Through out ages, Indian women's commitments to family are enormous as she is the main pivot in a closely-knit family system. A traditional Hindu wife is, always loyal to her husband at any cost and safeguard the family's name and dignity, thus not deviating from the norms imposed by the society. In the case of many Hindu males, this self imposed restriction are absent and they are not loyal to their wife, they may be generously excused by the society.
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| Maharani Padmini's Mahal |
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| Queen Padminis's palace Chaittorgarh Fort, RJ youtube.com |
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| Queen Padminis's palace Chaittorgarh Fort, RJ dreamlnes.com |
Above image: Located within the enclosures of the historic and famous Chittorgarh of Rajasthan, is a popular site called Maharani Padmini Palace, a beautiful three-story white structure with nice ambiance surrounded by a lotus pool. This is the place where the the legendary and mystifying Rajput queen, Padmini is said to have lived, Over the queen's beauty and wisdom so many poems and tales are written. This Palace stands as a testament to the grace and valor of the Rajput era, offering a glimpse into the royal heritage of Chittorgarh, but underlies in its layered history is the pathos of a young woman who chose to die as a virtuous woman.......
The Indian society way in the past gave much emphasis on women's modesty and chastity for some reasons so that the hereditary line would go undisturbed right on the track, thus retaining the family's ethos and not affecting the children's education and future, etc. To a large extend, the trend continues today.
Before the advent of the British company in India in the1600s, a bizarre and biased custom had been in practice for centuries called ''Sati.'' meaning a widowed woman, irrespective of her age, is expected to get into her husband's funeral pyre - a sort of self-inflicting suicide. If reluctant, some times force will be used by her relatives to push the bereaved woman into the funeral pyre. the purpose was to avoid woman including young going astray after the husband's death. Remarriage in the case of young Hindu widow in ancient India was not considered an ideal choice. Though banned in the early Mogul period 1526–1857, sati was notably linked to the elite Hindu Rajput clans in western India. When defeated by the Mogul rulers, Rajput queens and other women preferred death over being concubines to the Muslim rulers. When Lord William Bentinck became the Governor-General of India in 1828 this custom was abolished for goodAmong the kingdoms of northwest India, Mewar was the most powerful one ruled by Rajput clan. The Rajputs, who were Hindus, were known not only for their wisdom, valor and patriotic zeal, but also for their fierce fighting in the battles. For the Muslim invaders from the NW, it was a difficult task for them to break the Rajput clan's hold on their kingdom and the people.
The slave dynasty, known for their treacherous and unjust rule, had been ruling from Delhi with a powerful army and wanted to capture the Rajput kingdom. On 28 January, 1303 Sultan Alauddin Khilji, was on the way to Mewar and heard stories about the mystifying beauty of Rani Padmini, wife of Ratan Singh. He became anxious to get her as his consort.
Rani Padmini (Padmavati; died 1303 CE), was the queen of Chittor, Mewar, Rajasthan, India, the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh and the daughter of the contemporary Sinhala king. She was the personification of beauty, ideal Indian womanhood and sacrifice. Her great story of beauty and tragedy is commemorated in ''Padmavat,'' an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in Awadhi language in1540 CE.
Because of some family feud in the royal Rajput clan, it is believed, that the Sultan developed keen interest in Rani Padmini at the instigation of King Ratan Singh's jealous brothers
Rani Padmini (Padmavati; died 1303 CE), was the queen of Chittor, Mewar, Rajasthan, India, the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh and the daughter of the contemporary Sinhala king. She was the personification of beauty, ideal Indian womanhood and sacrifice. Her great story of beauty and tragedy is commemorated in ''Padmavat,'' an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in Awadhi language in1540 CE.
Because of some family feud in the royal Rajput clan, it is believed, that the Sultan developed keen interest in Rani Padmini at the instigation of King Ratan Singh's jealous brothers
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| Sultan Khilji seeing the mirror image of Rani Padmini'.hindunet.org |
Upon his arrival at Chittorgarh, Khilji sent a message to the ruler expressing his desire to see the Rani. This was an act of shame and insult to an equally competent ruler and the Sultan's arrogance was quite evident. Smart as he was, Ratan Singh gave in and convinced the queen to see Alauddin. However, Pamini, being shrewd as she was, allowed the Sultan to see her on one condition that he could see only her reflection on a mirror to which the Sultan agreed.
On seeing the Rani's mirror image, his infatuation grew stronger and Alauddin was determined to get her for his harem at any cost.
On his return to Delhi, the Sultam had Ratan Singh accompany him, using this opportunity, he had kidnapped the king, an act of betrayal. The king's generals in the army Gora & Badal, knowing Sultan's diabolical mind, decided to hoodwink him at his own game and sent back a word that Padmini would be handed over to Ala-ud-din following morning.
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| Rani Padmini's palace, Chatisgarh, Rajasthan.travelinfo.com |
On his return to Delhi, the Sultam had Ratan Singh accompany him, using this opportunity, he had kidnapped the king, an act of betrayal. The king's generals in the army Gora & Badal, knowing Sultan's diabolical mind, decided to hoodwink him at his own game and sent back a word that Padmini would be handed over to Ala-ud-din following morning.
