महाराणा सांगा: द हिन्दूपत (हरविलास सारदा - मेवाड़ साम्राज्य एवं खानवा महायुद्ध इतिहास)

CHAPTER II.
MAHARANA RAI MAL.
MAHARANA SĀNGĀ was the third son of
Maharana Rai Mal, whose father, Maharana
Kumbha, had humbled the pride of Malwa
and Gujrat, the two greatest monarchies of
the time in India, and raised Mewar to a
position of great power and prosperity.
Kumbha's assassination in A.D. 1468
by his son Udai Singh, known as Uda the
Hatiaro (parricide), gave a terrible shock
to the chieftains and people of Mewar which
reverberated throughout Rajputana. Though
the parricide ascended the throne at Kum-
bhalgarh, uneasy lay his head, and he lived in
constant fear of losing the throne. Not
meeting with support amongst his own
vassals in Mewar, he began to squander
the resources of the country to purchase the
4

Maharana Sāngā.
support of the neighbouring chiefs. He
gave Abu to the Deora chief of Sirohi to
win him to his side, and bribed Rao Jodha
of Marwar with the celebrated fortress of
Taragarh (Ajmer) to abstain from molesting
him. The deference thus shown by Uda to
the Deoras and the Rāthors, however, failed
to win their regard or support. Rao Jodha's
son Duda, who had established himself at
Merta in Baisakh of S. 1519 (A.D. 1462),
took possession of the prosperous town of
Sambhar, driving out the Maharana's gar-
rison from the place. The chiefs and the
people of Mewar declined to have such a
blood-stained monster as their king, and he
was driven from the throne¹ by the people
who recalled Udai Singh's younger brother
Rai Mal from Idar, ² and by common
¹ The following couplet is current in Mewar :—
उदा बाप न मारजे * लिखियो लाभे राज ।
देश बसायो रायमल * सया न एको काज ॥
Uda, you should not have killed your father.
Sovereignty comes if it is one's destiny. Rai Mal
populated the country; you gained absolutely nothing.
² Rai Mal, since his banishment by his father
Maharana Kumbha, had been living with his father-
in-law, the Raja of Idar.
5

Maharana Sāngā.
consent crowned him as Maharana of Mewar
in A.D. 1473 at Chitor.
Uda, with his two sons, Suraj Mal and
Sahas Mal, wandered about the country for
a while, but found no support anywhere.
At last he betook himself to the
hereditary enemy of his family, the Khilji
Sultan of Mandu, for help to regain the
throne of Mewar, and went so far as to agree
to give his daughter in marriage to the
Sultan. Sultan Ghiyasuddin promised assist-
ance, but the gods decreed otherwise.
Just as Udai Singh was leaving the
Sultan’s palace to return to his residence
Indra’s bolt smote him, and the parricide
lay lifeless on the ground.¹ The Sultan,
however, started with a large army to assist
Suraj Mal and Sahas Mal to the throne of
Mewar and arrived near Chitor. Rai Mal
issued from the fort and attacked the Sultan,
who, being utterly defeated, fled to Mandu.
He felt the disgrace of the defeat
¹ Mehta Nainsi, however, says that he resided for a
time at Sojat, where he married the daughter of Prince
Bagha, the son of Rao Suja of Marwar and eventually
went away to Bikaner, where he died.
6

Maharana Sāngā.
deeply and began to prepare a large army
to avenge the disaster. When his prepara-
tions were complete, he sent his generalissimo,
Zafar Khan, to plunder the eastern part of
Mewar.
The Rao of Begoon, Haḍa Chachikdeva,
sent intelligence to the Maharana of the
capture by Zafar Khan of Kotah, Bhainsror
and Sheopur. The Maharana, collecting a
large army and accompanied by the Rajas
and governors of Aser, Raisen, Chanderi,
Narwar, Boondi, Amber, Sambhar, Ajmer,
Chatsoo, Lalsot, Marot, Toda and other places,
started for Mandalgarh. A sanguinary battle
took place, in which Zafar Khan lost almost
all the notable chiefs of his army. He fled
to Mandu, pursued by the Maharana, who
sacked Khairabad (near Mandu). Here
Sultan Ghiyasuddin sent ambassadors with
peace offerings. The Maharana accepted the
nazarana and returned to Chitor.¹
¹ See Rai Mal Rāsā. Ferishta does not mention this
war, probably because it was throughout disastrous to the
Sultan. He says that Ghiyasuddin did not leave Mandu
after his accession to the throne and that he gave himself
up to luxury and ease (Vol. IV., p. 236). This, however,
is not a fact. The Rai Mal Rāsā (unpublished) which
relates these wars is the work of a contemporary writer
7

