A Perfect King?

Recently on social media, I found many debates arising on Ram's decisions as a King and a Husband. Did his Dharma as a King overshadow his Dharma as a husband? Did he love and respect his partner? Why did Sita never protest? Why did he listen to a Dhobi?

The ancient Valmiki texts define Ram as a contemporary king who rose to a Godly position with his deeds as a King for his subjects. The latter texts, mostly after Tulsi Das' Ramcharitmanas define him as an avatar of Vishnu and a God, who descended on Earth with a purpose. I am going ahead with Ram as a king here. In Hinduism, we believe everyone's life has a purpose. We live for it. Most of us spend our lives searching for the right purpose, others find it without realising it. Rarely, do there are people we call " Mahapurush" who know their purpose in life from a very tender age.

Ram was born in the Treta Yug, the second Yug of the four Yug cycles.
The land in the North was ruled by Kings, The Forests of the South were where the Demons lived. Further south, was Lanka. Raavan, the demon king, was the ruler of Lanka. He had taken over Lanka from Kuber, the god of wealth and his brother as well. Kuber ran North East in fear and established another city he called Alanka. Raavan was a Shiva devotee and a vain ruler. He wanted to be immortal. He had many mistresses, he ruled very strictly and his subjects often received severe punishments for minor mistakes. He kept poor people as slaves and often whipped them to work. Now seeing Raavan flourish this way many kings took to his wrongly shown path of Adharma.

Ram was born to show the world how an Ideal King should be. He was born to fight for the preservation of the laws of Kingship and Kshatriya Dharm. In one way as a teenager, Ram is detached from the ambition of being a King as he upholds his father's boon to his stepmother and goes to the forests. He is seen saying " I want to see what's the power in a RaajSinghasan that Maata Kaikeyi can't afford to lose it, and what's scary in a forest that Maata Kausalya Fears it." 14 years and many struggles later he is seen to choose that very throne over his wife. The question arises ... Why? He fought the world to save her, to make her his, then left her for his subjects... perhaps the throne?

Many feminists choose to call him a bad husband, a partner who never stood by the Sati Sita. But I differ here. He was a perfect husband. Proof? After their marriage, they have a conversation in Kausalya's courtyard. Sita asks Ram if Kaikeyi was his father's favourite wife, then what was his mother's importance?
Ram defines to her, " A king has many Queens, but one wife. Maata Kaikeyi is his favourite queen but my mother is his wife."
" Then what is the difference between a wife and a queen?"
" A Queen is mother to his subjects, an wife the mother to his children. A Queen the one he rules with, a wife, one he lives with."
Teenagers then, Ram had told Sita " You will always be my wife and Queen, I promise."
He kept his promise, as time tested him. First the beautiful Surponokha's marriage proposal, then a long separation from Sita... Never did he have another wife or queen. He fought Raavan with much lesser weapons and army and put even his favourite brother's life in danger for her. As a husband Ram was truly Ideal. So was Sita as a wife. Sita stayed in Raavan's palace flanked by his mistresses, who urged her to give in to their Lord who had lost his heart to her. She had been offered the luxuries of good clothes and jewellery which she refused firmly. Her heart and soul remained his even in separation when she raised his twins at Valmiki Ashram.

Devdutt Pattnaik's Illustrations on Sita

On the other hand, although he wanted Bharat to become king like his mother had wanted, Bharat's righteous nature didn't let him do so. He kept Ram's slippers on the throne and ruled as a representative for 14 years. When Ram came back the throne was his. Now, Ram, the King was his subject's father. Surya Vanshi Ram had to follow his ancestors and keep his subjects before his personal life. His father's boon had failed to do so. His queen had snatched away not only his favourite son but Ayodhya's king for 14 years. Ram could not let that happen again. He knew his purpose. His birth was to teach the world what an Ideal King should be. He loved his subjects as much as he loved his wife, if not more. When the subjects, represented by the Dhobi questioned Sita's right to be their Queen and hence their mother, Ram was hurt. It was wrong on his subject's part to question their chaste mother. He knew they were wrong. But he could not do what his father did. As much as he trusted Sita, he could not keep her over his subjects. He ordered her to leave. He had no choice. If he chose her over his subjects, they would have revolted, and then his purpose of an ideal kingdom would not be served. Sita knew his dilemma. She knew he had no option. Hence we never see her regret his decision, yet somewhere she was angry with fate and his decision later as she did not inform him about his children until he met them 10 years later.

Some people are questioning their love. I would say, you should never. Their love was beyond the test of time and separation, their mutual respect, trust and understanding were so much that without saying they knew what the other thought. Ram the husband never questioned Sita's chastity and she knew him enough to understand it was King Ram's decision.

