The Thirteenth Night

The night of the Bhadra Amavasya saw a funeral pyre in the Pandavas' camp. Wails of the ladies filled the air as the young brave heart was turning into ashes. The ashes lit up a celebration in the Kauravas' camp. Duryodhan, Dushyasan, Shakuni, and Jayadrata all succeeded in their mission. Breaking the Pandavas' backbone, killing their favourite son. Karna joined in the celebrations reluctantly; he had released the boy from the pain. The face kept coming back to him. After all, he was his nephew. He shut his eyes in pain. The air tonight seemed cursed.

The pyre burning made the teenage widow run towards it. She had no hope of living without him. Life was already tough; each day, he went to war with a smile on his face. She had already lost her brother. Now she had none to return home to her.

"Stop!" His mother pleaded between the wails. "Stop her, someone, please!"

None could move. The 13th day of war had turned everyone into stone-cold statues.

"Uttara, stop!" His voice was more like an order.

"Why? Just Why? What had I done to deserve this Lord?" Her question made even Krishna's heart sink. He had arranged this marriage, the alliance. Knowing everything, knowing what was in store.

"Because when one purpose of life ends, another begins." He managed not to show his emotions. After all, he was the favourite nephew he had lost today. Life, knowing everything, was tough.

"Purpose?" She cried, sounding angry. "I have no purpose."

" His son is your purpose; raising him to be the future is." His words made everyone look up. What was he saying? A son?

His mother held her tight. "You have his heir in you." She cried.

The warrior Arjuna had lost to his father Arjuna today; he was shattered. At the pyre, at his wounded, lifeless body, at his wife, and his daughter-in-law. The warrior self wanted revenge. His blood was boiling, and so were his brothers. Krishna smiled to himself. This was what was needed. A turning point. Blood boiling for a kill.

On the darkest night, Karna was alerted by the sound of hooves, while the others drowned in Madira. He came out, weapons in hand, alerted. There he was, the brother, the greatest warrior, his biggest enemy. Raging into the enemy camp in a fit of rage. This was acceptable. His son was killed mercilessly. Dharma broke loose as the war continued from night to dawn. The Rakshas clan, led by Ghatatkach, were at the Pandavas' aid. Karna had to kill yet another nephew for his Dharma. The 13th day changed the course of the war differently. The Pandavas now saw enemies, not kin. In the next 5 days, they had won over the wrongdoers. If not for the 13th day, the darkest night, and that faithful Chakravyuh, history could have been different, and the epic could have changed. But in that Adharma lay the path to the win of Dharma just the way the Lord wanted.

The Bhadra Amavasya (New moon night of the Hindu month Bhadra) is regarded as the most inauspicious of days in the Hindu Calendar. People perform pujas and yajnas to keep away evil, and the darkest of nights are feared. The air, even today, has a hint of negativity around it. Today is that fateful 13th day of the war. Many people believe they should not step out of their home on the evening of a Bhadra Amavasya. It is regarded as a bad omen.

For me, however, it is always a day to remember the sixteen-year-old, who did what most brave hearts couldn't dare to. Enter the Chakravyuh, bravely and fought like a true warrior till his last breath. He proved to be a worthy son, a worthy nephew and an immortal warrior. It is the day to remember Uttara, the teenager, newly married, with dreams and hopes, shattered by a war, who had to live all her life alone, to bring up his son for the future of Aryavarta. It is a day I remember that age is just a number, for some, whose names remain immortal in time.

The Suta Putra

He was born as the eldest son of the Princess of Kuntibhoj. She was unmarried and had a bright future ahead of her. She did not want to sabotage her life and future for the unwanted child. She wrapped him in a blanket and decided to float him on the River, hoping the Mother Goddess would safely deliver him to someone. His father, the Sun God himself, was sympathetic to her plight and, for the safety of his son, provided him with a set of golden Kavach and Kundal (A set of earrings and a locket/beads/armour) to protect him. These were powerful enough to save him from any weapon. The currents took the baby far away to the land of Hastinapur. The royal charioteer Adhirath and his wife Radha were bathing there and praying to the Sun God for a child. A basket floated past them with a baby in it. They picked the baby up and decided to call him their son. Growing up, he wanted to learn archery and train as a Kshatriya, much to the objection of his parents. He went to Parasurama, the teacher o...