Maharana Sāngā.
According to the Eklingji Temple in-
scription of S. 1545 (A. D. 1488) Maharana
Rai Mal vanquished King Kshema in the
and was written during Rai Mal's reign. Its truth is
further confirmed by the Eklingji Temple inscription,
dated the Chaitra Sud 10th, S. 1545 (A.D. 1488) (vide
Peter Peterson's Bhavanagar Inscriptions, p. 117), which
in Slokas 68 and 77, distinctly mentions the defeat
of Ghiyasuddin near Chitor and the victories of the
Maharana over him and Zafar Khan.
यंत्रायंचि हलाहलि प्रविचलद्दंतावलोठ्याकुलं वल्गद्वा-
जिवलक्रमेलकमकुलं विस्फारवीरारवं तन्वानं तुरुखं महासिह-
तिभिः श्रीचित्रकूटे गलवाद्गर्वं ग्यासशकेश्वरं व्यरचयत
श्रीराजयज्ञो नृपः ॥ ६८ ॥
King Raja Mal deprived Ghiyāsa (Ghiyasuddin), the
lord of the Shakas (Mussalmans) of his pride on (near)
the Chitrukūta, who fought with instruments of captur-
ing, gave blows with ploughs, bewildered (the enemies)
with his elephants, had numerous and active troops of
horses and camels, had many heroes who fought with
loud war-cry and who fought with terrible blows
(verse 68).
मौलौ मंडलगुर्गमभ्यधिपतिः श्रीमेदपाटावनेर्याह्यं ग्राह्यमुदार-
जाफरपरीवारोरुवीरव्रजं कंठछेदमचिचिपत्पतिततले श्रीरा-
जमल्लो द्रुतं ग्यासक्षोणिपतेः क्षणाग्निपतिता मानोन्नता मौलयः
॥ ७७ ॥
8

? Look at that: निः (niḥ) शे (śe) षी (ṣī) क (ka) र्त्तु (rttu with repha!) मि (mi) क्छु (kchu? or च्छु cchu?) व्र्व्र (rvvra) ज (ja) ति (ti) It's निःशेषीकर्त्तुमिक्छुव्र्व्रजतिorनिःशेषीकर्तु मिक्छुव्र्व्रजतिorनिःशेषीकर्तुमिच्छुर्व्रजति! Notice how old Devanagari printing has ligatures: "कर्तु" or "कर्त्तु"? In line 26: कर्तुwith repha over tu:कर्तुorकर्त्तु. Then मिच्छुर्व्रजति: Printed as मिक्छुव्र्व्रजतिorमिच्छुव्र्व्रजति? Look at च्छु: it has छ with u-matra, and a repha over the next letter: र्व्रजति(r-vra-ja-ti). Wait, look at line 26:निःशेषीकर्तुमिक्छुव्र्व्रजति सुरसरि-orनिःशेषीकर्तुमिच्छुर्व्रजति सुरसरि-? In old font: च्छsometimes looks likeक्छorच्छ

'? It looks like:
म - भि - म - तै - र - प्र - च्छी - त् - कुं - भ - मे - रुं
Wait, is there an 'आ' matra on 'प्र'? No, it looks like 'प्रच्छीत्' with two 'छ'? It has 'च्छीत्': 'च्छ' with 'ी' and 'त्'.

Let's look at L29-L30 (the last verse):
L28: ⁴ Verses 74 to 76.
L29:
"श्रीरामाह्ववंसरो यन्नरपतिरतनोद्राजमल्लस्तदासौ प्रोत्फु-"
Wait, "श्रीरामाह्ववंसरो" ->
Look at the letters:
श्री - रा - मा - ह्व - वं - स - रो
Wait, "रामाह्वं सरो" (the lake named Rama)!
Yes! "श्रीरामाह्वं सरो यन्नरपतिरतनोद्राजमल्लस्तदासौ प्रोत्फु-"
Wait, is it "श्रीरामाह्वं सरो" or "श्रीरामाह्ववंसरो"?
Look at 'ह्व': after 'ह्व' is there an anusvara on 'ह्व'?
It is 'ह्वं' and then 'सरो'! The typesetter put: "श्रीरामाह्वं सरो" or "श्रीरामाह्वंसरो"! There is no 'व'! Wait,

