Rani Padmavati or Padmini was the famous queen of Chitrakot or Chittor. She was extraordinarily beautiful. Though her existence and legends are not validated, she is still worshipped and respected by the people of Rajasthan.
Let’s explore the historical life of Rani Padmavati.
Padmavat by Jayasi
Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi is a famous hindi epic poem. Padmavati is the center figure of this epic. The brief story of the epic is as following.
Padmavati was the popular queen of Chittor. She was famous for her beauty throughout India. The remarkable beauty of the queen impressed her husband, Rawal Ratan Singh who was also known as Ratan Sen.
The King of Chittor traveled across the seven oceans and overcame various hurdles to marry her. Her beauty invited dangers for her too. The stories of the beauty of Rani Padmavati attracted the Sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji, to invade the fort of Chittor in the year 1303.
The King Rawal Ratan Sen was killed in this battle. Padmavati faced danger of disrespect in the hands of Delhi sultan. To protect herself from this disrepute the queen Padmavati performed Jauhar along with other women of Chittor.
The beautiful Queen Padmavati of Chittor is worshipped for the sacrifice made by her. She is a figure of patriotism for the people of India.
Early Life
Rani Padmavati was born in a Hindu Kshatriya family to the King Gandharvsen and Queen Champavati of Singhal kingdom in the late 13th Century. She was also known as Padmini. Singhal kingdom falls in present-day Sri Lanka. She was taught Vedas by her family. She was also skilled in Indian martial arts.
Chittor’s Rajput King Rawal Ratan Singh was already married to Queen Nagmati. Padmavati was her second wife.
Padmavati Jauhar
Jauhar was an ancient Hindu tradition performed by Rajput women who wanted to avoid getting into the hands of the enemy. They performed ceremonial self-immolation after confirming her husband’s death in a battle.
After the death of Rawal Ratan Singh, Rani Padmavati was left with no choice to escape the evil intentions of Alauddin Khilji and save the esteem of Chittor but to sacrifice herself. The famous Chittor Jauhar comprised King Rawal Ratan Singh’s first wife too, along with all the women of Chittor.
The Padmini Mahal, where Rani Padmini or Padmavati lived, is considered pious in Rajasthan. In her memory, various temples and shrines have also been built in Rajasthan.
Rani Padmavati and Jodha Bai
Another important Rajput-Mughal Queen is Jodha Bai. Her character is also considered doubtful by some historians. She was a Rajput princess who was given in marriage to the Mughal emperor Akbar. Their marriage led to the eventual shift of the social and religious policies of the Emperor. She has been a favorite character of Hindi Cinema and several movies involving her have been made.
Jodha Bai’s name is not mentioned in any of the Persian records of that period. The historian James Todd was the first person to mention her.
Whilst appreciated as a historical figure, Jodha Bai has no such cultural signification. The narrative of Jodha and Akbar is often referred to as a tale of Rajput-Muslim unity.
Informative