“Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura” — A Riveting Exploration of Faith, History, and Resilience
It’s been over a month since the iconic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya became a reality. A temple that was a collective dream of a billion Hindus, not just in Bharat (i.e. India) but around the world. It was a temple for which a five-century struggle ensued. It was kept alive in the subconscious across generations through storytelling, arts, rituals and, towards the later decades, a legal battle and political consolidation. As the storm and celebration around the Ram Temple settle down, two more sites — Mathura (Krishna Janmasthan) and Kashi (also called Varanasi or Banaras) Gyanvapi — continue to spark debates and discussions.
Recently, I finished the book “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura”, a brilliant explainer of the Krishna Janmabhoomi history, by Meenakshi Jain, a distinguished historian. This is the first book of Meenakshi Ji I have read, and I curse myself for not reading it earlier. It’s a literary gem, especially in terms of content, that unfolds the history of devotion to Shri Krishna in the sacred precincts of Mathura and its environs. The book delves into the rich history of the place and the deity’s worship that dates back to at least the 7th century BC based on the earliest literary evidence available. The author also goes into the understanding and evolution of the Bhagavata religion, Vaishnavism and Krishna worship. That is the first half.
The second half gets into the harrowing accounts of Islamic invasions and relentless plunder, laying bare the continuous assaults on the revered Krishna Janmabhoomi Mandir and Mathura. It also dives into the heroic pushbacks by various Hindu kings such as the Gahadavalas, Rajputs, Marathas and Raja Patnimal. Towards the end, it details a series of legal battles fought over the Katra Keshavadeva and the gripping tale of the resilience of the Hindu community against misrepresentation of facts, forgery, perjury and deceit by the adversaries. The book covers the timeline till October 2020, so anyone wishing to research events after that must explore on their own. Having said that, Meenakshi Ji’s narrative is nothing short of a revelation for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of the complex issue of Krishna Janmabhoomi.
Without spilling much beans, I found the following key passages interesting. I have added my own one paragraph commentary under a few.
The Historicity of Worship of Mahasthana (Page 95)
Chanda argued that the prevalence of the custom of making pilgrimage to the thanani (sthanani) or places connected with the life of the Buddha in the reign of Ashoka on the one hand, and the prevalence of the worship of Samkarsana and Vasudeva in the 2nd century BCE on the other, warranted an assumption that the mahasthan of Vasudeva at Mathura did not suddenly become popular in the time of the Saka satraps. It must have been a place of pilgrimage well before their advent. The statement of Megasthenes that the Sourasenai, who lived in and about Mathura, held Krishna (Herakles) in special honour also permitted that interpretation (Chanda 1920: 172–173).
Another scholar, Vasudeva Agrawala, provided a similar assessment, as Meenakshi ji asserts, demonstrating the historicity of the place that goes centuries back. Krishna Janmasthan is also known as Katra Keshavadeva (with ‘katra’ meaning small marketplace).
Mahmud Ghaznavi’s Mayhem in Mathura in 1071 CE (Page 121)
From Mahaban, Mahmud’s invading force moved to Mathura. In his Tarikh-i-Yamini, Mahmud’s secretary, Al-Utbi, detailed the havoc wrought,
On both sides of the city there were a thousand houses, to which idol temples were attached. In the middle of the city there was a temple larger and firmer than the rest, which can neither be described nor painted. The Sultan thus wrote respecting it:- “If any should wish to construct a building equal to this, he would not be able to do it without expending an hundred thousand red dinars, and it would occupy two hundred years, even though the most experienced and able workmen were employed.” Among the idols….putting them into scales. The Sultan gave orders that all the temples should be burnt with naphtha and fire, and levelled with the ground. (Elliot and Dowson Vol. II: 248)
The above excerpt gives you an insight into Ghaznavi’s (and more Islamic invaders who followed him) diabolical mindset that compelled him to destroy the very thing he praised after watching it for the first time. The hatred that supersedes all human intelligence (yes, intelligence) had engulfed him so much that instead of getting inspired to create something similar for his own faith, he chose to destroy the very inspiration. The above passage is also a tight slap on those who glorify the invaders — be it Middle Eastern or European — alleging that they were a boon to an otherwise poor, backward and savage nation. India contributed about 30% of the world’s GDP for the first 1000 years of AD. It dropped to a quarter by 1500 AD and dropped sharply to about 5% till independence in 1947. Where did all that wealth go? The book also gives disturbing details about the massacre that Ahmed Shah Abdali unleashed on Mathura, along with the destruction, in 1757CE.
