Dhali : The Shield Holder Infantry Warriors of Bengal

Dhali : The Shield Holder Infantry Warriors of Bengal 

* 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐧 : Dhali 

* 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 : Bengal, eastern & southern region 

* 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧 : Shield, Khadga & Spear 

* 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 : Red, White & Black 

* 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥 : Kaliyantra, Tiger & Snake 

🛡️ The Ḍhālīs are very prominent ancient shield-bearing infantry warrior martial clan of Bengal. The word 'Dhali' originated from 'Ḍhāla' (ঢাল/ढाल) that means Shield or Armour. In Baṅghāl, mostly in southern or eastern region the Dhalis were recognised as Shield bearer elite soldiers who stood guard in front of the army and led the infantry.

🛡️ A wealthy Dhali soldier would likely have a complete ensemble of a spear, a wooden shield, a Khadga and either a bow or a sword. Shields & Spears were considered the "normal weapon" for middle class Dhalis. Swords were normally reserved for upper class and nobles. 

🛡️ Dhali soldiers appear in Red-White-Black attires decorated with armor and weapons, reason why they are described as the Yamadūtas. It was the Dhalis who generally fielded armies composed of large masses of infantry, with an infantry elite, the comitatus, which often rode to battle on horseback rather than marching on foot.

The Dhali soldiers of Bengal during martial practice 

🛡️ The Dhali Shields were as large as a soldier's body, covering the whole of his physique so that the soldiers could lie down on the ground and walk silently, it's a very extraspecial war tactic of medieval era. Dhali Armors were typically made from thin wood overlaid with thick leather of Rhinos hunted from the Sundarbans. However, they were often also made of wood braced with metals such as steel or iron. The spear was the most common weapon of the frontal armed Dhali clans. 

🛡️ Throwing spears were constantly used by the warrior class; despite popular belief, it was also the principal weapon of a Dhali soldier, an apt fit to their formations and tactics.

■ 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝔻𝕙𝕒𝕝𝕚 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 ■

★🛡️ 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙆𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙨 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙞 : 

Kalidas Dhali was the Infantry Commander of Jaśhōra Samrajya ruled by Rāẏaśhrēṣṭha Mahārāja Pratāpāditya. The Annadāmaṅgala kāvya composed by Raygunakar Bharatchandra mentions Senapati Kalidas along with the 52000 Dhali infantry soldiers of Jashore Army. 

"বরপুত্র ভবানীর,       প্রিয়তম পৃথিবীর,   

    বায়ান্ন হাজার যার ঢালী ।

ষোড়শ হলকা হাতি,     অযুত তুরঙ্গ সাথী, 

     যুদ্ধকালে সেনাপতি কালী"

That means, Maharaj Pratapaditya is the blessed son (varaputra) of Maa Bhavānī, he is very beloved on earth & he owns a infantry regiment of 52000 Dhalis. His Elephant Cavalry is of 16 ×15= 240 (1 halka = 15)- meanwhile the Jaipur Royal Chronicles mentions there were total 1300 Elephants in Jashore Army; the Horse Cavalry has 10000 active raiders & with these all military equipments, the valiant General Kalidas Dhali appears in the battlefield.

★🛡️ 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙍𝙖𝙜𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙞 :

Raghunath Dhali was the Commander-in-Chief of Bikrampur kingdom ruled by Maharaj Kedarnath Deva Ray of Deva dynasty. When the Mughal forces led by the general Man Singh Kacchwa attacked Sandwip, the Mughals faced a brutal clash with the Bikrampur army led by Senapati Raghunath. At the Battle of Sandwip (1602 AD), when the Bikrampur forces were defeating the Mughals, the ruler of Arakan Selim Shah (Ming-Rajgi), attacked with a large fleet to capture Sandwip. This time Maharaja Kedar Ray sent Commander Raghunath Dhali with powerful "Bāṅghāl-Kōṣhā" warships equipped with 100 cannons and guns. With the capture of Sandwip there was a huge battle between Bengal and Arakan which was the biggest and most devastating naval battle in the entire of Indian medieval history. Arakan was defeated in the war and monopoly of Bengal spread over the entire of northern Baṅgōpasāgara.

★🛡️ 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙙𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞 𝙍𝙪𝙥𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙞 :

Rupchand Dhali was the Dhali Infantry Commander of Bhūṣhaṇā kingdom ruled by Maharaj Sitaram Ray. In 1713, the Bhushana Army commanded by Rupchand Dhali defeated the Mughal general Mir Abu Torap by guerrilla tactics. Unwilling to give up, Mir Abu Torap appointed his Pathan general Pir Khan to subdue the Hindu kingdom of Bhushana. At the behest of Maharaja Sitaram, the Bhushana army deployed artillery on the banks of the Madhumati river and deployed troops in the forest between Madhumati and Barasia.

Rupchand Dhali landed his troops on the shores of Barasia to fight the Mughal army. In the devastating battle, Raja Sitaram's subversive cannon "Kalee" hit the right target and completely destroyed the Mughal army camp. The Mughal forces were defeated by the artillery shelling of Bhusana forces and the Sipahsalar Pir Khan was beheaded & killed by Senadhipati Rupchand Dhali.