The First Maratha Queen

This story is a fictitious representation of the life of Saibai Nimbalkar. There is very little historical information on her.

Saibai Nimbalkar came into the prominent household of the Bhosales as a gratitude gift from her father to his for saving his life. She was a nine-year-old girl being married to the eleven-year-old warrior son of a noble. Her Sasubai (mother-in-law) always treated her like a daughter and helped her learn her duties in the household. She was the ultimate word in his life, and she spent her days helping her son run the state as well as managing the household.

He was learning to become a warrior. He was waiting for the day he could join his father and brother on the battlefield. Her dreams were smaller. Decorating the Palace with colourful rangoli or helping her sasubai braid and decorate her hair could make her happy. She waited for him patiently with the food every day as he practised his sword skills and told her tales of his father's bravery. She often got amused at his wise behaviour and laughed to make him angry. They slowly became friends, he her Raje and she his Sai.
" Do you know what Swaraj is, Sai?" He asked her one day while returning home from the temples. She looked at him, clueless.

"It is the dream of my mother. It is our rule over our forefathers' land without any emperor's influence, without the emperor's torturing our villagers." His eyes lit up as he looked at her. Her face was tensed.
"Raje, is that really possible? Many have tried and failed and lost their kingdoms and lives."
"I will make it possible. I will dedicate my life to my country and its freedom from slavery."
"Raje, your dreams are too big...." She was smiling. Indeed, her man was special.

Years passed by with his dedication towards becoming a warrior, she's towards his household. They were in their teens. His sword skills were praised everywhere, and her kindness was blessed. Friends became partners. Their silly fights and quarrels, he pulling her leg, her angry nose flare, and his apologies. Everything lit up the palace.

He used to go out at night with her help to help the villagers in distress. The poor and needy loved their knight. He helped his mother with state affairs in his father's absence. Any stress or good news, his first call was "Sai..."

That was a time when polygamy was prevalent among royals. His mother thought it was the right time for a second bride. Soyara Bai was younger than her. The palace rejoiced at the arrival of another Laxmi. Saibai accepted her as a sister. But he... His heart already belonged to Saibai. He knew she was hurt and helpless, yet ever smiling. The teenage boy who was too busy with plans of taking lives had fallen in love with his childhood companion and first wife. She fed him when tired, caressed his wounds and supported him without expectations. While all other girls her age desired jewellery and love, she stood by him through thick and thin and advised and encouraged his dreams.
Despite having five other marital alliances, she was his only wife. Her positive and good nature brought peace to the household. He carried out many operations across the Deccans and captured forts. He was thus called Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosale by his subjects and a mountain rat by his enemies. He knew the mountains like a child knows its mother. She fasted and prayed for him while he was away in the wars.

Shivaji and Saibai Paintings from the 18th century.

Finally, they were old enough, and their mother decided it was time to consummate their marriage. She travelled from the room she shared with his other wives into his Palace Chambers.
His dreams, thoughts and aspirations did not need to be told to her in words. He understood her just like his mother. Their affection was not that of any political union but that of love and respect. She gave him three beautiful daughters and a son, the future king.
She died at the age of twenty-six, leaving behind her two-year-old son in the care of his grandmother, Jijabai. Their nineteen years of marriage not only shaped his character but also his political decisions. After her death, he shunned himself from love again, although he unwillingly consummated his marriage with Queens, he could not love like he loved her. He died aged fifty-three, facing dysentery problems. He suffered for a few days before breathing his last, and such was their love that his last word was "Sai".

She was that part of his warrior self that helped him remain generous and humble. She was the luck in his life. The string that tied his household together with love. Her prayers spelt his success, and her smile made his days. Saibai was Shivaji Raje's personal life.
Political turmoil, wars, marriages, children and responsibilities at such young ages gave them no time to confess their untold love to each other. She was his one and only love, and yet somewhere the story remains incomplete. Their love remains unspoken and ignored.

The Reva Cries

Roopmati had watched the troops leave. She had stood behind the chief queen as she traditionally bid goodbye to her sons. She had waited for the Sultan to come to her. He did. He was confident that the sudden advancement of Akbar’s foster brother Adham Khan could be curbed. It was not war, just precaution. He reassured her. Malwa would never bow to the Timurids. And he would not let anything happen to her. To Her. Roopmati felt suffocated by her husband’s affectionate hug. She felt trapped in the scrutinising eyes of all the people in the palace. Angry, blaming eyes. She tried to pace herself and sing, but her voice cracked in fear. Her melody was drowned in tears. Every evening, a messenger would come to the chief queen with the news of war. Roopmati was kept in the darkness. She was not told about anything. She knew the rumours. She was a witch. A temptress who caused doom to the Sultan of Malwa. She was a spy of the enemy planted in his life to destroy him. She wondered if he came b...

Rani Padmini: The Valiant Queen

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 Sa...