Hindu texts give immense respect to their women even in their greatest difficulties as they put forward the realities of a woman's life. Society indeed pointed a finger at her, even when she was innocent, but today after thousands of years her name is immortal as the Goddess who stands beside Lord Ram as an Ideal wife and inspiration to many women to fight back. The feminists should be happy with that.

As a parting note, I will quote a friend who rightly said " Ram had to make a decision. By choosing his wife he could have lived the happy and content life he deserved. He could have lived in peace to see his children and grandchildren grow up and love him. But he chose his subjects. Through this, he chose to sacrifice his personal life and become immortal through his subjects. Because of his personal sacrifices, he became the ideal king, immortal through the tales of his subjects till today in India. He unknowingly chose to be Immortal for the greater good." Rightly said, I agree that the deeds of a man, his sacrifices and his intentions toward the greater good make him a God. Ram's sacrifices and Sita's trust made them immortal and later Gods to the people of India.

Jauhar: All You Need to Know

“We have no Knowledge of the beginning and end of the world, the first and last of this ancient book has fallen out” Abu Talib Karim Rightly said by the poet laureate of Emperor Shah Jahan above, we do not actually know the beginning and end of anything in the universe, be it the traditions, culture or human race, or the world. What we know are fragments of the past we extract out of evidence. It is in vain to try and determine the first and last of something. For the past few months owing to some media hype on Jauhar, many of you had asked me questions. I tried to answer most of them. However, a lot remained unsaid and unwritten. Mostly because some things are impossible to put into words. But here I try my best. Today is a very significant day in history. On the 23 rd of February 1568, the world saw the last “Jauhar” of Chittorgarh, recorded in the medieval history of India. Akbar had invaded Mewar and the siege of four months ended in the Saka. There was no better day for...

The Queen of Mewar

There have been many versions, folktales and local stories in Rajputana on their Kings and Queens. None of these versions is, however, historical as history only mentions her as wife to Maharana Pratap, his consort and Queen Mother to Amar Singh. She was busy making a garland when Ratnawati rushed inside, hardly able to breathe. Concerned, the elder sister stopped her work and looked at her panting young sibling. " What is it? What's wrong?" "Jija maa sa is not letting me go to the haat mela alone. Please come with me, I need to buy some bangles." The spoiled younger one pleaded. " Wait, let me do my aarti first, then we can go." The reluctant Ratnawati sat down impatiently. In another room, their mother was helping their father get ready for the day. He was the Samant of Bijolia, the representative of the Rana of Mewar. Throughout the day he had to deal with administrative problems in Bijolia and give people justice, but today he had something...

The Queen Mother of Mewar

Let me start by saying, this is a representation of history and folklore in my own words, trying to show how great a soul this lady was. And let me start with a line here. “Naari Ki Balidaano Ko Sadev Bhulta Aya hai Itihas.” Yes, most women lay forgotten in the pages of history, only alive through the folklore and local tales that fail to reach the pages of books due to a lack of historical evidence. Their names don’t remain, but their haunting hand prints on the fort walls before Jauhar, their names on inscriptions as daughter, wife and mother, often make us wonder, who were they, how were they and how were their lives! Historically, the only thing we know about Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara, princess of Jallore and queen of Mewar is that she was the first queen of Rana Udai Singh II, the mother of most probably her only son Maharana Pratap and daughter of ally of Rana Sanga, Akshay Raj of Jallore. Apart from that her entire life has no historical existence and is spun on ...

The Princess of Marwar

Historically we know nothing about Phool Bai Rathore except that she was the daughter of Ram Singh Rathore, granddaughter of Raja Maldeo Rathore and fifth wife of Maharana Pratap. There is no historical evidence of Akbar's alliance with her in particular however Maldeo did give his granddaughters in a marriage alliance with Mughals and other major dynasties. Phool Kanwar's cousin Maanwati Bai (Better known as Jodha Bai or Jagat Gossain) married Salim, Akbar's son and later emperor Jahangir. The Princess was in her chambers. The Mehrgarh Fort was in a quiet dark state and everyone feared what lay ahead. The men of the Rathore clan had gone to ally with the Mughal emperor Akbar. Rao Maldeo had decided that it was the only way to save Marwar's future. His second son Udai and youngest one Chandrasen supported his decision to save the country. But his heir and firstborn Ram Singh Rathore was a rebel. He was not going to bow down before the Mughals and lose his dignity. A...

