Thursday, January 30, 2020

A fight for supremacy

Genghis Khan
Source : Google photo of Genghis Khan statue in Ulan Bataar , Mongolia

Synopsis : The quest for supremacy to gain territories and fortune using brute force was the practice not too long ago when it gave rise to brutal conquerors like Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and many others who are even romanticized  and lionized in their own country today but the fact remains that such people were egocentric who did not care how much blood they shed to gain their supremacy. The blog compares them to the animals in the wilderness and finds them wanting.


We are different from the animals in one noticeable way . We fight to achieve supremacy over others for various reasons but mostly for self gains while animals also fight for supremacy with a noted difference. They do not do it for self gains but rather to give the mates to produce the best off-springs by passing on the best genes that a strong male provides. Thus the weak off-springs that come from poor genes are culled or they die due to their poor ability to survive in the nature.

So while we have the same tendency to achieve supremacy, we do it for selfish reasons while the animals do it for the improvement of their species. You will hardly ever see weak or deformed animals in nature because they are born healthy and are well taken care of by the mothers until they can be on their own. Female animals are fiercely protective of their off-springs and will sacrifice their own lives in order to save their young ones. So I consider the animals noble.

We the humans are not like the animals because nobility is not a part of our intrinsic values .We often come to know about mothers who abandon their newly born children or dump them in garbage bins to avoid the responsibility for raising them. Animals never do that.
If you ever see the herd of wild elephants or wild dogs, you will notice that the entire herd takes on the responsibility of raising the young ones by feeding them, protecting them and teaching them the basic skills of survival while we are so selfish that we do not follow such admirable habits of wild animals and often do a very poor job of raising our own that has severe social consequences later.

We do not improve our species by introducing the very best genes to the next generation so we see short and ugly people everywhere who in their turn produce more such people because of their very limited gene pools. It is particularly true in island people who have been isolated from the rest of the humanity for a long time although that is changing now so people are not so isolated as before. Indiscriminate breeding in humans has led to unhealthy babies , babies with deformities or genetic diseases that destroy their lives. Humans also suffer from inbreeding in many countries that has severe medical  as well as social consequences for the progeny.

We tend to fight for supremacy for reasons that are not similar in the animal kingdom. It has to do with the need to gain an advantage over others to gain power, wealth and dominance that gives us tremendous social advantages. In the past, this desire to be the supreme and get all the advantages that come with it led to endless wars when millions of innocent people were slaughtered just so that one man could gain vast territories and exploit its rich resources. Genghis Khan was a good example so I chose his photo in the header section above.

Romans were ruthless in extending their empire through warfare to get riches, slaves and source of food while Alexander invaded countries that had meant no harm to him or his subjects in Macedonia just so that he could brag that he conquered the world by shedding blood of innocent people. Genghis Khan did the same in his quest for conquering vast territories to gain riches and destroyed many countries in the process.

In the modern world , we believe in democracy so most of the countries elect their government that tries to govern through a system where a consensus is needed to do so. Still we have endless wars in many parts of the world because some countries seek dominance over others through their military power to gain some advantage over them. It may be for cheap oil or other mineral resources or for geo- political reasons that give them certain advantage over others.

The animals also fight for their territories and keep it because it is a necessity for them to survive while it is not so with us so we are not like animals. We try to project our military power to intimidate others who are not like us and who resist such intimidation giving rise to wars but often this intimidation is a reflection of our own values that we project as superiors to others. The whole idea of colonialism was based on the feeling  some countries had that they were superior to others so they invaded them to colonize them and get their rich resources to develop their own and spread their brand of values among the conquered people to" civilize " them. Paul Gauguin expressed this feeling of superiority in the Christian missionaries in Tahiti in one of his painting so eloquently that showed the sad faces of women who were subjected to the vicious cultural and religious invasion by the missionaries there.

The feeling that we are superior to other human beings is the root of all evil in the world that has caused millions of death and widespread physical destruction of countries that just wanted to be left alone. The Vietnam war is one example but there are many others.
The attitude that my religion is better than yours so you must accept it has meant forced conversion of peaceful people who were happy the way they were that has led to invasion and wars like in India when the Muslim invaders came to convert the whole country by force and drenched its soil with innocent blood and they are still at it elsewhere in the world today.

