The Princess who Ruled

The mystic lands of the far East, Aryavarta, were a mystery to many. The warrior prince was exiled from his own kingdom and was forced to live in a hermitage due to a condition he agreed upon with his brothers and broke. He decided to visit the lands to the east and see the natural beauty himself. Wherever he travelled, his name was famous and people welcomed him with open arms. After all, he was the son of the great Emperor and the greatest archer of the land. While travelling through the forest dressed as a hermit, Gandhiva in hand, he stopped to rest. An arrow shot across, inches from his ears. He held up his Gandhiva.

From the clearing emerged a Prince who wore the traditional local dress. Holding up the Bow at the Warrior Prince was ready for combat." Who are you? A stranger with the bow? Do you threaten Manipur or seek peace?"
The voice was that of a woman. The Prince was surprised. Initially, he thought the way this person dressed and shot an arrow was a Prince than a Princess.
" I am a Hermit, Princess Of Manipur. And I seek Peace."
" If you are a Hermit, why do you need a bow? Are you disguised as a Hermit, Warrior?"
She was determined to know the truth. She was the heir to the throne and the protector of Manipur. She didn't lower her bow even though the man did.
" I am Arjun, Prince of Hastinapur, Son of Pandava and Brother to Samrat Yudhisthir of Indraprastha."
She knew who he was; his name was enough. He was the warrior every warrior wanted to be. The tall, dark, and handsome man in front of her was Arjun!
" Pranipat! I am glad you came to our country. I will inform my father immediately. You are a guest of ours. Come with him to the palace."
" No, Princess. Thank you for your hospitality, but I have decided to live in huts these twelve years. So, I can not be your guest at the palace."
The princess rode back with her soldiers.

She sat in the garden thinking of the encounter. He was a great warrior. He was handsome as well. The princess developed a feeling that she thought she would never feel suppressed by her duties and responsibilities. She was the Prince of the Kingdom. The son her father never had. The unwanted daughter. She, for all her life, tried to become his son, wearing a man's clothes, taking up the Bow. Being ready to give her father the son he always wished for. But her feelings made her want to be the woman she was, dress pretty and impress the man who saw her as a warrior.

" What are you thinking, Chitrangada? Your father received your message and has gone to greet Prince Arjun."
" Sakhi, I think I am in love with Arjun."
" What? Love? The Future King is in love?" Her Sakhi was shocked. Like Chitrangada, she also thought Love was the last thing possible for her!
"What will I do?" Her face was grim. Her father won't be pleased.
" Go meet him."
" What?"
"Tell him what you feel, and let him decide."
" Are you sure?"
"Yes."

She decided to go meet him. She called on her maids and ordered them to dress her up as a princess. They made her wear a sari, wear jewellery and tied her long hair into a braid and bun. They decorated her feet and hands with red Alta. She wore Bangles and anklets for the first time in her life. She went into the forests looking for him.

Arjun was busy gathering fruits for his meal when the sounds of anklets caught his attention. It was followed by a sweet smell of flowers and perfume. He turned his eyes towards the sound of the anklets and found a beautiful woman standing in the clearing. She made her way toward him with a shy smile.
" Who are you? Some beautiful Apsara in this forest, or some magical illusion?" Arjun praised the beautiful woman before him.
" I am Chitrangada, and we have met before ." Her eyes caught his.
" Where is My Lady? Because on seeing you, I am so mesmerised that I want to marry you."
" Really? Marry me? Am I that pretty?"
" Tell me who your father is and where we have met so that I can seek your hand in marriage. I am..."
" I am The Princess Of Manipur, Maharathi Arjun."
" You, the one who struck an arrow yesterday?"
" Yes, my lord, I came here to tell you how I felt..."
" You are mesmerising, Chitrangada, the perfect woman. Brave and beautiful, you are a mystery. The one yesterday or you, here, now, who is the real self, My Lady?"
" Who you saw yesterday was the Princess of Manipur. Today, you meet Chitrangada, my Lord." Her head bowed before him. He took her hand and looked her in the eyes.
" Then I love both, Princess Chitrangada, who is beautiful and brave. Equal to me in the skills of warfare."

Her eyes shone with happiness.
" But my father will not agree to this union."
" Why?"
" He wants me to rule after him, and my son to rule after me. No man will accept a wife who will stay at her father's palace forever." She was sad.

