BHIWANI, Haryana

Main Attraction: Gauri Shankar Mandir

Bhiwani, popularly known as the’Chhoti Kashi’ of India has numerous temples. The temple of Gauri-Shankar is one among them. Located in the heart of Bhiwani town, this temple was built by Seth Kirori Mal in 1951 and speaks of the Hindu architecture of modern times. It is made up of marble. The shrine of Gauri Shankar is placed in the middle, the Laxmi-Narayan to the right and the Radha-Krishan to the left. Carvings of scenes portraying Hindu mythology and the text of Srimad Bhagwad Gita can be seen all over within the temple complex. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every day from far and wide. Shri Krishna Janmashtmi is celebrated here with great enthusiasm and pomp and show on ashtmi of Bhadon month every year.

Brief History

Bhiwani, believed to be a corruption of the word Bhani. From Bhani it changed to Bhiani and then to Bhiwani. Tradition has it that one Neem, a Jatu Rajput, who belonged to village Bawani, then in Hansi Tahsil of the Hisar (Hissar) district, came to settle at Kaunt, a village near the present town of Bhiwani. This was resented by the local Jat inhabitants and they plotted his murder. Neem was warned by a Jat woman named Bahni, and thus had forewarned his revenge on the local Jats. He killed most of them at a banquet the site of which was mined with gunpowder. He married Bahni and founded a village named after her. Archaeological excavations and explorations conducted so far in the district have revealed that this region was first inhabited by the Chalcolithic agricultural communities as early as 2400 B.C. These early settlers of this area, known as Sothians lived at Mitathal, Chang, Tigrana, Dadri, Manheru, Mishri, Jhinjar and Talu in small mud-brick houses with thatched roofs, comprising about 50 to 100 houses each. They engaged themselves in agriculture, domesticated cows, bulls, goats etc., and used wheel made pottery painted in bichrome with black and white designs. 

They used copper, bronze and stone implements though only a few pieces have been discovered. Subsequent to the Chalcolithic period traces of the Harappan or possibly the pre-Harappan culture are also visible. It cannot be stated with certainty whether the Harappans migrated to this area or their culture was diffused to this area or the development was indigenous and pre-Harappan. The appearance of the Aryans later on in this area is supported by the grey ware pottery found from a few sites in the District. Archaeological explorations indicate that the first Aryan settlements were located in the northern part of the district i.e. Bawani Khera, Kungar and Jamalpur. According to a tradition, Nakula one of the five Pandavas, during the course of his digvijaya, fought against these Aryan settlers of Bhiwani and brought them under his sway.

Against the battle of Mahabharata, the Kuru Kingdom was divided into three parts: Kurukshetra; Kurudesa; and Kuru-Jangala. The Bhiwani territory formed a part of the last division, i.e. Kuru-Jangala, which was ruled by Parikshita from Asandivat (Assandh now in Karnal district) as his capital. Later on Kuru-Jangala met its downfall. The result being the division of the kingdom into many small States including Indraprastha and Isukara (Hisar). The Bhiwani area formed a part of the latter State. With the decline of the Kurus in the course of time, many tribes like Jarttrikas (Jats). Abhiras (Ahirs), Bhadras (Bhadanakas) and Yaudheyas, flocked into this region. They intermixed and became part and parcel of the early settlers. The intermixture is believed to have given the people a singular breadth and energy which made them sturdy agriculturists, cattle breeders and strong fighters. Nothing much can be stated historically about this region upto the rise of and during the Mauryan reign. The punch-marked and uninscribed cast coins discovered at Naurangabad and Tosham preserved in an archaeological museum at Jhajjar indicate that at least these two towns were centres of trade. A large number of Yaudheya coins found from

Naurangabad then known as Prakritanakanagar, Bhiwani, Tosham, Bawani Khera and Dhanana in this district, indicate the domination of Yaudheyas, a republican tribe after the fall of the Mauryas.

