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This story is a retelling of some parts of Malik Mohammad Jayasi's Padmavat, which was a historical fiction poem written in 1540, an odd 200 years after the siege of Chittorgarh by Allauddin Khilji. Historically, the Rajputs of Mewar didn't keep accounts of their queens, even by name, so the name Padmini or Padmavati was made up by Jayasi to represent the women of Chittor who chose the Jauhar. Historically speaking, Allauddin Khilji wanted the trade route to Surat for himself, which went through Mewar and Rana Ratan Singh, a patron of art, was not known for his military skills. So when Khilji surrounded the fort, the only way out was the Saka and Jauhar. Rani Padmini's Jauhar, as it is now popularly called, is also not the first Jauhar Khilji witnessed. The Jauhars of Ranthambore and Jaisalmer happened before he attacked Chittorgarh. Also, the act of Jauhar happened as early as the Greek invasions of Porus's state, when it is described as the "Mass immolation of Sati".
The year was around 1303 CE. The Palace of Rawal Ratan Singh of Chittorgarh was a place of peace and Prosperity. The subjects were happy with their kind-hearted King, and the courtiers rarely had a problem. Rawal himself was a happy man. He was the 42nd ruler of Mewar, one of the most famous Clans of Rajputs. The fort of Chittor was well defended by his competent army. He had just won the beautiful princess of Singhal in her Swayambhar, which was held at her home in Singhal. Dressed as Padam Singh, she had proved to be a competent warrior, almost defeating him. Before he won over her. Rani Padmini soon became the apple of his eyes, while his eldest queen, Nagmati, was bothered by his indulgence in music and art because of this new queen.
His court poet and musician was Raghav Chetan. Little did Ratan Singh know that he was actually the spy of the then Ruler of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji. The Sultan kept an eye on each king's court activities through these spies. When Ratan Singh came to know of these extortioners, he decided to banish them from his kingdom. Raghav Chetan was humiliated for turning against his own motherland and was thrown out of Mewar. Angry at this and humiliated, he sought refuge in Delhi as the Sultan's courtier. He was eager to take revenge for the humiliation.
" I have to teach him a Lesson!" announced Chetan, sipping wine.
" What does he possess that he is proud to flaunt?" He thought aloud, taking a grape from the basket at the table.
"Padmavati." Chetan's eyes shone.
The next day, he went to see the Sultan in his private chambers.
"Huzoor!" Chetan called softly, hands folded before the man lying before them in a bed of gold.
"What is so important that it can't wait for court?" Alauddin growled, busy fixing his jewel-studded rings, clearly not pleased.
" I forgot to tell you something very important, Huzoor," Raghav spoke.
| Padmini, as depicted in later times |
"What is it?" The Sultan's shout boomed in the huge chambers.
"It's Ratan Singh's wife, sir." He stammered, scared to death.
"Wife? What about her?"
"She is the Princess of Singhal, Ratan Singh just married her, and she is the most beautiful Queen of the land." Raghav continued. "Such is her beauty that Ratan Singh proudly flaunts her to the court; her aura is so mesmerising it feels like she is an angel on earth, Huzoor."
" Tell me more", an interested Alauddin sat up with a half smile.
"Her fair body, her youth, her intelligence will keep you enchanted. Such is her talent that she deserved to be the Begum of Delhi rather than the Rani of Mewar." Chetan gave Alauddin a poetic description of her beauty." Even when she is present in court behind the Purdah, we can feel her aura, Huzoor."
Alauddin Khilji took out two emeralds from his chest and blessed Chetan, who went away happy.
The next day at court, to everyone's surprise, the Badshah announced, " It's been a long time since we have expanded our kingdom. Our army will march to Chittorgarh tomorrow. Mewar will be ours, Inshallah!" His army began travelling from the nearest outposts to Chittor, and he accompanied them. On reaching Chittor, they were shocked. Never had they seen such a huge and well-protected fort. Breaking in was out of the question, and the road was so steep that the army got scared. They set up camp in the foothills of the Chittorgarh cliff. Sultan Alauddin Khilji started thinking of strategies. The news reached Ratan Singh that Chittorgarh was surrounded by the sultan's army. Malik Kafur was planning a route to Saurashtra, and Chittorgarh was indeed on the way. He started thinking of a way out.
Khilji tried in vain to scale the fort and started thinking of other ways. He sent a messenger to Ratan Singh's court with a letter. The letter read
"Oh, Honourable Rana of Mewar, I, Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji, extend a hand of friendship towards Mewar. Kindly accept it and oblige. I am setting up camp outside your beautiful fort, tired from my long travel, waiting for your reply.
