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How does the UP CM Yogi Adityanath's denouncement of Mughals square up with the spiritual and financial history of Gorakhnath temple (of which he is currently the mahant)?
In short - it doesn't.
@CMarrewa breaks it down.
Thread. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
In short - it doesn't.
@CMarrewa breaks it down.
Thread. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
It is widely believed that the Gorakhnath temple was built on land provided to the yogis by a Muslim ruler who was, at least, nominally affiliated with the Mughals.
The official temple literature confirms this as fact - and is sold at Yogi's math. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
The official temple literature confirms this as fact - and is sold at Yogi's math. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
This doesn't seem to have been an exception for the times.
As early as the very first Mughal emperor, Babur himself recounts that he had heard of the yogis at Gorkhatri, one of the most famous Nath centres at the time, expressing a desire to visit. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
As early as the very first Mughal emperor, Babur himself recounts that he had heard of the yogis at Gorkhatri, one of the most famous Nath centres at the time, expressing a desire to visit. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
Babur’s grandson Akbar was far more impressed with the Nath yogis than Babur was, not only at Gorkhatri, but also at Balnath Tilla and Jakhbar, both Nath centres which he came to patronise. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
Two sources suggest that Akbar visited and was deeply engaged with the yogis at these centres.
It is later recorded that Akbar gave a madad-i-ma’āsh of gift of land to the Balnath Tilla - with the math holding his written note well into the early 20th c. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
It is later recorded that Akbar gave a madad-i-ma’āsh of gift of land to the Balnath Tilla - with the math holding his written note well into the early 20th c. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
The landmark discovery by B.N. Goswamy and J.S. Grewal attests to four generations of Mughal patronage of the Nath yogis at Jakhbar, beginning with Akbar and lasting through to the rule of Aurangzeb. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
According to these documents, this patronage was first bestowed in 1571, when Akbar visited the Jakhbar maṭh.
In his letter, he grants the mahant of the temple, Yogi Udant Nath, a madad-i-ma’āsh of two hundred bigahs land in the village of Bhoa. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
In his letter, he grants the mahant of the temple, Yogi Udant Nath, a madad-i-ma’āsh of two hundred bigahs land in the village of Bhoa. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
When the land grant was lost due to a natural disaster that affected Panjab, Jahangir, issued a new farmān to the yogis.
The emperor Shah Jahan also continued this conferment providing the Nath sampradāy the same amount of land in 1642. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
The emperor Shah Jahan also continued this conferment providing the Nath sampradāy the same amount of land in 1642. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
And, perhaps most out of keeping with what many have been brought to believe about Emperor Aurangzeb, he too patronised the Nath yogis at Jakhbar for much of his life. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
In 1661, Aurangzeb contacted Anand Nath for transactional – if not completely religious – purposes, offering payment to yogis for quicksilver.
The letter also ensured that during his reign that he would continue to give protection to the maṭh. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
The letter also ensured that during his reign that he would continue to give protection to the maṭh. https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
. @CMarrewa concludes, "The issue is not how a Mughal can be considered a hero in India, but more accurately – with such extensive patronage as this –how can he not?" https://thewire.in/communalism/by-attacking-the-mughals-adityanath-is-erasing-the-history-of-his-own-nath-sampraday
