Friday, June 08, 2012

Who was king Mani Mukunda Sen?

Sunday, 17.4.2005
According to Eden Vansittart, in The Gurkhas, (p. 15-16) “ The sixth and last king of this dynasty, by name of Hari Deva, had at this time ( about 1100 A.D.) a Magar in his service, who through the machinations of the ministers, was dismissed. This man returned to his home and praised Nepal as having houses with golden roofs and golden pranalis or dharas. The Magar Raja, by name Mukunda Sena, a brave and powerful monarch, having heard of this, came to Nepal from the west with a large number of mounted troops, and subdued Hari Deva, the son of Rama Sinha Deva.”
[This is based on the ‘Notes on Gurkhas’ and ‘Notes on Nepal’ of Eden Vansittart written in 1890 and published in 1895]

Similarly, John T. Hitchcock in his The Magars of Banyan Hill( p. 4 ) writes, “…….it was in this southern area, anciently called the Bara Mangranth, that Magar first made their appearance in written history. During the twelfth century, they sacked the Kathmandu Valley that long had been the seat of urban, civilized culture in Nepal.” [This is based on the study conducted in 1960-62 by the writer]

According to Rajaram Subedi in Baisi Rajyako Etihasik Ruprekha Mukunda Sen was a Thakuri. P. 38

According to Dr. Jagdish Chandra Regmi in his Nepalko Baidhanik Parampara Mani Mukunda Sen was a Thakuri king who ruled in 1540-1575 AD.

According to Francis Buchanan Hamilton in his An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal and of the terroteries annexed to this dominion by the House of Gurkhas(first published in 1819) Mukunda Send was a Thakuri king who came from Chitaur.
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BK Rana on Mani Mukunda Sen------

1) According to Bal Chandra Sharma [Aitihasik Ruprekha] > Ratna Sen was the last King of Chhitaurgarh, Rajasthan, India.

2) His oldest son Jaya Sen fled and took shelter in Prayag. Jaya Sen’s descendants while chased by the Muslims arrived ‘Rib+di+kot’, neighboring kingdom of Palpa via Butwal ,Rishing and Ghiring. [ Magar Kings are cited as ‘Bhure Takure Rajas’ by historians]

3) Sharma has also written that Rudra Sen defeated Palpali King. But who was that Palpali King ? There is no mentioning at all. Magars ? Unclear history !

4) Mukunda Sen is described as a Sen Magar in "Naradsmriti Granth" [Keshar Library, Kathmandu]. He had attacked Kathmandu twice in 1521 BS. And in Chaitra 11, 1522 BS he annexed Kirtipur. Described as Magar Rajadhiraj Mukunda Sen.

5) Gopal Rajvanshavali also cites SENS as Magars. There are some Sen Magars in Nepal today.

6) KUSUNDA ORIGIN MYTH: Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons. Upon the death of the father the first son became king. But whatever he did everything came out to be bad. So the second son went and argued whatever you did that came out bad so you are no longer King. You live in the jungle begging and hunting. This is how the oldest son became Kusunda. The second son in turn became the king. Everything he did resulted in good. The king went to offer a pig to Chandi. He didn’t find people to kill the pig. The third son said ‘I will kill it’ and killed it. The descendants from third son became Magars. The descendants of the second son became Thakuris. [Influenced by Shikhar Nath Subedi’s “Thargotra Prabaravali” . It could be found in some bookshops in Bhotahiti, Kathmandu.

7) RAJTARANGINI : It is the oldest written authority for the history of various dynasties which ruled KASHMIR from the earliest period down to the time of the author who began to write his chronicle in SAKA YEAR 1070 [AD 1148 , BS 1204] Atha Aramudi iti prashiddha mayabi Nepaldeshasya Raja [Ad 782 -813] [Kasmireitihas pp99]. Prof. Raja Ram Subedi, and Prof. Jagadish Chandra Regmi believe Aramudi as Magar King of Kali Gandaki Area.

8) Maggwar Bishaya [Nepal Sambat 221 or BS 1157] Shree Dhanap Nayak Shree Shoab Rane. Mahesh Raj Panta and Aishowryadhar Sharma recognize him as RANA MAGAR. Dhan Bzra Bazrachayra and Mahesh Raj Pant recognize Shohab Rane as Rana Magar.

9) Dailekh District and ‘Virstambha’ memorial, Thapa Magars are cited suggesting that they were in great numbers. – Prof. Ram Niwas Panday believes Khas are descendants of Magars of Dullu Dailekh.

10) F. B. Hamilton, Dor Bahadur Bista, Rhisikesh Shah believe Kings as the Magars in cultural background. Eden Vansitart, Percival landon, Jhon Whelpton, Jiro kawakita, Brian H. Hodgson also have the same belief.

Sincerely,
BKR

BK Rana responds----------------------------
Dear Dr. Thapa,

Analyzing linguistic and cultural attributes of Magars of Palpa, some five years ago, I had written in a handout that Mukunda Sen could be a Magar by his ethnic identity. The handout was prepared in light of ongoing activism on Magar Identity for National Population Census of 2058.

Back in 2039 BS, I was for a week in Palpa Argali [Argauli] on an Intensive Agricultural Research Project conducted by APROSC/HMG Ministry of Agriculture. At that time, I had been able to meet with some Magars who claimed they were the descedants of King Mukunda Sen. They said "Mani' Mukunda Sen instead of Mukunda Sen.

Those Argali Magars appeared to me Mongoloid, strong built and tall, however, the naming of Sen kings are Sanskritized ones. Those Magars owned nice plots of irrigated land [Khet] in Palpa Argali.

Sometime later I had asked Surendra S. Ranaji who told those were different Magars, however, he did not elaborate what Magars are the Argali Magars actually.

One of the Kusunda origin myths also suggests that Magars and Thakuris [Sens, Shahs, Mallas] are brothers. I have not been able to find any mentioning of Sen king's in Kalhan's Rajtarangini.

The conventional wisdom on Sen Thakuris is 'Chhetris' but lacks any scientific foundation. Dor Bahadur Bista, in a meeting in 1992, had told me Magars and Thakuris are brothers. His book 'Fatalism and Development' may be reviewed. But, Dr. Hark Gurung takes Bista's elaboration otherwise.

Sincerely yours,

BKR


Magar Studies Center on Mani Mukunda Sen------------

"MSC" < wrote">magarstudiescenter@yahoo.com> wrote: - >From: MSC
To: MSC
Subject: Who was Mukunda Sen?
Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 05:31:19 -0700 (PDT)

Dear Magarbandhus,
On 12 Apr 2005 a music CD entitled "Maulakali Gaindakotai ma" was released. During the deliberations it was said that Mani Mukunda Sen, the King of Palpa, had once camped in Nawalparasi jungle. His soldiers installed the "Maula" to perform Puja to Kali deity. Since that time people have been worshiping in that temple. But the detail information about the King is missing. Who exactly was Mukunda Sen? Magar? Or Thakuri? Some available information on this issue contradicts each other.
Is there any Magarbandhu who knows about it? Please share. But be careful there are information available which may not be true or not fact based.
Happy new year and Happy Chaite Dasain.
Govind

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Mani Mukunda Sen mero great great great great grandfather ho...Magar ta Mani mukunda sen ka army haru thiye, he was of thakuri dynasty....

bodokoche said...

Mukunda sen ko chora Lohang sen thiye. .hang haru mongol hun..aryan tha kura hoinan.

bodokoche said...

Shan makwan bangsI Huna sakcha.

Unknown said...

can you post the history of muslim in palpa tansen .. please

किरातको इतिहास : को हुन् किरात राई ?

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