Rajput Resistance to Muslim Rule

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The Rajput Resistance to Muslim Rule - Man Singh Tomar

 

In spite of the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and UP (Uttar

Pradesh) in the former kindoms of Prithiviraj Chauhan and Jaichand

Rathod, the Muslim invaders could never overrun the entire country.

The Rajput dynasties like the Tomaras of Gwaliar and the Ranas of

Mewad still continued to rule central India. One such Rajput ruler

was Man Singh Tomar the king of Gwaliar. Man Singh put up a stout

resistance to the Lodis and he succeeded in halting the Muslim ruler

Sikandar Lodi's southward march at Gwaliar. While the Tomaras of

Gwaliar held back the Muslims from advancing into Malwa, the Ranas of

Mewad held up the banner of Indian independence from Mewad in those

trying times of Muslim aggression in India. In South Rajasthan

especially, the Rajputs had defiantly preserved their writ by

resisting the Delhi Sultans. The center of this Rajput resistance was

the kingdom at Chittor.

 

The Story of Rani Padmini

 

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Sultanate of Delhi - the kingdom

set up by the invaders was nevertheless growing in power. The Sultans

made repeated attack on Mewad on one pretext or the other. Here we

may recollect the story of Rani Padmani who was the pretext for Allah-

ud-din Khilji's attack on Chittod. In those days Chittod 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 one of

whom was a musician named Raghav Chetan. But unknown to anybody,

Raghav Chetan was also a sorcerer. He used his evil talents to run

down his rivals and unfortunately for him was caught red-handed in

his dirty act of arousing evil spirits.

 

On hearing this King Ratansen was furious and he banished Raghav

Chetan from his kingdom after blackening his face with face and

making him ride a donkey. This harsh Punishment earned king Ratansen

an uncompromising enemy. Sulking after his humiliation, Raghav Chetan

made his way towards Delhi with -the aim of trying to incite the

Sultan of Delhi Ala-ud-din Khilji to attack Chittor.

 

On approaching Delhi, Raghav Chetan settled down in one of the

forests nearby Delhi which the Sultan used to frequent for hunting

deer. One day on hearing the Sultan's hunt party entering the forest,

Raghav-Chetan started playing a melodious tone on his flute. When the

alluring notes of Raghav-Chetan flute reached the Sultan's party they

were surprised as to who could be playing a flute in such a masterly

way in a forlorn forest.

 

The Sultan despatched his soldiers to fetch the person and when

Raghav-Chetan was brought before him, the Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji

asked him to come to his court at Delhi. The cunning Raghav-Chetan

asked the king as to why he wants to have a ordinary musician like

himself when there were many other beautiful objects to be had.

Wondering what Raghav-Chetan meant, Ala-ud-din asked him to clarify.

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.

 

On being persuaded by her husband Rana Ratansen, Rani Padmini

consented to allow Ala-ud-din to see her only in a mirror. 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.

 

 

 

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 wordly-wise and she refused to meet the lustful Sultan

personally.

 

But on being persuaded she consented to allow Ala-ud-din to see her

only in a mirror. 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.

 

 

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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 Ratnanen was to get his liberty. Word was

sent into the palace about the Sultan's demand.

 

 

 

 

The Rajput generals decided to beast 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 dat at the crack of dawn, one hundred and

fifty palaquins (covered cases in which royal ladies were carried in

medieveal times) left the fort and made their way towards Ala-ud-

din's camps The palanquins stopped before the tent where king

Ratnasen was being held prisoner. Seeing that the palanquins had come

from Chittor; and thinking that they had brought alongwith 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 soilders, 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 seige to the fort. The seige 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.

 

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

phyrrhic victory the Sultan's troops entered the fort only to be

confronted with ashes and burnt bones of the women whose honour they

were going to violate to satisfy their lust.

 

These women who committed Jawhar 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.

 

The Kirti Stambha (Victory Pillar) at Chittogad.

The Rana's of Mewad had their capital at Chittor or Chittodgad. They

included Rana Ratansen (Rani Padmini's Husband), Rana Sanga, Udai

Singh and the tallest of them all - Maharana Pratap.

 

It was these 'Lions of Mewad' who defiantly upheld the banner of

Indian Independence during the darkest days of Muslim Tyranny.

 

 

 

 

Rana Kumbha

 

Rana Kumbha who ruled from Kumbhalgad also put up a stout resistence

to Muslim incursions into Rajputana in the 14th century. His capital

Kumbhalgad which is a formidable fortress in densely forested

Aravalli Ranges facilitated his resistance to the Muslims. This was

one of the few times when the Rajputs used guerrilla tactics against

the Muslims.

 

The Resistance of Rana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga)

 

The next chapter of Rajput resistance to Muslim aggression was in the

year 1527 when the Timurid ruler babar invaded India. Babar first

struck at the ruler of Delhi who at that time was Ibrahim Lodi. At a

battle fought at Panipat, Babar defeated and killed Ibrahim Lodi and

captured Delhi. Babar next turned his attention to the most powerful

Hindu Kingdom in North India. This was the kingdom of Chittod ruled

by Rana Sangram Singh. The clash of the Rajput and Muslim armies took

place at Sikri. The Rajputs fought bravely and many perished in the

cannon fire which Babar was using. The battle of Sikri gave Babar his

second victory in India and saw the establishment of the Mughal

Dynasty (the last Muslim dynasty to rule India).

 

Rana Udai Singh

 

Despite the defeat of Rana Sangram Singh in the battle of Sikri, the

resistance of the Ranas of Mewad to Muslim rule continued for the

next 100 years. Rana Sangram Singh's son, Udai Singh was an infant

when his father died after the battle of Sikri. His uncle tired to

kill the child and crown prince Udai Singh. But the supreme sacrifice

of his nurse Panna Dai who misled the uncle by offerring her own son

for being killed, saved Udai Singh. Udai Singh was brought up

secretly till he attained youth. He subsequently defeated his uncle

and assumed the throne of Chittod. He continued his father's legacy

of preserving the independence of Chittod from the Muslim invaders.

The city of Udaipur in Mewad bears his name.

 

Udaipur. This city and the forts that dotted the hills surrounding it

were the heartland of the Rajput resistance to the Muslims. Here

Muslim Rule could never be established for any length of time all

through the 700 years when the Muslims occupied different parts of

India.

 

 

 

Maharana Pratap

 

Udai Singh's son was Maharana Pratap who lead the Rajputs against

Akbar's armies and preserved Rajput rule in Mewad. Rana Pratap was

faced with the formidable challenge of renegade Rajput princes like

Raja Todar Mal and Raja Man Singh who had joined forces with the

Muslim rulers.

 

The Battle of Haldighati

 

In the Battle of Haldighati fought between Maharana Pratap and the

Mughals; the Rajputs were not able to overcome the combined strength

of the Mughals and the renegade Rajput princes who had played the

role of traitors. But Maharana Pratap who was badly hurt in the

battle, was saved by his wise horse Chetak, who took him in an

unconscious state away from the battle scene. Although Maharana

Pratap was not able to thwart the Muslims successfully, the saga of

Rajput resistance to Muslim rule continued till the 17th century when

the baton of the struggle for Indian Independence from Muslim tyranny

was taken up by the upcoming power of the Marathas, who brought about

an end to Muslim domination of India.