Rani Padmini

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Rani Padmini was the the queen of Chittor and the wife of king Rawal Ratan Singh.

Today she is one of the epitomes of Indian woman-hood and a saga of sacrifice and valour. Her story has been immortalized in Padmavat, an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the Awadhi language in the year 1540 ^[1].

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Delhi Sultanate - the kingdom set up by the invaders was nevertheless growing in power. The Sultans made repeated attacks on Mewar on one pretext or the other. Rani Padmini who was the pretext for Ala-ud-din Khilji's attack on Chittor in 1303 AD ^[1]. In those days Chittor was under the Rule of King Ratansen, a brave and noble warrior-king. Apart from being a loving husband and a just ruler, Ratansen was also a patron of the arts. In his court were many talented people two of whom were Bards brothers named Raghav and Chetan. But the duo Raghav Chetan were also informer of Sultan Khilji who was running a police state based on inputs provided by his agents. They used their evil talents to demand a part of Queen Padmini's dowry as a means to keep them from giving their intelligence to the Sultan.

Rana Ratan Sen was not only furious on their extortion but he banished both Raghav & Chetan from his kingdom. This harsh treatment earned Ratansen an uncompromising enmity. Sulking after their humiliation, Raghav & Chetan made their way towards Delhi with the aim to incite the Sultan of Delhi Ala-ud-din Khilji to attack Chittor and also obtain the legendary beauty Padmini as a booty.

The Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji asked them to explain everything to him. Upon being told of Rani Padmini's beauty, Ala-ud-din's lust was aroused and immediately on returning to his capital he gave orders to his army to march on Chittor.

But to his dismay, on reaching Chittor, Ala-ud-din found the fort to be heavily defended. Desperate to have a look at the legendary beauty of Padmini, he sent word to King Ratansen that he looked upon Padmini as his sister and wanted to meet her. On hearing this, the unsuspecting Ratansen asked Padmini to see the 'brother'. But Padmini was more worldly-wise and she refused to meet the lustful Sultan personally.

But on being persuaded she consented to allow Ala-ud-din to see only her reflection in water. On the word being sent to Ala-ud-din that Padmini would see him he came to the fort with his selected his best warriors who secretly made a careful examination of the fort's defences on their way to the palace. On seeing Padmini, the lustful 'brother' decided that he should secure Padmini for himself. While returning to his camp, Ala-ud-din was accompanied for some way by King Ratansen. Taking this opportunity, the wily Sultan treacherously kidnapped Ratansen and took him as a prisoner into his camp.

Ala-ud-din showed his true colours and demanded, that Padmini be given to him and in return Ratansen was to get his liberty. Word was sent into the palace about the Sultan's demand.

The Rajput generals decided to beat the Sultan at his own game and sent back a word that Padmini would be given to Ala-ud-din the next morning. On the following day at the crack of dawn, one hundred and fifty palanquins (covered cases in which royal ladies were carried in medieval times) left the fort and made their way towards Ala-ud-din's camps. Badal, brother in law of Ratansen led the brave rajputs on this tricky and dangerous expedition. He was barely eighteen when he demonstrated the true rajput spirit. The palanquins stopped before the tent where king Ratansen was being held prisoner. Seeing that the palanquins had come from Chittor; and thinking that they had brought along with them his queen, king Ratansen was mortified. But to his surprise from the palanquins came out, not his queen and her women servants but fully armed soldiers, who quickly freed; Ratansen and galloped away towards Chittor on horses grabbed from Ala-ud-din's stables.

On hearing that his designs had been frustrated, the lustful Sultan was furious and ordered his army to storm Chittor. But hard as they tried the Sultans army could not break into the fort. Then Ala-ud-din decided to lay siege to the fort. The siege was a long drawn one and gradually supplied within the fort were depleted. Finally King Ratnasen gave orders that the Rajputs would open the gates and fight to finish with the besieging troops. On hearing of this decision, Padmini decided that with their men-folk going into the unequal struggle with the Sultan's army in which they were sure to perish, the women of Chittor had either to commit suicides or face dishonour at the hands of the victorious enemy.

[edit] Jauhar

The choice was in favour of suicide through Jauhar. A huge pyre was lit and followed by their queen, all the women of Chittor jumped into the flames and deceived the lustful enemy waiting outside. With their womenfolk dead, the men of Chittor had nothing to live for. Their charged out of the fort and fought on furiously with the vastly powerful array of the Sultan, till all of them perished. After this Pyrrhic victory the Sultan's troops entered the fort only to be confronted with ashes and burnt bones of the women whose honour they had intended to violate to satisfy their lust.

These women who committed Jauhar had to perish but their memory has been kept alive till today by bards and songs which glorify their act which was right in those days and circumstances. Thus a halo of honour is given to their supreme sacrifice.