7. I t CHAPTER V II. RANA RATANSI S/O RANA SANGA. (1523 > 1532 A .D J The ecirly death of Bhojraj, the eldest son of Sanga and Kuwar Bai Solanki, left Ratansi alias Ratanslngh, son of Sanga and Dhanbai Rathor, as the eldest surviving prince to succeed Sanga in 152S A.D. His date of birth is unknown* Nothing is known about his early life* He was called upon to handle the administration of Mewar after the Battle of Kanwah when Sanga was mourning his defeat thjrough self-inflicted seclusion from public appearance. After the victory at Chanderi (after April, 2, 152S A.D.^Sanga emerged out with a coloured turban and royal Kettle"drura, Which threatened Ratansi*s position as the aiininistrator of Mdv/ar as the Rana’ s deputy. So it is no TOnder that he and his farhter-in-law, Karam- -chand Pawar, colluded with Silhadi and other chieftains in poisoning Sanga at Kalpi. However, while deputising for his fatiwr, Ratansi acquired a a>od knowledga of the political health of Mewar. Possibly, he had his own ideas to cure its ills. His first steps were against his half“bi'others Vikramajit and Udai Singh, then living in Ranthambhor and Rao Surajmal Hada of Bundi• Ratansi and Vikrama.iit: Karmeti, daughter of Narbad Hada of Bundi and the most beloved consort of Sanga, had borne two sons - Vikraraajit and Udai Singh - to the Rana* During his life tirae^at her request, Sar^a had bestowed the fort and fiet of Ranthambhor on her sons and had placed them under the charge of Siirajmal Hada, son of Narayan- -das of Bundi. Surajaal had hesitated and made his acceptance of this job contingent xka upon the con- -sent of Ratansi, to avoid clashes vdth the future Rana after Sanga’ s death, Ratansi,due to the fear of his father Rana Sanga, had also agreed and Surajmal becaiae something like a guaidian of Vikraraajit and Udai Singh, Honfever, Ratansi nursed a grievance and a grudge against Surajmal Hada! So on his accession, Ratansi refused to accept the pressi* of an elephant and a horse from Surajmal, and cleioanded the elephant Meghnad (cost Rs, 60,000) and the horse Lai Lashkar (cost Rs, 20,000) ¥hich were given in *tika* to Surajmal by Sanga on the former’ s accession after the death of his father Narayandas* Rat ansi’ s strange deraand enraged Surajmal vAio point blank refused to accede to it* 2 This estranged the two. Soon.after the death of Sanga, Karmeti left Chittor and went to stay in Hanthambhor. Rataisi sent puranmal aiKi deinanded the presence of his half-brothers in Chittor^ along with the jewelled crown and belt of the Sultans of Malwa, the trophies of the war of Sanga with Mahmud Khilji (1519 A.D,), then lying in Ranthambhorif' Karnieti directed Pui’anmal to Surajmal, who offered to appear personally before the Rana. Puranmal falsely reported to Ratansi in Chittor that Vikraraajit and Udai Singh would have returned to ChittM but for the abstraction of Surajmal. The Rana was further offended with Sijrajraal? Ylkrama.iit and Babar : The undue haste and rudeness implied in the demand for^personal appec.ranee^with the trophies of x4a3»ra^soon after the death of Sanga liiade Vikramajit desperate. He 6 sought tiie protection of babar. iishoka , a person "higji in Bikrainajit*s confidence” and ” a near relative 7 3 of Padmavati, (wrongly identified with Karmeti), fixK sent envoys to Babar before the latter had set out fbr Q 10 Gwalior, i.e . before Septeinber 20, 1528 A.D, They were ait-hori zed to ne^gtiate tlie submission of Vikramajit and the exchange of the fie ^ and fort of Ranthambhor for a subsistence allowance of 70 laks of rupeesa SEhaqf Annually. Babar agreed to confer a jagir worth this sum on Vikrauiajit on his surrendei' of the fcrt of Ranthambhor. They Jeft Babar to ineet him again in Gwalio^] probably 12 13 after the 26th . They returned a day ca* tvo late. During this period Ashokiaal himself went to Eanthaabhor and eaq)lained the situation to Padmavati and Vikramajit. Tliey approved of the proceedirjg and agreed to the arrangesnents made by his envoys. These envoys were now authorized to negotiate the surrendei' of the fief ard fort of Ranthambhor along x^ith the trophies of *4alwa in exchange for some Jagir in Biana!