महाराणा कुम्भा (हरविलास सारदा - मेवाड़ साम्राज्य के अद्वितीय विजेता, निर्माता व विद्वान्)

Mahāraṇa Kumbha. finding no support there came to Maharana Kumbha, who gave him shelter and kept him in Chitor for a long time. Later, he was killed in an encounter with the Sultan at Chanderi.¹ The same year (Hijra 860 = A.D. 1454) Firoz Khan, Khan of Nagor, died.² He belonged to the family of the Sultans of Gujrat. His father Shams Khan had obtained from his elder brother Muzaffar Shah, the first Sultan of Gujrat, the province of Nagor. On Firoz Khan's death, his elder son, Shams Khan so named after his grand father, succeed- ed him, but Firoz Khan's younger brother, Mujahid Khan, deposed him and prepared to take his life Shams Khan fled to Maharana Kumbha for shelter and help.³ Kumbhá, who had long had designs on Nagor, gladly embraced this opportunity of carrying them out, and agreed to place Shams Khan on the throne of Nagor on the condition that he acknowledged Maharana Kumbha's supremacy by demo- lishing a part of the battlements of the fort of ¹ Vir Vinod, Vol. I, page 327. ² Ferishta, Vol. IV. p. 40 (Cal. Edition of 1910) ³ Bayley's Gujrat, page 148. 94

Maharana Kumbha. that place.¹ Shams Khan accepted the terms.² The Maharana marched with a large army to Nagor, defeated Mujahidkhan, who fled towards Gujrat, and placed Shams Khan on the gádi of Nagor, and demanded of him the fulfilment of the condition. As preparations were being made for the demolition of the battlements, one of the old Pathan officers of Shams Khan cried out: "Would that Firoz had a daughter instead of a son, for even she would not have allowed her father to be disgraced by permit- ting the dismantling of the fortifications of the fort."³ On this, Shams Khan humbly prayed to the Maharana to spare the fort just then, for otherwise his nobles would kill him after the Maharana was gone. He promised to demolish the battlements himself later on. The Maharana granted this prayer and returned to Mewar. No sooner, however, had Kumbhá reached Kumbhalgarh than Shams Khan, instead of demolishing, began to strengthen the fortifica- ¹ Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 40. Also Bayley's History of Gujrat, page 148, footnote. ² Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 41. ³ Bayley's History of Gujrat, page 148, footnote. 95

Maharana Kumbha. tions of Nagor. This brought Maharana Kumbhá on the scene again with a large army. Shams Khan was driven out of Nagor, which passed into Kumbhá's possession. The Maha- rana now demolished the fortifications of Nagor, thus carrying out his long-cherished design. The Maharana took away from the treasury of Shams Khan a large store of precious stones, jewels and other valuable things. The Eklinga Mahatmya composed during Kumbhá's lifetime, says that he "defeated the King of the Shakas (Mussalmans), put to flight Mashiti (Mujahid Khan), slew the heroes of Nágpur (Nagor), destroyed the fort, filled up the moat round the fort, captured elephants, im- prisoned large number of Shak (Muslim) women and punished countless Mussalmans. He gained a victory over the King of Gujrat, burnt the city ¹ (Nagor) with all the mosques therein, liberated twelve lakhs of cows from the Muslims, made the land a pasture for cows and gave Nagor for a time to Bráhmans."² He carried away the gates ¹ Kumbha's commentary on the Gita Govinda, verses 60-62, also reiterates these things. ²See also Chitorgarh Kirtisthambha Inscription. 96

Maharana Kumbha. of the fort, and an image of Hanumán from Nagor, which he fixed to the principal gate of the fortress of Kumbhalgarh, calling it the Hanumán Pol.¹ The Chitorgarh Kirtisthambha Inscription repeats these facts, and says that he destroyed "the great mosque built by Sultan Firoz, which showed Muslims the way to Nagor", (verse 19) and dismantled the fort and filled up the moat. "He uprooted the Mussalman tree of Nagor and destroyed it with all its mosques," Verse 22; and took away Shams Khan's treasure containing heaps of jewels (V. 23). Shams Khan fled to Ahmedabad, taking with him his daughter, whom he gave to Sultan Qutb-ud-din to wife.² The Sultan thereupon espoused his cause and sent a large army under Rái Rám Chandar and Malik Gadday to take back Nagor. The Maharana allowed the army to approach Nagor, when he came out, and after a severe engagement ¹ Vir Vinod Vol. I, p. 332, says the Maharana carried away the image of Hanuman from Nagor. The Kumbhalgarh Ins- cription, however, says that the image had been brought by Kumbha from Mandor. ² Bayley's Gujrat, page 149. Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 41. ³ Ibid. The Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I, page 242, has Anup 'Chand Manek and Malik Gadai. 97

