Bhavashankari

Bhavashankari
Maharani of Bhurishrestha
Predecessor	Rudranarayan
Successor	Pratapnarayan
Spouse	Rudranarayan
Father	Dinanath Chaudhuri

Bhavashankari (Bengali: ভবশঙ্করী) was the ruler of Bhurishrestha Kingdom, who defeated the Pathan resurgence in Bengal and again established Hindu sovereignty. Bhavashankari in her reign brought power, prosperity and grandeur to Bhurishrestha (Bhurshut).

Bhavashankari came from a Brahmin family. Her father Dinanath Chaudhuri was a Nayak under the commander of the Pendo fort. Dinanath was a tall and well-built soldier, supremely skilled in the art of warfare. He himself commanded a troop of more than a thousand soldiers. He held a huge estate and encouraged his subjects to get themselves trained in warfare. Dinanath was considered among the respected nobilities of Bhurishrestha. Bhavashankari was born in Pendo, the first of two children of Dinanath. When she was young, her mother died while giving birth to her younger brother.

While her brother was brought up by a foster mother, she spent her girlhood in the company of her father. From an early age, her father began to train her in horse riding, swordsmanship and archery. She was also dressed up in military armour and accompany her father on horseback. She grew up into a brave young soldier of Bhurishrestha. Then she took lessons in war, diplomacy, politics, sociology, philosophy and theology.

In her youth Bhavashankari used to go for hunting in the forest adjoining Damodar and Ron. Once while hunting a deer, she was attacked by wild bisons and she single handedly killed them. At that time the Rudranarayan, the king of Bhurishrestha was passing by in a sip along the Damodar towards Kasthasangara. The sight of a young woman killing a wild buffalo with a spear enthralled him. The royal marriage between Rudranarayan and Bhavashankari was fixed by royal priest Haridev Bhattacharya.

Bhavashankari had initially resolved that, she would marry him who would defeat her in swordfight. However, as it was not possible for the king to engage in a mock swordfight with a commoner, she had to change her resolve. She proposed that the king shall have to sacrifice a pair of water buffaloes and a sheep in a single stroke in front of Rajballavi, the patron deity of Bhurishrestha along with her. Rajbalhat the old capital was named after the Hindu Goddess – Rajbalhavi Devi.

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Wikipedia