Hammira Mahakavya
| Author | Nayachandra Suri |
|---|---|
| Original title | हम्मीर महाकाव्य |
| Country | India |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Subject | Biographical epic poem |
| Genre | Epic, Eulogy |
|
Publication date
|
Early 15th century |
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Original text
|
at |
| Translation |
Hammira Mahakavya is a 15th-century Indian Sanskrit epic poem written by the Jain scholar Nayachandra Suri. It is a legendary biography of the 13th century Chahamana king Hammira. While not entirely accurate from a historical point-of-view, the text provides valuable information about the medieval history of north-western India.
Much of the text describes Hammira's ancestry and his conquests of the neighbouring Hindu kingdoms. The last third part describes his conflict with Ala-ud-Din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi. The text attributes Hammira's defeat against Ala-ud-Din to betrayal by his officers.
Hammira Mahakavya was composed by the Jain scholar Nayachandra Suri. The author was not a contemporary of Hammira, the hero of the text. Nayachandra's disciple Nayahamsa made a copy of the manuscript in 1496 CE, which was used by N. J. Kirtane to produce an editio princeps. Nayahamsa also added an appendix, which praises Nayachandra Suri and his spiritual lineage.
The date and place of the text's origin are not certain. It was probably composed around 1400 CE. It appears to have been composed to please a Chauhan (Chahamana) ruler, and was probably composed at a court.
The text is divided into fourteen cantos. The poem begins with an invocation to Hindu deities and Jain tirthankaras. It then describes the life Hammira, who is compared to the legendary heroes Mandhata, Yudhishthira and Rama.
Cantos 1-4 are devoted to Hammira's ancestors, including kings from the Shakambhari Chahamana dynasty. Cantos 5-7 describe Hammira's engagement in various services, sports and festivities. The information contain in this part is of little historical value. The next few cantos describe his reign. The last third part of the text describes Hammira's conflict with Ala-ud-Din Khilji, the Muslim Sultan of Delhi.
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