Maharana Kumbha. inflicted a crushing defeat on the Gujrat army, annihilating it. Only remnants of it reached Ahmedabad, to carry the news of the disaster to the Sultan.¹ Sultan Qutb-ud-din now took the field in person, determined to wrest Nagor back from the Maharana. The Maharana advanced to meet him and came to Mount Abu. When the Sultan after leaving Ahmedabad came near Abu, the Maharao of Sirohi went to him and asked him to restore Abu to him, which the Maharana had wrested from him. The Sultan sent his Commander-in-Chief, Malik Shaaban Imad-ul-Mulk, with a large army, to take the fort of Abu from the Maharana, and himself proceeded towards the fortress of Kumbhalgarh.² Kumbhá, aware of this plan, came out, attacked and "defeated Imad-ul-Mulk with great slaughter,"³ ¹ Bombay Gazetteer, page 242. Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 41. ² Ferishta says that the Sultan "despairing of reducing Chitor" went towards Abu,—Vol. IV, p. 41. ³ Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I, page 242. Also Bayley's History of Gujrat, page 149. The Mirati Sikandari states that the enemy poured down on him on all sides and he was defeated with loss of many men. Ferishta, however, states that the Raja of Sirohi, who was a relation of the Maharana met the Sultan in battle but was defeated, and that the Sultan then went away towards Kumbhalgarh. Tarikhi Alfi says that Shaaban after suffering heavy losses, was recalled. 98

Maharana Kumbha. and by forced marches reached Kumbhalgarh before the Sultan arrived there. Imad-ul-Mulk returned discomfited to the Sultan, and both arrived at the foot of the hill on which is perched the fortress of Kumbhal- garh. The Maharana sallied out of the fortress and attacked and defeated the Sultan, who sustained a heavy loss, and losing all hope of taking this stronghold, retired to Gujrat.¹ The Kings of Malwa and Gujrat, thus completely defeated by the Maharana one after another, now resolved to combine and invade Mewar. As stated before, Sultan Mahmud Khilji of Malwa had become convinced that single handed he could never succeed against the Maharana and had resolved to form an alliance with the Sultan of Gujrat. He therefore sent his Vazir, Taj Khan, to Ahmedabad. As Sultan Qutb-ud-din of Gujrat was returning discomfited, after his defeat at the Maharana's hands, to Ahmedabad, Taj Khan met him on the way and proposed a formal offensive alliance against the Maharana, who had destroyed the Mussalman Chiefship ¹ The Bombay Gazetteer, page 242. 99

Maharana Kumbha.

of Nagor and had defeated them both. The King of Gujrat eagerly listened to the proposal and accepted the terms of the alliance, which was ratified at Chānpāner by Sheikh Nizam- ud-din and Malik-ul-Ulema on behalf of Sultan Mahmud Khilji, and by Qazi Hisam-ud-din on behalf of Sultan Qutb-ud-din, towards the close of the year A.D. 1456.¹ It was agreed between the two kings that the southern part of Mewar contiguous to Gujrat was to be attached to Gujrat; and Mewar proper, Ajmer and Ahirwara, to Malwa. In pursuance of this treaty, a simultaneous attack was made by the allied kings of Malwa and Gujrat the following year (A.D. 1457). Qutb-ud-din advanced towards Kumbhalgarh, while Mahmud Khilji advanced towards Chitor and reached Mandsaur. The Maharana wanted to dispose of Mahmud first; but finding that Qutb-ud-din had come near Kumbhal- garh, advanced to meet him first. Qutb-ud-din had chosen a strong position and the Maha- rana, after an indecisive action, fell back on a better position flanked by his native hills. ¹ Brigg's Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 42. Bayley's Gujrat, page 150, footnote. Vir Vinod, Vol. I, p. 328. 100

