Rani Karnavati
Encyclopedia
Rani Karnavati was a princess
and temporary ruler from Bundi
, India
. She was married to Rana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga
) of Chittorgarh
, the capital of Mewar
Kingdom. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of the legendary Rana Pratap.
had captured the throne of Delhi in 1526 AD, Rana Sangram Singh or Rana Sanga of Mewar lead a confederation of Rajput
Kings against Babur
to capture the throne of Delhi. But in The Battle of Khanua in 1527, the combined Hindu forces were defeated, and Rana Sanga died shortly afterwards, from his wounds as well as a broken heart.
Rani Karnavati took up the regency in the name of her elder son Vikramjeet, who was not only a weak ruler but a weak human being as well. In the meantime, Mewar was attacked for the second time by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, at whose hands Vikramjeet had earlier received an ignominious defeat. It was a matter of great concern for Rani.
The antagonized nobles were not ready to fight for Vikramjeet and the imminent battle was sure to be another blot in the history of Sisodias. Rani Karnavati wrote to the nobles to come forward for the sake of the honour of the Sisodia
s, and was able to persuade the nobles to fight for Mewar, if not for Vikramjeet. Their sole condition was that Vikramjeet and Uday Singh should go to Bundi during the war for their personal safety. Rani also sent a Rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun
, calling him a brother and asking for help. Humayun abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue, thus her name became irrevocably linked to the festival of Raksha Bandhan .
Rani Karnavati agreed to send her sons to Bundi and told her trusted maid Panna to accompany them and take good care of them. Panna was reluctant, but surrendered to the wishes of the queen, when she assured her that with the renewed support of the nobles and the expected help from Humayun, all would be well. However, tidings from Chittor were not good and the Sisodias had fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and the war was lost. Humayun’s help did not come in time and Rani Karnavati had to commit Jauhar
, a ritual of self-immolation on March 8, 1535. Bahadur Shah had to, however, flee from Chittor when Mughal military reinforcements arrived.
, who was the wife of Mahipat Shah who ascended to throne in 1622, though died young in 1631 , after his death his Rani Karnavati, ruled the kingdom of the behalf of her young son, Prithvi Pat Shah. She even fought with the Mughals in 1640 AD, and defeated their troops, over time she earned the nickname 'Nakti Rani' (Nak-Kati-Rani) as she had the habit of cutting the noses of the invaders . Monuments erected by her still exist in Dehradun district
at Nawada , she is also credited with the construction of the Rajpur Canal, the earliest of all the Dun canals, which starts from the Rispana river and brings its waters till the city of Dehradun
.
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
and temporary ruler from Bundi
Bundi
Bundi is a city and a municipality of approximately 88,000 inhabitants in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India. It is of particular architectural note for its ornate forts, palaces, and stepwell reservoirs known as baoris...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She was married to Rana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga
Rana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
) of Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh is a city and a municipality in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgharh District and a former capital of the Sisodia clans of Rajputs of Mewar...
, the capital of Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
Kingdom. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of the legendary Rana Pratap.
Biography
After BaburBabur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
had captured the throne of Delhi in 1526 AD, Rana Sangram Singh or Rana Sanga of Mewar lead a confederation of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
Kings against Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
to capture the throne of Delhi. But in The Battle of Khanua in 1527, the combined Hindu forces were defeated, and Rana Sanga died shortly afterwards, from his wounds as well as a broken heart.
Rani Karnavati took up the regency in the name of her elder son Vikramjeet, who was not only a weak ruler but a weak human being as well. In the meantime, Mewar was attacked for the second time by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, at whose hands Vikramjeet had earlier received an ignominious defeat. It was a matter of great concern for Rani.
The antagonized nobles were not ready to fight for Vikramjeet and the imminent battle was sure to be another blot in the history of Sisodias. Rani Karnavati wrote to the nobles to come forward for the sake of the honour of the Sisodia
Sisodia
The Sisodia are Chattari Rajputs of the Suryavanshi lineage who ruled the kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan. Prior to Rana Hamir the clan was known as Gehlot or Guhilot. In 1303 CE Alla-ud-din Khilji attacked Chittor...
s, and was able to persuade the nobles to fight for Mewar, if not for Vikramjeet. Their sole condition was that Vikramjeet and Uday Singh should go to Bundi during the war for their personal safety. Rani also sent a Rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
, calling him a brother and asking for help. Humayun abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue, thus her name became irrevocably linked to the festival of Raksha Bandhan .
Rani Karnavati agreed to send her sons to Bundi and told her trusted maid Panna to accompany them and take good care of them. Panna was reluctant, but surrendered to the wishes of the queen, when she assured her that with the renewed support of the nobles and the expected help from Humayun, all would be well. However, tidings from Chittor were not good and the Sisodias had fought valiantly, but they were outnumbered and the war was lost. Humayun’s help did not come in time and Rani Karnavati had to commit Jauhar
Jauhar
Jauhar and Saka refer to the ancient Indian tradition of honorary self immolation of women and subsequent march of men to the battle field to end their life with respect. It was followed by the Rajput clans in order to avoid capture and dishonour at the hands of their enemies...
, a ritual of self-immolation on March 8, 1535. Bahadur Shah had to, however, flee from Chittor when Mughal military reinforcements arrived.
Rani Karnavati of Garhwal
There is also a mention of Rani Karnavati of Garhwal KingdomGarhwal Kingdom
Garhwal Kingdom was a princely state in north-western Uttarakhand, India, ruled by the Panwar dynasty. It was founded in 888 AD and existed until it was annexed by the Gorkhas in 1803...
, who was the wife of Mahipat Shah who ascended to throne in 1622, though died young in 1631 , after his death his Rani Karnavati, ruled the kingdom of the behalf of her young son, Prithvi Pat Shah. She even fought with the Mughals in 1640 AD, and defeated their troops, over time she earned the nickname 'Nakti Rani' (Nak-Kati-Rani) as she had the habit of cutting the noses of the invaders . Monuments erected by her still exist in Dehradun district
Dehradun district
There are five railway stations in Dehradun:* Raiwala* Rishikesh* Doiwala* Harrawala* DehradunAirport...
at Nawada , she is also credited with the construction of the Rajpur Canal, the earliest of all the Dun canals, which starts from the Rispana river and brings its waters till the city of Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
.
External links
- Stones of Rajput valour at Business LineBusiness lineBusiness Line or The Hindu Business Line is an Indian business newspaper published by Kasturi & Sons, the publishers of the newspaper The Hindu located in Chennai, India.-History:...
, The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, April 10, 2000