Burying Idols Under the Steps of Mosque of Begum Sahib, Renaming Mathura to Islamabad (Page 135)
… as the zephyr of the garden of victory and the reviver of the faith of the Prophet, issued orders for the demolition of the temple situated in Mathura, famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In a short time by the great exertions of his officers, the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built by the expenditure of a large sum Praised be the august God of the faith of Islam, that in the auspicious reign of this destroyer of infidelity and turbulence, such a wonderful and seemingly impossible work was successfully accomplished.
On seeing this instance of the strength of the emperor’s faith and the grandeur of his devotion to God, the proud Rajas were stifled, and in amazement they stood like images facing the wall. The idols, large and small, set with costly jewels, which had been set up in the temple, were brought to Agra, and buried under the steps of the mosque of the Begum Sahib in order to be continuously trodden upon. The name of Mathura was changed to Islamabad. (Saqi Mustaid Khan Jo 1947: 60)
Survey Reports of Alexander Cunningham (Page 136)
SURVEY REPORTS OF ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM — KESHAV TEMPLE REPEATEDLY PULLED DOWN
Alexander Cunningham, who wrote his first account of Mathura in 1861 and subsequently visited the city several times, noted,
…there can be little doubt that the great temple of Kesava had stood on this site (Katra) from a very early date, although often thrown down and as often renewed. (Cunningham 1885: 31)
There are no ancient buildings now standing in Mathura. As one of the most holy seats of the Hindu religion, the city was repeatedly harried by the more bigoted Muhammadan princes — by Mahmud of Ghazni in A.D. 1018, by Sikander Lodi about 1500 A.D., and lastly by Aurangzeb in A.D. 1669. (Cunningham 1885: 38)
1832 Challenge to Raja Patnimal (Page 148)
However, a robkar in Persian, dated 29th October 1832, from Kachcheri Nizamat, District Muttra gave the history of the Katra and the legal position on its sale to Raja Patnimal,
The document (robkar) describes in brief the old history of the Katrah. From it we learn that when the British came in possession of the district of Muttra they found that the Katrah had been treated by their predecessors, the Mahrattas, as Nazul land and the income from the houses in the Katra was deposited in the Government Treasury. They continued to treat it as Nazul and in 1815 sold it by public auction to Raja Patnimal of Benares who since then had been collecting rents. The occasion for this robkar was an application by one Atta Ullah Khatib of the mosque, that the sale be cancelled. The court found that Atta Ullah and his predecessors had left Muttra in search of employment during Mahratta reign and were out of possession. It therefore refused to cancel the sale. (Nyayika Sthithi Sri Krishna Janamsthan: 138)
This was the first challenge to Raja Patnimal’s ownership of 13 acres of land that was auctioned to him by the British East India Company. However, what’s noteworthy about this paragraph is (and this is repeated at other places as well) that the person who filed the challenge had left Mathura in search of employment during the Maratha reign itself (after which the British East India Company gained control of the site and further 17 years since it was auctioned to Raja Patnimal). We saw this happening in the Ayodhya case as well, where the mosque in contention wasn’t frequented, to begin with, since it was away from a Muslim-majority neighbourhood and even the Sunni Waqf Board entered the case very late (pretty much the last moment when the statute of limitations was to run out). It just shows that the “contentious” sites have been deliberately made so despite them having no specific importance to the Muslim community whatsoever. On the other hand, both in Mathura and Ayodhya, the Hindu community has not just been able to establish evidence of historical importance but also evidence of continuous worship irrespective of ownership. In the case of Ayodhya, if not for Marxist historians, an out-of-court settlement would have been reached since the Muslim community was almost accepting that the said mosque did not have any specific importance to the community and given the sacredness of the site to the Hindu community, it would be better to hand it over to them. This wouldn’t have just prevented countless bloodshed and decades of tensions but would have heralded a new era of brotherhood — TRUTH and RECONCILIATION in the true sense.
