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.
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 good
Among 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
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.