The greed for power makes some people the abomination that the decent people everywhere deplore but it is as old as the history of humans. In the early history of humans when there were very few people in the world, there were conflicts among various groups that fought for the same resources such as food , water and shelter so a stronger group chased the weaker one out forcing them to migrate to other parts. We see this selfishness in eagle chicks that shove the weaker chicks off the nest so that they can get more food and become stronger  but this is not a widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom.

We on the other hand have this survival instinct  that prevents many of us from sharing our food, shelter and care with others who are not like us so we learn to discriminate people based on their race, social, religious, political, ethnic or other status creating divisive societies. Boats full of black people seeking shelter in Europe are being chased off by the police because they are not wanted.

In the olden days, it was a common practice to gain the upper hand over others by violent means so we learn that the Mughal princes often killed their own brothers to become the king or put their own father in jail to ascend the throne. Julius Caesar was killed by the senate members  whom he knew well because someone else wanted to replace him. Cleopatra had her own sister Arsinoe IV and her brother killed so that she could become the queen of Egypt. There are numerous examples in the history book where people fought for supremacy through such violent means.

In the modern world , we still have people who want to attain power and supremacy over others by suppressing democracy so that they get all the benefits while people remain poor and starving. We have North Korea as an example of this greed for power but there are many failed states where such power struggle has decimated them with little chance of recovery. People have a chance to prosper if they are free and choose their government freely that puts country first. Bangladesh and Vietnam are good examples where the freedom has brought them the peace and prosperity.

But I cannot be smug about the much vaunted democratic countries where the power hungry are just as vicious as in the totalitarian countries where despots rule. They do it through fraud, rigged ballots, bribes, outright killing of opponents, readjusting the voter's list by purging those who will not vote for them, through tampering of voting machines, through illegal voters and simply not allowing a fair vote count if it is going against them.

This desire to rule and accumulate vast amount of public money and properties in so called democratic countries makes people vicious who vie for supremacy there. In essence they are really no different from the Romans and Macedonians who favored brute power to rule over others and get rich in the process. So there is no perfect democracy even today even after such a long time since the Greeks started to use the word . Some call it a work in progress but I wonder if two thousand years are not enough to make democracy perfect. Read my blog called Democracy is a beautiful word here.

The reason why it takes such a long time to make a country truly democratic  is hidden in the very basic nature of some people who seek supremacy over others through any means so that they get all the benefits and leave people in the dust to suffer. A political person will resort to any means to preserve himself especially if he is corrupt and who one day may face the court to account for his abuse of power and ill gotten wealth.

It reminds me of the movie Godfather where the mafia people bribe the judges and the policemen to ignore or overlook their shady business practices in the same way the corrupt politicians fill the courts with their appointees and bribe others to buy their support to push their own agenda and self preservation. Such corruption worldwide deprives the countries billions of  dollars that make some individuals very rich and people poor.  Read my blog A monster called corruption here in this context.

So when you call someone animal as a derogatory term, just remember that it is a misuse of the word because the animals are noble. We have a lot to learn about compassion, sharing, caring for others, loyalty and justice from the animal world where they even show compassion for other species  that is so hard to find in us.


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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Story of Phoolan

phoolan-devi-1
Source : Google photo of Phoolan Devi

Synopsis : This is a true story of an illiterate village girl in India who stood up to people who raped her and tormented her just because they could get away with it but they did not know that they could not get away with it . They had raped the wrong girl named Phoolan and paid for it with their lives.

Everybody in India has heard of Phoolan and many have seen the movie made on her life called the Bandit Queen .They admired her courage to stand up to people who wronged her and denied her the justice so one day she decided to take the matter into her own hands and took revenge.

Phoolan was born in a very poor family in a remote village of North India where her parents lived a precarious life of hopelessness and despair. They were the low caste people whom the upper caste villagers disdained and would not allow Phoolan to draw water from their well. The rigid caste system of India persists because it protects the advantages it gives to the upper caste people at the expense of the low caste people like the Phoolans in India. Many social reformers have tried to discredit this inhuman system but to no avail because the upper caste people see no reason to give it up and treat low caste people fairly as human beings.

