Shiv Kumar Padha
Padha.shov@gmail.com.
Coming down the slopes of the Himalayas, there is a town of temples, Vishawasthali, now known as Basohli, where the ruins of the magnificent palaces dominate the whole landscape. Vishawasthali, the kingdom of Raja Bhoppat Pal, Raja Kirpal, and all the Pal rulers, has remained a land of Vaishnavism, scholars of Sanskrit, artists from performing arts, dance and music, sculptures, miniature paintings, a hub of Ayurveda, astrologers, a land of Ayurvedacharyas, Pandits, and that of professional architects and weavers. The courts of all the Pal Rajas remained decorated with the luminaries called Nav Rattans from all professions and walks of life. All the Pal Rajas had been scholars, warriors, justice-loving, visionaries, progressive, kind, and philanthropists in the true sense of the word.
Traversing chronologically from Raja Bhog Pal, who founded the present Billawar town in 765 AD, to the last Pal ruler Raja Kalyan Pal in 1836 AD, we come across many Pal Rajas who had an edge over their contemporaries in every field.
Raja Bhog Pal, son of Raja Kullu, came to Billawar from Almora and founded Ballaur State, known as Vallapora, on a plateau of the Bhini River in 765 AD, where one of his great-grandsons, Som Pal, was gifted with the jagir across River Ujh, where he founded a principality named Sumerta, and his siblings were known as Sumbrias. Second among them, Man Shakia identified a site near the bank of River Ravi at Basohli, suitable for making his capital.
Raja Kishan Pal, contemporary of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, where his Queen Nur Jehan gave him the name of Kherr Pal for his brave deed in defending Jahangir from the attack of a predator lion during hunting at Nurpur.
Raja Bhoopat Pal was known for his stature and strength. His daily consumption of food was 16 seers of rice and the flesh of one goat. He was so powerful that he could erase the surface of any coin between his fingers. He annexed Bhaderwah and Kishtwar with the Basohli State and brought the present idol (Shiv Ling) from there to Basohli. He also had cordial relations with the Mughal Durbar.
Raja Sangram Pal, son of Raja Bhoopat Pal, was known for his courage, bravery, divine beauty, virtues, and wisdom. He enjoyed the hospitality and protocol of a royal guest under the hosting of Dara Shikoh. He was known as the patron of Basohli painting.
Raja Kirpal Pal was a devotee of Vaishnavism, a scholar of Sanskrit, and one who patronized the art of painting. The two volumes of Ayurveda, one Charak and the other Sushruta, Ras Manjri, Geeta Govinda, are the great productions of his regime.
Right from Raja Dheeraj Pal up to Raja Medni Pal, all remained busy in battles and aggressions throughout their rule. After Raja Amrit Pal, his son Vijay Pal was a staunch devotee of Maa Durga. He was known for his charities among his contemporary Rajas. Mohinder Pal, son of Vijay Pal, was a patron of art. He added Rang Mahal and Sheesh Mahal to the already existing royal palace which was decorated with mural paintings based upon erotic themes. Many visitors from France and Asia thronged the palace, which can be authenticated by their travelogues.
Raja Amrit Pal was the first to introduce toll tax during the eighteenth century. After Ajeet Pal, his son Amrit Pal was seated on the throne of the Basohli principality at the tender age of 12 in 1757. He annexed Basantpur with Basohli with the help of his father-in-law Raja Ranjeet Dev. During those days, the entire trade between India and Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) was carried out via Punjab frequently without any fear. On account of the unsettled conditions in the plains of Punjab, following the invasion of Ahmed Shah Durrani and the rise of the Sikhs, the previous trade route became vulnerable owing to robbery and piracy, as a result of which, sometimes, the entire merchandise was looted on the way with a heavy human loss. The entire trade was disrupted due to the disturbances, resulting in a shortage of commodities leading to famine-like situations in Kashmir.
Joint efforts were made to identify an alternative route to resume the trade with Kashmir. After great efforts, the alternate trade route was selected which ran through the outer hills of erstwhile Maha Punjab. The new trade route passed via Nahan, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Guler, Nurpur, and Basohli to Jammu. With the opening of the new trade route, Basohli emerged as a trade corridor, an integrated network of trade between Himachal and Punjab, once the parts of erstwhile Maha Punjab. Basohli served as a silky route to carry out the business between India and Jammu & Kashmir. Owing to the safer route, the travelers and the resident officers adopted the same route, which has been endorsed by their travelogues.
The visionary king of Basohli, Raja Amrit Pal, levied toll on all the merchandise passing through their territory, and thus the Basohli State became quite prosperous during Raja Amrit Pal’s regime. With the increased sources and avenues of income, the living standard of the subjects was raised. There was no dearth of anything in the State. Raja Amrit Pal provided all the basic amenities to his subjects. He made considerable additions to the palace at Basohli. Considering the prosperity which the place and the people enjoyed, it appears very probable that during the reign of Amrit Pal, Basohli remained a hub of trade and fine arts. It is acknowledged that Raja Amrit Pal was an ideal Raja, an expert economist, and a good planner who provided a strong economic launching pad for his successors. It will not be an exaggeration if we call Raja Amrit Pal the forerunner of the tradition of toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir.
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