HISTORY

Bhinmal(in Hindi भीनमाल) is a city in the Jalore district of Rajasthan, India. It is situated 72 kms south of Jalore district headquarters. The name Bhinmal is derived from the word Shrimal. Bhinmal was the capital of the kingdom of the Gurjars (or Gujjars) during the medieval period.

The city is birthplace of the renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar Magha( Pronounced : Maagh). He was the poet-laureate in the court of King Bhoja (Pronounced : Bhoj) of Ujjain( Avantika). Magha was titled as “Mahakavi” (The Great Bard). Bhinmal is occasionally referred to as ’Magha-nagari ‘ (City of Magha). Another prominent personality to be born in Bhinmal was the famous mathematician and astronomer Brahmagupta. He is believed to have been born in 598 AD . His father was Jisnugupta. He possibly lived most of his life in Bhillamala (modern Bhinmal) during the reign (and under the patronage) of King Vyaghramukha. As a result, Brahmagupta is often referred to as Bhillamalacharya, that is, the teacher from Bhillamala. He was the head of the astronomical observatory at Ujjain, and during his tenure there wrote four texts on mathematics and astronomy: the Cadamekela in 624, the Brahmasphutasiddhanta in 628, the Khandakhadyaka in 665, and the Durkeamynarda in 672. The Brahmasphutasiddhanta (Corrected Treatise of Brahma) is arguably his most famous work. 

The famous Chinese traveller and scholar Xuanzang visited Bhinmal around 641 A.D. He was impressed with the town planning, architecture, virtuous and ethical conduct of the general populace. He was filled with disbelief to learn that people never locked their houses whenever they went outside, theft and robbery was never heard of in Bhinmal.

The fall from grace:

Bhinmal once a flourishing and prosperous city was reduced to ruins in the year 1310 A.D., when Ala-ud-din Khilji invaded and captured Jalore. He immediatedly moved his troops westward and sacked Bhinmal. Turkish soilders plundered houses, setting ablaze fields and granries, destroying temples, inflicting worst forms of tortures upon defenseless women, and putting the civilian population to sword.