Next day at the break of dawn, one hundred and fifty covered palanquins (meant for royal ladies for travel in medieval times) left the fort and made their way towards Ala-ud-din's camp. The palanquins stopped before the tent where king Ratan Singh was being held prisoner. On seeing the arrival of covered palanquins , King Ratan Singh was quite perturbed. But to his surprise, stepped out from the palanquins, were not his consort and her women servants, but his own fully armed soldiers, who quickly freed Ratan Singh and galloped away towards Chittor on horses stolen from Ala-ud-din's stables in a jiff. King's military commander Gora fought bravely against Sultan's soldiers to ease king's safe escape with another leader Badal and during the skirmishes he laid down his life, thus proving his loyalty to his King and his Rajput valor.
Above image: 1963 hit South Indian Tamil film "Chittor Rani Padmini" starring late Chevallier Sivaji Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala, Nambiar & other prominent actors.
Above image: Actress Tejaswini Lonari. Sony's famous TV drama- The Johur of the Queen Padmini of Chittor..........
The infuriated Sultan attacked the king's sturdy Chittorgarh fort with better army and artillery power. Having failed to penetrate, Ala-ud-din decided to lay siege to the fort. The siege being a long one, supplies within the fort gradually became depleted. As a last resort, King Ratan Singh and his men fought to finish with the besieging troops.
Worried about the fate of her husband and the impending danger as the Sultan's army was a bigger one, she did not cherish the idea of falling into the enemy's hand. To a Rajput woman it was disgraceful thing. With no other options open to her, the Rani of Chittor took the extreme step - ''Jauhar''(suicide). She did not want be be ended in Sultan's harem and led a lowly life. A huge pyre was lit and followed by the queen, all the women jumped into the flames and committed suicide en masse, thus deceiving lustful Alauddin and his army men who were waiting to devour them.
With their women folks turning into a mound of burning cinder, Rajput soldiers fought valiantly, but it was of no avail. The victorious Sultan's troops entered the fort amid heaps of dead soldiers, wounded men, wailing and weeping. The sultan's big empire was built on the alter of cross bones and corpses of virtuous Rajput women and brave Rajput men to whom ''a honorable life is worth living.'' based on an old post.( https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/03/virtuous-queen-and-sultan-rajput-rani.html)
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| 1963 hit Tamil film Chittor Rani Padmini en.wikipedia.o |
Above image: 1963 hit South Indian Tamil film "Chittor Rani Padmini" starring late Chevallier Sivaji Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala, Nambiar & other prominent actors.
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| Sony's TV drama- The Queen Padmini of Chittor. en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: Actress Tejaswini Lonari. Sony's famous TV drama- The Johur of the Queen Padmini of Chittor..........
The infuriated Sultan attacked the king's sturdy Chittorgarh fort with better army and artillery power. Having failed to penetrate, Ala-ud-din decided to lay siege to the fort. The siege being a long one, supplies within the fort gradually became depleted. As a last resort, King Ratan Singh and his men fought to finish with the besieging troops.
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| Rajput royal ladies committing ' (sati) en masse to avoid dishonor defence.pk sati; |
Worried about the fate of her husband and the impending danger as the Sultan's army was a bigger one, she did not cherish the idea of falling into the enemy's hand. To a Rajput woman it was disgraceful thing. With no other options open to her, the Rani of Chittor took the extreme step - ''Jauhar''(suicide). She did not want be be ended in Sultan's harem and led a lowly life. A huge pyre was lit and followed by the queen, all the women jumped into the flames and committed suicide en masse, thus deceiving lustful Alauddin and his army men who were waiting to devour them.
With their women folks turning into a mound of burning cinder, Rajput soldiers fought valiantly, but it was of no avail. The victorious Sultan's troops entered the fort amid heaps of dead soldiers, wounded men, wailing and weeping. The sultan's big empire was built on the alter of cross bones and corpses of virtuous Rajput women and brave Rajput men to whom ''a honorable life is worth living.'' based on an old post.( https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/03/virtuous-queen-and-sultan-rajput-rani.html)
Tit-Bits:
This same Sultan Alauddin Khilji's violent army with mercenaries from other countries led by Commander Malik Kaufer and later Commander Ulugh Khan in the early 14th century during their southern war campaigns, plundered the Chandragiri fort of the Kakatiya Dynastyf Andhra and later plundered the famous Ranganathar temple of Srirangam, TN. Commander Malik Kaufer (a converted Muslim and a homosexual) moved down south to Madurai. here (to settle the dispute betwen Pandya brothers) and his army not only looted the Pandya kingdom and its vast treasures, but also damaged most of the popular Meenakshi Amman temple. There he, on behalf of the Delhi Sultanate, installed a vassal and put a Muslim ruler in charge of Madurai Sultanate. The last ruler was one Sikandar, presently, his Durga on the hill - Thiruparamkundram, a popular abode of God Muruga (since Sangam period) has become a subject of debate between Muslims and Hindus.
On his second war campaign, Commander Ulugh Khan plundered the Srirangam temple to get hold of the golden festival idol of Namperuman. The temple was protected by thousands of devotees and he, in a rage, massacred 12000 Vaishnavites who guarded the the inner sanctuaries. Even to day Thithi is given to them every year in a nearby village. (https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/11/srirangam-temple-plundering-1300s-by.html. https://hindupost.in/history/bharats-temple-island)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_Padmini
History of chittorgarh - Rani Padmini
History of chittorgarh - Rani Padmini
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