" You know my chief wife, Panchali Draupadi?"
" Yes, my lord, her beauty and intelligence are known all over Aryavarta."
" When we five married her, she made us a promise. That none of us can bring their other wives back into the household, we can only go meet them from time to time. My Naga wife Ullupi agreed to this when we got married."
" That means..."
" Yes, I will marry you, and you can stay back and rule Manipur."

Ulupi is watching Arjun Sleep.

The wedding was a grand celebration in Manipur. Their Princess was getting married to none other than Maharathi Arjun. Arjun has called on his Naga wife, Ulupi, to stay in Manipur with him and Chitrangada. He lived there for three years, and Babruvahan was born to Chitrangada. Arjun and Ulupi had Iravan. He left his two wives in Manipur under the King's care with their infant sons and left to complete his journey to the west of the country at Somnath near Dwarka. Chitangada ruled Manipur until Babruvahan grew up to become king. She continued dressing like kings do and taking an active part in wars. However, when the Kurukshetra war broke out, she refused to send her son to his father's aid because he had never once visited them in eighteen years. Ulupi, who helped Chitrangada in Manipur, sent Iravan to his father, and he died sacrificing himself to the Goddess Kali. Babruvan ruled Manipur during Yudhisthir's Aswamedha after the war, when he stopped the horse to fight his father Arjun and meet him for the first time. But not recognising Arjun in the troop, he killed his father. Ulupi saved her husband with magical powers and heard of Iravan's death from him. Chitrangada was no more, and Ullupi refused to accompany Arjun back to Hastinapur because he had made Iravan sacrifice himself without war. Babruvahan merged Manipur with the vast Hastinapur empire and accompanied his father to the Palace at Hastinapur.

The Princess of Manipur lived her life for her country and waited for her husband to return once in her lifetime. However, he, being busy with his own duties, could not do so. She made her son a valiant warrior like herself and his father and told him about Arjun. She died waiting for him to return, ruling Manipur, the place she loved more than her own happiness. She lived for her father, being his son, because he never wanted a daughter.

Arjun and Babruvahana's war

This story is my own representation of how Chitrangada and Arjun meet. This has no connection to the epic and is only used for the representation of the greatness of the two characters.

A Chivalrous Emnity

“Ranisa. Hukum” There was a hint of urgency in the maid in waiting’s voice as she rushed to the clearing where the tents were set up. Rani Pur Bai Solanki, the second queen, frowned at her sudden, alarming voice. “Hush, Rama, the children are...” She checked the children’s tent, alarmed. They slept during the day and stayed awake at night, because the forestland was not safe, neither from animals nor the enemies. “Ranisa, forgive me, it's Kunwarsa... He is back... but...” Pur Bai’s face lit up with a smile of hope that didn’t last long. “But?” “What is it? What’s wrong?” The Maharani of Mewar had walked out of her camp, with the other queens in tow. The maid bowed before her. “It’s Kunwarsa.” “He is back?” She frowned. He was not supposed to be back so early until his father reached Dholan. “So is Ranaji.” The maid looked scared. “There is a court called in an emergency. I came to inform you that Ranaji wanted everyone to be present.” “Jija...” Pur Bai could see the tension mountin...

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...

The Annals of Rajputana

Col. James Todd’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan describes Rajputana through History, Geography, Mythology, Folklore, Veer Gathas, Traditions, Cultures, Heritage, Rules, Valour and its people. However, one must remember that he was commissioned to write the narrative and his resources are not based on historical evidence. However, it is worth a read and very interesting. The following excerpts are from his book. Please take note that Todd's accounts are based on hearsay, stories, and commissioned by royals and hence aren't treated as historically accurate. However, his book is important as it is the first English-language book to have extensive work done on Rajputana. Rajputs are commonly believed to be people from Rajasthan; however, their branches have spread far and wide into Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and even parts of Bengal. The initial origination-based clans/tribes had been subdivided first in the book Prithvirajraso by Chand Bardai; howev...

The Mastermind

The Prince was sitting on the Balcony of the palace. There was a worried look on his face. He sighed. He was treated as the most intelligent person in the whole of Aryavarta, yet he could not find a solution to this problem. His thoughts were interrupted by his mother. Her eyes showed that she had not had a wink of sleep for the last two days. She informed, " The gifts and flowers have been arranged, the chariots have been called on, and the journey will begin tomorrow morning." Her voice was distant. " Maata, is there any way...?" " Saubala Putra, I forbid you, our own happiness is not greater than that of the subjects. Their securities matter the most. So please do not use any Maya on the Emperors to anger them. Your sister has accepted her fate; you, too, do so." " But how, Maata? She is Intelligence personified; she has boons from Lord Shiva himself. How can we give her away to a blind man?" " That blind man is the most powerful person ...

