujjainiyas finds mention and given importance in several Rajasthani bardic khyat.[5]
History
editArrival in Bihar and war with the Cheros
editDuring the 14th century, the Ujjainiyas who were under the leadership of Hunkar Singh, came into conflict with the Chero dynasty who were the traditional rulers of much of Bihar and Jharkhand. In the ensuing battles, both sides suffered many casualties with the Cheros losing more than 20,000 men however eventually the Chero rulers were expelled from Western Bihar and retreated to Palamau in modern-day Jharkhand.[6] The conflict between the Ujjainiyas and the Cheros lasted for centuries as many Cheros who remained resented the Ujjainiyas and continued to rebel against them by undertaking a protracted guerilla campaign against them.[7]
Conflict with the Jaunpur Sultanate
editOnce the Ujjainiyas established sway over Western Bihar, they came into conflict with the Jaunpur Sultanate which lasted for more than 100 years. The Ujjainiyas responded to the Jaunpur Sultan, Malik Sarwar disturbing Brahmins in their prayers. The Ujjainiya ruler, Raja Harraj was initially successful in protecting these Brahmins and defeating the forces of Malik Sarwar however the Ujjainiyas were defeated in subsequent battles and retreated in the forests and resort to guerrilla warfare.[8]
Battle of Surajgarha
editThe Ujjainiyas under the leadership of Raja Gajpati helped Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Surajgarha against the Muslim rulers of Bengal who at the time were a major regional power. Raja Gajpati handpicked 2000 of his best men and was able to help Sher Shah Suri in achieving victory. General Ibrahim Khan was killed by Raja Gajpati and all the camp equipments, elephants and artillery pieces of the Bengal army fell into the hands of Ujjainiyas. In return for their help the Ujjainiyas were entitled to any spoils of war they have found.[9]
Role in military labour
editThe Ujjainiya rulers played a prominent role in the recruitment of Purbiya mercenary soldiers from Bhojpur for Hindu rulers of the Western India particularly the Marathas and also the British. For a period, their name was synonymous with the military labour market of Northern India.[10]
Kingdoms and principalities founded by Ujjainiyas
editThe Ujjainiyas were mainly rulers and aristocrats. There are many principalities ruled by different cadet branches of the Ujjainiya clan. In fact, the Persian chronicles recorded that at least one member of almost every Ujjainiya family were aristocrats.[11] Following are some of the most important states and estates founded by Ujjainiyas.
- Kingdom of Bhojpur
- Dumraon
- Jagdishpur
- Chugain
- Bihiya
- Shakarpura
Notable personalities
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Ahmad, Imtiaz (2008). "State Formation and Consolidation under the Ujjainiya Rajputs in Medieval Bihar: Testimony of Oral Traditions as Recorded in the Tawarikh-i-Ujjainiya". In Singh, Surinder; Gaur, I. D. (eds.). Popular Literature And Pre-Modern Societies In South Asia. Pearson Education India. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-81-317-1358-7. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ Rajiva Nain Prasad (1968). "The Role of Ujjainiya Rajputs in the Political History of Bihar". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 30: 167–177. JSTOR 44141471.
- ^ Kolff, Dirk H. A. (1990). Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy: The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850. Cambridge University Press. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-0-52152-305-9.
- ^ Brahmadeva Prasad Ambashthya (1961). "Tradition and Genealogy of the Ujjainiyas in Bihar". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 24: 351–352. JSTOR 44140725.
- ^ Muzaffar Alam; Sanjay Subrahmanyam (1998). The Mug̲h̲al State, 1526-1750. Oxford University Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-19-563905-6.
- ^ Surendra Gopal (22 December 2017). Mapping Bihar: From Medieval to Modern Times. Taylor & Francis. pp. 289–295. ISBN 978-1-351-03416-6.
- ^ Surinder Singh; I. D. Gaur (2008). Popular Literature and Pre-modern Societies in South Asia. Pearson Education India. pp. 77–. ISBN 978-81-317-1358-7.
- ^ Md. Iftekhar Alam (1983). "The Relation of Bhojpur and Jaunpur From 1389 A.D. to 1519 A.D". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 44: 213. JSTOR 44139839.
- ^ Muhammad Iftekhar Alam (1991). "The Role of Ujjainia Chiefs of Bhojpur in the Battle of Surajgarha (1530 A.D.): Summary". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 52: 122–127. JSTOR 44142625.
- ^ Dirk H.A. Kolff (2013). "Fighting for a Living: A Comparative Study of Military Labour 1500-2000". Fighting for a Living. Amsterdam University Press: 257. JSTOR j.ctt6wp6pg.11.
- ^ Muhammad Iftekhar Alam (1991). "The Role of Ujjainia Chiefs of Bhojpur in the Battle of Surajgarha (1530 A.D.): Summary". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 52: 122–127. JSTOR 44142625.