Ajay Kumar: Add new article

2023-07-23T19:28:18Z

Add new article

New page

{{Short description|Rao of Marwar (1392–1438)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox monarch
| name = Ranmal
| title = [[Rao (title)|Rao]] of [[Jodhpur State|Marwar]]
| image =
| succession = Ruler of Marwar
| reign = 1428–1438
| predecessor = Rao Kanha
| successor = [[Jodha of Mandore|Rao Jodha]]
| dynasty = [[Rathore]]
| spouse =
| issue = [[Jodha of Mandore|Jodha]] [[Rao Dungrot|Dungrot]] [[Rao Kandhal|Kandhal]] ''Several others''
| father = [[Chunda of Mandore|Chunda]]
| mother = Suram De Sankhali
| birth_date = 1392
| birth_place =
| death_date = October {{death year and age|1438|1392}}
| death_place = [[Chittor Fort]], [[Udaipur State|Mewar]] (in present-day [[Chittorgarh]], Rajasthan, India)
| place of burial = |
}}

'''Rao Ranmal''' (1392 – October 1438), also called '''Ran Mal''' or '''Ridmal''', was the [[Rathore]] ruler of [[Marwar]] ({{Reign}}1428 to 1438). A notable expansionist and skilled warrior, Ranmal is also noteworthy for having twice served as regent of the kingdom of [[Udaipur State|Mewar]] under two different kings.

After having been displaced as heir to Marwar in favour of a younger brother, Ranmal had joined the court of his brother-in-law, Rana [[Lakha Singh]] of Mewar. There, he amassed significant influence, eventually becoming regent to his minor nephew [[Mokal Singh]] following the death of Lakha in 1421. In 1428, Ranmal returned to Marwar to claim his ancestral throne, left vacant by the deaths of his father and brothers. When Mokal Singh was assassinated five years later, Ranmal once again took on the governance of Mewar, now in the name of Mokal's young son [[Kumbha of Mewar|Kumbha]].

During both his regencies of Mewar, as well as his rule of his own kingdom, Ranmal had launched numerous successful military campaigns against neighbouring states, which included the kingdoms of [[Gujarat Sultanate|Gujarat]], [[Bundi State|Bundi]], and [[Malwa Sultanate|Malwa]]. However, he was greatly resented by the nobles of Mewar due to the considerable Rathore influence he brought to the [[Sisodia]] kingdom. When a Mewari prince was murdered on his orders, a coup was launched against him in 1438, culminating in his assassination and the invasion of Marwar. The latter was left weakened in the aftermath and it took his successor [[Jodha of Mandore|Jodha]] many years to restore it to its former prominence.

==Background==
Ranmal was born in 1392<ref>{{cite book |last=Lawaniya |first=Kanchan |title= The Revenue Administration in the State of Marwar during 18th Century |publisher=Aligarh Muslim University |year=2016 |chapter=7: The Revenue Assignment: The Jagir & Patta |page=229 |hdl=10603/127227 }}</ref> as the only son of [[Rao (title)|Rao]] Chunda, the [[Rathore]] ruler of [[Jodhpur State|Marwar]], by his wife Suram De Sankhali, daughter of Bisal.<ref name=SinghP140>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Rajvi Amar |title=Mediaeval History of Rajasthan: Western Rajasthan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZIMAQAAMAAJ |year=1992 |page=140 }}</ref> By right of [[primogeniture]], as the eldest son of his father, Ranmal was initially heir-apparent to the throne.<ref>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Dhananajaya |title=The House of Marwar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SktuAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Lotus Collection, Roli Books |year=1994 |page=24 |isbn=9788174360021 }}</ref> However, under the influence of his favourite wife Sona Mohil,<ref name=SinghP140/> Chunda was persuaded to instead appoint her son Kanha as his successor.<ref>{{cite book |last=Joshi |first=Varsha |title=Polygamy and Purdah: Women and Society Among Rajputs |publisher=Rawat Publications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j1uAAAAMAAJ |year=1995 |page=67 |isbn=9788170332756 }}</ref> In response Ranmal, now disinherited, left Mandore and embarked on a self-imposed exile.<ref name=HoojaP380>{{cite book |last=Hooja |first=Rima |title=A history of Rajasthan |publisher=Rupa & Co. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ |year=2006 |page=380 |isbn=9788129108906 }}</ref>

==Exile in Mewar==
Ranmal travelled to [[Chittor]], the fortress-capital of the kingdom of [[Udaipur State|Mewar]]. There, he was welcomed and given a place at court by the ruler of the state, [[Rana (title)|Rana]] [[Lakha Singh]], who was the husband of Ranmal's sister [[Hansa Bai]]. The prince rapidly gained influence at the Mewari court, with his power reaching its zenith following the death of Lakha Singh in 1421.<ref name=HoojaP380/><ref name=HoojaP335-336>{{harvtxt|Hooja|2006|pages=335–36}}</ref>

Hansa Bai, due to the minority of her young son [[Mokal Singh]], entreated Ranmal to administer the state on behalf of the new Rana. He fulfilled this role admirably over the following years, launching military campaigns against Mewar's rivals. These include Firuz Khan of [[Nagaur]], [[Ahmad Shah I]] of [[Gujarat Sultanate|Gujarat]] and the [[Hada Chauhan|Hadas]] of [[Bundi State|Bundi]]. However, there was resentment among the nobles at the growing Rathore influence at court, in particular regarding the level of nepotism with which Ranmal awarded high positions. This ill-feeling even extended against the young Rana himself, eventually becoming a factor in his assassination over a decade later.<ref name=HoojaP335-336/>