A clueless Ratan Singh invited the Sultan to his palace as a guest. After the gala dinner held in the Sultan's honour, the Rana invited him for a drink beside the Talab (Palace Pond). Sultan Alauddin Khilji praised the Rajput hospitality and the warmth of Mewar. Rana Ratan Singh was mesmerised by this humble Sultan.
"Pardon me, my friend, but I have heard great stories of Rani Padmavati's beauty!" The Sultan said, knowing Ratan Singh's habit of flaunting his wife.
"I always wanted to meet the beautiful soul, but sadly, now she is a friend's wife. That makes her my sister."
" You want to meet my wife, Sultan?"
" If you don't have a ...."
"Of course not! You are a friend." Ratan Singh called a guard to give the message to Rani Padmavati.
The intelligent queen, on hearing the guest's strange request, had doubts in her mind. She sent the messenger back, saying, " I will not meet any man directly, as it is against my chastity and dignity. I will go to the banks of the Talab, and he can see my reflection from a distance."
Alauddin Khilji was mesmerised by her beauty and decided to win her over. He was escorted out of Chittor by Ratan Singh himself. On reaching his camp, he seized the opportunity and captured Ratan Singh. He sent a letter to Rani Padmavati that if she wanted her husband alive and unharmed returned to Chittor, she must surrender as his mistress. The helpless queen sought the help of two great Rajput warriors, Gora and Badal. Gora was her uncle, and Badal his young nephew. They made a plan. Padmavati wrote to Alauddin:
I agree to be your mistress forever if you spare Ranaji his life; however, I have two conditions that must be fulfilled. One, I will be arriving with 700 maids in 50 palanquins from the Palace. To honour our dignity, no soldier of yours must lift the veil of the Palanquin and see our faces. I want to see Ranaji one last time, along with you, before you release him. If my conditions are met, then only I will be your Mistress.
Alauddin's lust made him agree. The next morning, 700 of Mewar's best soldiers dressed in women's attire and entered the Palanquins. Their faces well protected by their dupattas, they were led to Alauddin's tent where Ratan Singh waited. On seeing their Rana, the soldiers revealed themselves and fought bravely. Gora died fighting this war, but they managed to save Ratan Singh and take him back to Chittor. All doors of the fort were closed to prevent the invaders from entering. Alauddin had other plans.
He surrounded Chittor with his army and sat there, making it impossible for necessary amenities to reach the land. Cut off from the world for days, Chittor lost its resources and had no option but to open its doors. Ratan Singh was in two minds. They could never win a war with the huge army of the Sultan, and losing meant loss of his land, life and wife. Padmavati, Nagmati and the other women stepped forward. " Do what a true Rajput does, Ranaji. Go out to fight till death, we promise you, the invaders will never be able to touch our dignity."
"You don't worry, Ranaji." Padmavati was calm.
" We have lit our pyre, Ranaji." Nagmati stepped forward, putting a tilak on his forehead she smiled. " Fight like a true Rajput Ranaji, Jai Eklingji."
As the men opened the gates to step out in saffron attires of sacrifice for their motherland and fight, the women in their best attires gathered in a room where a large pit of fire awaited them. Chanting the name of Goddess Bhavani and summoning the Agni, they jumped into it one by one. Padmavati, who treated herself to be the reason behind the downfall of Mewar, jumped in to destroy the beauty that caused her doom. Thus, the first Jauhar of Chittor was held.
Alauddin's winning army was welcomed by burnt unidentified bones. Stunned at this valour and chastity of the Rajputs, the sultan returned to Delhi. Rana Ratan Singh and his sons, except one, were killed, and his wives committed Jauhar for Chittor. Mewar was captured, and many buildings inside the fort were destroyed.
Today, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chittorgarh, one can find the ruins of Ratan Singh's palace, Padmini's Jauhar Ghar and the pond where she met the Sultan (Padmini's palace). The War of 1303 was first mentioned in 1326 and later made into a historical poetic fiction in 1540 by Jayasi. Although there is a debate among historians on the purpose of Khilji, whether it was to make a passage to Gujarat or his lust for a queen, the name Padmavati was coined years later by Jayasi for his masterpiece. The reason behind it was simple. Unlike the Mughals, the Rajputs didn't let the names of the Queens become public historical facts. Their identity was preserved.
Some books record about 10,000 women and children who died in the Jauhar, and a massacre and destruction carried out in the fort by Khilji's army.
History and literature had bowed time and again to the great queen, her bravery, honour and self-esteem as well as beauty. She was and still is the face of Rajput Veeranganas and their act of supreme sacrifice, the Jauhar.