Maharana Kumbha. Qutb-ud-din encouraged, advanced and an engagement took place which lasted for two days. After the first day's engagement, both armies retired to their camps for the night: the dead bodies were cremated or buried, and the wounded were tended. With the break of day the battle was renewed, and as the Maharana's army had the support of the hills behind them, while the Sultan's army was in the open, the latter suffered severely and was driven out of the field completely vanquished. The Sultan had to fight hard for his life and eventually retired in safety. Thus, though the Maharana suffered heavy losses, the Sultan was defeated and had to return to Gujrat. Ferishta (Vol. IV, page 42) says that the Sultan on receiving 14 mds. of gold loaded on two elephants and some other things as presents made peace with the Maharana and returned home! This is Ferishta's way of glossing over a defeat. For, Ferishta does not state what "seasonable donation" the Sultan of Malwa, the ally of the Gujrat King, received as his share of the spoils of war or offering of peace. It is hardly possible to 101

Maharana Kumbha. believe that this powerful combination of two monarchs, each burning with a desire com- pletely to crush the common foe, and having solemnly signed a treaty with the express object of dividing the Maharana's territory among themselves should invade the enemy's country from both sides and open the campaign with such confidence and pride, achieve a triumphant victory and yet the net result of it should be the gain to only one of the allies, of 14 mds. of gold, two elephants and some nondescript things ! ! ! It is conceivable that the Sultan took away with him the spoils of some of the temples destroyed by him and the plunder of Sirohi; and some annalist has described the gold and the nondescript things as nazrana or tribute. The Mirati Sikandari says that three months after this, the Maha- rana invaded Nagor, when Qutb ud-din again came to Mewar, and after plundering some villages returned to Ahmedabad. It is difficult to believe that if the Maharana had been defeated in this war, he should have dared to attack Nagor within three months of his defeat; or, that Qutb-ud-din who had been 102

Maharana Kumbha. victorious, would have retired satisfied after indulging in a little plundering freak without exacting substantial penalty, or otherwise taking severe revenge for this presumption on the part of the Maharana. The Mirati Sikandari, indeed, says that the Sultan of Mandu returned home, having receiv- ed from the Rana, the district of Mandsaur and several other pargannas adjacent to the territo- ries of Malwa. That the victor should get only a little gold and the spectator, whole districts of the country of the vanquished! Another historian, however, comes nearer the truth. “Tarikhi Alfi seems rather to intimate that Qutb-ud-din made his own terms and left Mahmud to shift for himself.”—Bayley’s Gujrat, page 151, footnote. Rasik Priya, the commentary on Gita Govind, distinctly states that the two kings were defeated and driven out of Mewar by the valiant Maharana. The Chitor Kirtisthambha inscription of A.D. 1460, verse 141, states that the Maharana completely defeated the combined armies of Gujrat and Malwa. The King of Malwa too retired to his 103

Maharana Kumbha. territory severely defeated by the Maharana's forces. Though he made several attempts, he was neither able to recover the territory previously conquered and joined to Mewar by Maharana Kumbha, nor to conquer any part of the Maharana's country.¹ He had been so often defeated that after this un- successful attempt to retrieve his fallen fortunes, he gave up all hope of success against the Maharana; and though he lived for 10 years after this defeat, he never again thought of invading Mewar.² Sultan Qutb-ud-din of Gujrat did not long survive³ this defeat. He died on the 25th of May, A.D. 1459 and was succeeded by Daud Shah in the following year. In A.D. 1458, reports reached the Maharana ¹ Ferishta says (Vol. IV, page 224) that Mahmud left for Mandalgarh on 26 Muharram, H. 861 (A. D. 1856), and took it on 25 Zilhijj H. 862 (1458 A. D)! It is further stated that Mahmud advanced towards Chitor on 5 Muharram H. 863 (1458 A. D.) and sent his son, Prince Ghayas-ud-din, towards Bhilwara, and that the Prince after a severe action took the fort of Kasundi and then returned to Mandu to join his father. Is return home without concluding a triumphant peace, a sign of victory? ² In S. 1518 (A. D. 1461) Mahmud Khilji did indeed go towards Kumbhalgarh but dared not attack it. Ferishta says that he passed on to Dungarpur, received two lakhs of rupees from the Raja, as Faujkharch and returned to Mandu.— Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 225. ³ Brigg's Ferishta, Vol. IV, page 43. 104