The Emperor's First Wife

Ruqaiya Sultana Begum was born to Babur's second surviving son, Hindal Mirza, and his wife, Sultanam Begum, in 1542 C.E., merely a few months after Hamida Banu gave birth to the heir Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar. She was well-versed in Persian, Urdu and Arabic and was attracted to poetry and music. Being a proud descendant of the Timurid clan, most of Rukaiya's childhood was spent in Kabul, near the Bagh E Babur, built by Babur himself. From early childhood, she had seen the struggle of her family to regain their lost power in Hind. In 1551 C.E., just after her father died young at a battle for Humayun, leaving her and her mother in the harem of the emperor, it was Hamida Banu who wanted the marriage of Rukaiya to her first cousin, Akbar. Theirs was the first in-house marriage of the Mughals, soon to be followed by many more in the generations to come. At the mere age of nine, she had married the crown prince, and when Humayun won back Lahore, she was fifteen. At the mere age ...

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 1 522, at Chittorgarh and died on 28th February 1 572 at Gogunda . He was the Ruler of the Sisodia Dynasty. He is believed to have 56 sons and 2 5 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. Saj...

Charumati's Love

T his is written based on folklore. This is a representative work of fiction and does not claim 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 both enemies and allies 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 wa...

Prithviraj Chauhan: A Saga

Note: This piece is a work of fiction based on folklore and the Prithviraj Raso, an epic saga by Chand Bardai, who happened to be the court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan. The dates corresponding to wars, names of people and places are, however, historically fact-checked from various sources, including the works of Todd (semi-historical), The Amir Khusrau and contemporary sources like R.C.Majumder. The incidents are fictionally woven. Rai Pithora Around the year 1140 A.D., Ajmer was ruled by Anangpal of the Tomara Dynasty. Delhi was the seat of power of the Sultanate, which was a constant power struggle for them. He managed to capture briefly most parts of west Rajputana, and present-day Haryana and Punjab were also part of his kingdom. The old king had a son and two daughters. His concern grew as his son Surya was not talented enough to rule Ajmer. His youngest daughter, Princess Karpuri Devi, was married to Someshwar Chauhan of the famous Chauhan clan. Their son, Rai Pithora, helped...

Nawab E Bengal

Background: Nawab Alivardi Khan was ruling Bengal at the peak of Nawabi rule, expanding his strong empire. He had successfully suppressed the Marathas and had given a strong message to the British East India Company’s rising influence at Calcutta. Highly aware of the British Colonial policies across the globe, Nawab Alivardi Khan was strict with his policies and stronghold over Murshidabad, the then capital of Bengal (including present-day Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bangladesh). He had two daughters and no sons. Amina Begum was the elder one, followed by Ghaseti Begum. Amina had three sons with her husband and courtier, Ahmed Khan. The second son, Mirza Mohammad, fondly called Siraj-Ud-Daulah (light of the country)by his grandfather, was born in 1733C.E. He was his grandfather’s favourite because he was born while he won over the Marathas. Alivardi Khan never let the “fortune child” of the family out of his sight. Siraj grew up accompanying his g...

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 lea...

Bijolia: Her Home

Journey to Bijolia: Lost Kingdoms and Timeless Temples of Mewar Bijoliya translates to a stop between two cities. Nestled in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Bijolia sits 55km from Bundi and 105km from Chittorgarh on the well-travelled Bundi-Chittorgarh road. Once part of Mewar, this seemingly sleepy town guards a rich and layered past: it was ruled from the 11th to the 13th century by the Punwars (or Parmar Rajputs) before falling under the Chauhan dynasty, who shifted the region’s capital to Bhilwara and constructed the imposing fort there. After a brief Chauhan rule, Bijolia was reclaimed by Rana Kumbha and became an integral part of the Mewar kingdom, with the Parmers serving as local Raos, representatives and stewards of the royal house. Despite its history and the famed Bijolia inscriptions (a treasure for historians), Bijolia has never found a seat on Rajasthan’s primary tourist circuit, especially if you’re venturing out by public transport or private car. While a handful of...

Indus Valley Civilisation: An Understanding

The River Of The Rig Veda: The mythical river Sarasvati is an unsolved mystery. Sarasvati means a river full of ponds or lakes. This indicated its course might have been through many such lakes or swamps. There are many references to this river in the Rig Vedas as the " Seventh River of the Aryavarta" and " The mother of floods", indicating it was an important river in the land, probably large and perennial and caused floods. Many excavated villages and cities along present-day parts of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat indicate the basin of the Sarasvati River. It is described in the Yajur Vedas as the one where the five rivers meet, and in the Brahmanas, there are indications of the disappearance of its lower course and how its large flow decreases. The Mahabharata describes the ultimate drying up of the river before the ushering in of the Kali Yuga . Many Puranas describe the civilisation lying between the Ganga and the Saraswati . ...

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