Haryana Sarvakhap Panchayat

Haryana Sarvakhap Panchayat was constituted by Harshavardhana in year 643 AD to organize Jats as a Federation of warriors.

हरियाणा सर्वखाप पंचायत का गठन

महाराजा हर्षवर्धन ने सन 643 में जाट क्षत्रियों को एकजुट करने के लिए कन्नौज शहर में विशाल सम्मलेन कराया था वह सर्वखाप पंचायत ही थी जिसका नाम 'हरियाणा सर्वखाप पंचायत' रखा गया था चूँकि उन दिनों विशाल हरियाणा उत्तर में सतलज नदी तक, पूर्व में देहरादून, बरेली, मैनपुरी तथा तराई एरिया तक, दक्षिण में चम्बल नदी तक और पश्चिम में गंगानगर तक फैला हुआ था. सर्वखाप के चार केंद्र थानेसर, दिल्ली, रोहतक और कन्नौज बनाये गए थे. इस सर्वखाप पंचायत में करीब 300 छोटी-बड़ी पालें, खाप और संगठन शामिल थे. पंचायत ने थानेसर सम्राट हर्षवर्धन का कनौज के राजा के रूप में राज्याभिषेक किया. सम्राट हर्ष ने वैदिक विधि विधान से सर्वखाप पंचायत का गठन किया. इससे पूर्व विभिन्न खापों के विभिन्न स्वरुप, संविधान और कार्य करने के तौर तरीके अलग-अलग थे.

Haryana Sarva Khap Panchayat Army and Timur

In 1398 AD Timur made a ferocious attack on India with 92,000 horsemen. On receiving the news of Timur's total and open looting and destruction, in Vikram Samvat 1455 (1398 AD), kartick badi 5, Raja Devpala (who was born in the village of Nirpura, District Meerut in a Jat family), who was in charge of the of the Haryana Sarva Khap Panchayat, called a Mahapanchayat in the jungles in the middle of the villages of Tikri, Doghat, and Daha. The chief committee passed the following resolutions:

1) All villages would be emptied.

2) The elders and women, and children would be taken to safe places

3) All able-bodied men would join the army of the Sarv Khap

4) The young women would also take up arms like the men.

5) The army of Timur, which was advancing from Delhi to Haridwar, would be fought with Guerilla warfare, and the water in his way would be poisoned.

6) 500 young horsemen would follow Timur and report his whereabouts to the Sarv Khap army.

The Panchayat Army: Under the flag of the panchayat, 80,000 warrior soldiers (Mulls) and 40,000 young women joined together. These heroes also handled all the arrangements of the war material. From hundreds of miles around Delhi Heroic warriors came to the battlefield ready to sacrifice their lives. All the young men and women took up arms.

Dharampal Dev, a Jat warrior, who was 95 years old, played a great part in gathering together this army. He traveled day and night on horseback to encourage men and women and gather the army. His brother Karan Pal helped arrange money, grain, and clothing for the army. The choosing of the Supreme General, the deputy general and the other generals. In this endeavor of the Sarv Khap, the hero warrior Jograj Singh Gujar was chosen Supreme General. He was of the Clan Khubar Parmar, and hailed from a village near Haridwar called Kunja.

The general chosen from among the heroic maidens were

1) Rampiari Gujar,

2) Hardai Jat,

2) Devi Kaur Rajput,

3) Chandro Brahmin, and

4) Ramdai Tyagi.

All of them took a vow to lay down their lives in defence of their nation. Two Deputy Generals were chosen -

1) Dhula Bhangi (Valmiki),

(2) Harbir Singh Gulia Jat,

Dhula Bhangi was a resident of the Village of Hansi, near Hissar. He was a strong and powerful brave warrior. The second deputy general was Harbir Singh Jat, of the Gulia Clan. He was from the village Badli, district Jhajjar in Haryana. He was 22 years old. He weighed 53 Dharis (approx. 160 kilograms). He was strong and brave warrior. The names of the generals were:

1) Gaje Singh Jat Gatwala,

2) Tuhiram Rajput,

3) Nedha Rawa,

4) Sarju Brahmin,

5) Umra Taga (Tyagi), and

6) Durjanpal Ahir.

The deputy generals chosen were

1) Kundan Jat,

2) Dhari Gadariya, who was a Dhari,

3) Bhondhu Saini,

4) Hulla Nai (barber),

5) Bhana Julaha (Harijan)

6) Aman Singh Pundir, Rajput

7) Nathu Pardar, Rajput

8) Dhulla (Dhandi) Jat, who would lead raids from Hissar to Dadri to Multan.

9) Mamchand Gujar

10) Phalwa Kahaar.

Assistant generals, 20 assistant's generals were chosen from the various jatis (castes). The hero Bard: the Eminent Scholar Poet Chandrabhutt (Bhat) as chosen as the official Bard. He wrote an eyewitness account of the war with Timur.

The battles with Timur were fought by the Jat Panchayat army at Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Haridwar. The Deputy Commander Harveer Gulia, along with 25,000 warriors of the Panchayat army, made a fierce attack on a big group of Timur's horsemen, and a fierce battle ensued where arrows and spears were used (There over 2, 000 hill archers joined the Panchayat Army. One arrow pierced Timur's hand. Timur was in the army of horsemen. Harveer Singh Gulia charged ahead like a lion, and hit Timur on his chest with a spear, and he was about to fall under his horse, when his commander Khijra, saved him and separated him from the horse. Timur eventually is said to be died from this wound when he reached Samarkhand. The spearmen and swordsmen of the enemy leapt on the Harveer Singh Gulia, and he fainted from the wounds he received and fell. At that very time, the Supreme Commander Jograj Singh Gujar, with 22,000 Mulls (warriors) attacked the enemy and killed 5000 horsemen. Jograj Singh himself with his own hands lifted the unconscious Harveer Singh Gulia and brought him to the camp. But a few hours later, the hero warrior Harveer Singh achieved martyrdom. He was from the village Badli; district Jhajjar in Haryana, India. He was 22 years old when fought war with Timur. He was a strong and brave warrior. His attack on Timur led to Timur's death. See for details article Harveer Gulia. [1]

Timur, after the battle of Delhi, on his way to Haridwar was confronted, harassed and plundered on his way retreat so much by the Jat Panchayat armies, that he retreated via Saharanpur to avoid Muzaffarnagar. Timur describes

"Jats as a robust race, demon-like in appearance and as numerous as ants and locusts, a varitable plague to the merchants and wayfarers" (Mulfuzat-i-Timuri, Elliot, III, 429)

See also

• Sarvakhap Panchayat

references

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