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| Rani Roopmati and Sultan Buz Bahadur, Mandu herzindagi.com |
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| Rani Roopmati &Sultan Baz Bahadur hunting. onlineonly.christies.com |
Above image: Rani Roopmati &Sultan Baz Bahadur hunting; painting in the National Museum, Delhi.......
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| Corridor of Roopmat Mahal, Mandu fort, MP. |
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| Roopmati Pavilion, Mandu, MP. mainishjaishree.com |
Malwas, in the Madhya Pradesh state of India was known for the ruler ruler Buz Bahadur's romantic involvement with Roopmati, a singer of Rajput birth and his wedding with her according to Islamic and Hindu rites. Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur, the last sultan of Malwa (1555 to 1562) after the death of his father Governor of Matlwa (appointed by Sultan Sher Shah) Shujaat Khan became the last independent ruler of Mandu.
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Baz Bahadur, being a lover of music, once while out on a hunting trip, chanced upon a shepherdess having fun and singing with her friends. So much attracted by her enchanting beauty and her melodious voice, he begged Roopmati to accompany him to his capital. Roopmati, at last agreed to go to Mandu, on one condition that she would live in a palace within the sight of her beloved and venerated river, Narmada. Never overlooking her request, being true to his promise he had the Rewa Kund, a huge water tank built to supply water to Roopmati's palace near the river at Mandu. Deeply in love with Roopmati, the Sultan had spent most his time with her and as a result he failed to concentrate on the administration of his kingdom. His army became weak and the kingdom was prone to attacks from other rulers.
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| Rani Roopmati &Sultan Baz Bahadur of Malwa, .painting. britishonlineonly.com |
Unfortunately, the romance of this Muslim prince and the Hindu shepherdess was short-lived, doomed and, at last ended in tragedy. Headed by one Adham Khan and Pir Muhammad Kha of the great Mogul emperor Akbar's army invaded Mandu to capture Roopmati and Baz bahadur. The not so powerful army of Sultan Buz Bahadur with ill-equipped war weapons was easily defeated in the battle at Sarangpur on 29th March,1561 and his capital Mandu was captured.
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| Defeat of Buz Bhahadur. en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: The defeat of Baz Bahadur by Mughal troops, in 1561; Rani Roopmati and her companions view the scene from the terrace of the fort. Depicted in the Akbarnama, Ahmed Ul-Umari Toloman wrote the story of Roopmati in 1599.. Translated in English by C.L. Cruump in 1926 (Oxford Univ.) under ''The Lady of the Lotus Roopmati, Queen of Mondu . A Strange Tale of Faithfulness''_ ........
Baz Bahadur fled to Khandesh to seek help. When Adham Khan came to Mandu, he was at once captivated by the beauty of Roopmati. Anticipating what would happen to her after capture, Rani Roopmati stoically consumed poison upon hearing Madu's fall and died. Thus the curtain abruptly came down on this lasting love affair between a royal ruler and an ordinary bewitching beauty. This heart-wrenching love story steeped in music, poetry and beauty carries the underlying pathos and sacrifice of a romance between two souls the ended midway.
In the meantime with the help of other rulers, Buz Bahadur regained his kingdom for a short period but subsequently was defeated and arrested by Akbar's army led by Abdullah Khan (1570).
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| Mandu city of stones and marbles, Madya Prasesh,India.karmaindia.com |
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| Baz Bahadur Palace. optimatravels.com |
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| Roopmati Pavilion. istockphoto.com |
The Rewa Kund is a reservoir built by Baz Bahadur at Mondu. equipped with an aqueduct to supply Roopmati's palace with water. Today, the site is revered as a holy spot. Baz Bahadur's Palace was built in the early 16th century, Its spacious courtyard fringed with halls, and high terraces set in a beautiful place enhances the grandeur look of the palace. This divine beauty was at peace with herself with her favorite river Narmada and her husband near-by. Rani Roopmati's Pavilion was built as an army observation post which also served as Roopmati's retreat. Based on an old post of 2014:
Khare, M.D. (ed.) (1981). Malwa through the Ages, Bhopal: Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of M.P., pp.365-7