In the 1st century B.C. Indo-Greeks defeated Yaudheyas and ruled over this region for a short while and were replaced by the Kushans during A.D. 1st century and ruled for about 150 years. Yaudheyas again revived their rule and continued upto A.D.350 when Samudragupta, the great Gupta ruler of Magadha, brought them under his rule. The settlements of Naurangabad and Tosham seem to have retained their earlier respectable status during this period-Naurangabad as a political seat and Tosham as a religious centre-where two holy tanks and one temple devoted to god Vishnu, were built by one Acharya Somatrata. A small building known as Baradari or Kachehri, built by Prithviraja Chahamana on the small stone hillock to the north of Tosham hill provides an indication that this area was under the Chahamanas of Delhi during A.D.12th century.

This area came in the limelight again in the first few decades of the Tughlaq rule. It became the scene of many royal hunting parties. Muhammad’s cousin, Firoz (A.D.1351-88), who had an unusual fancy for Hisar, brought this tract alongwith other areas in the region into prominence. In view of its strategic importance, he posted detachments at Bahl, Tosham and Hansi. This tract felt the impact of Timur’s invasion on India in A.D.1398, though it was not directly invaded. Alongwith other territories in the Hisar Division, it fell out of the hands of the Sultan in A.D.1408, but was later recovered by the imperial forces under emperor Nasir-Ud-din Muhammad Tughlaq. In A. D. 1411, however, it came into the possession of Khizr Khan who subsequently in A.D. 1414, ascended the throne of Delhi as the first ruler of the Sayyid dynasty. Bahlol Lodi, Governor of Punjab seized it from Mohammad Shah (A.D. 1445-50), the last of the Sayyids. The new rulers started a sort of Tribal oligarchy. The Afghans and others were invited in large numbers to settle in the country and zamidaris were granted to them in ample measure. The district alongwith other adjacent tracts was given to one Muhabbat Khan as fiefholder. Unfortunately, this system did not work properly, for the Sultanate was not strong to assert itself. The new zamidaris proved to be a turbulent element which eventually spelled the fall of the Lodis leaving the field free for the Mughals.

Babur, the Mughal, launched a fierce attack on India in A.D.1526. Hamid Khan, the official incharge of the Hisar Division put up a fierce battle near Hisar with Babur’s son Humayun, but was defeated. Out of pleasure, Babur gave Hisar Division (including the present Bhiwani area) to Humayun as a reward, which he controlled until A.D. 1530 when Babur died and he himself ascended the throne to Delhi. Akbar divided his kingdom into subahs, sirkars and mahals or parganas. He placed this tract in the central subah of Delhi. The whole of what is now the Bhiwani district was mostly in sirkar of Hisar Firuza (principal mahals being Tosham, Seoran and Siwani) and sirkar of Delhi (principal mahals being Dadri Taha). After the decline of the Mughal empire, the Marathas, Jats, Rajputs and Baluchs came and extorted what they could. This was George Thomas, an Irishman, who came to India in 1780-81 and provided good government to the people. He divided his territory into 14 parganas, the Bhiwani district having four Dadri, Bhiwani, Tosham and Siwani. Marathas, Sikhs, Jats and Rajputs joined hands and defeated George Thomas, who was betrayed by several of his chief officers.

Within two years of the abandonment of his dominion by George Thomas, the rising power of Sindhia in North India was completely broken by the British forces under General Lake in the Second Maratha War. The Bhiwani area, with other possessions of Sindhia, west of the Yamuna, passed on to the British East India Company by the treaty of Surji Arjungaon in 1809.

When Raja Bhag Singh of Jind and Bhai Lal Singh of Kaithal, both declined to hold this region and Nijabat Ali Khan, the Nawab of Jhajjar was denied the occupation of this tract, for political reasons, Lord Minto, the Governor General advised Seton, the British Resident at Delhi, to use military strength to crush the turbulent people of this central region consisting of Rohtak, Bhiwani and the eastern part of Hisar. A big force, under the charge of Gardiner, Assistant to the Resident at Delhi, was sent in March, 1810 which was checked manfully at Bhiwani. Bhiwani people continued their gallant action and stopped the enemy for two long days. But on the third day, they could not maintain their position and retreated to the town. Since the British forces were equipped with heavy artillery, they breached the walls of the town. A bloody struggle ensued. The people fought with courage but were driven back and followed into the fort. There were heavy losses on both sides. After the battle, the entire tract was brought under the British control without any stiff opposition. It was made a part of the Rohtak district where it remained, silent and peaceful, upto 1857. The placid waters of Bhiwani were disturbed once again in 1857. 

