“Better to die with dignity than live without self-respect.”  

– Rani Durgawati

India is a country that has given birth to many brave warriors and great men, whom people still remember. But no one remembers the mother who gave birth to them. Neither does anyone remember the brave queens of the country.

There were many strong, courageous and brave women who once ruled India. The stories of these courageous warrior queens, although lesser known, enhance the rich culture and glory of the country, along with becoming a source of motivation and inspiration for millions. This is the story of Rani Durgawati, the forgotten queen of Gond.

The battle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar in 1576 CE in Haldighati, Aravallis is well-known to the world. Contrary to that, a battle which was fought a decade before this Haldighati battle in the thick forest of Satpura ranges between a warrior queen of Gondwana and the Mughal army is  lesser-known to fellow countrymen. This warrior queen was Rani (Queen) Durgavati.

A descendant of the Chandella kings, Rani Durgawati Maravi was born on 5th October 1524 A.D. in the family of famous Rajput Chandel emperor Keerat Rai, at the fort of Kalinjar, Banda , Uttar Pradesh. She was named Durgavati because she was born on the auspicious occasion of Durgashtami. She was valiant, beautiful and brave. Having lost her mother at a young age, she was raised with great care by Shalivahan. Well-versed with horse-riding, sword fighting, and archery at a very young age, she was a skilled hunter, archer, and markswoman who took pleasure in going on expeditions. In those times, it wasn’t very common for women to master these art forms and become warriors in the king’s army as these were restricted only to men ,
but Durgavati’s training seemed to indicate that she was preparing for just that. In fact, one of her favourite hobbies was trophy hunting—a recreational activity reserved for royal warriors. 

By the 16th century CE, Chandella power had declined and areas around Kalinjar was all that remained of the original Chandella kingdom. Hearing about the valour of the Gond ruler Dalpat Shah and his exploits against the Mughals, Durgawati was impressed by him. When her Guru pointed out that he was a Gond , she replied:

“He might be a Gond by birth, but his deeds make him a Kshatriya.''

Many Rajput leaders revolted against it as Dalpat belonged to the tribal Gond community but Durgawati didn't change her decision. Even Shilvahan himself did not want Durgawati to marry Dalpat Shah as he was not a Rajput but before Durgawati's mother passed away,  he vowed to her to let Durgawati choose her partner. 

In 1542, at the age of 18, Durgawati married Dalpat Shah, the eldest son of King Sangram Shah and the ruler of Garha Mandla. It is believed that she strategically wanted this alliance to unite the powerful Chandelas and Gonds to keep the Mughal rulers in check. This alliance later helped Durgawati's maternal kingdom  against Muslim invader, Sher Shah Suri but this wasn't the last battle Durgawati had to fight against Mughals. 

In the same year, Durgawati gave birth to a boy and named him Vir Narayan. However, within 5 years of his birth, Dalpat Shah died leaving the Gond queen to rule the vast kingdom. As Vir Narayan was too young at that time, Rani Durgawati was crowned as the regent queen of the Gonds. Two ministers Adhar Kayastha and Man Thakur helped the Rani in looking after the administration successfully and effectively. She never stopped expanding the territorial boundaries of her kingdom. Even though the neighbouring kings saw her kingdom as an easy win because it was ruled by a female, she always managed to prove their assumptions wrong. She never left her warrior roots behind. 

According to a story, Garha Mandla was once terrorised by a notorious lion whom no soldier or hunter could tame or kill. The queen herself went to the jungle where the lion was causing a menace, spotted it behind a bush and struck it down in the first shot. The lion was dead and her soldiers were left awestruck. As a queen, she fought 51 gallant wars against many invaders including Mughals. She shifted her capital to Chauragarh in place of Singaurgarh. It was a fort of strategic importance situated on the Satpura hill range.

 In 1556, Baz Bahadur, the Sultan of Malwa attacked Durgawati's kingdom only to return with heavy loss. In 1562, Akbar vanquished Baz Bahadur and annexed the Malwa region. Consequently, the boundary of Rani Durgawati touched the Mughal kingdom. On the other side, Rewa was also conquered by a Mughal general Abdul Mazid Asaf Khan. This made Mughals the adjacent neighbors of Gondwana.

The Queen's contemporary Mughal Subedar, Abdul Mazid Asaf Khan, was an ambitious man. Lured by the prosperity of the Queen's kingdom, he invaded the Gonds after taking permission from Akbar. 

When Rani heard about the attack by Asaf Khan she decided to defend her kingdom with all her might. Rani Durgawati was asked to surrender, to which she replied : 

“Better to die with dignity than live without self-respect. I have served my motherland for a long time, and at a time like this, I won’t let it be stained. There is no option but to fight.”

To fight a defensive battle , she moved to a valley near Narrai village situated between a hill range on one side and two rivers, Gaur and Narmada on the other side. The Queen's chief Arjun Daswas was killed by the Mughal Army and Rani decided to lead the defence herself. Despite the unequal distribution of forces, she succeeded in driving the Mughal Army out of the valley and proved victorious. 

At this stage Rani reviewed her strategy. She wanted to attack in the night but her counsellors were against it. By next morning Asaf khan had summoned big guns. Rani rode on her elephant Sarman and came for the battle. Her son Vir Narayan also took part in this battle. He forced Mughul army to move back three times but at last he got wounded and had to retire to a safe place. In the course of battle, Rani Durgawati got wounded. One arrow came and pierced her ear. Another arrow pierced her neck , making the Queen unconscious. After gaining consciousness , she felt blood gushing out from her body. Bleeding , she could see that defeat was imminent. Fleeing away or giving up were the only two options left. 

The Gond queen asked her minister , Adhar Singh to kill her with his sword. Being a loyal soldier , he refused to kill her. She decided to take her fate into her own hands. She pulled out a dagger , plunged it into her stomach and killed herself. Surrendering to her enemy was never an option for her. After her death, her son Vir Narayan also defended the kingdom from Chauragarh fort, but later he too died fighting.

Till her last breath, Durgawati was true to her warrior roots and proved her worth as a leader. Her self-respect forced her to fight till death rather than surrendering to her enemies. She maintained her independence and self respect. Her Martyrdom day, 24th June 1564 , is even today celebrated as ' Balidan Diwas ' ( The day of Sacrifice ). 

Rani Durgawati also built numerous temples and ponds in and around Jabalpur. She, like her ancestors , built a lot of lakes and did a lot for the welfare of her people. She treated everyone fairly. She respected the scholars and extended her patronage to them. She welcomed the Vitthalnath of Vallabh community and took Diksha from him. She was secular and appointed many eminent Muslims on important posts.

Rani Durgawati passed away but her name still lives on. The place of her Martyrdom has been a great source of motivation and inspiration for many freedom fighters. Long after her death, we continue remembering her for her bravery. 

In the year 1983, the Government of Madhya Pradesh renamed the University of Jabalpur as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya in her memory. Rani Durgavati Museum in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, is also dedicated to Rani Durgavati. A well-known pond is also known as Ranital. There is a train named as Durgavati Express from Jabalpur to Jammu Tawi. 

Government of India paid it's tribute to the valiant Rani by issuing a postal-stamp commemorating her martyrdom, on 24th June 1988.

Today, the Chauragarh fort serves as a sunrise viewing point in a famous hill-station Pachmarhi. Ironically, the tourists visiting the place are not aware of brave warrior Rani Durgawati and her ultimate sacrifice for the Kingdom. 

Written by CrystellaInvertenica
Edited by  DrKanu