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 Lady Sultan

Indian History, or subcontinental History, is incomplete without speaking of the women who left a mark in their own significant ways. The first woman who comes to mind is perhaps the only woman Sultan to rule Delhi, Raziya (Razia). It’s been over a year since I had been trying to read and understand the mystery of Raziya Bint Iltutmish . Attributed as the only Woman Muslim Monarch of India, she is a name of many assumptions, imagination and speculations. The few books that have been written on her or the historical accounts of the Slave Dynasty mentioning her have always been about the turbulence of the government and the various rebels and uprisings that took place among the prominent chiefs of Iltutmish, who wanted to rise in power. No documentation or portrayal is found about her look, character or early days from her contemporary times. The only relevant historical book I found solely on her was by Dr Karunapada Dutta, while she finds a chapter in Heroines by Ira Mukhoty or Th...

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 t...

Haldighati: The Battlefield

The year was 1576 CE. Four years had passed since Maharana Pratap’s coronation as the ruler of Mewar in 1572 CE. In those years, the land simmered not just with heat but with tension. The Timurid emperor Akbar, determined to fulfil his imperial vision, had sent not one, but three peace emissaries with Man Singh and Bhagwan Das leading them, between 1573 and 1575 CE, offering reconciliation in carefully worded treaties. But the wounds of Chittorgarh’s fall in 1568 CE were fresh for Pratap. With the blood and tears of Jauhar and Saka still alive, with the thousands mercilessly killed, there would be no peace without freedom. Pratap was no ordinary king, to be driven just by his zeal. He was a strategist, steeped as much in statecraft as in pride. When Man Singh came in 1575 CE with yet another offer, he was quick to realise that Akbar was reluctant to an out-and-out battle with Mewar. Pratap chose not to appear himself, sending his heir, Amar Singh, instead, stating that kings met kings...

Chittorgarh: The First Jauhar

The concept of Jauhar holds a profound place in Rajputana history. It is a ritual where Rajput women willingly choose death by jumping into a fire altar, invoking the gods, and embracing honour rather than living under the humiliation of enemy conquest. Unlike Sati, Jauhar was never forced or compulsory; it was considered the most honourable death a Rajputani could choose when their men lost battles and the enemy laid siege. The Historical Setting: Jauhar Gate and Chittorgarh Fort Chittorgarh Fort once housed the palace of Rana Ratan Singh near the famed Vijay Stambh and his Jal Mahal at the fort’s main gate. When Alauddin Khilji invaded Chittor, much of this was destroyed. However, later ruler Rana Kumbha rebuilt the Jal Mahal and re-established the Jauhar Sthal to honour Queen Padmavati (also known as Padmini). Ratan Singh, who ruled Mewar during Khilji’s reign as Sultan of Delhi, was known to be a peace-loving monarch who enjoyed music and poetry. One of his court poets, Ragha...

Mewar: Origin of Guhilots

Origin: Lord Rama had two sons, Labh and Kush . The Ranas of Mewar are descendants of the former. Labh had built his capital at Lah-Kot (Lahore) , and the branch from which the Mewar blue blood arrives resided there until Kanaksen (Often traced as the founder)moved to Dwarika, Saurashtra. "Sen" was used as a title term for many decades by this Suryavanshi clan until it later changed to "Dit" or "Aditya", names of the Sun. Aditya was changed to Guhilot permanently after the expulsion from Saurashtra when they settled in the Ahar valleys (Aravallis). The Sisodia clan sprang from a Prince of Chittoor who had killed a hard chase hare (sissoo in local dialect). The branch often used " Ranawat ", meaning "Royal Blood", as a title, but over time, Sisodia emerged as the retained branch name. Kanaksen wrestled dominance of the Parmar race and founded Birnagar in AD 144. Four generations hence, Vijay Sen ...

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...

The Timurid Empress

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. Miniature of Rukaiya Begum as Empress 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...

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