This injustice towards the poor people that continues even today has given rise to rebels like Man Singh and Phoolan who saw no choice but to take up armed struggle to seek justice that was denied them by the police and the authorities. They were the modern day equivalent of Robin Hood whom people loved and admired for their courage to stand up to very bad people even at the cost of their own lives. Not many people have such courage so Phoolan will always be remembered by all oppressed people of India .

The movie here with English subtitle will tell you the whole story of Phoolan so I will not try to preempt her story here. I will just say that the story of Phoolan is inspiring and marks her as a most courageous girl who set up an example of bravery to inspire and motivate all poor people who suffer daily and feel helpless in India and in other countries. Being born in a low caste in India is a curse that they suffer from with no respite for it even though the government encourages them with free education and guaranteed jobs.

To change the mindset of the upper caste people to make them see the poor people as human beings with all the rights the constitution gives them is a long and slow process that will take generations of education and swift justice for the offenders. As long as the social injustice the poor people suffer from continues, many more Phoolans will step up against all odds to challenge the status quo because this is an ongoing struggle for justice and will not end until all Indians get equal rights irrespective of their caste.

They will need help to do it legally so they have to be encouraged to get free education and jobs later to get them out of poverty. It is happening slowly but needs to be speeded up so that one day all poor people of any caste will enjoy the freedom of living with self respect ,dignity and security even in rural India where the inequality is the greatest.

The inhuman treatment of the African slaves in the United States gave rise to the civil war to free them but the mindset of people that favored slavery is still persistent there that breaks out in racial discrimination in many places. In India the social discrimination against the lower caste people, the untouchables and the backward tribes continues in spite of all efforts short of civil war and will continue in the future until the caste sytem is completely dismantled although it is easier said than done.

I have written about the caste system in India in a blog that you may like to read in this context here ( The prejudice of Caste ) . The second blog called The untouchables is also worth reading here.

The older generation that believes in the caste system and in the untouchability of human beings passes on this belief to the next generation so the practice continues. Now it is up to the young and educated generation to fight this corrupt practice to eliminate it totally from India but it is a very difficult thing to do although not impossible.

No one thought that one day the slaves in America will really be free but a young lady called Rosa Parks defied the discrimination born out of slavery and stood up with great courage to fight it. Although it was a small step at first, soon it became the Tsunami to wash away all the inhumanity of slavery and the discrimination that came because of it. All great things start with the small step some courageous people take who often pay for it with their lives. Phoolan did the same and died for it.

Rosa Parks


                                             Source : Google photo of Rosa Parks

Now I want you to see this movie and learn about the tremendous courage Phoolan showed in defying those in power to abuse her but died doing so. The movie has English subtitles so you will be able to follow the story. If there was a way to have subtitles in other languages as well, I would have tried it for the non English readers but I can't so try to understand the movie with English subtitles.

https://youtu.be/AtLX2Cz_1pA
Source : U tube video

Link to U tube movie :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtLX2Cz_1pA&t=463s

Note : Just open the link here to watch it in U Tube


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. My blogs can be shared by anyone anytime in any social media.

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Monday, January 27, 2020

Wonderful power points- part eight

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Source : Google photo of Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt


This power point is part eight in the series that includes power points on Egypt, on Cambodia , cat breeds, dog breeds and butterflies . You may share them with anyone you like in any social media or re blog them anytime. Hope you enjoy them and will send me your comments.

1. A  journey through ancient  Egypt
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21755&authkey=ABFLbWdznx-xy9A&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhXOsvXGvIxhpQFfL?e=a0lbPN


2.  A journey to Egypt
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%212960&authkey=AMFAiJrR_mInglc&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzlxAUa9eCIQ3s5aXR?e=mjRxCR


3. Cairo museum
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%213046&authkey=AM__x1z-FElJFX0&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzl2YhkIl3r3PJwaDS?e=MRpM3C


4. Angkor Wat
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21325&authkey=AKTauNmXNohU4kQ&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgkX1alKZ3QAfq1JD?e=pc6eMc


