In the 15th century, when the Mughal Empire was spreading all over India under Akbar’s rule, many Hindu kings succumbed to the Mughals, while many struggled to save their kingdoms.
One such story of struggle is of Gond Queen, Rani Durgavati who gave sleepless nights to Mughals and fought until her last breath to save her Kingdom.
Rani Durgavati: The Queen of Gondwana
Rani Durgavati was born on 5th October 1524 in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh in the family of king Keerat Rai Chandel of Kalinjar. The day she was born was Durgashtami, so she was named Durgavati.
She was the only child of King Keerat Rai Chandel. Durgavati was from the same Chandel dynasty that had stopped Mahmud Ghazni in India. However, by the 16th century, the Chandel dynasty started to weaken.
Durgavati was fearless and valiant since childhood. She was proficient in martial arts like horse riding, fencing, and archery. As per the record of Akbarnama, she was great at aiming with both arrows and guns.
In 1542, Durgavati was married to Dalpatshah of the Gond dynasty. Dalpatshah was the eldest son of the Gond King Sangram Shah. In 1545 she gave birth to a son who was named Veer Narayan.
The Marriage of Durgavati and Dalpatshah strengthened the ties and strategical partnership between the Gond and Chandel dynasties. As a result of which King Keerat Rai Chandel got aid from Gonds and Dalpatshah when Shershah Suri invaded the Kalinjar.
Attack on Kalinjar was the last Military expedition of Shershah Suri’s life as he was killed on 22nd May 1545 during the invasion of Kalinjar. Shershah succumbed to death due to serious injuries he got as a result of the mine explosion when the soldiers of Kalinjar attacked the Suri’s encampment at night.
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Unfortunately, Dalpatshah died in the year 1550. As Veer Narayan was too young at that time, Durgavati decided to take the reins of the Gond kingdom into her hands.
The Rule of Rani Durgavati
In 1550, Durgavati ascended the throne of the Gondwana Kingdom after her husband’s death. After becoming the queen of Gondwana, she moved her capital to the Chauragarh fort situated on the Satpura hill range to gain a strategic advantage over the enemies of Gondwana.
Rani Durgavati managed the administration of Gondwana successfully and effectively with the help of Diwan Beohar Adhar Simha and Minister Man Thakur. Trade flourished, peace prevailed and the people of Gondwana had Goodwill under the rule of Durgavati.
In 1556, Baz Bahadur khan ascended the throne of Malwa. After ascending to the throne, he attacked Gondwana. Durgavati led her army from the front and defeated Baz Bahadur in the battle. The victory in this battle against Baz Bahadur of Malwa brought name and fame to Rani Durgavati.
Rani Durgavati and Akbar’s Mughal Empire
Rani Durgavati is famous in Indian History for her fight against Mughal Empire. She was a valiant and fearless queen who gave sleepless nights to Mughals and fought until her last breath to save her Kingdom.
Durgavati fought against Akbar’s army and drove them out of her kingdom in the first battle against the Mughals. In her 14 years of rule, she fought around 51 battles against Mughal Emperor Akbar and other invaders.
In 1562, Akbar vanquished Baz Bahadur and conquered Malwa, which resulted in Gondwana sharing boundaries with the Mughal Empire. Mughal General Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan launched attacks on Gondwana with Akbar’s permission.
When Rani Durgavati came to know about the attack, she ordered her Military head to prepare for war and decided to defend Gondwana with all her might. Rani knew the strength of the Mughal Army, and that’s why she decided to fight a defensive battle.
To gain a strategic advantage over Mughal Army she moved to a place called Narrai, situated between a hilly range and a river. When Mughal Army entered the battlefield, soldiers of Gondwana attacked them. Both armies suffered casualties, but Rani’s commander Arjun Das was also killed in the battle.
Rani Durgavati wanted to attack the Mughal Army at night to enfeeble them but her commanders didn’t agree with her strategy. By the next morning, Asaf Khan got the support of additional troops along with big guns.
The young Prince of Gondwana Veer Narayan also took part in this war. He pushed back Mughal Army 3 times but ultimately got wounded and had to retire to a safe place.
Durgavati was also severely injured in the battle and lost consciousness. On regaining consciousness, she came to know that defeat was imminent.
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Instead of running away from the battlefield, Rani Durgavati took out her dagger and killed herself on 24th June 1564. Her martyrdom day i.e. 24th June 1564 is observed as ‘Balidan Diwas’.
The Legacy of Rani Durgavati
Rani Durgavati believed that it is better to die respectfully than to live a disgraceful life. She fought until her last breath against the Mughal Army and ultimately killed herself but never thought of surrendering in front of the enemy.
The Government of Madhya Pradesh renamed the University of Jabalpur as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya in her honour in 1983. On 24th June 1988, the government of India issued a postal stamp observing valiant queen Durgavati’s death.
Conclusion
Rani Durgavati is the epitome of courage and fearlessness. She was a great leader with the finest administrative skills who believed that it is better to die respectfully than to live a disgraceful life.
Durgavati ruled Gondwana for around 14 years, and in her 14 years of rule, she fought around 51 battles against Mughal Emperor Akbar and other invaders. She gave sleepless nights to Mughals and fought until her last breath to save her Kingdom.