Kerti, located about 21 km south of Mithi town, is now a small village. But it was once the capital of the Makwanas (also called Makhavan) who ruled some parts of Tharparkar. They were in power from the 7th century to the 11th century. Their capital was variously called Karenti, Karentigarh, Kertigad and Kerti. The Makwana dynasty was supplanted by the Soomra Parmar Rajputs in the 11th century. The last ruler of Makwana dynasty, Harpal Makwano, fled to Gujarat. Kerti still holds the remains of the fort (gad) of Makwanas and a few memorial stones located in different parts of village.
According to local bards, particularly Charans and Maganhaars, Kerti was the capital of the Makwana dynasty. My two decades of fieldwork in Tharparkar for my forthcoming book Sati worship in Tharparkar and Deities of the Desert: Reflections on Religion in Tharparkar revealed very interesting facts: not only about folk deities of Tharparkar but also about the forgotten history and heritage of the region.
Funerary monuments of the Rajputs at Kerti
I came to know through discussions with local bards – particularly with Devi Dan Charan of Kharerio Charan village in Umarkot, Kesro Charan of Densi village in Nagarparkar and Hem Dan of Pabuhar village in Mithi – that the name of Viyas or Vihayas (meaning vigorous, active, mighty in Sanskrit), was narrated in bardic tales. He was the 23rd ruler of the Makwana dynasty who ruled over Kertigad now known as Kerti. From my discussions with the bards of Tharparkar by that time, it appears that Viyas’s dominion was only restricted to Kerti and surrounding villages. Hamir Soomro had wrested the many areas from Viyas. Prior to that he was ruling a vast area, including the present towns of Mithi, Islamkot, Veejhiar and some parts of Indian Kutch.
According to the bards that I spoke to, on his deathbed Viyas expressed his wish to his sons that the horses of Hamir Soomro should be robbed and distributed among his court poets (Charans), the Bhats. These people were genealogy keepers: i.e. they used to maintain the Bahi for registering the family genealogy o thef Makwanas and the common people.
Kesar Makwano Well in Kerti
Nobody but his younger son Kesar Makwano promised to his father that he would steal the horses from the stable of Hamir Soomro. This was obviously done to show the military prowess of the Makwanas to Hamir Soomro, the ruler of Sindh
Kesar Makwano stole the horses of Hamir Soomro and distributed them among his people as wished by his father. After that he also took the camels of Hamir Soomro. On this occasion, Hamir Soomro invaded Kertigad and burnt the town. Kesar Makwano was killed in 1089 AD, fighting Hamir Soomro.
It is said that seven of Kesar Makwano’s ten sons were also killed in the battle, and another two were wounded. The eldest son, Harpal Makwano was unhurt. He fled to Gujarat and took refuge at the court of King Karan Solanki (1064-1094 AD). In fact, Karan Solanki later utilized him in subjugating the turbulent tribes in Saurashtra. He succeeded in subduing them. Harpal Makwano Rajput was granted five hundred villages by Karan Solanki which later came to be called Jhalwar/Jhalward. The Jhala (also called Zala) claim their ancestry from Harpal Makwano and his wife Shakti De who was from the Solanki caste. According to legend Shakti De, the wife of Harpal Makwano rescued her three sons – Sodhoji (d.1160 AD), Manguji and Shekhraji – from a wild elephant. Later their descendants assumed the sub-clan name Jhala, also called Zala, meaning “to seize or snatch up”. Thus, the Jhalas are the progeny of Harpal Makwano Rajput (d. 1130 AD) and Shakti De (d. 1105 AD).
Broken peices of a hero stone lying on the ground
Apart from Harpal Makwano Rajput, there was another celebrated ruler Derel Makwano, who went from Kerti to attack Nagarparkar. He ruled over Nagarparkar with an iron hand. Nobody dared to attack his capital. However, Megh Seendal Rathore Rajput with the advice of Dhanraj Charan chalked out a strategy to kill Derel Makwano. Megh Seendal killed Derel Makwano when he was going to worship in a temple in Nagarparkar. The heroics of Derel are still preserved in the folklore of Nagarparkar.
Many Makwana families later embraced Islam in the 14th,,15th and 16th centuries and were called Mangwanas. They are now living in Dadu, Matiari and other districts of Sindh.
The present village of Kerti was founded during the Talpur period (1783-1843) by Khet Singh Nabo Sodho. Later Ravoji Singh Sodho with his friend Kalji Mahar Rajput also settled in Kerti. Ravoji Sodho was killed in an encounter with the Khosa tribe. Today Ravoji Singh Sodho is worshiped by his descendants. His memorial stone is located in Veh Hingorja village where he fell fighting the Khosas. Veh Hingorja village is located about 8 km south of Kerti village.
According to the bards that I spoke to, on his deathbed Viyas expressed his wish to his sons that the horses of Hamir Soomro should be robbed and distributed among his court poets
The Bhatti, Mahar and Jarjeja Rajputs also live in Kerti. Apart from Rajputs, the Maganhaars, Bhils, Meghwars and Suthars also live in Kerti.
But today, not a single family of the Makwanas lives in Kerti. Only their monuments exist in the village: which include memorial stones, a well and the remains of a fort. There were eight memorial stones of the Makwanas which are located south, north and west of the village. The northern memorial stones lie close to the Marhi of Swami Ogharnath. There were two memorial stones adjacent to the Marhi, of which one is lying on the ground whereas the other has been stolen. Two memorial stones were located in the west of the village. Unfortunately, both memorial stones were also stolen.
Four memorial stones of the Makwanas are located in the south of the village. All these memorial stones are of metamorphic rock. locally called Chucho. These stones are locally available in the village.
In the heart of Kerti village. just adjacent to the well of Kesar Makwano. are layers of metamorphic rock. All the chuchas (memorial stones) were extracted from this site and installed in different parts of the village commemorating the Makwana heroes. Kesar Makwano’s well is located in the village. The remains of the fort of the Makwanas can be seen from the well of Kesar Makwano.
Memorial stones at Kerti
Apart from the monuments of Makwanas, the landscape of Kerti village is also dotted with fifteen hero-stones, locally called lohartis (engraved memorial stones) of Thakurs who died in an encounter between the two wedding processions that occurred during the Kalhora period (1700-1783).
All the fifteen memorial stones depict riders on horses. Unfortunately, the upper sections of all hero-stones have been damaged by the cattle that graze in the nearby gauchar (communal pasture). Some of the damaged hero-stones are lying on the ground. Most of these are inscribed.
Close to these hero-stones are several funerary monuments of the Sodha, Bhatti, Jareja and Mahar Rajputs.
The writer is an anthropologist. He may be contacted at zulfi04@hotmail.com