5. Bas relief of Angkor Wat
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21321&authkey=ANZFfRM74GIQOb8&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgkHKTj9KrFj6gVL7?e=AuQCxA


6. Cambodia today
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21250&authkey=ADJ519aOov8kwHs&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgXqwZ7_8QL7HXVwZ?e=AA2lyg


7. A journey through Cambodia
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21740&authkey=AMddeyrKUTlFptY&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhWTFTO-fDfnYj4x_?e=RIG9pu


8. Butterflies
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21161&authkey=AIJGH5SNCjMQ0sg&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgSH9qiAApyZXygju?e=C64Hsa


9. Cat breeds of the world
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21289&authkey=AHME2YopuK7NBRs&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgiFOUkorKv85k3P1?e=eluESZ


10. Do breeds of the world - Part one
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21287&authkey=AGs5nP97fzPImpo&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgh_cK27TjbwkQYES?e=trxmwr


11. Dog breeds of the world Part two
[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21286&authkey=AMyzIZ16jF_tL7g&em=2" width="402" height="327"]
Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgh4ivn-3vhtZGOER?e=JdmOYE


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. My blogs can be shared by anyone anytime in any social media.

Mes blogs en français.
Mis blogs en espagnol
Blogs von Anil in Deutsch
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My blogs at Wix site
tumblr posts    
Blogger.com
Medium.com
Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
La biografía de anil en español.
Anil's Biografie auf Deutsch
Anil’s biography in Japanese
Биография Анила по-русскиu

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Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Incredible Razia

Razia Sultan

Source : Google photo of Razia Sultan, the only female Muslim ruler ever

Synopsis : How some people are treated by the historians is a matter of who writes the history and whether or not they are treated fairly. The story of Razia Sultan is an extraordinary one but she too became just a flash in the annals because she was ahead of her time and was a woman whom the male dominated power players did not accept. This is her story you will find enchanting.

The annals of History are usually filled by the historians who have always kept an eye on their patrons whose favors they solicited and whose displeasure they did not want to face so it is hard to find an unbiased historian anywhere. It is also true in a vast country like India that has a rich history going back thousands of years where honest historians have often paid a price for their honesty.

But today I will tell you about an incredible woman called Razia Sultan who became the only female ruler to sit on the throne in Delhi and in the whole Islamic world at a time when women were relegated to a subservient role that is still valid to a great extent. In doing so I have searched the history books and other source of information to come up with the story of Razia that will astound you because I am writing about the year 1236  and not today.

In the recent history of the world there have been many female rulers and great leaders in many countries so everyone is familiar with the names like Queen Elizabeth II , Golda Meir, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Sheikh Hasina, Corazon Aquino,Angela Merkel among many others but today I will write about a period long long time ago when a female ruler to rule was so rare that makes you appreciate Razia even more considering what she had to put up with. In the Islamic world , a female is still relegated to a subservient role although recently many women have started to assert their rights and  many have proven to be worthy rulers in their own right.

You may have never heard of Razia Sultan because she ruled very briefly only for a few years and was killed by her numerous enemies who could not tolerate a female ruler giving them orders so I consider her brief reign in the male dominated world of Muslim rulers in India like a flash but what a bright flash it was!

What is more incredible is the fact that her father who was the Sultan had raised her not as a princess but as a future capable ruler who would someday occupy the throne to the chagrin and envy of her brothers and other aspiring nobles. She was educated in all kinds of subjects and trained to fight and ride like a man. She was tutored in the military as well as non military matters by the best teachers available in the court and was raised as an independent woman who was audacious in everything she did.

She rejected the title Sultana that was reserved for docile females in a secondary role and proudly called herself Razia Sultan. Queen Hatshepsut would have been proud of her as her father the Sultan obviously was. She did not veil  herself to the dismay of the fanatic mullahs of her time and boldly sat on her throne as a decisive and assertive ruler that grated the Muslim world to no end. So they plotted to bring her down in which her own frustrated brothers and half brothers  were complicit.

Biography of Razia Sultan :

Razia-Sultan-First-last-Female-Ruler-Delhi

Source : Google photo of Razia Sultan of Delhi sultanate being the first and the last.

