Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 59
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(August, 1930
Chitor was next assailed by Sultan NAşiru'd-din Mahmûd of Delhi in the reign of Rawal Jaitrasimha of Mewar (S. 1270—1309=1213—1253 A.D.). In the Hijri year 646 (1247 A.D.), the Sultan called his brother Jalalu'd-din from his government of Kanauj to Delhi, but the latter, being afraid of a plot against his life, fled to Chitor with his men. He was unsuccessfully pursued for about eight months by the Sultan, who then returned to Delhi.84
An invasion 35 of Mewar by Saltan Shamsu'd-din Altamsh of Delhi is also recorded during the reign of Rawal Jaitrasimha; but Chitor was not affected by that attack.
Chitor seems to have been next attacked during the reign of Tejasimha, (8. 1317–24= 1260—67 A.D.), the son and successor of Rawal Jaitrasimha of Mewar. This appears from an insoription 36 dated $. 1317 (1260 A.D.) of the time of Visaladeva, the Baghela råņå of Dholka, which records that he (Visaladeva) was, as it were, a hatchet in cutting the roots of the government of Mewar. From verse 26 of the Chirwa inscription,87 dated 8. 1330 (1273 A.D.), of the time of Rawal Samarasimha (S. 1330—58=1273—1302 A.D.) of Mewap, it also appears that the battle between Tejasimha and Visaladeva was fought at the foot (talhati) of the fortress of Chitor.
After these minor attacks, Chitor was subjected to one of its greatest sieges made by one of the most vigorous and warlike sovereigns that occupied the throne of Delhi. This was
Alau'd-dîn Khaljî, the Sulian of Delhi, who after a siege of six months, 38 during which his army suffered great loss, captured the fort on Monday, the 11th day of Muharram 703 A.H. (26th August 1303 A.D.) and, having ordered a massacre of 30,000 Hindus, bestowed the government of Chitor on his son Khigr Khan, after whom it was called Khizrabad.39 Kbizr Khan held Chitor for about ten years, but when the Muhammadan rule in Chitor became well-nigh impossible, and the Rajputs began to assert their independence by throwing the Muhammadans over the walls of the fortress, the Sultan ordered Kbier Khan to evacuate the place and hand it over to the Songara Chauhana Maladeva, 40 who acknowledged the supremacy of the Sultân. Thus the fortress remained under the direct or indirect control of the Sultans of Delhi till about 1325 A.D., after which it was conquered by Rand Hammira of Sisoda."1
After the accession of Hammîra, an attack on Chitor is said to have been made by Muhammad Tughlaq of Delhi, whom Tod mianames the Khilji king. The Muhammadans were defeated in this attack, as appears from the insoription, dated S. 1495 (1438 A.D.), of the time of Maharana Kumbha of Mew&r. 13
This assault on Chitor has given rise to many interesting, accounts written by different authors.
Let us quote what Col. Tod writes on the subject :
"Lakhamgi gucceeded his father in S. 1331 (1275 A.D.), a memorable era in the annals, when Chitor, the repository of all that was precious yet untouched of the arts of India, was stormed, sacked, and treated with remorseless barbarity by the Pathan emperor
Alau'd-din. Twice it was attacked by this subjugator of India. In the first siege it escaped spoliation, though at the price of its best defenders: that which followed is the first successful assault and capture of which we have any detailed account.
(To be continued.)
84 Briggs' Ferishta, vol. I, p. 238. 86 Ind. Ant., vol. 57, p. 32 86 Ibid., vol. VI, p. 212. 37 See note 11, above.
38 In Muntakhabu't-tawdrikh (English translation by G. 8. A. Ranking), vol. I, p. 267, the author speaks of the conquest of Chitor within a few days.
39 Elliot, History of India, vol. III, pp. 76-77.
40 He was the brother of Kanhadadeva, the last Chauhana ruler of JAlor. After the fall of JAlor in about 1311 A.D., the garrison was put to the sword by Alau'd-din's general. Maladeva, however, escaped the fate of the garrison, and succeeded later on in winning favour of the Sultan 'Aldu'd-din Khalji who appointed him governor of Chitor in about 1313 A.D.
41 Ind. Ant., vol. 55, p. 11. 13 Ibid., pp. 11.12.