Forged Entry by Muslim Side on Tehkhana (Page 169)
(Judge Tankha in August 1929) The raised platform was measured east-west and it measured 161 feet, so there can be no doubt that this raised platform is the plinth of the said temple and not a Tehkhana. The entry on which reliance has been placed on behalf of the contesting defendants is a forged entry and I am not prepared to attach weight to it.
Raja Patnimal’s Ambition to Rebuild the Keshavadeva Temple (Page 169)
In his Mathura District Memoir (p. 128) Mr. Growse says, “His (Raja Patnimal’s) great ambition was to re-build the ancient temple of Keshavadeva and with this view he had gradually acquired a considerable part of the site, but as some of the Mahommedans who had occupied the ground for nearly two centuries refused to be bought out and the law upheld them in their refusal he was at last and after great expense had been incurred reluctantly obliged to abandon the idea.”
JK Birla Wanted to Construct a Temple (Page 195)
Trust Alleged Shahi Masjid Idgah had encroached upon land of the deity and an encroacher could claim no right over the true owner.
According to lawyer, Vishnu Shankar Jain, the compromise was dishonestly imposed by some prominent Congressmen, among them D.P. Misra (then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh) and M.A. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar (then Governor of Bihar). He pointed out that Shree Krishna Janambhumi Trust had been formed by Jugal Kishore Birla to fulfil the objective of constructing a temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
These two excerpts are one of the best examples of why the Hindu faith has refused to die despite all the onslaughts for centuries. Raja Patnimal purchased the land in 1815 CE. Jugal Kishore Birla purchased the same land in 1944 CE. Both were 129 years apart. Yet the ambition did not change. The battle for restoring the Ram Mandir started as early as 1528 CE, right from when Babur razed it. The memory of the struggle was passed across generations to result in a beautiful temple in 2024. If someone wonders, “How did the Hindu faith keep thriving despite thousands of temples being razed to the ground?”. I would say, “It’s because we kept rebuilding them.” After Ghaznavi attacked Mathura in 1071 CE, the temple was rebuilt by Jajja, a vassal of Gahadavala. After the second destruction in the late 14th century by Lodi, it was rebuilt by Bir Singh Deo Bundela. Marathas like Ahilyabai Holkar, reconstructed hundreds of temples, including the Kashi Vishwanath, during her lifetime. The jyotirlinga of Somnath, razed many times, stands tall today as it became one of the first temples to be restored in independent India. Ram Mandir was constructed 500 years after it was razed down and 75 years after the deity was forced to live in a tent for decades in his birthplace.
Keeping Rajputs and Jats Away from Mosque (Page 183)
RAJPUTS AND JATS
The documentary evidence on behalf of the defendants consists of two copies of farmans about 300 years old, first one of which appoints a Khatib of the mosque and the other enjoins the Khatib not to allow Hindu Rajputs and Jats to stay inside the compound (vide. Exhibits TTI and V.VI) … the ruling reported in A.I.R. 1924 P.C. 216 where their Lordships of the Privy Council laid down that the rights acquired during the past rule would not avail unless they are recognized by the present Government. There being no evidence of such recognition by the British Government the firmans can be no evidence of this.
No Idgah At the Site in 1944 (Page 196)
According to the petitioners, at the time of the sale to Seth Jugal Kishore Birla there was no idgah in existence. There was a small dilapidated structure in a corner of Katra Keshavadeva. Shree Krishna Janamsthan Sewa Sangh and Trust Alleged Shahi Masjid Idgah hid the fact that the true birthplace of Shree Krishna, the prison cell (karagar) lay beneath the construction raised by the Trust Alleged Shahi Masjid Idgah. They created an artificial karagar to mislead devotees of Lord Krishna.
It’s important to know that in October 1968, the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board granted approval to the Committee of Management, Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah to enter into a compromise with a society known as Shree Krishna Janamsthan Sewa Sangh (not a trustee of Shree Krishna Janambhumi Trust created by J K Birla), whereby a part of the land of Katra Keshavadeva was ceded to the Trust Alleged Shahi Masjid Idgah. This compromise led to the building of the current structure of Idgah.
In a poignant exploration of legal battles and historical events, Meenakshi Jain’s “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura” is an enlightening and essential read. It provides a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding Krishna Janmabhoomi and celebrates the unyielding spirit of a community’s faith and resilience throughout history.
References:
https://www.amazon.com/Vasudeva-Krishna-Mathura-Meenakshi-Jain/dp/8173056587