Razia (r. 1236–1240), popularly known as Razia Sultana, was a Muslim ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. She is notable for being the only woman to have held the throne in the Delhi Sultanate.

Razia was born to the Delhi Sultanate ruler Shamsuddin Iltutmish, a Turkic slave (mamluk) of his predecessor Qutb al-Din Aibak. Razia's mother - Turkan Khatun - was a daughter of Qutb al-Din Aibak,[2][4] and the chief wife of Iltutmish.[1] Razia was the eldest daughter of Iltutmish, and probably his first-born child

Ascension to the throne

Iltutmish had groomed his eldest son Nasiruddin Mahmud to be his successor, but this son died unexpectedly in 1229.[5] According to historian Minhaj-i-Siraj, Iltutmish believed that his other sons were absorbed in pleasurable activities, and would be incapable of managing the state affairs after his death. While leaving for his Gwalior campaigin in 1231, Iltutmish left his daughter Razia as in-charge of Delhi's administration. Razia performed her duties so well that after returning to Delhi, Iltutmish decided to name her as his successor.[6] 

Iltutmish ordered his officer mushrif-i mamlakat Tajul Mulk Mahmud Dabir to prepare a decree naming Razia as the heir apparent.[5] When his nobles questioned this decision on the basis that he had surviving sons, Iltutmish replied that Razia was more capable than his sons.
A daughter of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmish, Razia administered Delhi during 1231-1232 when her father was busy in the Gwalior campaign. According to a possibly apocryphal legend, impressed by her performance during this period, Iltutmish nominated Razia as his heir apparent after returning to Delhi. Iltutmish was succeeded by Razia's half-brother Ruknuddin Firuz, whose mother Shah Turkan planned to execute her. During a rebellion against Ruknuddin, Razia instigated the general public against Shah Turkan, and ascended the throne after Ruknuddin was deposed in 1236.

Razia's ascension was challenged by a section of nobles, some of whom ultimately joined her, while the others were defeated. The Turkic nobles who supported her expected her to be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted her power. This, combined with her appointments of non-Turkic officers to important posts, led to their resentment against her. She was deposed by a group of nobles in April 1240, after having ruled for less than 4 years. She married one of the rebels - Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia - and attempted to regain the throne, but was defeated by her half-brother and successor Muizuddin Bahram in October that year, and was killed shortly after. ( Wikipedia )

India under Iltumish


Source : Google photo of  Razia Sultan's sultanate in 1236

She issued her own coin , encouraged education for women and did many things to prove that she was an able ruler but sadly she was way ahead of her time so the world at her time did not accept her. Razia's ascension to the throne of Delhi was unique not only because she was a woman, but also because the support from the general public was the driving force behind her appointment. According to the 14th century text Futuh-us-Salatin, she had asked the people to depose her if she failed to meet their expectations

Razia Jital.JPG


Source : Coins issued by Razia Sultan during her reign. ( Wikipedia)

Overthrow

The nobles who supported Razia intended her to be a figurehead, but she increasingly asserted herself. For example, her initial coins were issued with her father's name, but by 1237-1238, she had started issuing coins solely in her own name.[20] Isami mentions that initially, she observed purdah: a screen separated her throne from the courtiers and the general public, and she was surrounded by female guards. However, later, she started appearing in public dressed in traditional male attire, wearing a cloak (qaba) and a hat (kulah). She rode on elephants through the streets of Delhi, making public appearances like the earlier Sultans.[16]

Razia's increasing assertiveness and her appointment of non-Turkic people to important posts created resentment among the Turkic nobles.[16] The post of Amir-i Akhur had previously been held by officers of Turkic origin, and Yaqut was of Abyssinian origin: therefore, Razia's Turkic officers resented this appointment.[16] Chroniclers such as Isami, Sirhindi, Badauni, Firishta, and Nizamuddin Ahmad attribute Razia's intimacy with Yaqut as a major cause of her downfall.[21]

In 1238-1239, Malik Izzuddin Kabir Khan Ayaz - the governor of Lahore - rebelled against Razia, and she marched against him, forcing him to flee to Sodhra. Because the area beyond Sodhra was controlled by the Mongols, and because Razia continued to pursue him, Izzuddin was forced to surrender and accept Razia's authority once again. Razia treated him leniently: she took away the iqta of Lahore from him, but assigned him the iqta of Multan, which Iltutmish had assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Qaraqash Khan Aitigin.[22]

