Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538

Sisodiya: Kings, Queens and Princes (1538 - 1597)

I am back with another History post, this time it is on the wives and sons of Rana Udai Singh II of Mewar, his son and heir Maharana Pratap and Rana Amar Singh. This is a continuation of the Sisodia Family History I posted some time back. The information has been taken from Annals of Mewar by James Todd, Maharana Pratap by B.N. Rana, and Maharana Pratap by Rima Hooja.

Udai Singh II was the son of Ranisa Karnawati and Rana Sangram Singh. He was born on 4th August 1522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1572 at Gogunda. He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 25 wives, apart from the many insignificant queens in his Rani Mahal. Here is a list of his main queens and their sons.

Maharani Jaivanta Bai Songara of Jalore was his chief queen and consort. Her son is Maharana Pratap. He was married to her before he went to war with Banbir, as her father, Akshayraj Rao, was a friend and ally of his father, Rana Sanga.
Sajjabai Solankhini was his second wife and had two sons, Kunwar Shakti Singh (Shakta Singh Chundawat later) and Kunwar Vikram Singh
Mandrechi Bai was his third queen and mother to Kunwar Jait Singh
LalaBai was a controversial queen. While many suggest she was a Muslim woman who sought refuge or perhaps a Persian, she was clearly not a member of the Rajput clans. Her son was Kunwar Kahn
Dheerbai Bhattiyani of Jaisalmer was probably his fifth and most favourite queen. Her sons were Kunwar Jagmal Singh, Kunwar Agar Singh, Kunwar Pachyad Singh and two others.
Veerbai Jhalla was one of his lesser queens but gained significance as her son Kunwar Sagar Singh was handed over Chittorgarh by Akbar upon an alliance with him. Sagar, later watching his elder brother's struggle, committed suicide in the fort itself, out of guilt. Her other son was Kunwar Rai Singh.
Lakhabai Jhalla was perhaps the sister of Veer Bai. Her sons were Kunwar Shardul Singh and Kunwar Rudra Singh.
Other significant sons of Udai Singh who are mentioned in historical accounts are Kunwar Narayandas, Kunwar Sultan, Kunwar Lurkaran, Kunwar Maheshdas, Kunwar Chander, Kunwar Bhav Singh, Kunwar Nait Singh, Kunwar Nagraj, Kunwar Vairishaal, Kunwar Maan Singh, and Kunwar Sahibicha.

Maharana Pratap Statue, Chawand

Maharana Pratap had 11 wives, 17 sons and five daughters. The names of his daughters remain unknown as a secret of the Rajput household; only Champawati is mentioned in folklore, as the daughter who died trying to eat a poisonous fruit in the forest. Here is a list of his wives, their sons and the provinces they were given as Jagir by the Maharana upon his death.

Maharani Ajabdeh Punwar of Bijolia, who is locally called Ajbandeh Kanwar Baisa, was the daughter of Bijolia's chieftain Ram Rakh Punwar, the 3rd Rao Sahib of Bijolia. They were married in 1557. Heir Rana Amar Singh was born in 1559. Her second son was Kunwar Bhagwan Das, who was the Maharana's eighth son.
Pur Bai Solankhini had two sons, Thakur Sahas Mal Singh, Rawat of Dhariabad and Kunwar Gopal Singh
Champabai Jhati was the third queen whose sons were Thakur Kachra Singh of Jolawas, Kunwar Sanwal Das and Kunwar Durjan Singh.
Jasobai Chauhan of the Bhilwara Chauhan clan was the mother of Kalyan Singh of Parsad Jagir.
Phool Bai Rathore, daughter of Ram Singh, was the first son of Raja Maldeo of Marwar, who sought refuge in Mewar after opposing his father, married Kunwar Pratap as an alliance. The tales of her tryst with Akbar are false. Her cousin Maanwati Bai was, in fact, married later to Jahangir and was the mother to Shah Jahan. She had two sons, Thakur Chand Singh, his second son, who was granted the Jagir of Anjana and Thakur Shekha Singh, who was granted the Jagir of Nana and Bera.
Shahmati Bai Hada had been married to Maharana Pratap, an alliance from the Hada Rajputs living in Mewar. Some also suggest her kin died at Haldighati. Her only son, Kunwar Puranmal Singh, was granted the Jagir of Mangrop Province
Kichar Ashabai Rathore, most probably a sister to Phool Bai, had two sons: Thakur Ram Singh, of Jagir Udlias and Manakari and Thakur Haathi Singh of Jagir Dhantra, Gedlya and Vias.
Alemdeh Bai Chauhan had only one son, Thakur Jaswant Singh, Jagirdar of Karunda and Jalod. He also married her after her kin died at Haldighati.
Ratnawati Parmar was the sister of Ajabdeh Baisa, whom he married after her death. Her son was his fifteenth son, Kunwar Maal Singh
Amar Bai Rathore had his sixteenth son, Kunwar Natha Singh
Lakhabai Rathore had his seventeenth and last son, Kunwar Raibhana Singh.
The 5 daughters were not mentioned in any accounts with names; however, some name them as Asha Kanwar, married to RajRana Jhala Dheeda of Sadhri, Sukh Kanwar, Rama Kanwar, Rakmavati, Kusumvati and Durgavati. Their mothers remain unknown. The legend of his daughter Champabai is probably a mix-up of names with his wife, though many historians suggest that he did lose a daughter in the harsh forest life.

Amar Singh I of Mewar

Rana Amar Singh was born in Chittorgarh on 16th March 1559, and he died at Udaipur on 26th January 1620. He had two wives and three known issues.

Aarti Bai Chauhan, belonging to the Bhilwara Chauhan clan, was the mother of heir Rana Karan Singh, born on 7th January 1584 at Chavand. Her firstborn was a daughter of Kunwarani Baisa (name unknown), married to Rao Sultan of Sirohi.
The daughter of Shallavan Tanwar of Gwalior, who was also his cousin, was married to him after her kin died at Haldighati. Her son was Rajadhiraj Suraj Mal of Shahpura

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Born on 16 March 1559 in the Kumbha Palace of Chittorgarh Fort, Bhanwar Amar Singh was the eldest son of Kunwar Pratap Singh (later Maharana Pratap) and Kunwarani Ajabdeh Punwar. As the first grandson of Udai Singh I, his birth prompted the Maharana's celebratory hunting expedition, during which a sage forewarned of impending danger. Heeding this, Udai Singh established a new palace by Lake Pichola, founding Udaipur as Mewar's capital. Amar Singh exhibited extraordinary valour from a young age, inheriting his father's martial skills and his mother's reputed compassion. His training commenced early; according to James Tod's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, he participated in his first battle alongside Pratap at age eight. By ten, amid Chittorgarh's fall and familial divisions, he assumed responsibility for his siblings. Historical accounts recount his defence of the queens' entourage against enemy soldiers en route to Kumbhalgarh fortress. He shared a clo...

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