CHAPTER VII. his kinsmen received the Rana with folded hands, and presented him to his bride; but there was no ceremony and no rejoicing. The garments of the pair were tied together, and Hamir was left alone with his bride. Then he knew that he had married a widow.17

Chittore recovered by

Hamir.

Revival of Chit

tore: peace, 1304--1534.

The insult must have been a heavy blow to the proud Rajpoot. His bride was a widow only in name, and she had lost her husband before she could remember his face. But the fact remained that she had been betrothed to another. She succeeded in averting the wrath of the bridegroom by whispering a way by which he might recover Chittore; but Hamir bound himself and his successors by a solemn oath never again to wed a daughter of the house of Jhalore. He carried his bride to his mountain house, and received some lands as dowry, but he was only biding his time. A son was born. Maldeo was absent from the capital on a foreign expedition. The wife of Hamir proceeded to Chittore to place her infant son before the shrine of the god Siva, but in reality to win over the chieftains to the cause of the exiled Rana. Her end was gained. Hamir was admitted into the city, and Maldeo discovered that his possession had passed away.18

The capture of Chittore by Allá-ud-deen proved to be only a spasmodic effort. The invasions of the Turks and Afghans had spent their force, and the Mussulman empire in Hindustan was weakened by

17 Tod, vol. i., p. 271.

18 Ibid. The tradition of Hamir, his marriage, and his recovery of Chittore, is recorded at length by Colonel Tod. Rajasthan, vol. i., Meywar, chap. vi. The events may be referred to the early part of the fourteenth century. Chittore was captured 1304.

revolution and dismemberment. Under Hamir and CHAPTER VII. his successors Chittore recovered all her former power and glory, and for two centuries the Sesodian Chohans maintained their independence in their native hills, whilst exercising suzerainty over the greater part of Rajpootana.19 Marwar and Jeypore alike paid homage to the representative of the Súryavansa, and their example was followed by every chieftain on Rajpoot soil.

Lakha Rana.

In these days of prosperity the Ranas of Chittore Marriage of kept the Mussulmans at bay, and fought their foes and married their wives like their fathers of old. At this period an incident occurred, which illustrates more plainly than the marriage of Hamir, the extreme sensitiveness of the Rajpoots as regards the purity of their wives. If a woman had been captured by force of arms, after the conquest of all her kinsmen, it seems to have mattered little whether she had been previously married or betrothed. She had become the prize of valour, the trophy of victory. But if the mystic cocoa-nut was sent in her name, it was deemed essential that she should never have been betrothed to another man; and that even her name should never have been associated in thought or word with the possibility of her being intended for another. In 1373 Lakha Rana ascended the throne of Chittore. He had a son named Chonda. At that time the Rao of Marwar had a daughter, and he sent the cocoa-nut of marriage to Chonda, son of Lakha. The cocoa-nut was carried to the capital, but Chonda was absent

19 Chittore was captured by Alla-ud-deen in 1304; by Bahadur Shah of Guzerat in 1534; and by Akber in 1567. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries Chittore was tolerably free from Mussulman aggression.

CHAPTER VII. from Chittore. The old Rana Lakha entertained the messenger, and jested with him, saying, "When my son returns he will take the cocoa-nut; the plaything, I suppose, was not intended for a greybeard like me." The jest reached the ears of Chonda and aroused his pride. His father had raised a doubt about the bride, and he would not take the cocoa-nut, which might have been intended for his father. The Rana was perplexed. To reject the cocoa-nut was to arouse the wrath of Marwar. His son was still obstinate. So the old Raja took the cocoa-nut and married the daughter of the house of Marwar. But Chonda lost not

Jealousy of the queen-mother.

only the bride but the throne. He was required to swear that if the bride gave birth to a son he would renounce the kingdom. After a while a son was born, and named Mokul. Five years afterwards the Rana died, and Chonda was the first to pay homage to the infant Rana. Henceforth Chonda was as loyal as the hero Bhishma, and ruled Chittore in the name of Mokul as faithfully as Bhishma had ruled for his young half-brother in Hastinápur.20

But the queen-mother grew jealous of Chonda. She charged him with scheming to obtain the throne. The haughty Rajpoot said not a word, but went into exile like another Ráma. Scarcely had he left Chittore, when the kinsfolk of the queen-mother came flocking in from Marwar. They rejoiced to leave the desert plains of Marwar for the fertile gardens of Meywar; to exchange maize-porridge for wheaten bread. The old Rao of Marwar came himself, and took up his abode with his daughter; but

20 Tod's Rajasthan, vol. i, p. 276.

the royal household hated him. Sometimes the old CHAPTER VII. Rao took the boy-prince upon his knee and sat upon the throne of Chittore, and dreamed that he was Rana; and if the boy ran off to play, still the old dotard sat under the "Sun" of Chittore and played the part of Rana. The nurse complained to the queen-mother, and the queen-mother entreated her father to respect the insignia of Chittore. But the Rao laughed and jeered, and swore that the prince should die. Then the queen-mother fell into deep despair, and sent messengers for the faithful Chonda.21

Rao of Marwar.

The Rao of Marwar was indeed a low Rahtore. Murder of the He was enamoured with a handmaid of his daughter, and the damsel was compelled to listen to his dishonourable suit, but her heart revolted at the shame. One day Chonda and his horsemen gallopped into Chittore, but the Rao heard them not, for he was drunk with love and opium. The handmaid heard the tramp, and knew that deliverance was at hand. She saw that he was helpless, and was bent upon revenge. She took his turban and bound him to his bed so that he could not stir. The troops of Chonda rushed in, and the Rao awoke from his heavy slumber. One arm was free, and with that he seized a brass lotal, and dashed down the foremost of his foes; but a bullet pierced his heart, and his life was at an end.22

Rana Mokul.

After this Rana Mokul grew to manhood, and Murder of reigned many years at Chittore: The memory of his reign has faded away, but the story of his death

21 Tod's Rajasthan, vol. i., p. 279.

22 Tod's Rajasthan, vol. i., p. 280. The Marwar turban consists of a long cord wound round. When uncoiled it is often ninety feet long.

CHAPTER VII. is still preserved. He went out with his retainers to help the Rao of Kotah against the Mussulmans. Amongst his followers were two of his own kinsmen; they were the sons of his grandfather, but their mother was the daughter of a carpenter. On the road the Rana asked these men for the name of a tree; and their hearts burned within them, for they thought that he was mocking them because of their mother. Like true Rajpoots they revenged the affront by blood. That same day they fell upon the Rana whilst he was saying his prayers, and slew him on the spot; and then fled to the jungle to lead the lives of outlaws.23

Value of Rajpoot traditions.

Feud of the three sons of

These traditions are valuable as authentic illus

trations of Rajpoot character. To this day the chieftains present the same pride, the same sensitiveness, and the same lawlessness and sensuality; but they are gentlemen at heart, and are capable of a loyal devotion until death when occasion demands. Another group of traditions may now be brought under review, which throw a still further light upon the thoughts and ways of the old aristocracy of India, and also serve to indicate the superstitions which still dominate over their minds.

About the end of the fifteenth century, a soveRacmul Rana. reign named Raemul was Rana of Chittore. He reigned from 1474 to 1509. He had three sons, Sanga, Pirthi Rai, and Jeimal. Sanga was the eldest, and consequently the heir to the throne, and there was no one to question his right. From time immemorial, however, the Rajpoots have believed in the prophecies of holy men and women;