Razia had recalled Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin, a Turkic slave purchased by Iltutmish, to her court in Delhi, and made him Amir-i Hajib. She had also bestowed favours upon another slave of Iltutmish - Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, assigning him first the iqta of Baran, and then, the iqta of Tabarhinda. However, these two officers conspired with other Turkic officers to overthrow her, while she was away on the Lahore campaign.[23] Razia arrived in Delhi on 3 April 1240, and came to know that Altunia had rebelled against her in Tabarhinda. Unaware that other nobles in Delhi had joined Altunia in conspiring against her, Razia marched towards Tabarhinda ten days later. At Tabarhinda, the rebel forces killed her loyalist Yaqut, and imprisoned her.[24] According to Minhaj, Razia ruled for 3 years, 6 months, and 6 days.[18]

Alliance with Altunia and death

When the news of Razia's arrest reached Delhi, the rebel nobles there appointed Muizuddin Bahram - a son of Iltutmish - on the throne.[24] He formally ascended the throne on 21 April 1240, and the nobles pledged allegiance to him on 5 May 1240.[25] The nobles expected the new king to be a figurehead, and intended to control the affairs of the state through the newly-created office of naib-i mamlakat (equivalent to regent), which was assigned to Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin. However, the new king had Ikhtiyaruddin Aitigin assassinated within 1-2 months.[26]

After deposing Razia, the nobles at Delhi had distributed important offices and iqtas among themselves, ignoring claims of Ikhtiyaruddin Altunia, who had arrested Razia at Tabarhinda. After Aitigin's death, Altunia lost all hope of realizing any benefits from Razia's overthrow, and decided to ally with her. Razia also saw this as an opportunity to win back the throne, and married Altunia in September 1240. The two were supported by some other disgruntled Turkic nobles, including Malik Qaraqash and Malik Salari.[24]

Altunia assembled an army, which according to Isami, included Khokhars, Jats, and Rajputs. In September-October 1240, Sultan Muizuddin Bahram led an army against the forces of Altunia and Razia, and defeated them on 14 October 1240. Altunia and Razia were forced to retreat to Kaithal, where they were deserted by their soldiers, and killed by Hindus. Razia was killed on 15 October 1240. ( Wikipedia )

Tomb :

220px-Razia_sultana_tomb_painting (2)

Source : Wikipedia photo of the original tomb of Razia Sultan in Kaithal ( In Haryana )

Tomb of Razia Sultana, who gained the throne of Delhi Sultanate under the Mamluk Sultanate, is situated 10 km north-west of the Kaithal city in Siwan on Kaithal-Cheeka-Patiala road. It is close to the jail constructed nearby by the present administration. She and her husband Malik Altunia who was the governor of Bhatinda (Punjab) were decapitated by the local Jat people of area. It is speculated that she might have been disinterred from Kaithal and then reburied at her Delhi's tomb as shown below.

600px-Tomb_of_Razia_Sultana_001

Source : Google photo of the tomb of Razia Sultan next to her sister in Old Delhi

The grave of Razia is located at Mohalla Bulbuli Khana near Turkman Gate in Old Delhi.[27] The 14th century traveler Ibn Batuta mentions that Razia's tomb had become a pilgrimage centre:[1] a dome had been built over it, and people sought blessings from it.[2]
Razia's grave is said to have been built by her successor and half-brother Bahram. Another grave, said to be of her sister Shazia, is located beside her grave. Razia was a devotee of the Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani, and the place where she is buried is said to be his hospice (khanqah).[28]

Today, the site is largely neglected: the Archaeological Survey of India performs annual maintenance to it, but has been unable to beautify it further because it is surrounded by illegal construction, and is approachable only through a narrow, congested lane. In the late 20th century, the local residents constructed a mosque near it.[27]

If you go to Delhi today and look for her grave, you will not find it easily. Finally when you find it after searching for a long time and approach it through a narrow lane , you will be surprised at the shabby pile of stones under which a great Sultan of India is buried . There are no adornment for such a royal tomb and most people pay scant attention to it. The foreign tourists as well as the locals probably have never heard of her as if she had been relegated to the trash bin of history. It is a pity for such a beautiful queen.