^ Babar wasjjwilling to bewtow Shamshabad for 13 Ranthambhor . They all left Gv/alior on Sept. 29 with an appointment to meet again Biana on Oct. The fact of in the diary of Babar between Oct 5 to 12 cbee not dU«L prevent us from inferring that this rreetingi^fee-ek place afcr 15 its appointed time. Babar in his entry of Oct, 19 sjjeaks 7 about "former” and ”later" envoys of Vikramajit^^ As all 1 7 the envoys were given lBa^« to depart at OwalicM*, the former envoys can only be those vho came to Babar on Oct.d 18 at Biana. They vrere not given leave to depart and were brought to Agra where they were joined by another batdi of envoys from Vikramajit . ix)th the teams were now disnii- -ssed with an added person Hamusi son of Diva from Behrah, / He was sent along with them by Babar ”in order thatthe pact and agreement for the surrender of Ranthambhor and for the conditions of Bikrajnjit*s service might be made in 19 their o>«i (Hindu) way* and custom"* It is here that Babar proclaims his deteimina- -tion to put Vikramjit on the throne of Ghittor if he 20 fulfilled his part of the duty . Hawal Rana Ki Vat dis- -torts these negotiations by colouTxng them with the 21 myth of sending of "Rakhi" by Karmeti. In the lawnoirs there is not only no reference to Karr®ti but also no hint about these negotiations being started, handled or f7 in any way mnaged W eve n^"Padmavati", All through Babar refers t Vikramajit alone. Padmavati is referred to only as a*near relative* of Aahokmal and nothing moire. And even if the identification of Padmavati with Karnsti be accepted dtill there is no reference in the f4emoirs to her part in these r»po tiatlons. Ratansi Reconciles with Vikraroa.lit. The negotiations of Vikramajit with Babar acted OLM asj^eye-opener to Ratansi. Its Imriediate result took the fonn of breaking away of the Vikrana jit-Babar ties. The handing over of Ranthambhor and the trophies of Balwa to Babar, as stipulated in the a^reei^Bnt of Oct. 19 did not materialise 22. It also prevented 3^*: tiie submission of Vikramajit and Udaisingh to Babar vjhich would certainly have app offered a pretext tot Surajrnal Hada to break away openly from the vassalage of Mewar. Vikranajit returned to Chit tor and lived amicably with Ilatansi till the death of the later in 1532 A.D. Ratansi setit Vikrasnajit at the head of the 40*000 cavalry to relieve Aaisin, besieged by Bahadur Shah ih 1532 A.D.^^ This fact points to the gsod relations subsisting between the two half brotiiers during the remaining perLodof the reisi of / Ratansi. It also underlines the efforts of Ratansi in reorganizing the army of Mewar \^*ich ordinarily comprised 24 of 10,000 hourse during his reign. Rise of Bahadur Shah The effect of the political vacuum caused by the death of Sanga and the internal dissensions in Mewar paved the way for the imperialism of Bahadur Shah. When Sanga was locked up with the Mughals Bahadur Shaii killed all his brothers and eliminated the clique of Imadulinulk?^ After Sanga’s death on the preirext of helping Iraadulniulk, tlie ruler of Berar, and Adil Shah^ the ruler cf Khandesh, 26 he marcl'ied in November, 152^ A.D, , besieged unsuccess- -rylly the fort of Daulatabad, compelled Nizamulmulk, the ruler of Ahmadnagar, Bar id, the ruler of Bidar, Khuda~ -wand Khan Bantaria and Adil Siiah of Bij. pur to make good 2? all the losses to Imadulmulk and returned to his capital on f4ay, 3, 1529 Here Narsinghdeo^f the nephew 29 30 31 of Raja of Givalior, Banavir , the son of Prithviraj 32 and nephew of Sanga, and some other amirs from }Ae\iwr 3 3 ^joined him.Soiaa soldiers also fled Mewar to Gujarat. On Sept .6 , 1529 A*D. Bahadur Shah rode out into the Oeccan for the second time, again at the requsst of -* Imadulmulk. He plundered .ahiaadnagar and Parinda, put to fligl^it the combined forces of the rliters of the Deccan reduced Barid and Nizamulmulk to vassalaaa^^ and retiimed to his c o ita l about the teginning of May, 1530 Thus within one year and a half after the danise of Sanga, Bfiiiadur forged himself int» a formidable power* . Ratansi aid Partition of IVagar Rawal Udai S i n ^ of W ^a r had divided his kii^dom 37 between his two sons ~ Pritiiviraj and Jagga or Jagtnal. Ja^oal accomptanied UdaT^Singh to tiie Battle of Kanwah 3^ 39 v^re the former was wounded and the latter killed. jagmal remained ill for several months. After nursing hla wound with the lielp of Baba Man B}az*ti he xeturmd to Wagar v^ere Prithviraj had already taken possession of his share and now not only refused to recogiiEe his brother but also declared him an impster.^^Jagpnal « rebeOf^and raised much tzoubla in Wagar fxt>m a plase , 41 now called after him, Jagmer or Jagner. Jagmal also fought several engageinent s ^fi th thakir of Kubania, in the vast of R.