Hamir, Maharana of Mewar
Encyclopedia
Rana Hammir was a 14th century ruler of Mewar
in present-day Rajasthan
, India
. Following an invasion by the Delhi sultanate
at the turn of the 13th century, the ruling Guhilot clan had been displaced from Mewar. Hammir, who belonged to an impoverished cadet branch of that clan, regained control of the region, re-established the dynasty, and became the first of his dynasty to use the royal title 'Rana'. Hammir also became the progenitor of the Sisodia
clan, a branch of the Guhilot clan, to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar has belonged.
, a semi-legendary figure; the family had ruled its portion of southern Rajasthan
from the fort of Chittor ever since. After many uneventful centuries, Chittor was besieged in 1303 AD by the marauding army of Alauddin Khilji
, sultan of Delhi
, who is said to have coveted Padmini, Rani of Chittor, a legendary beauty of her day. The famous Jauhar
followed, wherein Rani Padmini
, consort of Rawal Ratan Singh
(the then ruler of Mewar), led the ladies of the fort into death by self-immolation, "to find security from dishonour in the devouring element" in the words of James Tod
. The next morning, the menfolk of Chittor rode out to face certain death on the field of honour.
After the Jauhar took place and Chittor was lost, an extremely distant kinsman of Rawal Ratan Singh, by name 'Laksha' or Lakshman Singh, proclaimed himself Rana-in-exile. Laksha was descended in direct patrilineage from Bappa Rawal
, and hence belonged to the Gehlot clan, but his claim to the throne was tenuous in the extreme: he was an eighth cousin twice removed of Rawal Ratan Singh. Laksha hailed from the village of Sisoda near the town of Nathdwara
and hence his descendants came to be known as 'Sisodia'. Laksha was the father of nine sons, of whom the eldest, Ari, married Urmila, a lady from the nearby village of Unnava, who hailed from an impoverished rajput family belonging to the Chandana clan. Hammir was the only child of this couple.
The Khiljis
had assigned their newly conquered territories to the administration of Maldeo, ruler of the nearby state of Jalore, who had allied with them during the recent war. In a bid to reconcile and co-opt the natives of the land to his rule, Maldeo arranged for the marriage of his widowed daughter Songari with Hammir, the scion of an impoverished cadet branch of the erstwhile ruling dynasty. Rana Hammir Singh re-established the state of Mewar in 1326 by engineering a coup d'état against his father-in-law. The dynasty thus founded by Hammir, who was descended in direct patrilineage from Bappa Rawal, came to be known as Sisodia after Sisoda, the mountain village whence Hammir hailed.
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
in present-day Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Following an invasion by the Delhi sultanate
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
at the turn of the 13th century, the ruling Guhilot clan had been displaced from Mewar. Hammir, who belonged to an impoverished cadet branch of that clan, regained control of the region, re-established the dynasty, and became the first of his dynasty to use the royal title 'Rana'. Hammir also became the progenitor of the Sisodia
Sisodia
The Sisodia are Chattari Rajputs of the Suryavanshi lineage who ruled the kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan. Prior to Rana Hamir the clan was known as Gehlot or Guhilot. In 1303 CE Alla-ud-din Khilji attacked Chittor...
clan, a branch of the Guhilot clan, to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar has belonged.
Heritage
The ruling dynasty of Mewar had been founded, supposedly in 734 AD, by Bappa RawalBappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal , eighth ruler of the Guhilot Rajput Dynasty and founder of the Mewar Dynasty in present-day Rajasthan, India...
, a semi-legendary figure; the family had ruled its portion of southern Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
from the fort of Chittor ever since. After many uneventful centuries, Chittor was besieged in 1303 AD by the marauding army of Alauddin Khilji
Alauddin Khilji
Ali Gurshap Khan better known by his titular name as Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji was the second ruler of the Turko-Afghan Khilji dynasty in India.He was a well and capable ruler. He belonged to the Afghanized Turkic tribe of the Khiljis...
, sultan of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, who is said to have coveted Padmini, Rani of Chittor, a legendary beauty of her day. The famous Jauhar
Jauhar
Jauhar and Saka refer to the ancient Indian tradition of honorary self immolation of women and subsequent march of men to the battle field to end their life with respect. It was followed by the Rajput clans in order to avoid capture and dishonour at the hands of their enemies...
followed, wherein Rani Padmini
Rani Padmini
Rani Padmini was the queen of Chittor and the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh. She features in Padmavat, an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540.- Jauhar :...
, consort of Rawal Ratan Singh
Rawal Ratan Singh
Rawal Ratan Singh was the 42nd ruler of Mewar, a state that then covered part of the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He ruled from 1302-03 AD. Singh was a rajput belonging to the Guhilot clan.-Wars:...
(the then ruler of Mewar), led the ladies of the fort into death by self-immolation, "to find security from dishonour in the devouring element" in the words of James Tod
James Tod
Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod was an English officer of the British East India Company and an Oriental scholar.Tod was born in London and educated in Scotland, later joining the East India Company as a military officer. He travelled to India in 1799 as a cadet in the Bengal Army where he rose...
. The next morning, the menfolk of Chittor rode out to face certain death on the field of honour.
After the Jauhar took place and Chittor was lost, an extremely distant kinsman of Rawal Ratan Singh, by name 'Laksha' or Lakshman Singh, proclaimed himself Rana-in-exile. Laksha was descended in direct patrilineage from Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal , eighth ruler of the Guhilot Rajput Dynasty and founder of the Mewar Dynasty in present-day Rajasthan, India...
, and hence belonged to the Gehlot clan, but his claim to the throne was tenuous in the extreme: he was an eighth cousin twice removed of Rawal Ratan Singh. Laksha hailed from the village of Sisoda near the town of Nathdwara
Nathdwara
Nathdwara is a town in Rajasthan state of western India. It is located in the Aravalli hills, on the banks of the Banas River in Rajsamand District, 48 kilometers north-east of Udaipur. This town is famous for its temple of Krishna which houses the idol of Shrinathji, a 14th century, 7-year old...
and hence his descendants came to be known as 'Sisodia'. Laksha was the father of nine sons, of whom the eldest, Ari, married Urmila, a lady from the nearby village of Unnava, who hailed from an impoverished rajput family belonging to the Chandana clan. Hammir was the only child of this couple.
Career
Both Laksha and Ari died in various skirmishes when Hammir was yet an infant; resultantly, Hammir grew up under the tutelage of his uncle Ajay, the second son of Laksha. Hammir gave his uncle an early proof of his valour when, at a young age, he killed a bandit named Munja who was wreaking havoc in the nearby area. It is said that this incident so impressed his uncle, that he forthwith invested Hammir with the claims of rulership. Actually, this investiture availed Hammir nothing; the clan were in exile and Mewar lay occupied.The Khiljis
Khilji dynasty
The Khilji Sultanate was a dynasty of Turko-Afghan Khalaj origin who ruled large parts of South Asia from 1290 - 1320. They were the second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India...
had assigned their newly conquered territories to the administration of Maldeo, ruler of the nearby state of Jalore, who had allied with them during the recent war. In a bid to reconcile and co-opt the natives of the land to his rule, Maldeo arranged for the marriage of his widowed daughter Songari with Hammir, the scion of an impoverished cadet branch of the erstwhile ruling dynasty. Rana Hammir Singh re-established the state of Mewar in 1326 by engineering a coup d'état against his father-in-law. The dynasty thus founded by Hammir, who was descended in direct patrilineage from Bappa Rawal, came to be known as Sisodia after Sisoda, the mountain village whence Hammir hailed.