Kushabhavanapura
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Kushabhavanapura (कुशभवनपुर) was the capital of Rama's son Kusha.
Origin
Variants
- Kushabhavanapura (कुशभवनपुर) =Sultanpur सुल्तानपुर (उ.प्र.) (AS, p.211)
- Kushasthali (कुशस्थली) (AS, p.212)
- Sultanpur सुलतानपुर दे. कुशभवनपुर (AS, p.978)
History
Lord Rama divided, during his lifetime, his vast kingdom among his brothers and sons. His son, Kusha succeeded to the south Kosala with its capital at Ayodhya. The old city of Sultanpur which lay on the right bank of the Gomati is said to have been called Kusapura or Kusabhavanpur, having been named after Kusa, who is locally believed to have founded it. The story of his marriage with a Naga princess testifies that he propagated Vedic culture among aborigines.
Afterwards the central power of Kosala became weak and Dirghayajna, the ruler of Ayodhya, was subdued by Bhima, one of five Pandavas in the Mahabharata War (Mahabharata, Sabhaparva).
A few generations later, in the period of king Para, Ayodhya was occupied by the king Divakara of Sravasti branch, founded by Rama's second son, Lava. The District then began to be ruled over by the Kosala kings from their capital at Sravasti. The tract of river Gomti around the village Dhopap (pargana Chanda, tehsil Kadipur) is described as Dhutpap in Visnu Puran. The original town was situated on the left bank of the Gomti. It is said to have been founded by Kusa, son of Rama, and to have been named after him Kusapura or Kusabhavanpur.
This ancient city has been identified by Alexander Cunningham with the Kusapur mentioned by Hiuentsang, the Chinese traveller. He states that there was in his time a dilapidated stupa of Ashoka and that Buddha taught here for six months.
There are Buddhist remains still visible at Mahmoodpur, a village, 8 km distant to the north-west of Sultanpur. The town subsequently fell into the hands of Bhars, who retained it until it was taken from them by Musalmans in the 12th century.
About seven hundred and fifty years ago, it is said, two brothers, Sayid Muhammad and Sayid Ala-ud-Din, horse dealer by profession, visited eastern Avadh and offered some horses for sale to Bhar Chieftains of Kusabhavanpur, who seized the horses and put the two brothers to death. This came to the ear of Ala-ud-Din Khilji, who would not allow such an outrage to pass unpunished. Gathering a mighty force, therefore, he set out for Kusabhavanpur and took revenge by killing most of the Bhars by strategem adopted after a long drawn siege. Kusabhavanpur was reduced to ashes and the town of Sultanpur, so called from the rank of the victor, rose upon its ruins. This town was finally raised to the ground during the military operations connected with the reoccupation of the province in consequence of the inhabitants having been concerned in the murder of British officers at the outbreak of the freedom struggle of 1857.
Long a center of Hindu and Buddhist culture Sultanpur fell under Muslim occupation in the 12th century. The town was completely destroyed during the military operations of the Revolt of 1857.
Around the 14-15th century, Rajkunwar branch of Chauhan Dynasty claiming to be direct descendent of Hammir Dev Chauhan of Ranthambore along with other clans like Bandalgotis, Rajwars and Bachgotis ruled over a large part of the district.
कुशभवनपुर
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[1] ने लेख किया है ...कुशभवनपुर = सुल्तानपुर (उ.प्र.) (p.211): रामचंद्र जी के पुत्र कुश की राजधानी यहां रही थी. युवानच्वाङ्ग ने इस स्थान को देखा था. श्री न.ला. डे के अनुसार वायु पुराण, उत्तर 26 की कुशस्थली यही थी. प्राचीन नगर गोमती के तट पर था. सुल्तान अलाउद्दीन ने भार राजा को हराकर यहां मस्जिद बनवाई और नगर को वर्तमान नाम सुल्तानपुर दिया.
धूतपाप
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[2] ने लेख किया है ...धूतपाप (AS, p.467) अथवा 'धोपाप' सुल्तानपुर ज़िला, वाराणसी, उत्तर प्रदेश में स्थित है। यह एक प्राचीन हिन्दू तीर्थ स्थान है, जो धूतपापा नदी (गोमती की उपनदी) के तट पर स्थित है। कभी यहाँ 'कुशभावन' या सुल्तानपुर के भार नरेशों का राज्य हुआ करता था। इस स्थान का संबंध श्रीरामचंद्र के रावण वध का प्रायश्चित करने से जोड़ा जाता है। यहाँ का क़िला शेरगढ़ नदी के तट पर बना हुआ है।