Maharana Sāngā.
Rai Mal knew the Sāstras¹ and was a
man of extensive bounties. "He allows
all to stand free and happy."²
The Adisvara Temple inscription of
S. 1587 on the Satrunjaya Hills in Kathia-
war says (verse 6) that King Rai Mal
was like a wrestler among kings.³
――――
When the great hero Gaura, whose glory was well
known, reached the sky by being placed on the top of
the peak of Chitrakūta, I believe he went to bathe
himself into the waters of the Surasarit (Gangā) being
desirous of freeing himself from the sin committed by
touching a great quantity of blood shed from numerous
Shakas destroyed (wounded).
खनच्छंकरनामधेयं महासरोभूपतीराजमल्लः। तन्मानसं यज्जल-
केलिलोभान्निशिश्रियाते गिरिजागिरीशौ ॥ ७५ ॥ श्रीराजमल्लवि-
भुना समयासंकटमसंकटं सलिले । अंबर

CHAPTER III.
—————
SĀNGĀ AND HIS BROTHERS.
RAI MAL married eleven queens ¹ by
whom he had 14 sons ² and two daughters.
The eldest, Prithviraj, and the third,
¹According to the records kept by the Maha-
rana’s barwa, Devīdān, the queens were:—
Jhala Rajdhar’s daughter, Ratan Kanwar.
Rāthor Bisaji’s daughter, Raj Kanwar.
Rāthor Ran Singhji’s daughter, Kumkum Kanwar.
Rāthor Jodha’s (King of Marwar) daughter, Bir
Kanwar (Sringardevi).
Rāthor Dalpat Singh’s daughter, Sagatdevi.
Rāthor Rao Maldeva’s (King of Marwar) daughter,
Indra Kanwar.
Solanki Raja Har Raja’s grand-daughter and Raja
Lal Singh’s daughter, Mahtab Kanwar.
Jhala Bhan’s daughter, Mahtab Kanwar.
Deora Rao Gopji’s daughter, Rajkanwar.
Deora Rao Lakhaji’s daughter, Champa Kanwar.
Rāthor Rao Bajraji’s daughter, Anand Kanwar.
² The 14 sons were: Prithviraj, Jaimal, Sangram
Singh, Kalyan Mal, Fattaji, Rai Singh, Bhawani
Das, Kishen Das, Narain Das, Shankar Das, Devi
Das, Sunder Das, Isar Das, Veni Das. The two
daughters were Damodar Kanwar and Har Kanwar.
12

Maharana Sāngā.
Sangram Singh or Sāngā, both by the
Jhali queen Ratan Kanwar, daughter of
Jhala Rajdhar, have made permanent
marks on the history of Mewar. Kanwar
Prithviraj was a prince whose heroic
spirit, dauntless courage and irrepressible
energy made him the idol of the people.
His chivalrous deeds carried his fame
to the farthest corner of the country.
He had
“A frame of adamant, a soul of fire
No dangers fright him, no labours tire.”
His impetuous courage, insatiable love
of adventure, a perpetual thirst for
action, and tireless pursuit of glory
attracted kindred spirits from all parts
of the country. Thousands of heroes,
belonging to different clans and different
places, followed Prithviraj to partake of
his glory and share his dangers.
Sangram Singh (Sāngā) was equally
brave, but his courage was tempered
with reflection; he was as forbearing as
he was brave. The second son Jaimal,
though brave, lacked the energy of
13

Maharana Sāngā.
Prithviraj and the high-souled generosity
of Sāngā. He was conscious that with
Prithviraj as his elder brother there
was little chance of his obtaining the
crown. The three brothers had as a
companion, Suraj Mal, their uncle, who
was of the same age and was equally
brave. Suraj Mal was the son of Kshem
Karan and grandson of Rana Mokal.
Mokal had been succeeded by the cele-
brated Kumbha, whose son, Rai Mal,
was now on the throne of Mewar. Suraj
Mal was ambitious and continually chafed
under the limitations which naturally
circumscribe the activities of scions
of a younger branch of a royal family.
He began to inspire the brothers of
Prithviraj with ideas of royalty, for which
position every one of them considered
himself qualified by descent and personal
bravery. These aspirations naturally
produced discord, and as Prithviraj,
Jaimal and Sāngā grew up and approached
manhood, their conflicting hopes, tem-
peraments and ambitions put an end to
their fraternal affection. Their dissen-
14

