Gurdan Saini

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Gurdan Saini commanded the Sisodia Rajput force of Raja Hamir Dev against Turks in 14th Century CE. He is
described by poet-scholar Amir Khusro in Miftah al-Futuh as the most feared warrior on the Rajput side on the day of
the battle of Ranthambore. His death was the turning point of the battle. Rajput force fell into disarray as soon he was
slain after a 'severe action'.

Gurdan Saini (Hindi: गुरदान सैनी) was a Rajput warrior [1][2][3][4] and military general who fought and died heroically in the

battle of Ranthambore between the Turk forces of Jalaludin Khilji and Rajput forces of Rana Hamir Dev in the 14th

century CE.

Sometimes the same person is also referred as Gurdas Saini by historians.[5][6][7]

Contents
[hide]

• 1 A highly regarded Rajput military general

• 2 Gurdan Saini's martyrdom: turning point of the Ranthambore

battle

• 3 Background

○ 3.1 Surasena Yadava lineage

○ 3.2 No relation with present day Mali community

• 4 Further reading
 • 5 External links

• 6 References

[edit]A highly regarded Rajput military general

Gurdan Saini was the commander-in-chief [8][9][10][11][4] of the Rajput army of Rana Hamir. He was regarded by his

contemporary Turk historians as the most experienced Rajput warrior in the army of Rana Hamir. According to Amir

Khusro , Khilji dynasty's royal poet-scholar , Gurdan Saini led victorious campaigns in Malwa and Gujrat for Rana

Hamir. Gurdan Saini also led the Rajput forces in the battle of Ranthambore where he was slain while leading a
charge against the Turk army.

Noted historians Henry Miers Elliot and John Dowson in their work "The History of India, as Told by Its Own

Historians. The Muhammadan Period" [12] citing Miftah al-Futuh , a work by Amir Khusro, provide the following

account of this distinguished Saini general in the Sisodia Rajput army of Rana Hamir :

"The rai was in affright, and sent for Gurdan Saini, who was the most experienced warrior amongst the 40,000 rawats

under the rai, and had seen many fights among the Hindus. "Sometimes he had gone with the advance to Malwa ;

sometimes he had gone plundering in Gujarat." The Saini took 10,000 rawats with him from Jhain, and advanced

against the Turks, and, after a severe action, he was slain. Upon which the Hindus fled, and in the pursuit many were

slain and many taken prisoners..."

The account of this Saini general who commanded a force of 10,000 elite Rajput fighters and achieved martyrdom

almost reads like a eulogy even from a hostile Turk source.

[edit]Gurdan Saini's martyrdom: turning point of the Ranthambore

battle
From Amir Khusro's account it is very clear that Gurdan Saini was highly regarded as a warrior by both Rajputs and

his Turk adversaries. As soon as he was slain in a pitched battle, Rajput soldiers lost their morale and were either

slain or taken captives. This is obvious from the following verse of Miftah al-Futuh [4][12]:

"Upon which the Hindus fled, and in the pursuit many were slain and many taken prisoners..."

[edit]Background
One fact that is self-evident that he was most certainly a Rajput [1][2] [13] as Rajputs customarily did not fight under the

command of non-Rajputs.

[edit]Surasena Yadava lineage

Gurdan Saini was likely linked with the famed Yaduvanshi Surasenas of Mathura [2][14][15][16] , some of whom are said to

have disperesed to Jalandhar doab in Punjab after the Turk invasion of Mathura.[1][2][17] The term 'Surasena' (also spelt

Shurasena) is a Sanskrit version of Prakrit 'Shoorsaini'.[18] 'Shoorsaini' is the full version of the term 'Saini'.[19]

The Shoorsaini or Surasena lineage of Gurdan Saini is also strongly suggested by the fact there was another

commander in Rana Hamir's army , namely, Rana Mal, who belonged to this ancient Yadava lineage.[20]

Shoorsaini lineage of Yaduvanshi kshatriyas had held the area around Mathura from the ancient time as its

customary theo-political seat claiming continuity from Lord Krishna. The ancient Greek ambassdor Megasthenes left

following description of this ancient royal clan which they described as Sourasenoi in Greek [21]:

"This Herakles is held in special honour by the Sourasenoi, an Indian tribe, who possess two large cities, Methora

and Cleisobora"

[edit]No relation with present day Mali community

Currently Mali community of Rajasthan and central Indian provinces also uses the last name 'Saini'. But Mali

community started using the last name 'Saini' only in 20th century[22]. This is also evident from the fact that census of