Maharana Kumbha. that the Mussalmans had begun to kill cows in Nagor. To punish the wrong doers, he started with fifty thousand horsemen to attack Nagor. After putting thousands of Mussalmans to the sword, he captured the fort and carried away a number of elephants, horses and other valuables as spoils of war. The Khan of Nagor fled to the Court of the Sultan of Ahmedabad.¹ After a few months, the Sultan of Gujrat invaded Sirohi with a large army. The Maharao of Sirohi retired to the hills of Kumbhalgarh. The Gujrat army after plun- dering Sirohi, went after the Maharao. The Maharana hearing of this, advanced with his Rajputs and defeated the Sultan, who fled to his capital.² Smarting under the disgrace of this fresh defeat, Sultan Qutb-ud-din collected a power- ¹ Ferishta (Vol. IV, p. 43) says that as Qutb-ud-din, Sultan of Gujrat was, at the time engaged in a course of debauchery, the prime minister Imadulmulk collecting an army made one march from Ahmedabad but had to stay there for a month to prepare equipments. Hearing, however, that the Maharana had returned to Chitor the Gujrat army too returned to Ahmedabad. ² Ferishta says that the Sultan finding Kumbhalgarh impregnable, returned to his capital—Vol. IV, p. 43. 105

Maharana Kumbha. ful army and started to attack Kumbhalgarh. He came to Sirohi and after plundering that country, advanced towards Kumbhalgarh. The Maharana came out of the fort, and attacked and defeated him.¹ The Sultan retreated towards Malwa and thence returned to his Capital. ¹ Vir Vinod, Vol. I, p. 333. 106

CHAPTER XI. ———— DEATH OF MAHARANA KUMBHA. MAHARANA KUMBHA'S death took place in A.D. 1468. Sometime before his death, Kumbha's mind showed signs of derangement, and he sometimes talked incoherently. It is said that Maharana Kumbha one day left Kumbhalgarh to visit Eklingji. As he arrived near the temple, a cow standing by began to dance, making a long loud sound, usually made when cows are happy. The Maharana said nothing at the time, but on return to Kumbhalmer, in a Durbar the next day, he suddenly raised his hand holding a sword and said कामधेनु तंडव करिय. After a little while, some one made a submission to the Maharana in connection with some business. The Maharana only repeated कामधेनु तंडव करिय. This continued for some days. The nobles and those around the Maharana, seeing this mental derangement of their monarch, became uneasy. The Maharana's younger son 107

Maharana Kumbha. Rai Mal mustered up courage and asked the Maharana as to why he repeated those words so often. The Maharana got angry with Rai Mal and ordered that he be banished from Mewar. Rai Mal went away to Idar, as he had been married to the daughter of Bhān, younger brother of Raja Naraindas of that place. No one now dared expostulate with the Maharana. It is said that an astrologer had told Maharana Kumbha that he would die by the hand of a Charan,¹ whereupon the Maharana expelled the whole of the Charan community from Mewar and confiscated their lands. One of them, however, in the guise of a Rajput had remained with a Rajput Sardar; and he now told the Sardar that he under- stood the reason why the Maharana repeated those words, and that he could make the Maharana stop repeating them. The Sardar . took him to the Maharana and introduced him as a relation of his. The Maharana, as was his habit, repeated कामधेनु तंडव करिय, ¹ A community, the members of which write poetry, are constant companions of the Rajputs, and sing their brave deeds. 108

