17-07-2025
The brutal legacy of Akbar's Chittorgarh siege referenced by NCERT
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a new Class 8 Social Science textbook that offers a revised take on Indian history from the 13th to 17th centuries. The book, part of the series Exploring Society: India and Beyond, calls Akbar's reign a mix of brutality and tolerance, referring to his massacre of 30,000 people at siege of Chittorgarh is a pivotal event in Indian history. It marks the beginning of Akbar's campaign to subdue the Rana of Mewar. Below is a detailed account based on historical sources, primarily the Akbarnama by Abu'l Fazl, of the causes, events, and aftermath of the Sisodia RajputsThe Rajputs, a warrior caste of northern India, are organised into numerous clans claiming descent from ancient Kshatriya lineages, often linked to solar (Suryavanshi), lunar (Chandravanshi), or fire-born (Agnivanshi) dynasties.
The Sisodias, a Suryavanshi Rajput clan, ruled Mewar from Chittorgarh and later Udaipur. Renowned for their fierce independence, they resisted Mughal domination longer than most, notably under Rana Udai Singh II and his son Rana Pratap located in present-day Rajasthan, was a formidable hill fortress and the heart of Mewar. Sprawling over 700 acres atop a 180-meter-high hill, the fortress had a history of resistance, having faced sieges by Alauddin Khalji in 1303 and Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1535. Its core structure - walls, gates, and key monuments - dates back to the pre-Mughal era, with contributions from the 7th to 16th Siege of ChittorgarhBy 1567, Akbar had consolidated power over much of northern India, including Malwa and parts of Rajputana. Unlike other Rajput rulers, such as those of Amber and Bikaner, who allied with Akbar through diplomacy and marriage, Rana Udai Singh II refused to recognise Mughal overlordship. His support for rebellious Mughal vassals, like Baz Bahadur of Malwa, further provoked the October 1567, Akbar marched from Agra with 40,000 men with the objective of bringing the Rana to his knees. His large army was equipped with cannons, muskets, and siege equipment. The army set up camp at the base of the Chittorgarh hill, choking off the Chittorgarh fort, a stronghold of Rajput pride, 8,000 warriors led by Jaimal Rathore braced for the storm. Mewar's ruler Rana Udai Singh II had retreated into the Aravalli hills, leaving his trusted commander to hold the Sisodia capital against an unstoppable cannons began to roar, hurling iron at the 30-foot-thick walls of the fort. But the fort's height and defences repelled the Mughal army's efforts. Jaimal's men answered from the ramparts, targeting the Mughals with arrows, musket fire, and stones hurled from catapults. Night after night, the Rajputs struck with quick raids on Mughal by the army's failure and the Rajput resistance, Akbar asked his men to creep toward the fort in covered trenches (sabat). The Mughals burrowed beneath the fort, packing gunpowder to rip the foundations apart. But the Rajputs were watching. They dug counter-mines and fought of ChittorgarhWeeks turned into months, but the defenders stood firm. Akbar, sleepless, prowled his camp, watching the army lose patience and hope. But in February 1568, Jaimal Rathore was killed, possibly by a Mughal marksman or during a sortie (though Mughal chronicles say he was shot by Akbar himself). His death was a turning point, as it demoralised the defenders and signaled the fort's imminent defeat inevitable, the Rajput women inside the fort performed jauhar on or around February 23, 1568, to avoid capture. The men donned saffron robes and launched a final sortie against the Mughal February 23-24, 1568, after nearly four months of siege, the Mughals breached the fort's defences through a collapsed wall section. Mughal sources claim that the defenders were almost entirely killed, with estimates of 8,000-10,000 Rajput deaths. Akbar, enraged by the prolonged resistance, ordered a general massacre of the fort's non-combatant population, with estimates of civilian deaths ranging from 20,000 to 30,000. The fort, scarred and silent, stood as a hollow AftermathThe fall of Chittorgarh marked a significant victory for Akbar, weakening Mewar's resistance and sending a message to other Rajput states. The fortress was briefly occupied by Mughal forces but was not permanently garrisoned due to its remote location and the high cost of maintenance. Akbar appointed a governor to oversee the region, but Mewar's resistance continued under Rana Udai Singh's son, Pratap Singh, who later waged a guerrilla campaign against the the Rajputs, the siege became a symbol of sacrifice and defiance. The jauhar and Rajput bravery at Chittorgarh were immortalised in Rajput ballads and chronicles, celebrating the heroism of Jaimal, Patta Sisodia (another commander), and the women who performed jauhar. Rana Pratap's refusal to submit to Akbar further cemented Mewar's reputation as a bastion of Rajput fort still exists and retains significant elements of its pre-1568 structure, such as its gates, towers, and major palaces, reminding visitors of the siege, the massacre, and the unyielding spirit of the Ranas of Mewar.- EndsMust Watch