Watch the video below on her life as a Sultan of Delhi.


                                                  https://youtu.be/BqvE7Ta2Cl8

Source : U tube video on Razia Sultan


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. My blogs can be shared by anyone anytime in any social media.

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Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
La biografía de anil en español.
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Monday, January 20, 2020

Words of Buddha

Buddha

Source : Google photo of  Buddha

Buddha's words are immortal. . We can all learn from its wisdom so here I post two videos and the translations below.




                                                     https://youtu.be/5Syr9C6dnZ4
                                      Source : U tube video on Buddha's thoughts
  1. Being alone is better than being around people who do not value you.
  2. To be old and wise you must first be young and stupid.
  3. Every end is new beginning
  4. Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.
  5. Silence is the best reply to a fool.
  6. Never stop trying. Never stop believing. Never give up. Your day will come.
  7. Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
  8. Stop looking for happiness in the same place you lost it.
  9. If you can stay positive in a negative situation, you win.
  10. Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
  11. When one door closes, another opens.
  12. Life is very short so break your silly egos, forgive quickly, believe slowly, love truly, laugh loudly and never avoid anything that makes you smile.
  13. Believe in yourself when everyone else does not.
  14. Key to happiness : Focus on your own journey.
  15. The strongest hearts have the most scars.
  16. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.
  17. Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.
  18. You cannot heal in the same environment where you got sick.
  19. Never argue with a fool. People watching may not be able to tell the difference.
  20. Don't treat people as bad as they are. Treat them as good as you are.
  21. Don't waste your time with explanations. People only hear what they want to hear.
  22. The most dangerous creature on earth is a fake friend.
  23. Don't talk : Act. Don't say : Show, Don't promise: prove.
  24. Meditate because some questions can't be answered by Google.
  25. No one is hated more than he who speaks the truth.
  26. How people treat you is their karma. How you react is yours.
  27. Train your mind to see good in everything. Positivity is a choice. The happiness in your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.



                                               https://youtu.be/2VnguFhuefo
                                   Source : U tube video on Buddha's thoughts
  1.  Do not dwell in the past
  2.  Do not dream of the future
  3. Concentrate the mind on the present moment
  4. Better than a thousand words is one word that brings peace.
  5. The mind is everything. What you think , you become.
  6. To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one's own in the midst of abundance.
  7. We are what we think.
  8. Three things cannot be long hidden. Sun, Moon and the truth.
  9. Peace comes from within. Do not seek it from without.
  10. With our thoughts we make the world.
  11. Thousand candles can be lighted from a single one . Happiness never decreases by being shared.
  12. There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth, not going all the way and not starting. 

Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. My blogs can be shared by anyone anytime in any social media.

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My blogs at Wix site
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Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
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Биография Анила по-русскиu

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Saturday, January 18, 2020

Wonderful power points- Part seven

khajuraho

Source : Google photo of Khajuraho India

This is the seventh part of the Wonderful power points series that shows the Pashmina shawls of Kashmir, Embroideries of Lucknow, Carpets of Bhadohi, Wood carvers of Saharanpur, Carpets of Persia and the desert city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to show India in all its glory.

1.Pashmina shawls of Kashmir

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhzjranR0QbEvhcOj?e=jmdnPH

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21952&authkey=AF350YCO3VXnh2c&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

2. Pride and strife of Lucknow embroiders Part one

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhzJnxs6XsDnCX9hB?e=QBpNOV

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21949&authkey=ALEatGr-pyZksyY&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

3. Pride and strife of Lucknow embroiders Part two

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhzQ3gp48q3KQJacI?e=uz6rwE

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21948&authkey=AN0HLzjA7Up_XcI&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

4. Wood carvers of Saharanpur Part one 

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzh0cnrjuqlPoudNbR?e=NNxw1y

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21967&authkey=AHaS6bV22itApCw&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

5. Wood carvers of Saharanpur Part two

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzh0qkYGr5ERhY9siz?e=vOJuaV

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21970&authkey=AMEaimrwOd_yn68&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

6. Wool carpets of Bhadohi

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhzc88v8m19wyvuOL?e=Wc8s5C

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21951&authkey=AL2UJ-FEchgeIYw&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

7. Desert city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhwfUoqGZ8gLQnmYh?e=hsh8TC

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21903&authkey=AD0kodbBCj3WLS0&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

8. Beauty of Persian carpets

 https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzh0LQEUboit3a1n0_?e=kkzDAP


[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21962&authkey=APs245VFCYIKpVg&em=2" width="402" height="327"]


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. You may share with anyone any of my blogs in any social media anytime.

