Time throws the hardest problems of life at you, yet so few can confront them without fail. The fight between Maharana Pratap and Akbar is well-known in India. Yet a decade earlier, a battle fought in the dense forest of Satpura tested the endurance and valour of the warrior queen of Gondwana in her quest to defeat the cruel Mughal army. Her heroic defence would take a heavy toll. This is the story of Rani Durgavati, who, when there was no ray of hope, chose to inscribe her name in the annals of history…
The Death That Sparked a War
Rani Durgavati was born on October 5th, 1524 at Kalinjar Fort in Banda, India, into the family of the previous Chandel King, Keerti Singh Chandel. Durgavati was given that name since she was born on Durga Ashtami, a Hindu festival worshipping the Goddess Durga, associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction and war.
Durgavati learned horseback riding, sword fighting, and archery at a young age. She was brave and fearless. Abu’l Fazl writes:
‘She was a good shot with gun and arrow, and continually went hunting.’
At the age of 18, she married Dalpat Shah, son of former King Sangram Shah of the Gondwana Kingdom. This was 1542. The Gonds were a tribe who settled in Gondwana around the 13th century and eventually rose to power.
Durgavati’s marriage to Dalpat Shah could have been part of a political or dynastic arrangement, as a Chandel marrying a Gond was unusual in mediaeval times. The Chandels became allies of the mighty and wealthy Gondwana kingdom of Garha-Mandla as a result of this marriage.
In 1545, Durgavati gave birth to a son named Vir Narayan. But only five years later, King Dalpat Shah died, leaving behind a successor too young to rule. And so 26-year-old Durgavati assumed authority of the Gondwana Kingdom. She was now in charge.
But this was no ordinary time. War was coming…
The Infamous Attacks
Durgavati relocated her capital from Singuargarh to Chauragarh. She extended her Kingdom and made sure to look after her people properly. She commanded a massive army of 20,000 cavalry, thousands of soldiers and 1,000 elephants of war.
But in 1556, Baz Bahadur, Sultan of Malwa, attacked Durgawati’s Kingdom, but she successfully repelled the invasion, leading to large losses for Baz Bahadur. This brief conflict was followed by an even briefer period of calm, but things soon changed.
Akbar, the Third Mughal Emperor, fought Baz Bahadur in 1562, bringing Malwa under Mughal control. At the same time, Asaf Khan, a Mughal general, conquered Rewa, which was located north of Durgavati’s realm. As a result, her territory, Garha-Mandla, now straddled the Mughal-ruled states of Rewa and Malwa.
Either of them was about to launch an attack.
It was Asaf Khan who attacked Durgawati’s Kingdom in 1564, enticed by its wealth. She relocated to Narrai Nala, a hamlet, to prepare for war to defend her kingdom.
When the Mughal army entered the valley, Durgavati’s army attacked. During the battle, Durgavati’s faujdar (chief), was killed by the Mughal army. With no one leading the army, Durgavati seized command and drove the Mughal army out of the valley.
She had successfully repelled the first wave, leading her army from the front atop her war elephant Surman, but another attack was imminent…
The Mughal army returned with powerful weaponry, but this time Durgavati’s 18-year-old son Narayan backed her and repelled the Mughal army, not once but three times. Narayan was severely injured, but he kept on fighting, right alongside his mother.
Durgavati resumed the fight while her injured son was sent to a safe location. During the combat, Durgavati was hit by two arrows, one of which pierced her ear and the other her neck. Yet, blood-soaked, she kept fighting.
But the situation was dire.
Durgavati’s army bravely fought the invaders but she was hopelessly outnumbered. It wasn’t long before Durgavati realised she was doomed.
The brave warrior Rani Durgavati, gravely injured and outnumbered, committed suicide by stabbing herself with a knife, on June 24th, 1564, at the age of 39, to avoid capture. This day is now known as ‘Balidan Diwas’, a day to celebrate her life and remember her sacrifice.
But the war was not over yet. Narayan was injured but still standing…
The Battle for Garha-Mandla
After Rani Durgavati died, her son Narayan battled with the Mughal army to protect the Kingdom, but he too perished in battle. He succumbed to his earlier injuries. Durgavati’s Kingdom, Garha-Mandla, was brought under Mughal control as a Subah of Malwa.
After nearly 25 years, Chandra Shah, the younger brother of Durgavati’s husband, claimed the throne of Garha-Mandla. The Mughal Emperor accepted him as ruler in exchange for ten regions that remained under Mughal control. But peace was not to last.
The Bundelas launched numerous invasions against the Kingdom in the 17th century, which were followed by civil instability. Finally, in 1698, the Marathas invaded and seized the Kingdom of Garha-Mandla. They ruled the region until 1818 when they were defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
This became the Mandla district of the Central Provinces under the British and is currently a district of Madhya Pradesh. Today, the fort at Chauragarh serves as a sunrise viewing spot in Pachmarhi, one of India’s most visited towns, but many are unaware of the valiant Queen Durgavati who died defending this territory against the Mughals.
The Brave Queen Who Fought the Mughals
Imagine for a moment 26-year-old Rani Durgavati emerging from the dense forests of Garha-Mandla riding her elephant, wielding her massive swords, with a vast army of 20,000 soldiers on horseback, 1,000 war elephants and thousands of soldiers behind her. It’s like something out of a superhero film yet this happened, all to protect her Kingdom.
And you might say she failed, but I don’t think that matters. She fought 51 battles as a warrior queen, leading from the front, both on top of her elephant and hand-to-hand. She fought against several invaders, including the cruel mighty Mughals.
She fought with great bravery, self-belief and gallantry, and along the way, she made sure to treat her people properly. She was, to them, a well-loved ruler. Her legacy remains visible to this day. She ordered the construction of many temples and ponds in Jabalpur, many of which are hugely popular with tourists.
Durgavati paid the ultimate price, but her sacrifice has not been forgotten. Time throws the hardest problems of life at you, yet so few can confront them as Durgavati did. She believed she was a warrior and she proved it, not only in spirit but in blood.
Though she faced defeat at the hands of the cruel Mughal army, her story remains an inspiration for all. She defied conventional gender norms to become a ruler and a legendary figure in Indian history. Even today, her name is still sung in songs and spoken in tales.
She refused to surrender. She chose death with dignity over a life of defeat. Her dedication to her principles and people granted her immortality.
When there was no ray of hope, she chose to inscribe her name in the annals of history.
“Better to die with dignity than live without self-respect. I have served my motherland for a long time, and at a time like this, I won’t let it be stained. There is no option but to fight.”
– Rani Durgavati.
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Post Sources
https://dharmayudh.com/rani-durgavati-warrior-queen-mighty-akbar/, http://maitreyi.ac.in/Datafiles/cms/2023/sanvedena/jan/e9.pdf, https://www.hindujagruti.org/articles/84_rani-durgavati-gondwana.html, https://kreately.in/rani-durgavati-a-warrior-queen-of-gondwana/, https://indianculture.gov.in/stories/rani-durgavati, https://www.thejaipurdialogues.com/itihasa/rani-durgavati-gond-queen-who-fought-against-akbar/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rani_Durgavati, https://www.peepultree.world/livehistoryindia/story/people/rani-durgavati-the-warrior-queen-of-the-gonds, https://feminisminindia.com/2019/06/24/rani-durgavati-gond-queen/
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