Tales of Dogra Troopers – Each day Excelsior

Dr Rahul Gupta, Goverdhan Singh Jamwal
It’s stated that Fact can’t be hidden for lengthy, identical to the solar and the moon. For during the last century, details of Dogra historical past weren’t written and a malicious try was made to distort their historical past. A delicate try is being made right here to current the untold victorious saga of loyal and courageous troopers of Dogra Motherland.
In keeping with legend, the home of the Jammu Dogras (derived from Durgara) has descended from the suyavansi department of Rajputs and its first scion, Agnigiri from Ayodhya. His descendant, Jambul Chand (Manhas clan) moved into Jammu hills from the present-day Sialkot, and laid the foundations of Jammu raj.
Daya Karn son of Raja Puran Kara is claimed to have conquered and goverened all of Kashmir and so did his descendants for 52 generations. In keeping with Kangra custom, Dogra is a descendant of the founding father of the Katoch department of the Lunar race of Rajputs.
Historical past of Dogra Martial Empire dates again to the time of Mahabharta (Trigat Naresh fought for Kauravas). Additionally, Alexander’s tour to the east was stopped by Dogra ruler Porus. He was defeated and killed at Salal, Reasi. The descendant (King Aishwarya Chandra) of the King Porus (King Parmananda Katoch) lately stated that Porus is a title, which means “Mountain lion”.
Lalitaditya Muktapida (eighth century), the fifth ruler of the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir recruited his military from the hilltribes, most likely the forebears of the Dogras. Lalitaditya and his nicely ready military succeeded in extending his empire throughout the Punjab, Kanauj, Bihar, Bengal Orissa after which helped the Deccan chief after transferring to the southern India. After his return from Gujarat and Rajasthan, he captured an space as much as Caspian Sea after which conquered Ladakh. He foiled any try by the Arabs and Tibetians to maneuver into Kashmir. After the thirteenth century, the capital of Durgara (Dogras) was shifted from Babbapura to current day Jammu metropolis; the Rajas of Jammu and their clan took their identify, Jamwal from the capital metropolis.
The territory underneath the Dogra rulers prolonged from the northern Punjab plains into the hills of Jammu and Kangra. From the eleventh century onwards, the motherland needed to bear successive incursions which led to disarray and weakening of central authority. In 1808, The Dogras misplaced the Battle of Jammu in opposition to the Sikhs (Hukam Singh Chimni) and the Jammu metropolis was captured. With Jammu’s fall, Kashmir was conquered in 1819by Sikh military underneath Misr Diwan Chand of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1822, Gulab Singh ji was put in because the Raja of Jammu by Maharaja Ranjit Singh due to his courageous efficiency in lots of battles, his loyalty, nice management talents and likewise to calm the mounting revolt of the Dogra Rajputs (led by Mian Dido Jamwal and Chib Rajputs) in opposition to the Sikhs. Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji had utilized the Raj Tilak to the Gulab Singh ji on June 17, 1822 at Jia Pota Akhnoor situated on the banks of Chenab River.
Raja Gulab Singh ji conquered and merged Rajouri and Kishtwad underneath Dogra Empire. Dogras underneath his management helped and supported Hari Singh Nalwa, the Sikh Normal in lots of battles and conquests particularly in North West frontier areas to suppress the revolt of Afghanis.
In 1837, when the data of Afghan assault on Sikh fort of Jamrud reached Maharaja Ranjit Singh ji, Raja Gulab Singh Ji was given the duty of saving the fort.
Although Hari Singh Nalwa was killed within the Battle of Jamrud, the fort was saved by the bravery of 800 Sikh troopers combating in opposition to 36,000 Afghan military together with tribals and guerilla fighters. The Afghans fled and withdrew because of the worry of the advancing military underneath Raja Gulab Singh Ji. Gulab Singh Ji, the reliable Raja of Maharaja Ranjit Singh sternly suppressed the rebel of Muslim tribes in Kashmir and Hazara after the martyrdom of Hari Singh Nalwa.
