More than seven hundred years back on 26th of August, the fort of Chittorgarh fell into the hands of Muslim plunderer Allauddin Khilji. You all must have heard about the story through novels and films, especially Padmavat.
Know about the most barbaric capture that resulted in forced religious conversions where several women had to adhere to sex slavery.
Khilji Dynasty was roaring at its peak after Allauddin Khilji usurped control of the Delhi Sultanate after killing his own uncle Jalauddin Khilji. Soon after this, Allauddin started expanding his ruling boundaries. The most challenging task that he faced at the beginning of his regime was the attack from Mongols.
Some historians stated that Allauddin ordered a massacre of Mongols in the Delhi sultanate, wherein between 15,000 to 30,000 Mongol settlers, who had recently converted to Islam, were killed after Khalji suspected them of plotting an uprising against him.
While plundering and capturing territories around India, Allauddin’s focus turned towards Chittorgarh in Mewar, Rajasthan. The reason for this turn of events has several stories attached to it. Some historians believe that Allauddin wanted to get Chittorgarh under his control due to his personal affront against Raja Ratan Singh, who had refused to let his army pass through Mewar while they were travelling to Gujarat.
Now there’s another popular story behind this, which is of the mesmerising beauty of Rani Padmini, the wife of Raja Ratan Singh. Malik Muhammad Jaisi in his book Padmavat has talked about the stories of how Allauddin got intrigued by the beauty of Rani Padmini and desired to capture her by enlisting her in his harem.
Now comes the most barbaric capture of 1303, when Allauddin decided to capture Chittor and laid siege around the fort. For nearly eight months, Rajputs showed strong resistance from the massive Khilji army. Then came the day of 26 august when Allauddin stormed into the fort of Chittor and gained control.
One motto of Allauddin to capture the fort of Chittor was successful but the greed to capture Rani Padmini failed. According to folklore, Rani Padmini along with several other Rajput women stepped into the flames of Jauhar. Mass self-immolation was performed by the Rajput women to preserve their dignity from the atrocities of Islamic invaders who were known for capturing and enslaving women during wars. Now Allauddin Khilji on entering the fort got only ashes and nothing more.
But the later years of Allauddin’s stay in Chittoor were even more horrifying. Amir Khusrau, a scholar in the court of Allaudin has written in one of his books that after Allauddin’s victory, he ordered his army to massacre and “cut down like dry grass” around 30,000 inhabitants of Chittorgarh.
Allaudin Khilji is known for his cruel temperament. Amir Khusrau in his book Tarikh-i-Alai has written that Allauddin had appointed Ulugh Khan, Malik Kafur and Nusrat Khan and Khusro Khan to expand his reign, convert and persecute Hindus and kill and rape women from other religions, destroy temples, monuments and educational institutes.
In 1298, between 15,000 to 30,000 people near Delhi, who had recently converted to Islam, were slaughtered in a single day, due to fears of an uprising by Allauddin. He had not even spared his own family members and nephews. In 1299–1300, after he suspected them of rebellion, Allauddin first gouged out their eyes and then beheaded them.
As per the historians, Kazi Mughisuddin of Bayyinah had guided Alauddin to fulfil Prophet Muhammad’s wish of converting and persecuting Kafirs (wrongfully used for other religious faiths like Hindus, Jain, Sikhs, Buddhists and other religions beliefs) in the following note:-
“keep Hindus in subjection, in abasement, as a religious duty, because they are the most inveterate enemies of the Prophet, and because the Prophet has commanded us to slay them, plunder them, and make them captive; saying—convert them to Islam or kill them, enslave them and spoil their wealth and property.“
Allauddin Khilji capturing Chittoor and committing brutal crime against women and Hindus is only one such incident of the various atrocities that people faced during the time of islamic invaders.
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