India conducted in 1881 confirms that Saini community was not found outside Punjab [23], which included present day

Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Based on this information it can be categorically stated that Gurdan Saini had no

relation with the present day Mali caste of Rajasthan and central provinces. Secondly, Mali community was singularly

known for its non-martial background.[24] (See Rajput Mali)

[edit]Further reading
 The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; by Sir H. M. Elliot; Edited by John

Dowson; London Trubner Company 1867–1877 vol I-VIII -

 Saini

 Surasena Kingdom

 Surasena

 Rana Hamir

[edit]External links
 http://www.shoorsaini.com

[edit]References
1. ^ a b c "In the Punjab in the sub- mountainous region the community came to be known as 'Saini'.
It maintained its Rajput character despite migration." Castes and Tribes of Rajasthan,
pp108,Sukhvir Singh Gahlot, Banshi Dhar, Jain Brothers, 1989

2. ^ a b c d "The Sainis trace their origin to a Rajput clan who came from their original home near
Muttra [sic] on the Jumna, south of Delhi, in defence of Hindus against the first Muhammadan
invasions." The land of the five rivers; an economic history of the Punjab from the earliest times
to the year of grace 1890, pp 100, Hugh Kennedy Trevaskis, [London] Oxford University press,
1928

3. ^ A Comprehensive History of India : The Delhi Sultanat, A.D. 1206-1526, pp 318, Kallidaikurichi
Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History Congress, 1957

4. ^ a b c "Consequently, a severe fight took place in which the Hindu commander Gurdan Saini met
a heroic death "upon which the Hindu's fled, and in the pursuit many were slain and many taken
prisoners". Disintegration of North Indian Hindu states, C. 1175-1320 A.D. pp 136, Ashok Kumar
Srivastava,Gorakhpur : Purvanchal Prakashan ; New Delhi, India : Distributed by D.K.
Publisher's Distributors, 1990

5. ^ Early Chauhān dynasties : a study of Chauhān political history, Chauhān political institutions,
and life in the Chauhān dominions, from 800 to 1316 A.D., Dasharatha Sharma , pp 125,
Publisher: Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.

6. ^ Ranthambhore beyond tigers , S. S. Chaudhary, pp 20, Udaipur : Himanshu Publications :

Distributed by Arya's Book Centre, 2000.

7. ^ Survey of Kheechi Chauhan history : with biographical notes, pp 38, Author: Akhtar Hussain
Nizami; Raghunath Singh Kheechi; Gopal Singh Kheechi; P R Purohit; Kheechi Chauhan Shodh
Sansthan. Publisher: Indroka, Jodhpur : Kheechi Chauhan Shodh Sansthan, 1990.

8. ^ a b "Saini was a great general and had led several expeditions into the country of Malwa and
Gujarat" History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290-1320: A. D. 1290-1320, pp 28 Kishori Saran Lal,
Published by Asia Publising House, 1967

9. ^ A Study of the Cahamana Inscriptions of Rajasthan, Anita Sudan,pp 79, Published by

Research Publishers, 1989

10. ^ A Comprehensive History of India : The Delhi Sultanat, A.D. 1206-1526 / edited by Mohammad
Habib and Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, pp 318, Kallidaikurichi Aiyah Nilakanta Sastri, Indian History
Congress Published by Orient Longmans, 1957

11. ^ Studies in Medieval Rajasthan History,pp 20 By Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, Published by

[Aligarh?], 1970, Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized 2 Nov 2006, 56 pages
12. ^ a b The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period (1871) ,pp
541, Henry Miers Elliot and John Dowson , Trübner and co.,

13. ^ a b " Before the formation of Bharatpur state the capital of Sinsinwars was at Sinsini. Sinsini
earlier was known as 'Shoor saini' and its inhabitants were known as 'Saur Sen'. The influence
of Saur Sen people can be judged from the fact that the dialect of the entire north India at one
time was known as 'Saursaini'. Shoor Sain people were Chandra Vanshi kshatriyas. Lord
Krishna was also born in vrishni branch of Chandravansh. A group of Yadavas was follower
of Shiv and Vedic God in Sindh. Some inscriptions and coins of these people have been found in
'Mohenjo Daro'. ' Shiv Shani Sevi' words have been found engraved on one inscription. Yajur
Veda mentions 'Shinay Swah'. 'Sini Isar' was found on one gold coin. Atharva Veda mentions
'Sinwali' for Sini God. The above group of Yadavas came back from Sindh to Brij area and
occupied Bayana in Bharatpur district. After some struggle the 'Balai' inhabitants were forced by
Shodeo and Saini rulers to move out of Brij land and thus they occupied large areas.",
Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Volume 100, pp 119 - 120, SS Sashi, Anmol
Publications, 1996/ Alternate Secondary Source: http://www.bharatpuronline.com/history.html

