Often it transpires that certain slabs of history go overlooked, or you can also call, under-celebrated. In this article, we address one such slab, on which is written the wonderful and heroic story of Samrat Hemachandra Vikramaditya.
Hemachandra Bharagava or Hemu
Hemachandra Bhargava or Hemu (1501-1556) was born in Alwar, Rajasthan, to Rai Puran Das. Hemu was Chief of Army, and Prime Minister during the era of Adil Shah. Hemu is said to have won 22 battles in a row, and after his 22nd victory, he crowned himself as the Emperor of Delhi. He named himself ‘Samrat Hemachandra Vikramaditya’ and it is believed that he was heavily inspired by the ‘Vijayanagara’ Kingdom of South India.
Early Life and Youth Days
Not many concrete details are available about Hemu, as it is believed that the Mughals destroyed all the shreds of evidence regarding the former ruler of Delhi. However, it is said that Hemu was born in Alwar and was equipped with Horse-riding and Kushti at an early age. It was also during his youth days that the history of India was shaped to an extent. Babur entered the country and the Battle of Panipat was fought during this period.
Hemu’s Rise and Death
Hemu’s rise coincided with Sher Shah Suri occupying Delhi. Under Sher Shah’s son Islam Shah, Hemu grew from being the Market Superintendent to the Chief of Intelligence of the Kingdom. Hemu was also appointed as the Governor of Punjab during Islam’s reign.
After Islam Shah’s death, Adil Shah took over the kingdom. Adil Shah appointed Hemu as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom. However, Adil Shah’s incompetency led the Suri Dynasty to be broken into four. Nevertheless, with the help of Hemu, Adil defeated a couple of retaliators. It was also during this time that Humayan defeated Adil Shah and occupied Delhi.
Once Humayan died, Hemu sensed the vulnerability of the Mughals and defeated them to become the first Emperor of Delhi in 350 years. Despite having ruled only for a short period of time, Hemu’s impact was long-lasting. In the Second Battle of Panipat, Hemu was hit in the eye and was later beheaded by the Mughals.
Source: My India My Glory