Maharana Sāngā.
sions not only disturbed the peace of their
father, Maharana Rai Mal, and arrested
the rapid development of their country,
but produced a state of affairs which
was very nearly fatal to the well-being
of Mewar.
One day while the three brothers
and Suraj Mal were discussing their
future prospects, they unanimously decided
to entrust their future, as did the Roman
brothers, to an omen. The priestess of
Charanidevi at Nahar Magra (the tiger's
mount) being near by, they repaired to her
abode. Prithviraj and Jaimal entered first
and seated themselves on a pallet. Sāngā
followed and took his seat on the panther
hide belonging to the prophetess, his uncle,
Suraj Mal, with one knee resting thereon.
Scarcely had Prithviraj disclosed their
errand when the sybil pointed to the
panther hide as the decisive omen of
sovereignty to Sanga, with a portion to the
uncle. They received the decree as did the
twins of Rome. Prithviraj drew his sword
and would have falsified the omen had
15

Maharana Sāngā.
not Suraj Mal interposed himself and
received the blow destined for Sāngā,
while the prophetess fled from their
fury. The blow, though its force was
broken by the interposition of Suraj
Mal, deprived Sāngā of one eye. Suraj
Mal and Prithviraj were exhausted with
wounds. Unwilling to attack the heir-
apparent to the throne, Sāngā left the
scene with five sword cuts and the loss
of an eye, and made for the sanctuary
of Chaturbhuja, closely followed by Jai
Mal. He reached the village Sewantri,
where Rathor Bida Jaitmalot,¹ who had
come there from Marwar to visit the
shrine of Rup Narain, established by Rana
Hammir, was standing ready to return
home. As he stood accoutred for the
journey, his steed standing by him, he
caught sight of Sāngā riding in, bathed
in blood. Bida took him to his abode, but
scarcely had he attended to Sāngā's wounds
when Jai Mal with his followers galloped
¹ The Jaitmalot Rāthors are descendants of Jait Mal,
the younger brother of the famous Mallināthji of
Mallani in Mārwar.
16

Maharana Sāngā.
up and demanded Sāngā to be surrendered,
threatening death to Bida in case of
refusal. The chivalrous Bida, like a true
Rajput, refused to give up Sāngā. He
sent him away to Marwar with an escort
of his own followers, himself preparing
to die in defence of his guest, and in the
performance of his duty as a true Kshatriya.
Like the celebrated Raja Hammīr of
Ranthambhore, who braved the wrath
of Sultan Alauddin Khilji of Delhi, and
gave up his life and his kingdom rather
than give up Mir Muhammad Shah, the
Moghul general of the Sultan, who had
taken refuge with him, the high-souled Bida
and his two sons gave up their own lives
to save that of Sāngā, leaving to the
world an example¹ of chivalrous devotion to
duty and of self-sacrifice which will continue
to shed lustre on his line, now represented
by the Thakur of Kelwa in Mewar.
Sāngā passed a few days with a
goatherd in Marwar and was dismissed
¹ The 3 sati pillars in the Rupnarain temple com-
memorate the event.
17

Maharana Sāngā.
as too stupid to tend his cattle and
“precisely like our Alfred the Great, having
in charge some cakes of flour, was reproached
with being more desirous of eating than
tending them.” Leaving Marwar, he went
towards Ajmer, and purchasing a horse
and arms, took service with Rao Karam
Chand, the Parmār chief of Srinagar, the
ancient capital of the Parmārs of this part
of the country, situated at a distance of
about ten miles from Ajmer. Karam
Chand had a following of two or three
thousand Rajputs, with which he used to
“run the country.”
Returning one day from one of these
raids, Sāngā alighted under a banian tree
and spreading his saddle cloth on the
ground and placing his sword under his
head reposed, his steed grazing by his side.
A ray of the sun penetrating the foliage
fell on Sāngā’s face and discovered a snake
rearing its crest over the head of the exile,
and a bird of omen perching itself on the
crested serpent was chattering aloud.
Two Rajputs, Jai Singh Bālecha and
18

Maharana Sāngā.
Janna Sindhal, passing by, saw the spectacle
and reported it to their leader, Karam
Chand. A goatherd "versed in the
language of the birds" informed Karam
Chand that he was served by royalty.
The Parmar questioned the attendant of
Sāngā and coming to know that the heir-
presumptive of Chitor was serving him,
treated him with due respect and considera-
tion, and kept him and his secret in his
protection till the tragic death of Prithviraj
cleared his way to the throne.
19

