Siege of Chittorgarh (1535)

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.

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. After a valiant fight the Mewari resistance started to fall and the Gujarati artillery under Rumi Khan succeeded in breaking through the fort defenses. The women of Chittor including Rani Karnavati committed Jauhar and the soldiers prepared for Saka. One of Rana Sanga's widow, Maharani Jawahir Bai Rathor, did not perform Jauhar and instead donned her armour. She led the Mewari soldiers against the Sultan's army and was slain after a brave fight.[1] 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.[3]

References
  1. Mewar Saga: The Sisodias role in Indian history pg.46, by D. R. Mankekar — "Maharani Jawahir Bai, a Rathor, armed from head to toe, personally headed a sortie against the besieging enemy and wreaked havoc in his ranks before herself being slain."
  2. Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan, Section:The State of Mewar, AD 1500- AD 1600. Rupa & Company. pp. 457–560. ISBN 9788129108906. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. History of Medieval India by Satish Chandra pg.212
  • Ishwari Prasad. "A Short History of Muslim Rule in India". India in the sixteenth century. The Indian
  • Joe Bindloss; James Bainbridge; Lindsay Brown; Mark Elliott; Stuart Butler (2007). India. Southern Rajasthan History. Lonely Planet.
  • Mirat-e-Sikandari pp. 381-382
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