Bhoj Raj
Encyclopedia
Bhojraj Singh was the a the eldest son of Rana Sanga
, ruler of Mewar
in western India
. He is best known as the reputed husband of the bhakti
poet-saint Meerabai.
(Rana Sanga
) of Mewar. He was thus the heir apparent
to the throne of Mewar, but predeceased his father and died without heirs male. His father was head of the Sisodia
clan of Rajput
s. His mother, Kanwar Bai, was born into the Solanki
clan of Rajputs and was the senior-most of Rana Sanga's wives.
As per contemporary tradition, Bhojraj and his bride would both have been in their teens when their marriage was celebrated in 1516. His bride, Meerabai, belonged to the noble family of Merta, a feudatory estate within the neighbouring kingdom of Marwar
. She belonged to the Rathore
clan of Rajputs.
The young Meerabai had already embarked upon the internal, spiritual journey that would pervade her life and raise her in future centuries to the status of near-divinity in India. Her disinterest in matters corporeal was of a piece with her rejection of the princely luxuries to which she was born. Bhojraj was nonplussed by her detachment and is said to have initially attempted to pull her back into worldly affairs. He is said to have found Meerabai's detachment and personality fascinating. By many accounts, Bhojraj and Meerabai enjoyed a relationship of friendship and understanding, with Bhojraj appreciating Meerabai's poetic talents and indulging her wish to have a temple build to God Krishna
within the palace complex.
Bhojraj died in battle in 1526. His death had a profound effect on Meerabai's life, for she lost both a friend who had kept her interested, however tenuously, in worldly affairs; and a patron who had protected her from criticism and rebuke within the family while indulging her eccentricities.
Bhojraj left no children and was succeeded as heir apparent of Mewar by his younger brother, Ratan Singh.
has written a semi-fictional book "Cuckold," dealing with the many nuances of this relationship. The book's title refers to Bhojraj himself, for he took second place to God Krishna in the affections of his wife. The book was widely acclaimed and received the Sahitya Akademi Award
in 2001..
Other portrayals of Bhojraj are found in Indian films. In the Tamil
film Meera
, the role of Bhojraj is played by Chittor V. Nagaiah
. Bhojraj shown to be a sensitive and conscientious prince with a fondness for music and Meerabai's poetry. He is shown making many efforts to woo the woman he is married to, and largely succeeds in establishing a relationship of affection and mutual respect. His several private frustrations in this project are also depicted sensitively. Towards the end, Bhojraj's own sense of duty towards his kingdom and people, and the need to maintain the dignity of his royal house, added to disapproval from family and courtiers, compel him to send his wife into exile. Meerabai later dies after having a vision of the God Krishna
, and in the final scene of the film, Bhojraj is shown becoming a devotee of his own wife. This version is at variance with most other versions of events, which state that Bhojraj died before Meerabai, and that her subsequent exile was ordered by Bhojraj's younger brother and successor.
Rana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
, ruler of Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
in western India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is best known as the reputed husband of the bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
poet-saint Meerabai.
Biography
Bhojraj Singh was born the eldest of the seven sons of Maharana Sangram Singh IRana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
(Rana Sanga
Rana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
) of Mewar. He was thus the heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the throne of Mewar, but predeceased his father and died without heirs male. His father was head of the Sisodia
Sisodia
The Sisodia are Chattari Rajputs of the Suryavanshi lineage who ruled the kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan. Prior to Rana Hamir the clan was known as Gehlot or Guhilot. In 1303 CE Alla-ud-din Khilji attacked Chittor...
clan of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s. His mother, Kanwar Bai, was born into the Solanki
Solanki
The Solanki was a royal Hindu Indian dynasty that ruled parts of western and central India between the 10th to 13th centuries. A number of scholars including V. A. Smith assign them Gurjar origin....
clan of Rajputs and was the senior-most of Rana Sanga's wives.
As per contemporary tradition, Bhojraj and his bride would both have been in their teens when their marriage was celebrated in 1516. His bride, Meerabai, belonged to the noble family of Merta, a feudatory estate within the neighbouring kingdom of Marwar
Marwar
Marwar is a region of southwestern Rajasthan state in western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. In Rajasthani dialect "wad" means a particular area. The word Marwar is derived from Sanskrit word 'Maruwat'. English translation of the word is 'The region of desert'., The Imperial Gazetteer...
. She belonged to the Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
clan of Rajputs.
The young Meerabai had already embarked upon the internal, spiritual journey that would pervade her life and raise her in future centuries to the status of near-divinity in India. Her disinterest in matters corporeal was of a piece with her rejection of the princely luxuries to which she was born. Bhojraj was nonplussed by her detachment and is said to have initially attempted to pull her back into worldly affairs. He is said to have found Meerabai's detachment and personality fascinating. By many accounts, Bhojraj and Meerabai enjoyed a relationship of friendship and understanding, with Bhojraj appreciating Meerabai's poetic talents and indulging her wish to have a temple build to God Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
within the palace complex.
Bhojraj died in battle in 1526. His death had a profound effect on Meerabai's life, for she lost both a friend who had kept her interested, however tenuously, in worldly affairs; and a patron who had protected her from criticism and rebuke within the family while indulging her eccentricities.
Bhojraj left no children and was succeeded as heir apparent of Mewar by his younger brother, Ratan Singh.
In popular culture
The relationship between Bhojraj, the worldly heir-apparent of a powerful kingdom, and Meerabai, a princess with a passion for God and a preference for detachment and austerity, has engaged the attention of several scholars. Kiran NagarkarKiran Nagarkar
Kiran Nagarkar is an Indian novelist, playwright, film and drama critic and screenwriter both in Marathi and English, and is one of the most significant writers of postcolonial India....
has written a semi-fictional book "Cuckold," dealing with the many nuances of this relationship. The book's title refers to Bhojraj himself, for he took second place to God Krishna in the affections of his wife. The book was widely acclaimed and received the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in 2001..
Other portrayals of Bhojraj are found in Indian films. In the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
film Meera
Meera (1945 film)
Meera is a 1945 Tamil-language film starring M. S. Subbulakshmi, Kumari Kamala, T. S. Baliah and Chittoor V. Nagaiah based on the life of the devotional singer and dancer Meera. The film was directed by American film director Ellis R. Dungan.-Plot:...
, the role of Bhojraj is played by Chittor V. Nagaiah
Chittor V. Nagaiah
Chitturu Nagayya or Chittor V. Nagaiah birth name - Vuppaladadiyam Nagayya was an Indian actor, composer, director, producer, writer and playback singer of Telugu film industry, Andhra Pradesh, India. Indian film journalist and the editor of Film India, Baburao Patel, described Nagiah as ‘The...
. Bhojraj shown to be a sensitive and conscientious prince with a fondness for music and Meerabai's poetry. He is shown making many efforts to woo the woman he is married to, and largely succeeds in establishing a relationship of affection and mutual respect. His several private frustrations in this project are also depicted sensitively. Towards the end, Bhojraj's own sense of duty towards his kingdom and people, and the need to maintain the dignity of his royal house, added to disapproval from family and courtiers, compel him to send his wife into exile. Meerabai later dies after having a vision of the God Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, and in the final scene of the film, Bhojraj is shown becoming a devotee of his own wife. This version is at variance with most other versions of events, which state that Bhojraj died before Meerabai, and that her subsequent exile was ordered by Bhojraj's younger brother and successor.