Mes blogs en français.
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Blogs von Anil in Deutsch
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My blogs at Wix site
tumblr posts    
Blogger.com
Medium.com
Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
La biografía de anil en español.
Anil's Biografie auf Deutsch
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Биография Анила по-русскиu

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Thursday, January 16, 2020

Wonderful power points - Part six

185

Source :  Google photo of  Desert city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan India

This is the sixth part of the Wonderful power point series highligting Caves of Ajanta, Ellora, Art of Bengal, Jewelries of Maharajas, Havelis of Sekhawati in Rajasthan, Stairwells of Rajasthan, Silk saris of kanchipuram and Benares and Nalanda that was the second university in the world that will show you India and all its dazzling  facets.

Note : If you wish, you may download all of my power points I have published and will publish more in the future for your own collection that you may share with anyone.
Just highlight the link and open in a new tab to see the powerpoint.

1. Ajanta caves

  https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgkIJEfgoWS03bGAc?e=7nxcq5

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21322&authkey=AIQvawsgef_iW4w&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21323&authkey=AHptqSL9peKYhqo&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

3. Art and craft of Bengal

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgh3msfDwseapA38l?e=ZBsEQ4

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21285&authkey=AMq1GWNdEJ3TW1c&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

4. Fabulous jewelries of Maharajas in India Part one

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhx8VIRxylLa9BSEV?e=Rmp1SW

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21927&authkey=AH_lry1nVq0H30w&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

5. Fabulous jewelries of Maharajas in India Part two

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhyUlohkk4JVzJQx9?e=dcgIms

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21933&authkey=AFw2dtLsJg6g-dU&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

6. Havelis of Sekhawati in Rajasthan

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhwXGMRVCkx7SAzL-?e=ctPXaw

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21901&authkey=APLwWFAZMvncC5A&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

7. Kanchipuram silk saris Part one

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgi6XlG-eeCxWGS2t?e=o5co30

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21302&authkey=ANxON_BS2lhLbNk&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

8. Kanchipuram silk saris Part two

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgi3zfXp_MLVEW1T6?e=ZYSG75

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21301&authkey=AFrCKSf-JjWRQmc&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

9. Handloom silk saris of Benares Part one

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgiNF76NMXZnTni7U?e=2Y6LJB

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21291&authkey=ADX0ZlshrzCjI0c&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

10. Handloom silk saris of Benares Part two

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzgiS9Gdf2iK9joAuI?e=Hjhail

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21292&authkey=ABNtAfBtqg53GP4&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

11. Nalanda-the 2nd university in the world

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhAC8qZrLPQp4XrIT?e=LRuz3s

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21512&authkey=ACV6mNcUSvzs5gY&em=2" width="402" height="327"]

12. Stairwells of Rajasthan

Link : https://1drv.ms/p/s!AmoX9W4gHulzhxygdFdXwM1y46-y?e=3rd9jo

[office src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=73E91E206EF5176A&resid=73E91E206EF5176A%21924&authkey=ABP7MdQ36my6z08&em=2" width="402" height="327"]


Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links as well as my biography. My blogs can be shared by anyone in any social media anytime or you may re blog them.

Mes blogs en français.
Mis blogs en espagnol
Blogs von Anil in Deutsch
Blogs in Japanese
My blogs at Wix site
tumblr posts    
Blogger.com
Medium.com
Anil’s biography in English.
Biographie d'Anil en français
La biografía de anil en español.
Anil's Biografie auf Deutsch
Anil’s biography in Japanese
Биография Анила по-русскиu

Subscribe