Indian history is full of immortal love stories. The religions or castes differences hardly came in the way. Such love stories of Heer and Ranjha (Punjab), Dhola and Maru (Rajasthan) as well as Baz Bahdur and Rani Rupmati (Malwa) are sung even today in local folk songs. In the mid-16th century, Baz Bahadur, the Prince of Mandu, the capital of Malwa now in Madhya Pradesh, was mesmerized by the melodious singing of Rupmati, when he went in the forest for hunting. She was exceedingly beautiful. Baz instantly fell in love and wanted to marry her. He proposed her to accompany him to Mandu Palace but Rupmati laid down a condition. She replied: “When Rewa (Narmada river) shall flow through Mandu, I will be your bride.” Unlike other rulers, the Mandu Sultan never wanted to forcefully enroll her in his harem. According to a folktale, Baz Bahadur was impressed by the poetic reply of the 14-year girl and went down to the river to request it to climb the mountain and flow through Mandu, 20 KMs and 1,000 feet higher. The Sultan, who was madly in love with her, filled a lake (Rewa Kund) with Rewa waters and fulfilled the condition of the girl.
Parvez Mahmood, the Islamabad-based writer on social and historical issues, states: “Initial Mughal rule in the Indian Subcontinent was embittered by Afghan-Turkic rivalries. Babur had defeated and ousted the Lodhis, an Afghan Dynasty.
His son, Emperor Humayun was evicted from the throne by the Afghans led by Sher Shah Suri. When Akbar was consolidating his rule, he sent expedition against Afghan rulers in the Subcontinent who had been sympathetic to the Suri Dynasty.” Sultan Baz Bahadur was the last independent ruler of Mandu. His father, Shujat Khan, had served as Governor of Malwa under Sher Shah Suri and died in 1555 AD, the same year that saw Humayun return from his exile and win back his empire from the Suri descendents. Baz Bahadur inherited his state and opted to defy Mughal sovereignty, declaring independence.
“Rupmati is called the Lady of the Lotus….The love story was first recorded in poetry by Ahmad-ul-Umari in 1559 AD during last years of Emperor Akbar’s reign. It is translated from the original Persian to English by L.C. Crump under the title ‘The Lady of the Lotus : Rupmati, Queen of Mandu: A strange Tale of Faithfulness’. The book also contains 26 poems reportedly written by Rupmati herself,” according to Parvez Mahmood. The other version mentions that Umari’s story of Rupmati was written in 1599, twenty-eight years later of the fatal day when Baz Bahadur left Rupmati unprotected. The manuscript changed many hands and finally reached to C.E. Luard. It was finally translated in English in 1926 by L. M. Crump. The translator and writer Crump considers Rupmati a Brahmin or a courtesan where as the legends say that she was a shepherdess.
Some historians consider Rupmati a daughter of Thakur Than Singh who did not agree to her marriage with Baz and the Sultan had to obtain her in a fierce battle. Others considered her to be the daughter of Jadu Rai, a Brahmin, who was quite friendly with Baz Bahadur. Suleiman Khan, one of the followers of Shujat Khan, who told the story of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati to Umari did mention that Sultan Khan “summoned his son to his capital city and desired him to abandon his madness”.
Six months after his father died, Baz Bahadur managed to marry Rani Rupmati or got her in his harem without marriage. Sultan Baz Bahadur remained madly in love with Rupmati for six years till Malwa was attacked by the Mughal army headed by Akbar’s General and foster-brother Adham Khan on 29 March 1561.The battle was fought at Sarangpur between a small army of Baz Bahadur and the large Mughal army of Adham Khan. Baz sensed defeat and the killing. He ran away for his life, leaving his kingdom, his people and his love Rupmati at the hands of Adham Khan.
The Mughal army chief Adham Khan asked Rupmati herself to transfer her love to the conqueror of her country and when he was planning to forcefully get her possession, she disguised herself as a flower-seller and disappeared, according to the manuscript of Umari. Adham gave orders to fifteen of his best cavalry to capture her and bring back. She had managed to cross twenty miles from Sarangpur and taken refuse in a village from where Rupmati had called her brothers to rescue her from oppression. Her brothers came and fought only to be killed by the Mughals and Rupmati was captured. She was taken to Mandu under strict watch. It was impossible for her to escape.
“When she found escape was beyond hope, she promised to receive him (Adham Khan) after three days and entered the harem. Khan on his part, held to the belief that the stream of time would wash away her sorrow and grief and that he would bring his intent to the goal of achievement of union.” And then the manuscript goes on to narrate the various ways in which Rupmati pleads, tries to explain but the man gone mad with lust does not give up. “O Adham Khan, beauty and grace thou sayest are mine, yet of what avail will these be to thee? For with me they will turn to dust. My brothers are dead, nor is it for me to crave for this life of a day.
The imperial throne whence sprang our content has fallen in the dust, and my brothers have perished to preserve my wretched life. I pray that there from thy noble heart may learn a lesson and that thou wilt leave us miserable creatures in peace.”
To which Adham Khan replies: “Though the four quarters of the world unite to rob me of union with thee, yet will I make sacrifice of all my earthly bliss, of all my hope of Paradise and of all that therein is, for one minute of thy love.” This effectively puts an end to any hope for Rupmati and she asked for three days to let her sorrow diminish. On the appointed day when Adham Khan entered the bed chambers, he found Rupmati dead, having consumed the poisonous diamond powder! Rupmati died, but she died a martyr to faithfulness and an example to the sect of lovers. She was buried in Sarangpur. At a later stage captured Baz Bahadur served Emperor Akbar – but only after the insolent Adham Khan had been executed by Akbar himself. Baz Bahdur, too, now lies buried besides his beloved.
(The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: [email protected] )
Next Column:
Paika Mutiny of Odisha against the British