The Warrior Bride

Kelwa/Kailwa is a small village situated around two hours away from Chittorgarh and an hour from Lake Pichola. It was mainly inhabited by the Rathores and ruled by the Chundawat clan, who were once the rulers of Mewar. One chief of Kelwa, was Rawat Sihaji Singh Chundawat. He was a very close ally of Rana Sanga. His son Jaga Singhji too died fighting for Rana Udai Singhji in one war with the Afghans in 1555 AD. Kelwa’s heir was the minor child of Jaga Singhji and his widow Sajjan Bai Songara Chauhan. Being from the clan of the Chauhan Rajputs, she was a warrior at heart. From the early age of about four, her only son was brought up under his uncle Naga Singhji, to fight for his motherland and serve it like all other Mewaris. Fatta (Patta), as fondly called by everyone was a deft warrior even before he reached his teens. His name and bravery spread across the land, to Rana Udai Singh’s ears in Chittorgarh. He was also the nephew to Ranaji’s close aide Rawat Chundawatji. Upon the order of...

Teeja Saka Chittor Ra

23rd February 1568. The sun rose on the eastern horizon, not with the hope of a new day. But, with the horror of what was to follow. The first rays of the Sun God were met by the chants of “Jai Bhavani!” that echoed in the air of Chittorgarh. The Mewaris knew it was time. Four months back, when the Mughals camped at the base of the fort, a helpless Chittorgarh had watched. Rana Udai Singh had left with his closest aides to make the new city westwards, his capital. If rumours were to be believed, he had left behind a cavalry of 8000 soldiers, under Rao Jaimal of Merta and Rawat Patta of Kelwa to look over the fort. He had also left behind some of his lesser queens and infant princes, as an assurance to the people that Chittorgarh was invincible. Their safety and hope had lived in Kunwar Pratap. Truth be said, they had already taken the crown Prince as their King. Ever since Ranisa had left with him till he became the Senapati, he had time and again proved to be a better lead...

Maharana Pratap: The Sun of Mewar

Many of you have read my fan fiction as well as historical representations of the life and times of Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar. I provided small details of his life in many articles. But never have I ever made a separate historical post on him. It is very difficult to put together his life without the help of folklore because historical evidence is scarce. This one was requested and hence here it goes. Needless to say, this one is very special. This is a blend of history and folklore. Leave your love. ❤️ Background and Birth: The year was 1540. Mewar was under a cloud of uncertainty. Banbir, their ruler for four years now, was a very incompetent ruler who always spent his time in luxury, drinking and dancing with girls. The crown prince Udai Singh was rumoured to be killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals along Mewar with Kunwar Udai Singh attacked Chittorgarh taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon to re...

The Navroz Incident

This popular folklore has been recreated from Col, James Todd's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. Names I have added, from my own historical research. This one is especially for Garima to thank her for the books and love! Yet another Veer Gatha from the dessert! Ps. This is folklore with no evidence of history, please remember that Bikaner, lying in the western part of the Thar, was a small yet independent state ruled by a clan of Marwari Rathores until Raja Kalyanmal surrendered to Akbar's Rajput Policies in 1571. His fourth son Prithviraj Rathore, being a great warrior and poet was respected as one of the "Nine Gems" in Emperor Akbar's court. Prithviraj, was the son of Kalyanmal's first wife and queen Rani Songaribai Rainawati, a cousin of Maharani Jaiwanta Bai of Mewar. Hence he was cousin to the valiant Pratap Singh of Mewar. He was also married to one of Rana Udai Singh of Mewar's daughters from his other wives, sister to Kunwar Pratap, Baisa Ja...

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

Jauhar is the process a Rajutani welcomes, by jumping into the fire altar, invoking the Gods, and choosing death over dishonour when their men lose battles and the enemies come for a siege. It is the most honourable death a Rajputani can have and unlike Sati, it is not forced upon them or compulsory. Jauhar Gate The Chittorgarh Fort once had the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the location of the Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the end of the fort near the main Pol. When Allauddin Khilji invaded Chittor everything was destroyed but later, kings who came, rebuild the Jal Mahal and reestablished the Jauhar Sthal in honour of Queen Padmavati, or Padmini. Rawal Ratan Singh ruled Mewar when Allauddin Khilji was the Sultan of Delhi. He was a peace-loving man who spend most of his time indulging in the music and poems of his courtiers. One such Courtier was Raghav Chetan who worked as a spy for Khilji. Jal Mahal Entrance Ratan Singh had 15 queens and 19 sons the chief one being his 15t...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and not claiming any historical happening in the conversations. This is to show the spirit of the women of Rajputana. The year 1657. Shah Jahan had taken ill and was rumoured to be dying in Agra Fort. He was about eighty and the pressure of having an empire had taken a toll on his body. The seat of power was slowly shifting from Agra to Delhi since the prominence of the Laal Quila had increased and if the news spread was to be believed his sons were in a battle for the throne already. It was time each king chose sides once again. Dara Sikhoh was the eldest and the righteous Heir to the throne. He was believed to be a man who held high morals and was hence respected by the enemies and alliances as well. Aurangzeb was his sibling and the youngest of the brothers. Short tempered and cunning he was always dreaded by the court. As Shah Jahan took ill, Aurangzeb took this as a golden opportunity to wage ...

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