Discovering Mughal, Rajput & Mauryan History: Jauhar and Saka

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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Jauhar and Saka - The Ethos of Rajputana

Hi everyone

In this post, i am writing about the Rajputana practices of Jauhar and Saka, which were widely practiced in medieval times.. The Rajput character is martial in spirit, and fiercely proud and independent, and emphasizes a tradition... The Rajputana patriotism is a LEGEND in itself.. This is an ideal they embodied with a sometimes fanatical zeal, often choosing death before dishonour...Niccolao Mannuci, an Italian traveller who came to India in 17th Century, and worked in the court of Shah Jahan's son, Dara Shikoh, notes the following about the Rajput Warriors in his account, Storia Do Mogor, Volume-1, Page-101, -"These are the most WAR-LIKE people in ALL Hindustan".... Rajput warriors were often known to fight until the last man...Hence, Jauhar and Saka were practiced simultaneously...

Jauhar

Jauhar was the voluntary death on a funeral pyre of the queens and royal womenfolk of Rajputana Forts in order to avoid capture and consequent dishonor, when defeat was imminent. The term is extended to describe the occasional practice of mass suicide carried out in medieval times by Rajput women, or by entire Rajput communities, when the fall of a besieged city was certain.

On several occasions when defeat in such an engagement became certain, the Rajput defenders of the fort scripted a final act of heroism that rendered the incident an immortal inspiration and afforded the invaders only an exceedingly hollow, inglorious victory. In such incidents, the ladies of the fort would commit collective self-immolation. Wearing their wedding dresses, and holding their young children by the hand, the ladies would commit their chastity to the flames of a massive, collective pyre, thereby escaping dishonor at the hands of the invading army. As the memorial of their heroic act, the ladies would leave only the imprint of the palm of their right hands on wet clay, which have become objects of veneration. This immolation would occur during the night, to the accompaniment of Vedic chants.

The Palm Marks of Women at Chittor Fort Before the Jauhar

The practice is often described in terms of the women alone, but should correctly be understood as including the heroic act of Rajput Warriors in the battlefield(Saka). There is extensive glorification of the practice in the local ballads and folk-histories of present day Rajasthan.

Jauhar was different from the practice of Sati. Sati was the widow-burning practice on the funeral pyre of her husband..But Jauhar is related to high premium set on the honour of womenfolk in Rajput society.

Taking poison would also have taken away the life of the ladies. Jauhar was quite painful, but It was NOT the pain but the mentality associated with it which made Jauhar a nobler deed...!!

It ensured that the body is pure and chaste from the hands of enemies even after their death... and ensured their journey to heaven according to Hindu tradition as Agni(Fire) is considered the gateway to purity and "Atma Mukti" ...!!

The best known cases of Jauhar are the three occurrences at the Mighty Fort of Chittor, the seat of the Sisodia Clan of Mewar in Rajputana, in 1303, in 1535, and in 1568.

First Jauhar

This was the first siege of Chittor (1303) by the ruler of Delhi Sultanate - Ala-ud-din Khilji, when its' brave defence by the Guhilas, the saga of Rani Padmini and the Jauhar she led are registered in the annals of time as immortal legend. This incident has had a defining impact upon the Rajput character. This Story will be explained in a separate post SOON..

Second Jauhar

Rana Sanga passed away soon after the Battle of Khanwa ; shortly afterwards, Mewar came under the regency of his widow, Rani Karnavati. The kingdom was attacked by Bahadur Shah, ruler of Gujarat. According to a 'dubious' legend, Rani Karnavati asked assistance from the Mughal ruler Humayun, son of her late husband's rival Babar. The 'help' arrived too late.. Chittor was reduced by Bahadur Shah. This is the occasion for the second of the three Jauhars performed at Chittor. Rani Karnavati led the ladies of the citadel into death by fire, while the menfolk sallied out to meet the besieging army in a valiant fight to the death.

Third Jauhar

The third and final Jauhar of Chittor happened on the night of 22/23 February 1568, when defeat was certain at the hands of Mughal forces under Emperor Akbar. According to Abu'l Fazl, 300 Ladies performed Jauhar. The specifics are as follows - From the immediate royal family - 9 Queens, 5 Princesses, their daughters, as well as 2 infant sons, and ALL the chieftains' families who happened not to be away on their estates perished either in the flames or in the assault while fighting.

During the course of the following morning, when Akbar made his entry, 8000 Rajputs warriors, vowed to death, sold their lives as dearly as possible and perished to a man. This was the practice of Saka. The details are from Akbarnama of Abu'l Fazl, Volume-2, Page-464 onwards.

Saka

After the Jauhar, the next morning after taking bath, men wear Saffron(kesariya) and apply the ash from the pyre(maha samadhi) of their wives and children on their foreheads and put a tulsi leaf(has a great significance in Hindu Mythology) in their mouth. Then the palace gates would be opened and men would ride out for complete annihilation of the enemy or themselves. Rajput men and women did not allow themselves to be "captured" alive. This fight until death of men is called "Saka."