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 learned to uphold traditions without question. Sita was Mother Earth's blessing to Janaka, and Ram was Agni's blessing to Dasharatha.

Ram and Laxman were the chosen princes taken to be trained by the sage Vishwamitra. He wanted the princes to help him kill a dangerous Demon Taraka Rakshasi in the forests where he used to perform his annual Yajnas. A reluctant Dasharatha let his sons venture into the dangers. Ram and Laxman learned the arts of warfare. However, something told their guru they were no ordinary princes. At such a tender age, barely fourteen, the Princes learned quickly. Their tip was perfect. Soon, they were ready. Vishwamitra had invited many Kings, Princes and other learned men to his Yajna. Upon reaching there, the brothers decided to explore the beautiful Ashrama of the learned Guru. They came to the garden and saw some princesses making garlands and picking flowers, their backs towards them. Laxman realised that all the life he had lived with brothers, his heart craved a sister he never knew he had.

The preparations were on for the Yajnas, and the eager Princess Sita was asking Vishwamitra the significance of the rituals. Standing a little distance away, the prince of Ayodhya was in awe of how this Princess was eager to know the reason behind everything he had never ever questioned. The demons were heard coming, and the learned men feared the worst. Every time, men were killed, and the Yajnas were destroyed by these demons. But this time was different. The young Princes stuck a bow on their arrow. Sita watched a brave prince chant some hymns and attack the mighty demon army. Two brothers bravely defeated the demon clans. A smile appeared on Sita's lips. He was brave but not vain.

As the Yajnas were completed successfully, Ram looked around to spot the Princesses ready to leave. He wanted to talk to her, but he had never talked to a lady before. He turned back towards his hut.
" Don't you think it's wrong?" Her voice startled him.
He turned back and saw her standing, her face demanded an answer. " You killed a woman, wasn't it Adharma?"
" What she was doing was Adharma. Punishing a wrongdoer is never Adharma. Dharma is not based on gender." She seemed satisfied with his answer and smiled. He smiled back at her, palms folded.

In the distance, Rishi Vishwamitra smiled. Destiny had spoken. He offered Janaka and the Princes of Ayodhya a trip to Rishi Gautama's ashrama. The eager parties agreed. During the journey, they crossed rivers, dangerous forests and clearings. Ram noticed how easy the princesses were in their surroundings. Urmila walked up behind her sister, " The younger one is quieter than the older one, even." She seemed displeased that, so many times their eyes met, Laxman always shied away. Never even smiled or greeted her.

Reaching Rishi Gautama's ashrama, they were greeted by a huge rock. Eager, Sita asked, " Rishi Var, what is this rock? Why is it standing here?" Ram had the same question in mind. Rishi Vishwamitra narrated the tale of how Indra tricked Ahalya, Gautama's wife, into believing he was her husband, and thus Gautama accused her of infidelity and turned her into a stone. Later, when he realised that his wife was not at fault, he repented and blessed her. That the touch of a righteous man's foot can bring her back to life. Hearing the story, the princes and princesses were stunned. Urmila had a question in mind, " Why is fidelity so important for humans? Demons and animals have more than one partner, then why not men?" Rishi Vishwamitra responded to the eager group of youngsters before him, " Because our behaviour distinguishes us from animals. We are the most advanced creatures of god, we should respect and love only one partner through life, that's humanity."
" I will always be faithful to one wife," vowed Ram.
" But what if your wife does not think the same?" Ram was about to answer it when Sita responded, " If she is righteous, humble, and a follower of Dharma, she will follow his path and be his faithful wife too." A smile appeared on Ram's face. They thought alike.

Upon Rishi Vishwamitra's request, he put his foot on the rock, and Ahalya came back to life. An embarrassed Rishi Gautama was summoned, and his forgiving wife held his hand as they started life afresh. Watching the happy couple reunite after this long separation filled Ram's heart with happiness. Sita looked back at him with a smile. This was love.

Sita's father noticed this. He invited the Prince back to Mithila to try his hand at a bow. Whoever stung it would marry Sita. However, Ram was unaware of the prize. The Princess looked on, her heart pounding in her throat, for she had already chosen him. What if he couldn't tie the bowstring? He looked into her concerned eyes and lost his concentration for a second as an excited crowd looked on. He strung it too tightly, and the bow broke in two. Till then, no great warrior could even lift the bow, let alone string it. Janaka was happy to hand him his daughter.

Sita garlanded Ram with the Jaimala. Petals were raining on them, conch shells blew, and the people cheered as he looked into her eyes; they spoke volumes. She was happy to be his. His family was called upon for the royal weddings as they stood side by side, greeting the subjects of Mithila, happy to have chosen each other, clueless about what the future held.

The separation that would be spoken of for so many years to come, Sadness, anger, agony, humiliation, war, separation, and death came between them ever since they got married, but till the last day of their lives, they were faithful to each other, respected and loved each other and were inseparable at heart.

Even today, Ram and his Sita are worshipped as a couple all across India for the strength and faith they had in their relationship. For this is what people desire, his valour and her dignity. Yet, most lack respect for each other and the immense trust they had in their strained relationship.

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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