Sisodiya Family History

Many of you have requested a historical and chronological account of Chittorgarh since Rana Sanga. Let me start by telling you this is just an outline of the events as per history. The family name was originally Guhilot from Guha, a Rana of Mewar. But after one of the kings bravely killed a Sisod, a wild boar, the family name came to be Sisodiya. The Maharana of Mewar, Sangram Singh , was father to Maharaj Kumar Bhoj Raj, his heir apparent and prince who was married to Saint Poetess Meera Bai , the princess of Merta. While Bhoj Raj died in the battle of Khanua, Rana Sanga died of wounds that did not heal from his battle with Babur and the invading Mughal army. He had fought 17 wars against Babar. When both Bhoj Raj and Sanga died, Rani Karvawati, the favourite queen of Rana Sanga, asked Meera Bai to leave the fort of Chittorgarh. It is believed that luck left Chittorgarh with Meera. The year was 1528 AD . Ratan Singh, the brother of Bhoj Raj, had been coronated when he suspe...

How Agni Became Auspicious

The great Rishi Saunak and his students had once gathered at the Naimisharanya at the beginning of the Kali Yuga to save themselves from the effects of this age. Here, Ugrasrava Sauti, the great Sage and son of Sage Lomharshana, came to meet them. He surprised them with stories of King Janamejaya's strange Swarpa Yagna and the strangest tales he heard from Maharshi Krishna Dwaipayana Vyas Dev there, at this strangest of events. The eager Rishis asked Sauti about the story of Bhrigu and Agni. Bhrigu was a powerful Rishi. His wife was Puloma, the Daughter of Daksha Prajapati and granddaughter of Brahma. One day, when his wife was pregnant, he left her in the darkness of the awaiting dawn to go for a dip in the holy Ganges far away. She was alone in the hut when a Rakshasa attacked her. Scared and alone, Puloma cried helplessly for aid. Her beauty had mesmerised the animals who wanted to marry her by force. The demon leader took her into the hut and shut the door. But inside the hut, ...

The Righteous Wife

Rao Nahar Panwar made Mandore the capital of Marwar, Rajasthan, until Rao Jodha shifted to the Mehrangarh Fort. Mandore, a few km from the blue city of Jodhpur, now stands as a tourist spot with an archaeological park of ancient temples. Dated back to around the 6th Century and older, these temples are an example of wonderfully curved stone architectural wonders. Amongst them stands a temple to an unusual deity. The King of Lanka, the demon devotee of Shiva, Ravana. Surprised? The Brahmins of this place religiously worship him twice every day. Why? Temples at Mandore During the Puranic times, Maya Danav, the architect among Demons, son of Rishi Kashyap and his wife Aditi, used to rule Madnore, with his consort, the Apsara queen Hema. They had two sons, Mayavi and Dhundhuvi, but yearned for a daughter. Devotees of Shiva prayed to him for a daughter. Once an Apsara, Madhura visited Kailash in the absence of Devi Parvati and tried to seduce the Lord. Angered at her action, the Devi h...

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 have been killed by him. Chittorgarh was in darkness. Around March 1540, Mewar once again saw hope as some trusted generals, along with Kunwar Udai Singh, attacked Chittorgarh, taking Banbir by surprise. He was soon ...

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 ...

The Warrior and Princess

Dasharatha was very protective of his sons. He had got them after almost a lifetime of waiting and yajnas, so they were his lifeline. Ram, the eldest, won hearts with his humble, generous ways. Bharata, the second, was his favourite queen's brave son, and Laxman and Shatrughan were the twins to the lesser queen, who followed their brothers like shadows. They were a peaceful, happy family. Sage Vasistha was their Kulaguru, teaching them the Vedic hymns and the righteous ways of life. The Princes grew up in the luxurious, protected premises of the palace. The King of Mithila, too, was childless. Mother Earth granted him a daughter. Sita grew up learning and curious, followed by the king's second daughter, Urmila and their cousins Mandavi and Shrutakirti. They grew up knowing the natural ways of life, and their father took them to learn from men to know more about man and his natural instincts. The princesses were curious and always questioning the traditions, and the Princes lear...

A Journey To Discover Life

Search This Blog