Vena Pal

Not to be confused with Vena (Hindu king).

Vena Pal, also known as Ven[1], is the name of a purported raja of the Bathinda region.[note 1][2] Vena Pal was a Hindu Rajput ruler.[3][2] According to tradition, the Bathinda Fort was built by an ancestor of Vena Pal named Raja Deb.[4] In local traditional lore, Vena Pal is connected to Baba Rattan.[1] However, there are various versions of the tradition that connects the two figures together.[1] One version states that Baba Rattan arrived in Bathinda from Medina in 668 Bk. (611–612 C.E. or 24 A.H.) and became the prime minister of Raja Vena Pal.[1] Some sources claim Vena Pal was a contemporary of the Islamic prophet Muhammad whilst others state that he lived much later, being contemporary with Muhammad of Ghor, who he was defeated by.[1]

Notes

1. Vena Pal's name is alternatively rendered as 'Bhainipal', 'Bena Pal', 'Benapal', or 'Venapal'.

References

1. Ahmad, Zulfiqar (1982). Lahore & the Punjab. Sang-e-Meel Publications. pp. 63–68.
2. Khan, Rana Muhammad Sarwar (2005). The Rajputs: History, Clans, Culture, and Nobility. Vol. 2. p. 477.
3. Singh, Nagendra Kr. (2001). Encyclopaedia of Muslim Biography. Vol. 4: Muh-R. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. p. 521. ISBN 9788176482349.
4. Sen, Aloka Parasher, ed. (2024). Handbook on Urban History of Early India. Springer Nature. pp. 351–352. ISBN 9789819762309. Bathinda was an important settlement from 300 to 1200 CE and even during the medieval period. It was called Govindgarh in earlier times. As per the tradition the fort was built by Raja Deb, an ancestor of Vena Pal, during the early centuries. The fort was originally made of mud bricks. It has witnessed several alterations at the hands of successive rulers. The excavation conducted by Shri Raghbir Singh at Bathinda Fort revealed pottery and mud-brick wall of the early medieval period.