14. ^ "Surasena refers to an ancient region named after a Jadu raja who is believed to have lived
before Krishna. Bayana (near Mathura) from where the Jadus ruled ..." Against History, Against
State: Counterperspectives from the Margins, pp 54, Shail Mayaram, Published by Permanent
Black, 2004

15. ^ "During the Mahabharata age the region around Mathura was ruled by the Surasena
dynasty." The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, By Institute of Historical Studies (Calcutta,
India),Published by Institute of Historical, Studies., 1983, Item notes: v.22, Original from the
University of Michigan, Digitized 29 Aug 2008

16. ^ "Surasena was a Yadava. One of his descendants could, therefore, call himself a Yadava or a
Surasena as he liked..." Chauhān Dynasties: A Study of Chauhān Political History, Chauhān
Political Institutions, and Life in the Chauhān Dominions, from 800 to 1316 A.D., By Dasharatha
Sharma, pp 103, Published by Motilal Banarsidass, 1975

17. ^ "In Jullundhur the Sainis are said to claim Rajput origin...and lived principally in the Muttra
district. When Mahmud of Ghazni invaded India their ancestors came into Jullundur and settled
down there...". See pp 346 of Denzil Ibbetson, Edward MacLagan, H.A. Rose "A Glossary of The
Tribes & Casts of The Punjab & Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa", 1990. Note: This account tallies with
Cunningham's account of the ruling Surasena (Saini) Yadavas of Mathura region prior to the
Turk invasion. See pp 57, REPORT OF A TOUR IN EASTERN RAJPUTANA IN 1882-83 ,
VOLUME XX, A. Cunningham, Archaeological Survey of India, Published by Office of the
 Superintendent of Government Printing, 1885 ,Item notes: v.20 1882-1883, Original from the
University of Michigan

18. ^ "As Bhadanaka-desa was almost coterminous with Surasena janapada, we may designate the
Apabhramsa of the area as Sauraseni Apabhramsa..." Early Chauhān Dynasties: A Study of
Chauhān Political History, Chauhān Political Institutions, and Life in the Chauhān Dominions,
from 800 to 1316 A.D., By Dasharatha Sharma, pp 103, Published by Motilal Banarsidass, 1975

19. ^ People of India: Haryana, Saini, pp 430 , Kumar Suresh Singh, Madan Lal Sharma, A. K.
Bhatia, Anthropological Survey of India, Published by Published on behalf of Anthropological
Survey of India by Manohar Publishers, 1994

20. ^ "The Shura Rajputs , of whom Hammira's minister and commander, Ranamalla, was one,
probably represented the ancient Surasenakas [sic]", Rajasthan Through Ages, A
comprehensive and authentic history of Rajasthan prepared under the orders of the Government
of Rajasthan, pp 13, Dr. Dasharatha Sharma, MA , D.Litt , Rajasthan State Archives, Bikaner,
1966

21. ^ Arrian, Indika, viii, Methora is Mathura ; Growse (Mathura, 3rd ed. 279) suggests Cleisbora is
Krisnhapura , 'city of Krishna', ANNALS AND ANTIQUITIES OF RAJASTHAN, James Tod, Vol.
1, pp 36, Oxford University Press, 1920

22. ^ Rajasthan , Kumar Suresh Singh, B. K. Lavania, Dipak Kumar Samanta, S. K. Mandal, N. N.
Vyas, pp 845, Anthropological Survey of India

23. ^ W.Chichele Plowden , ( 1883 ), The Indian Empire Census of 1881 Statistics of Population Vol.
II. , Calcutta , Superintendent of Government Printing India, pp 243-258, 294

24. ^ There is well recorded account about how Rajputs escaped conversion to Islam and genocide
by the Turks by claiming to be Malis in the captivity of Sahabuddin Ghori after the defeat of
Prithviraj Chauhan. See 'Rajasthan', pp 614, by Kumar Suresh Singh, B. K. Lavania, Dipak
Kumar Samanta, S. K. Mandal, N. N. Vyas,1998, Anthropological Survey of India