Jaimal and Patta

Jaimal Rathore of Badnor and Patta of Kelwa (Jaimal Rathore: cousin of Meerabai, Patta or Fatta:Fateh Singh Sisodiya) were the warriors who faced attack of Akbar in 1567 and 1568 AD on the fort of Chittor. Both were aged 16 years.When Akbar attacked Chittor, Rana Udai Singh II left the fort together with his family. Jaimal Rathore of Merta was appointed qiledar (Commander in charge) of the fort. Akbar arrived at Chittor on 23 October 1567 AD and sieged the fort. The siege continued for at least four months. Ultimately Akbar ordered his men to bury mines and explode them to demolish the walls of the fort so that the Mughal army could enter it. The people inside the fort were running short of food and water and other supplies. Finally Akbar was able to damage a wall of the fort. Next morning on 23 February 1568 AD Jaimal Rathore started repairing part of the damaged wall. Akbar noticed him walking on the walls and guessed from his clothing that he was an important person. He shot at him with his gun "Sangram" and wounded Jaimal in the leg. When the Rajputs in the fort felt that the war could not be won, they decided to die in the war. On the same night Rajput ladies committed Jauhar. When the flames were sighted atop the fort, Raja Bhagwandas of Amer immediately realized that they were the flames of Jauhar. He cautioned the Mughal forces to be ready to face the ferocious Rajput men at any moment because Rajputs would now fight till their last breath. Next morning the Rajput men under the command of lame but valiant Jaimal Rathore and his army performed Saka (Kesariya or Saffron) by wearing saffron clothes and fought their last fight with Mughal army. Since Jaimal was injured and could not ride a horse, his brother Kalla Rathore made him sit on his shoulders and as a single entity, they fought with four hands. It seemed as if god Charbhujanathji himself had incarnated on the batllefield. When Jaimal died in the war, Patta Sisodia took the command, but he too died in the battle. These young men displayed true Rajput chivalry. Akbar was so impressed with the bravery of these two warriors that he commissioned a statue of Jaimal and Patta riding on elephants at the gates of the Agra fort. The statues were later destroyed by the Aurangzeb.

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