On August 5, 2020, the foundation ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya took place. This was the culmination of a nearly 500-year struggle to restore the temple after it had been destroyed by the Islamic emperor Babur. Goswami Tulsidas was a poet, best known for the extraordinary Ramcharitmanas, a composition of the Ramayana, the story of Ram, in Avadhi. In his compilation Shri Tulsi Dohashatak, he directly mentions the destruction of the temple. This was part of the evidence that was used by the Allahabad High Court in 2010 to give a judgment regarding the pre-existence of a Ram Temple on the disputed site.
Though the existence of the temple has been confirmed by ample archeological artefacts, both before and after judgment, the poem by Tulsidas is the most direct textual historic record of the razing of the Ram Temple by Babur’s Mir Baki, Babur’s General, and the building of a mosque on it. The poem also records the exact year in which the temple was demolished! Read on.
राम जनम महि मंदरहिं, तोरि मसीत बनाय ।
जवहिं बहुत हिन्दू हते,तुलसी किन्ही हाय ॥
The temple at the site of Ram’s Birthplace (Janam Mahi) was broken and a mosque made. At great speed (or at that time), many Hindus were killed, and Tulsidas is lamenting (this) in cries of agony.
दल्यो मीरबाकी अवध मन्दिर रामसमाज ।
तुलसी रोवत ह्रदय हति त्राहि त्राहि रघुराज ॥
Mir Baki (Babur’s General) destroyed the temple at Ayodhya (Avadh)
along with the Ram Darbar (Ram Samaj, or murtis (idols) of the family of Ram).
Tulsi cried with a broken heart, and prayed to Raghuraj (Ram) for help.
राम जनम मन्दिर जहाँ तसत अवध के बीच ।
तुलसी रची मसीत तहँ मीरबाकी खल नीच ॥
Where the Ram Mandir was located, right in the center of Ayodhya,
Tulsi says there the cruel and evil Mir Baki made a mosque.
रामायन घरि घट जँह, श्रुति पुरान उपखान ।
तुलसी जवन अजान तँह, कइयों कुरान अज़ान ॥
The places where temple bells rang,
where the Vedas and Puranas where read, where discourses where held.
Tulsi says there the ignorant invaders (yavans) are doing azaan of the Koran.
मन्त्र उपनिषद ब्राह्मनहुँ बहु पुरान इतिहास ।
जवन जराये रोष भरि करि तुलसी परिहास ॥
The texts of the mantras, the Upanishads,
the Vedas, Puranas and the histories were burnt.
The invaders mocked these in hate as they burnt them.
सिखा सूत्र से हीन करि बल ते हिन्दू लोग ।
भमरि भगाये देश ते तुलसी कठिन कुजोग ॥
Cutting off the shikha and sacred thread of Hindus by force,
they robbed them of their homes and homeland in this bad time.
बाबर बर्बर आइके कर लीन्हे करवाल ।
हने पचारि पचारि जन तुलसी काल कराल ॥
It was a bad time when the barbarian Babur came, sword in hand,
smashing and killing the common people.
सम्बत सर वसु बान नभ ग्रीष्म ऋतु अनुमानि ।
तुलसी अवधहिं जड़ जवन अनरथ किये अनखानि ॥
(This is a date in code)
By the Vikram Samvat, in the year 1585, during the summer months,
Tulsi says that the conscience-less invaders did this cruel and unrighteous act.
Vikram 1585 is 1528 AD.
References:
- Decision of the Special Full Bench of the Ayodhya High Court. Sep 30, 2010. Poem is included in Volume 4 of the judgment.
- Decoding the date, reference thearyasamaj.org
Also read – The Real History of Ram Temple and Ayodhya