The Jats, Ranghars, Pachhadas, Rajputs, Kasabs and others rose up enmasse and destroyed all vestiges of the British rule from the region. The people of Dadri and Loharu followed suit. The rebellion in Loharu was so serious that it was only with the help of British Cavalry that the Nawab restored his authority. The turbulent situation in the area continued upto September when General Van Courtland came with a big force and defeated the people in several actions and established British order again. With the end of the Uprising, vengeance of the British started. Hundreds of people were hanged and their villages burnt. Dadri, which was in the possession of Nawab Bahadur Jang, a relative of the Jhajjar Nawab was confiscated. It was conferred on Raja Sarup Singh of Jind. The Bhiwani area (except Dadri and Loharu) alongwith the south-east Punjab, roughly comprising Haryana, which had hitherto been a part of the North-Western Province, was tagged to the Punjab vide Government of India, Notification No. 606 of April13, 1858.

The people of Bhiwani and Loharu suffered in various ways but could not raise even their little finger against their rulers. Contrary to it, the poor and exploited people of about 50 villages in Dadri, led by their local Choudharis and Hakim Kasim Ali rose enmasse (May 1864), captured police stations, arrested their officers and proclaimed the end of Raja Raghbir Singh rule. This was a bold challenge to the Raja who immediately marched in person at the head of a big army. His first attack was on Charkhi (May14), where some 1,500 or 2,000 of the rebellious Jats had collected and entrenched themselves. They resisted the Raja to the last. But ultimately, they were defeated and their village was burnt. 

Next, prices in the post-war years hit them very badly. Then came calamities like plague and influenza, the Government relief work in the suffering villages in those critical hours was far from satisfactory. The Bhiwani peasantry, who had been by and large, loyal to the Government before and during the war, reacted now to the shabby treatment meted out to them by the Government after the war. The congress movement started gaining acceptability after the end of the World War (1914-18). The revolutionary resolutions condemning the Rowlatt Act were passed in the mass meeting (April 6, 1919) at Bhiwani.

The agitation was further intensified when Khilafat Movement gained momentum (1920). Bawani Khera, Charkhi Dadri, and almost all places where Muslims lived took part in the agitation. Mahatma Gandhi launched Non-Cooperation Movement (August 1, 1920). The Khllafat here-after became a part of the Non-Cooperation Movement. The First Ambala Division (Haryana) Conference was held at Bhiwani on October 22, 1920, where Mahatma Gandhi was the chief guest. This had a great effect on the people of the area. The programme of the non-cooperation became popular in towns and even in villages. When Civil Disobedience was launched in 1930, the people of Bhiwani prepared salt at Bhiwani on April 20, 1930 in defiance of salt laws. The local cloth dealers took a vow not to import foreign cloth. During the Quit-India Movement (1942), the arrests in Bhiwani exceeded a little over 300 (August 1942—May 1944). Besides, many officers and soldiers from Bhiwani joined the Indian National Army. Similarly, people of Loharu and Dadri took active part in Parja Mandal Movement and played a vital role in the struggle for freedom.

After Independence (1947) and the subsequent formation of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union) on May 5, 1948, Dadri area of the Jind State was included in the Mahendragarh district. Under the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, PEPSU was merged with Punjab on November 1, 1956 and consequently Mahendragarh district, of which Dadri was a part, became one of the then 19 districts of Punjab. Four villages of the Dadri tahsil viz. Umravat, Halluwas, Dharana and Rajgarh with a total area of 31.4 square kms were transferred to the Bhiwani tahsil of Hisar district. This entire area was included in the new State of Haryana on November 1, 1966.