Within the yr 1834 and past, Normal Zorawar Singh Chandel (Kalhuria), the commander of Gulab Singh, conquered a big a part of Ladakh together with Zanskar, Baltistan and Skardu. These areas turned a part of Jammu & Kashmir Kingdom underneath Dogra Rule. He had additionally captured locations like Hanle, Tashigong, Rudok and Gartok throughout his missions. He is named ‘Conqueror of Ladakh’, ‘Napoleon of India’ or ‘Napoleon of the East’, though his navy genius and his navy conquests had been far better in proportions than the Napolean of France. Zorawar Singh ji and his dogra warriors had been nice Shiv bhakts. After capturing Taklakot, Zorawar Singh ji and his males went on epic Hindu pilgrimage to Mansarovar and Mount Kailash to pay obeisance to Bhagwan Shiv ji. After taking Holy dip within the Mansarovar Lake, he returned again to To-yo close to Taklakot. Zorawar Singh ji had executed meticulous preparations for sustaining the availability strains of Dogra forces. Mehta Basti Ram of Dogra military was given the command of 500 males, withcannons on the fort of Chi-T’ang close to Taklakot. The provides for the Dogra military over such an extended distance failed after the onset of winter attributable to blockage of all of the passes and roads by intense chilly and snow over months. The military misplaced males attributable to hunger and lots of troopers misplaced their fingers and toes to frostbite. The Chinese language allies, Tibetans and Balti rebels regrouped themselves, bypassing the Dogra fort of Chi-T’ang and betrayed the wounded Zorawar and his males (when Dogra males had been at their weakest) on the Battle of Toyo on 12 December 1841. The undeterred biggest Normal of Raja Gulab Singh ji was killed by a Tibetan commander Migmar who charged and thrusted his lance in Zorawar Singh’s chest.
Barely 6 months after the demise of the Normal Zorawar Singh ji, the enemy Normal was killed by a mixed military of Dogras and Sikhs throughout the battle of Chushul within the month of August in 1842. The worry of advancing Dogras should have despatched shivers down the backbone of Tibetans to signal the peace treaty of Chushul. Tibet and China surrendered and pledged to honour the normal boundaries within the coming years. Tibetan constructed a samadhi or memorial in Toyo close to Taklakot in West Tibet to honour Zorawar Singh ji. The Tibetans made their youngsters put on taviz made with bones of common Zorawar Singh, pondering that the children will develop as much as be as robust and courageous as the overall. He’s aptly generally known as ‘Conqueror of Ladakh’, ‘Napoleon of India’ or ‘Napoleon of the East’.
After signing the treaty of Amritsar in 1846, Raja Gulab Singh Jamwal turned the primary Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was the biggest princely state underneath the British Raj. Dogra dynasty dominated Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Gilgit, Baltistan, Ladakh, Aksai Chin, and Shaksgam valley and had been de facto head of state of feudatories like Hunza, Nagar and Chitral.
The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir stored a bigger variety of State Forces than every other ruler of an Indian State underneath the British Raj. The state forces underneath their very own native officers fought as Imperial Service Troops in each the first and 2nd Second World Wars in East Africa, Palestine and Burma. An Military journal on World Conflict 1 complimented the Dogra males in uniform as, “Extra strong than sensible, they’re stuffed with quiet and resolute braveness when head to head with hazard. Regulation abiding and nicely behaved, regular and resolute, although not showy of braveness, their virtues shine forth in moments of peril when they may face sure demise with a peaceful and dedication to do earlier than they die.”
In Indo-Pakistani Conflict of 1947, Brigadier Rajendra Singh Jamwal, the commander in chief of state forces of Maharaja Hari Singh ji fought in opposition to hordes (1000’s) of indoctrinated murderous closely armed kabayali jihadi military of Pakistanis and Afganis at Uri. He and his 120 males stopped their advance to Srinagar for 4 essential days until the Indian Military landed at Srinagar airport. He was conferred with MahaVir Chakra posthumously. With lesser males left after defection from State Muslim Troopers, the Jammu and Kashmir forces misplaced at least 1990 officers and males killed, died of wounds, or lacking presumed lifeless) within the first warfare in opposition to Pakistan. For his or her gallant stand they earned three MahaVir Chakra, 20 Vir Chakras and 52 Talked about in Dispatches. J&Okay State Pressure had been extremely outnumbered and ill-equipped, however extremely motivated males who saved the state till the arrival of Indian Military. The Jammu and Kashmir State Forces had been the one former Princely State Forces of India to be absorbed into the Indian Military as a definite and separate Regiment and is presently designated as Jammu and Kashmir Rifles.
Dogras over the centuries have given their sweat and blood to protect and defend the North-western borders and save the motherland. Dogras have borne the brunt of the bloody wars, filthy politics, unjust appeasement insurance policies and conspiracies to malign the Hindu Dogra neighborhood for the reason that final century. Dogras religion in Devi Shakti Mata Rani Vaishno Devi ji has at all times given us power to face these challenges.