CHAPTER IV.
KANWAR PRITHVIRAJ.
WHEN the Maharana heard of the
catastrophe, he forbade Prithviraj his
presence, telling him to live on his bravery.
With but five horse, Jessa Sindhal, Sangam,
Abho, Janna and a Bhadail Rāthor,
Prithviraj quitted Mewar and made for
Godwar.
The dissensions in the royal family of
Mewar and the weak regime during the four
years of Uda's reign had paralysed the
administration, and in consequence, the wild
tribes of the west and the mountaineers of the
Aravalli so little respected the Maharana's
garrison of Nadole, the seat of the Godwar
Government, that they carried their depreda-
tions to the plains. Prithviraj determined to
subjugate the insurgents and restore order in
Godwar, and show his father that he was pos-
sessed of resources independent of his birth.
20

Maharana Sāngā.
The country was infested with Meenas,
who issuing from their fastnesses had set up
petty principalities. One of these chiefs,
held his court at Nadolayi. Casting about for
means to attain his object, and finding that
his funds were running low, Prithviraj
asked an Oswal merchant of the Ojha family
for a loan, pledging his diamond ring with
him. The Ojha at once recognized the ring
as the one he had sold at Chitor to Prince
Prithviraj, and coming to know of the enter-
prise on which Prithviraj was engaged,
began actively to assist him. With his
help, Prithviraj enlisted himself and his
followers as adherents of the Meena Chief.
On the approach of the hunter's festival,
(Ahairea) the Meena's vassals, according to
custom, obtained leave to celebrate the festival
in their homes. Prithviraj, who had also
obtained leave, rapidly retraced his steps and
despatched his followers to attack the Meena
in his stronghold, himself awaiting the result
in ambush outside the gate of the town. In
a short time the Meena Chief came galloping
in full flight to the mountains for security.
Prithviraj pursued, overtook and transfixed
21

Maharana Sāngā.
him with a lance to a kesola tree, and setting
fire to the village, slew the Meenas as they
sought to escape. He then attacked and
reduced to submission, one after another, all
the various Bālecha and Madrecha Chauhāns
of Godwar, with the exception of the
Madrecha stronghold of Desuri.
About this time (A.D. 1473—1483)
Rao Lakha of Sirohi, with the assistance of
Rao Bhan of Idar, attacked and killed Bhoj,
the Solanki Chief of Lanch. Bhoj was
a descendant of the Solanki kings of
Anhalwara Patan. When driven from
Patan his ancestors had moved further
north and settled at Lanch, where Bhoj
now ruled as an independent chief. Maha-
rao Lakha of Sirohi, who had ascended
the gadi of that State in A. D. 1451
(S. 1508) was an ambitious ruler, and he
determined to take Lanch from the
Solankis. He made five or six attempts
to deprive Bhoj of his territory, but was
defeated every time. Lakha then asked
Rao Bhan of Idar to help him, and with
his assistance attacked and killed Bhoj.
22

Maharana Sāngā.

This battle is said to have taken place at
the hill of Mālmagra.¹
Bhoj’s son, Rai Mal, and grandsons,
Shankar Singh, Samant Singh, Sakhra and
Bhan, left Lanch and went to Kumbhalgarh.
Kanwar Prithviraj offered them the fief of
Desuri, asking them to wrest it from its
Madrecha Chauhān chief. Rai Mal’s wife
being a daughter of that chieftain, Rai Mal
showed unwillingness to undertake the
expedition. Finding, however, that Prithviraj
was unwilling to help him on any other
terms, Rai Mal accepted the offer. He with
his sons went to his father-in-law’s house and
treacherously murdered Sanda and the other
Madrecha Rajputs and obtained from
Prithviraj a patta for Desuri with its 140
villages.² The Thakurs of Jilwada and
¹ Mehta Nainsi in his Chronicles says that Bhoj
Dipawat had taken up his residence in the town of Las
Munawad of Sirohi.
² The grant included Agaya, Bandrot, Dhamyagaon,
Sewantri, Desuri, Dholana, each with twelve villages
attached to it, as well as Ana, Karanawas, Bansda,
Moonpura, Keshuli, Ganthi, Godla and Chauvadia.
Mehta Nainsi gives further details of these
villages.
28