Ratnasimha, Chittorgarh- Rajasthan

Ratnasimha (IAST: Ratna-Siṃha, r. c. 1302–03 CE) was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mewar in present-day Rajasthan, India. He belonged to the Rawal branch of the Guhila dynasty, which ruled from the Chitrakuta fort (modern Chittorgarh). The last ruler of this branch, he was defeated by Alauddin Khalji during the Siege of Chittorgarh in 1303 CE.

The Rajasthani legends mention him as the Rajput ruler Rawal Ratan Singh. A fictionalized version of him appears as Ratan Sen in Malik Muhammad Jayasi’s Padmavat. According to this poem, Alauddin Khalji attacked Chittorgarh to obtain his beautiful wife Rani Padmini; Alauddin captured the fort after Ratan Sen died in a combat with king Devpal of Kumbhalner; subsequently, Padmini and other women committed Jauhar to protect their honour. The historicity of this legend is disputed.

Ascension

Ratnasimha succeeded his father Samarasimha as the Guhila ruler of Mewar around 1302 CE. He belonged to the Rawal branch of the family, which ruled from Chitrakuta fort (now known as Chittorgarh).

Ratnasimha is attested by the 1302 CE (1359 VS) Dariba temple inscription, which records a gift of 16 drammas (coins) to the temple during his reign. The inscription mentions his title as Maharajakula (which appears as Maharawal in colloquial literature).

A few coins issued by Ratnasimha have also been discovered.

Defeat against Alauddin Khalji
Main article: Siege of Chittorgarh (1303)
See also: List of wars between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Delhi Sultanate
In 1303, Alauddin Khalji, the Sultan of Delhi, invaded Chittor. After reaching the foot of the Chittor hill, two wings of his army attacked the fort from two different sides. After two months of unsuccessful siege, the attackers pelted stones on the fort using manjaniqs (mangonels), but still failed to capture the fort. Finally, on 26 August 1303, the invaders managed to enter the fort.

Fate after defeat
According to Amir Khusrau, who claims to have entered the fort with Alauddin, the ruler (“Rai”) of Chittor surrendered to Alauddin. The Delhi Sultan massacred 30,000 other Hindus, but pardoned the ruler and his family. He assigned the fort to his young son Khizr Khan with Malik Shahin as the actual administrator, renamed it to Khizrabad, and then returned to Delhi.

On the day the yellow-faced Rai sought refuge in the red canopy from fear of the green swords, the great Emperor (May his prosperity continue!) was still crimson with rage. But when he saw the vegetarian Rai trembling with fear, like the trampled and withered grass under the Imperial tent — though the Rai was a rebel, yet the breeze of royal mercy did not allow any hot wind to blow upon him. All the storm of the Emperor’s wrath vented itself against the other rebels. He ordered that wherever a green Hindu was found, he was to be cut down like dry grass. Owing to this stern order, thirty thousand Hindus were slain in one day. It seemed that the meadows of Khizrabad had grown men instead of grass.

Amir Khusrau’s Khazain ul-Futuh

Khusrau’s account is also corroborated by the 14th century Muslim chroniclers Ziauddin Barani and Isami. Historian Banarsi Prasad Saksena believes that Khusrau’s account is correct. Kishori Saran Lal, on the other hand, doubts this account, arguing that it seems improbable that Alauddin spared the life of Chittor’s ruler while ordering a massacre of 30,000 other Hindus.

The Jain writer Kakka Suri, in his Nabhinandana-Jinoddhara-Prabandha (1336 CE) states:

He [Alauddin] captured the lord of Citrakūṭa fort, took away his property, and made him move like a monkey from one city to another.

Nabhi-nandana-jinoddhara-prabandha by Kakka Suri (1336)

According to historian Dasharatha Sharma, this suggests that the ruler of Chitrakuta (IAST: Citrakūṭa i.e. Chittor) survived the siege, and corroborates the accounts of the Muslim chroniclers.

The earliest Hindu account of the event is the Kumbhalgarh prashasti (eulogistic inscription) of 1460 CE. This inscription was issued by Kumbhakarna of the Guhila family’s Rana branch, who were a rival of Ratnasimha’s Rawal branch. The inscription states:

That ruler [Samarasiṃha] with all his sins removed by the worship of Maheśa became the lord of svarga, after entrusting the defence of Mount Chitrakuta to his son Ratnasiṃha. When he [Ratnasiṃha] had departed, Lakṣmasiṃha of the family of Khummana defended that excellent fort, (for) even though the established traditions of the family be forsaken by cowards, those who are valorous and steady do not give up their pursuit. Having thus destroyed his enemies in battle, he [Lakṣmasiṃha] died purified by weapons while defending Chitrakuta.

Kumbhalgarh inscription of Kumbhakarna

The inscription mentions the title of Ratnasimha and his predecessors as “Rāula”, thus indicating that they belonged to the Rawal branch. However, Lakshmasimha (IAST: Lakṣmasiṃha) is explicitly called a “Mahārāṇā”, thus indicating that he belonged to the Rana branch.

The word “departed” (tasmin gate in Sanskrit) in this verse has been variously interpreted as “died” or “deserted the defenders”.Historian Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha interpreted this verse to suggest that Ratnasimha bravely fought till death. Some other scholars such as Kalika Ranjan Qanungo and R. B. Haldar also accepted Ojha’s translation.

However, according to other historians such as Akshay Kirti Vyas and R. C. Majumdar, the verse means that Ratnasimha cowardly fled from the battlefield. Subimal Chandra Datta points out that while describing the death of Lakshmasimha, the inscription states that he “departed for heaven”. But while describing Ratnasimha’s departure, it simply mentions that he “departed”. This, combined with the surrender of the “Rai” described in the Muslim accounts, suggests that Ratnasimha departed from the battlefield and surrendered to Alauddin.[19]

The 16th century Padmavat legend claims that Ratnasimha (“Ratan Sen”) died in a combat with the ruler of Kumbhalner, before Alauddin’s conquest of the fort. The 17th century chronicler Muhnot Nainsi in his Nainsi ri Khyat, who wrote under Rajput patronage, states that Ratnasimha (“Ratan Singh”) died on the battlefield.

Chittorgarh, Rajasthan 312001