Maharana Kumbha. when the Charan got up and confronting the Maharana, recited the following Chhappaya (short poem). जद घर पर जोवती दीठ नागोर धरंती । गायत्री संग्रहण देख मन मांहीं डरंती ॥ सुरकोटी तेतीस आण नीरंता चारो । नहिं चरंत पीवंत मनह करती हंकारो ॥ कुंभेण राण हणिया कलम, आजस उर डर उतरिय । तिण दीह द्वार शंकर तणैं, कामधेनु तंडव करिय ॥ १ ॥ "Seeing that cows were killed in Nagor, gāyatri (cow) was in great fright. Thirty three crores of gods used to bring grass and water for her, but she neither ate nor drank anything. When Rana Kumbha after killing Mussalmans (conquering Nagor) has given protection to the cows, then the cow has became delighted and dances with joy at the door of Shankar (Mahadeva)." The Maharana on hearing the recitation, said to the reciter: "You are no Rajput: you are a Charan, but we are very pleased with you." The man confessed that he was a Charan, and interceding for his brethren, begged the Maharana to permit their return 109

Maharana Kumbha.

to Mewar and to restore their lands. The Maharana granted the request.¹ The Maharana, from that day, gave up repeating those words; but his mind had been affected, and he was sometimes incoherent in his talk. While he was in this state of mind, and was one day seated on the edge of a masonry tank near the temple of Mamadeva (Kumbha- swami) to the north east of Katargarh in Kumbhalmer, which he had built ten years before, his eldest son Udai Singh, stole up to him and treacherously stabbed him to death.²

The motive for this wicked deed might be the fear that the banished prince Rai Mal might be restored to favour and possibly block the miscreant's way to the throne; or, Kumbhá's enemies, unable to overcome him by force, put up his son to do the wicked deed, promising him assistance to get the throne, as was done in the case of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar in the 18th century, when his son, Abhay Singh, was persuaded to get his father mur-

¹ Vir Vinod, Vol. I, p. 333. ² Vir Vinod, Vol. I, p. 333. 110

Maharana Kumbha. dered. Udai Karan is known in history as “Udo the Hatiáro.” Maharana Kumbha left eleven¹ sons: Udai Singh, Rai Mal, Nagraj, Gopal Singh, Askarana, Amar Singh, Govin Das, Jait Singh, Mahrāwan, Khshetra Singh and Achaldas. One of his daughters, Ramābai, was married to the Yadava Raja Mandlik of Sorath.² The Kumbhalgarh Inscription, verse 251, shows that Maharana Kumbha had married several queens. Two of them, Kumbhaldevi and Apurvadevi, are mentioned in the Chitor Kirtisthambha Inscription, as well as in Rasikpriya—Kumbha’s commentary on Gita Govind. Thus, after a reign of 35 years—a reign full of glory and splendour—Kumbhá de- parted from this world, leaving behind him, a name which is honoured in history, and remembered to this day as that of one of the greatest sovereigns who ever ruled in ¹ Vir Vinod, Vol. I, p. 335. Mehta Nainsi gives the names of only five. ² Jāwar Inscription of the Temple of Ramaswami of V. S. 1554 (A.D. 1497). 111

Maharana Kumbha. India. The Kumbhalgarh Inscription says:— “He was the root of the tree of righteous- ness, home of virtue and purity, support of wealth, birthplace of truth, abode of prowess, limit of constancy and fortitude, and a represen- tative of Kalpadruma (the tree in Heaven which grants all desires). His charities were greater than those of the famous Rájá Bhoj and Kaṛan.” 112

CHAPTER XII. ———— Kumbha's Achievements. Maharana Kumbha's military achievements, of which any sovereign might be proud, have not often been surpassed in India. His high moral culture prevented him from emulating the deeds of a Timur or an Alla-ud-din Khilji, and carrying fire and sword from one end of the country to the other. The elevated spiritual plane on which he lived, made it repugnant to him to engage in aggressive wars with his neighbours. His genius was equal to achieving far greater feats of military glory than what he accomplished, but his heart, susceptible to the finer feelings of humanity, abhorred all unnecessary bloodshed, ruin and destruction, and he undertook only such military operations as were absolutely necessary for the protection of his country, or, as duty enjoined, to punish evil-doers. Fortune constantly smiled on him: he was ever victorious in war. Inscriptions found in Chitor, Kumbhalgarh, Ránpur and Abu show 113