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 a 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 Jaswande. Many regard Jaswande as Raja Kalyanmal's lesser wife or wife of the crown prince Rai Singh of Bikaner, but Todd's journal clearly mentions the Mewari princess as wife to Prithviraj. In 1572, Prithviraj, along with his wife Jaswande Baisa, had made the Agra Fort his home to serve Akbar, as per the order of his father, rather unwillingly, for the sake of Bikaner.

Navroz or the year's celebration in Agra Fort was always held for nine days in the bazaar of the fort, where all Rajput ladies, nobles and harem girls set up stalls of handloom, handicrafts and jewellery from their native lands for the Royal Ladies to buy. It was by the Emperor's rule that no man could enter these fairgrounds except for the Emperor himself. According to Abul Fazl's accounts, the Emperor "praised" the beauty of the Rajput women in this fair.

As per the rules, quite reluctantly, most Rajput women followed the orders, and Jaswande Bai was no exception. She had heard Mewar's insult time and again in the Mughal fort, but her brother's name shone brightly even on the mouth of his enemies, such was his valour.

Rana Pratap Singh had just ascended the throne in 1572 and was highly disappointed when the Rathores of Bikaner, the Bhattiyanis of Jaisalmer, and Surjan Singh of Sirohi, Boondi, all his relatives, accepted the Mughal supremacy.

This was around 1577-78AD, post-Rana's glorious defeat at Haldighati, when the Emperor was soaking in the fake victory and glory from the news of Rana's death. He was roaming the fairgrounds, maybe after a few drinks, when he chanced upon Jaswande Bai and was mesmerised by her beauty.

That evening when after the fair, Jaswande Bai was walking home alone through the narrow dark lanes of the Agra fort, in the shadow and light, she could see someone blocking her way. It was the emperor Akbar himself. She turned to leave and found soldiers guarding her way. The Emperor praised her beauty and wished to make her his for the night. He had no idea who she was; all he knew was that none of his courtiers would dare to protest against him.

" Do you even have the slightest idea who I am, Shahenshah-e-Hind?" Her tone was fearless and challenging, making the Emperor smile. Naive Rajputani was standing before the Lord of the Land.
" I am a wife to Rajaji of Bikaner, one of your nine gems."
"Wife to Prithviraj?" Akbar had smiled faintly. No, a small state like Bikaner and a warrior poet were not his concern that night. With a faint, fearless smile at the lady's challenge, he dispersed the guards. He always admired the Rajput spirit in some way...
He inched closer but froze. Within a flash of a moment, something was out of her waist and on his neck. He recognised the cold touch of the Khanjar (Dagger) quite well. She held it bravely at his neck and down to his chest. He was speechless. Taking a step back, the Rajputani smiled.
" You don't know who I am, for I am the Rajkumari of Mewar. Sister to Maharana Pratap Singh, a Sisodia by blood and soul. I will kill the enemy, or die, never surrender, it's not in my blood. We are Mewaris who jump in the Jauhar pyre, never surrender."
Akbar knew he had made a wrong move; he took two steps back and walked away in silence.

Upon hearing his wife's plight, Prithviraj was shrouded in guilt and shame. Being a Rajput, a blood of the Rathores and Chauhans, he could not even protect his wife's honour. He immediately wanted to let the man who could take revenge know. His wife stopped him.
"I don't want Mewari blood to flow for me. I know my brother, he won't spare the Turk hearing this, and I know, at any cost, all of Mewar will fight for me. But right now, Mewar needs the boiling blood for her own protection and independence. Our mother needs protection, not me." Prithviraj had agreed to the cause.

Akbar

In a few months, Akbar's bubble burst when he realised that the attacks on the Mughal encampments on the Mewari soil were not a deed of Amar Singh as his courtiers suggested, but of the Maharana himself. He also realised that although the Rajputs were on his side, most of them wished well for the Maharana. His spies had informed him of the Maharana's difficulties in the forests of Bhilwara and his mind's confusion about surrender.

Prithviraj was in shock. He had risen before the Mughal court with a confident smile, saying, "No Shahenshah, I know my brother, he would rather die than surrender."
"Ah! An admirer of Partap here too."
The emperor had taunted. "An admirer of bravery", smiled his courtier.

On reaching home, Prithviraj had immediately written in secret to his cousin. The contents of the letter are still debated to date. The folklore version says it said:

"Patal Sun Badshah, Bole Mukh Hunta Bayan,

Mihir Picham Dis Mann, Ughe Kasabh Rao Uth,

Patakun Munchiyan Paan, Ke Patakun Nijh Taan Karad,

Dije Likh Deewan, In Do Mahali Baak Ikh."

It means,

" The mouth of Pratap has begun to say Badshah,

Oh, Rao, has the sun started rising in the West as well?

Should I keep my hands over my moustache, or should my body fall with my own hands?

O Deewan, write an answer and choose between the two."

Pratap promptly replied to his cousin with a poem in return:

"Turak Kahasi Turakado, Inn Mukh Sunn Ikling

Uga Jiya Hi Ugasi, Prachi Bichh Patang,

Khushi Hunn Pithal Kamadh, Patako Muchiyan Paan,

Jete Hai Pachatan Patto, Kilama Siir Kewaan"

It means,

"Lord Eklingji will always make my mouth call him a Turk,

The sun will always rise in the East always.

Be happy and put your hand on your moustache,

Till Pratap stands on his feet,

His sword will keep hovering over the Invaders."

Todd's version, however, suggests a broader letter.

“The hopes of the Hindu rest on the Hindu;

Yet the Rana forsakes them, but for Patta (Rana's pet name for his friends), all would be placed on the same level by Jalaluddin.

For our chiefs have lost their valour and our females their honour. Akbar is the broker in the market of our race: all he has purchased but the son of Uda; He is beyond his price.

What true Rajput would part with honour for nine days? (meaning Navroz)

Yet how many have bartered it away? Will Chittor come to this market, when all have disposed of the chief of the Ivhatri?

Though Patta has squandered away wealth, this treasure he has preserved. Despair has driven man to this mart to witness their dishonour.

From such infamy, the descendant of Hamir alone has been preserved.

The world asks whence the concealed aid of the Pratap? None but the soul of manliness and his sword: with it, well has he maintained Kshatriya pride. This broker (Akbar) in the market of men will one day be overreached; he cannot live forever. Then will our race come to Pratap, for the seed of the Rajput to sow in our desolate lands? To him, all look for its preservation that its purity may again become resplendent”

According to this, Prithviraj had clearly indicated the dishonour of Rajput women and the secret support to Pratap from his kins. Prithviraj was very happy to get this response from his cousin, knowing he was the last hope of Rajputana, and later letters between the two further indicated how even some of Akbar's Rajput allies and Hindu kings had their hope resting on Pratap's hands to liberate the Rajputs from Mughal influence.

However, the tale of Jaswande, and many more untold, maybe less fortunate Rajput women, remain untold in history. Jaswande's tale is popular in the Mewari Veer Gathas, and it is often believed that when she was in trouble, Maata Chamunda appeared before her and saved her from the hands of the Emperor. True or not, Todd concludes that her bravery was indeed something to be praised and showed the high self-esteem and dignity of the Mewari women.

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