| Siege of Chittorgarh (1535) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Gujarat Sultanate | Kingdom of Mewar | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Bahadur Shah of Gujarat Rumi Khan | Vikramaditya [2] Rani Karnavati Rani Jawahir Bai Bagh Singh Arjun Hada Rao Doorga Sutto Chundawat Dudo Chundawat | ||||||
The siege of Chittorgarh took place in 1535, when Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked Chittor Fort, after the death of Rana Sanga, with the aim of expanding his kingdom. The forts defense was led by the Widows of Sanga.
Rana Vikramaditya was an unpopular ruler, mainly due to his short temper and arrogance. He had insulted several nobles and courtiers which caused many nobles to leave his court. The Sultan of Gujarat took advantage of this situation and made plans to attack Mewar in December 1532. However, Rani Karnavati had the siege lifted by paying a ransom, and the Gujarat army withdrew on 28 March 1533. The ransom kept the sultan satisfied for a few months but he once again attacked Mewar in 1534. Upon knowing of the invasion, Rani Karnavati requested the people of Mewar to come to the defense of Chittor. Hundreds of Commoners as well as nobles came to her call of arms, however the Gujarati army still greatly outnumbered the Mewari's. [2]
The Mewari army was able to fend off attacks until March 1535, after which the Gujarati artillery under Rumi Khan succeeded in breaking through the fort defenses, Rao Doorga, Arjun Hada and the Chundawat brothers were killed after trying to repel the Gujarati assaults. One of Rana Sanga's widows, Rani Jawahir Bai Rathor, then donned her armour and led the sortie with Mewari soldiers against the Sultan's army. She wreaked havoc on the Gujarati ranks and was killed after inflicting casualties to the enemy. [3] The women of Chittor including Rani Karnavati committed Jauhar and the soldiers prepared for Saka, which was led by Bagh Singh of Deola. Rana Vikramaditya Singh, Udai Singh and Udai Singh's faithful nurse Panna Dai escaped to Bundi. Bahadur Shah was not able to hold Chittor for long and the Sisodia's captured it within a short time of his departure. [2]
The fable about Rani Karnavati sending a rakhi to Humayun was invented later by James Tod and modern historians do not consider it a historical fact. [4]
The Sisodia was an Indian royal dynasty belonging to the clan that ruled over the Kingdom of Mewar, in the region of Mewar in Rajasthan. The name of the clan is also transliterated as Sesodia, Shishodia, Sishodia, Shishodya, Sisodya, Sisodiya, Sisodia.
Raja Shiladitya Tomar, also called Silhadi Tomar, was a chieftain of northeast Malwa in the early decades of 16th century India. He become vassal of Sanga of Mewar and remain as an ally and Sanga helped him and Medini Rai in various battles and in conquering Malwa from Sultans.
Rao Maldeo Rathore was a king of the Rathore dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Marwar in present day state of Rajasthan. Maldeo ascended the throne in 1531 CE, inheriting a small ancestral principality of Rathore's but after a long period of military actions against his neighbours, Maldeo swept significant territories which included parts of present day Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Sindh. He refused to ally with either the Sur Empire or the Mughal Empire.
Kumbhkaran Singh (1417–1468), popularly known as Maharana Kumbha, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mewar. He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Rajputs. It was during his reign that Mewar became one of the most powerful political powers in northern India. He is considered to be the most powerful ruler of his time in India.
Chittorgarh, also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort covers 65 historic structures, which include four palaces, 19 large temples, 20 large water bodies, 4 memorials and a few victory towers.
Panna Dhai also known as Panna Dai was a 16th-century nursemaid to Udai Singh II, the fourth son of Rana Sanga.
Udai Singh II was the 12th Maharana of the Kingdom of Mewar and the founder of the city of Udaipur in the present-day state of Rajasthan, India. He was the fourth son of Rana Sanga and Rani Karnavati, a princess of Bundi.
The Kingdom of Mewar was an independent kingdom that existed in the Rajputana region of the Indian subcontinent and later became a major power in medieval India. The kingdom was initially founded and ruled by the Guhila dynasty followed by the Sisodiya Dynasty. The kingdom came to be known as the Udaipur State after it became a princely state in the nineteenth century.
Rani Karnavati, also known as Rani Karmavati, was a princess and temporary ruler from Bundi, India. She was married to Rana Sanga of Mewar. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Udai Singh, and grandmother of Maharana Pratap. She served as regent during the minority of her son, from 1527 until 1533. She was as fierce as her husband and defended Chittor with a small contingent of soldiers until it inevitably fell to the Gujarat army which was led by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. She refused to flee and performed johari to protect her honor.
Rana Raimal Singh, also known as Rana Raimal, was the Sisodia Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Mewar. Rana Raimal was the younger son of Rana Kumbha and younger brother of his predecessor Rana Udai Singh I and father of Rana Sanga.
The Mughal–Rajput wars were a series of battles between the Rajput Confederacy and the Mughal Empire. The conflicts originated with the invasion of northwestern India by the Mughal ruler Babur, to which the head of the Rajput confederacy, Rana Sanga, offered staunch resistance. The conflicts went on since 1526 for over 200 years, with the Mughals having the upper hand until the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, following which they entered a declining phase and the Rajputs gained the upper hand, with the last recorded conflict taking place in 1779.
Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap is an Indian historical fiction series produced by Contiloe Entertainment. It is based on the life of Maharana Pratap, a sixteenth century ruler of Mewar kingdom. It starred Sharad Malhotra, Rachana Parulkar, Faisal Khan and Roshni Walia.
Maharana Amar Singh I, the Maharana ruler of Mewar Kingdom, was the eldest son and successor of Maharana Pratap I. He was the 14th Rana of Mewar, ruling from 19 January 1597 until his death on 26 January 1620.
Rana Vikramaditya was the Sisodia Rajput ruler of Mewar Kingdom ,younger son of Rana Sanga and the elder brother of Rana Udai Singh II. He was unpopular amongst the nobles of Mewar. During his brief reign, Chittor was sacked by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat however Bahadur Shah was not able to hold Chittor for long and the Sisodia's recaptured it within a short time of his departure.
The Battle of Gagron was fought in 1519 between Mahmud Khalji II of Malwa and Kingdom of Mewar Rana Sanga. The conflict took place in Gagron and resulted in Sanga's victory, with him taking Mahmud captive and annexing significant territory.
Banvir, also known as Banbeer was the ruler of Mewar Kingdom between 1536 and 1540. He was nephew of Rana Sanga, born to his brother Prithviraj and his cocunbine.
Shakti Singh Sisodia Mewar was the son of Maharana Udai Singh II Sisodia and Rani Sajja Bai Solanki. He was a Kshatriya Rajput and was younger brother of famous Maharana Pratap, He was also the eponymous founder of the Shaktawat clan of Sisodia Rajputs.
Hansa Bai was Rani of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar during the early 15th century. She was the wife of Maharana Lakha Singh and mother to his heir, Mokal.
The Mewar–Malwa conflicts were a series of wars between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Sultanate of Malwa. The conflict erupted due to mutual territorial expansion triggered by both sides on each other. The war was fought in the modern-day regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Rana branch of the Guhilas, following their successful recovery of the Rajput stronghold of Chittorgarh and the entire region of Mewar alongside Rajputana after the Battle of Singoli, embarked on an ambitious expansion at the cost of their neighbouring kingdoms. On the other side, with the invasion of Timur, the Delhi Sultanate grew weak and many of its provinces gained independence which included Malwa, adjacent to Mewar.