Rana Punja Bheel, Bhama Shah and Maharana Pratap

By Er. Rajesh Pathak

Born in the 16th century in Merpur (Rajasthan), Punja Bheel is remembered as a great protector of Bharatiya culture. Initially a chieftain of the Bheel tribal community, Rana Punja Bheel was later elevated as the king of the Bhomat principality owing to his organisational skills and his ability to inspire love and loyalty among the people. Meanwhile, in 1576, the Mewar region faced the peril of a Mughal invasion. Maharana Pratap sought help from Rana Punja. He decided to stand firmly by the side of Mewar, assuring that the entire Bheel community was ready to safeguard the sovereignty of the region and repel the enemies of Sanatan culture and the nation at large.

In the Battle of Haldighati in 1576, Rana Punja devoted all his strength and resources to the protection of the country. The guerrilla warfare strategy adopted by him is said to have been the main factor in making the battle against the much stronger Mughal forces indecisive, eventually forcing them to withdraw. As a mark of remembrance, the royal insignia of Mewar displays the symbol of a Bheel on one side and that of a Rajput on the other. More notably, Maharana Pratap bestowed upon him the highest honour for bravery and prowess on the battlefield by conferring on him the title of ‘Rana’, after which he came to be known as ‘Rana Punja’.

Maharana Pratap cherished many qualities beyond bravery and military prowess. While his subjects held him in awe, he returned their trust and love in the spirit of the head of a vast family. Just as he enjoyed the faith of wealthy supporters like Bhama Shah of the Jain community, he also received the unstinted loyalty of fierce warriors from the Bheel tribal community, known as some of the bravest bowmen of India.

Inspired by Acharya Muni Ratanasoori of Jainism, the Kshatriyas of Mewar (Rajasthan) relinquished meat and wine and adopted Jain Dharma, thereafter coming to be known as ‘Oswals’. Bhama Shah was born into the same Oswal clan in the family of Bharmal Kawadia Oswal, the fort commander of Ranthambhor Fort. When Udai Singh became the Maharana of Mewar, Bharmal was appointed the treasurer of the kingdom. It was from this period that the friendship between Maharana Pratap, the son of Udai Singh, and Bhama Shah began to take shape.

While Bharmal sacrificed his life fighting alongside Udai Singh on the battlefield in 1567, Bhama Shah spared no effort in displaying the highest degree of bravery and commitment against the Mughals. To raise funds for Mewar, Bhama Shah, along with his brother Tarachand, invaded Mughal territories and acquired more than 25 lakh rupees, which they offered to Maharana Pratap. With the financial support provided by Bhama Shah, Maharana Pratap raised an army of 50,000 strong Bheel soldiers, apart from other Hindu Rajputs. At a place called Diver, he then launched a campaign against the Mughals. His son Amar Singh killed the Mughal commander Shahbaz Khan, said to be Akbar’s uncle, and the Mughal forces were ultimately driven back before they could make further incursions into Mewar. Thereafter, the Mughals could not gather the courage to cast their eyes upon Mewar as long as Maharana Pratap lived. Meanwhile, Bhama Shah was promoted to the post of Mahamantri of Mewar. Today, the sepulchre of Bhama Shah lies in the royal graveyard of Udaipur.