Siege of Chittorgarh (1535) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Gujarat Sultanate | Kingdom of Mewar | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat Rumi Khan | 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 1532, however Rani Karnavati had the siege lifted by paying a ransom. The ransom kept the sultan satisfied for a few years 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. [1]
The Mewari army was able to fend off attacks till 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 widow, 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. [2] 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. [1]
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. [3]
The Sisodia is an Indian Rajput 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.
Chittorgarh is a major city in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold of the Rajput State of Medapata. The city of Chittorgarh is located on the banks of river Gambhiri and Berach.
Raja Shiladitya Tomar, also called Silhadi Tomar, was a chieftain of northeast Malwa in the early decades of 16th century Indian. 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. He joined the Rajput Confederacy with garrison of 30,000 Rajputs at the Battle of Khanwa which was fought for supremacy of Northern India between Rajputs and Mughals.
Rana Kumbha or Kumbhkaran Singh (1433–1468), 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 said to be the most potentially stabled sovereign of his time and his dynasty in general.
The Chittorgarh, also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest living 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. She was a Rajput of Kheechi clan.
Udai Singh II was the Maharana of Mewar and the founder of the city of Udaipur in the present-day Rajasthan state of India. He was the 12th ruler of the Kingdom of Mewar. He was the fourth son of Rana Sanga and Rani Karnavati, a princess of Bundi.
The Kingdom of Mewar, sometimes known as Udaipur State, was an independent kingdom in Rajputana region of India, ruled by the Sisodia dynasty. It was established around the 6th century by the minor rulers of the Nagada-Ahar region of Udaipur and later, in the 10th century, it transformed into an independent state under Rawal Bharttripatta II.
Rani Karnavati also known as Rani Karmavati, was a princess and temporary ruler from Bundi, India. She was married to Rana Sanga (c.1508-1528) 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 Jauhar to protect her honor.
Raimal Singh Sisodia, also known as Rana Raimal, was a Hindu Rajput ruler of Mewar. Maharana Raimal was the son of Rana Kumbha and his Rathore queen, a princess of Idar.
The siege of Chittorgarh was the military expedition of the Mughal Empire under Akbar against the Mewar kingdom that commenced in 1567 during which the Mughals successfully captured the fort of Chittorgarh after a hard-pressed siege which lasted for several months.
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.
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.
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 Rajput Confederacy of 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.
Rao Ranmal, also called Ran Mal or Ridmal, was the Rathore ruler of Marwar. A notable expansionist and skilled warrior, Ranmal is also noteworthy for having twice served as regent of the kingdom of Mewar under two different kings.
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.