A Journey To Discover Life

 We have no Knowledge of the beginning and end of the world, the first and last of this ancient book has fallen out ~  Abu Talib Karim. Rightly said by the poet laureate of Emperor Shah Jahan above, we do not actually know the beginning and end of anything in the universe, be it the traditions, culture or human race, or the world. What we know are fragments of the past we extract from evidence. It is in vain to try to determine the first and last of something. For the past few months, owing to some media hype on Jauhar, many of you have asked me questions. I tried to answer most of them. However, a lot remained unsaid and unwritten. Mostly because some things are impossible to put into words. But here I try my best. Today is a very significant day in history. On the 23rd of February 1568, the world saw the last “Jauhar” of Chittorgarh, recorded in the medieval history of India. Akbar had invaded Mewar, and the four-month siege of four months ended in the Saka. There was no bet...

Kelwa/Kailwa is a small village situated around two hours away from Chittorgarh and an hour from Lake Pichola. It was mainly inhabited by the Rathores and ruled by the Chundawat clan, who were once the rulers of Mewar. One chief of Kelwa was Rawat Sihaji Singh Chundawat. He was a very close ally of Rana Sanga. His son Jaga Singhji also died fighting for Rana Udai Singhji in one war with the Afghans in 1555 AD. Kelwa’s heir was the minor child of Jaga Singhji and his widow, Sajjan Bai Songara Chauhan. Being from the clan of the Chauhan Rajputs, she was a warrior at heart. From the early age of about four, her only son was brought up under his uncle Naga Singhji to fight for his motherland and serve it like all other Mewaris. Fateh Pratap Singh Chundawat or Fatta (Patta), as fondly called by everyone, was a deft warrior even before he reached his teens. His name and bravery spread across the land to Rana Udai Singh’s ears in Chittorgarh. He was also the nephew of Ranaji’s close aide Rawa...

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...

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...

Since time immemorial, the Indian Subcontinent has witnessed many great battles, dynasties and eras. The most prominent rulers of the medieval age happen to be the Mughals or Timurids. Originally from Samarkand and Fergana, Babur, the chief of the small army that introduced gunpowder and cannons in the field of Panipat, was originally hired by the rulers of the subcontinent to oust Sultan Ibrahim Lodi from the throne of Delhi. Once Babar acquired Delhi and declared himself the emperor, there started a never-ending battle started between the native rulers and his army. Rana Sanga of Mewar  started to oppose Babar, as one of his strongest opponents, the most famous battle being the  Battle of Khanua,  where he finally won. Rana Uday Singh, Rana Pratap and others followed in his footsteps as Guardians of Mewar. The   Jauhar  (self-sacrifice of women to save their dignity from the invaders) happened thrice in the  Chittorgarh  Fort, the Capital of Mewar, w...