== Ruler of Janglu ==
After securing a position in Mewar court of [[Sisodia|Sisodiyas]], Ranmal subsequently returned to [[Jangladesh|Janglu]] of which he was proclaimed ruler of by the [[Charan]] goddess [[Karni Mata]]. Further, he carried out incursions into [[Bhati]] territory and occupied Bikampur.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kothiyal |first=Tanuja |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IQS-DAAAQBAJ |title=Nomadic Narratives: A History of Mobility and Identity in the Great Indian Desert |date=2016-03-14 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-316-67389-8 |pages=76 |language=en |quote=The years following the reign of Chunda again witnessed a struggle for inheritance as instead of the elder Rinmal, Kanha became heir and the disinherited Rinmal sought refuge in the court of Sisodiyas. Subsequently, Rinmal returned to Janglu, with the help of Charani goddess Karni, and carried out incursions into Bhati territory and occupied Bikampur. He also defeated Hasan Khan of Nagaur and added Nadol, Jaitaran and Sojat to the Rathor lands. Rinmal’s intervention in Mewar affairs led to his assassination in Chittor and for a short period of time Mandor was taken over by the Sisodiyas and his heir Rao Jodha had to seek shelter in the village Kasano in Janglu.}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Ujwal |first=Kailash Dan S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pkkqAAAAYAAJ |title=Bhagwati Shri Karniji Maharaj: A Biography |date=1985 |publisher=<nowiki>[s.n.]]</nowiki> |language=en}}</ref>

==Reign==
Ranmal's father [[Chunda of Mandore|Chunda]] was killed in battle in 1423<ref>{{cite book |last=Sangwan |first=R. S. |title=Jodhpur and the Later Mughals, AD 1707–1752 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=40RuAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Pragati Publications |year=2006 |page=XIX }}</ref> and was succeeded, as the latter had planned, by his younger son Kanha. However, in 1428, Kanha too died and was followed by another son of Chunda, who also had a short reign. Seeing an opportunity, Ranmal marched on the capital city, [[Mandore]], at the head of a Mewari army and seized the throne, becoming the new Rao of Marwar.<ref name=HoojaP380/>

A skilled warrior, Ranmal began expanding Rathore territory. He is recorded as conquering the city of Bikrampur after killing a certain [[Bhati]] chief named Kelana, possibly referring to Rao Kelana of [[Pugal]], who was among those responsible for killing his father. Further to this, he defeated Hasan Khan, the [[Pathan]] ruler of [[Jalore]], and also occupied [[Nagaur]], with the towns of [[Nadol]], [[Jaitaran]] and [[Sojat]] too being brought under his control. He also introduced some reforms, both in Marwar and earlier in Mewar, including the improvement of the existing systems of weights and measures.<ref>{{harvtxt|Hooja|2006|pages=380–81}}</ref>

===Regent of Mewar===
In 1433, Rana [[Mokal Singh]] was assassinated in a conspiracy, thus once more leaving a small child as ruler of Mewar, now in the person of Mokal's son [[Kumbha of Mewar|Kumbha]].<ref name=HoojaP335-336/> Hansa Bai, now the queen-grandmother, again called on her brother Ranmal to take charge of the state until the new Rana reached his majority. Ranmal, accompanied by some of his twenty-four sons, returned to [[Chittor]], nominally taking up the position of caretaker to his minor great-nephew, though for all intents and purposes, he became the true power in the kingdom.<ref name=HoojaP381>{{harvtxt|Hooja|2006|page=381}}</ref>

The new regent's first action was to strike the allies of Mewar's rival kingdoms of [[Gujarat Sultanate|Gujarat]] and [[Malwa Sultanate|Malwa]], the latter of which having sheltered Mokal's killers. The rulers of [[Bundi State|Bundi]], [[Mount Abu|Abu]], Bhoola and Basantgarh were crushed and the [[Sultan]] of Malwa, [[Mahmud Khalji]], was defeated in the [[Battle of Sarangpur]] in 1437.<ref name=SinghPXXIV>{{harvtxt|Singh|1992|page=XXIV}}</ref> He also began to hunt down the conspirators, with some being killed and others being forced into hiding. One of them, Mokal's paternal uncle Chacha, had his daughter Bharmali<ref name=SinghP156>{{harvtxt|Singh|1992|page=156}}</ref> taken captive and married by Ranmal. 500 other girls belonging to the families of the fugitives were captured and given out by Ranmal to his favourites.<ref name=HoojaP337>{{harvtxt|Hooja|2006|page=337}}</ref>

One of Mokal's brothers, Raghavdev, objected to this action and took the women into his protection. He began to grow apprehensive of the growing Rathore influence in the court and started preparing a resistance to Ranmal. Conversely, Ranmal also viewed the Mewari prince as a threat and too launched a conspiracy. Events came to a head when Ranmal invited Raghadev to present him with a traditional robe of honour. However, unknown to the latter, the sleeves of the robe had been sown in such a way so as to restrict his movement. Raghadev was then ambushed by Ranmal's men, who immediately cut down the incapacitated prince.<ref name=HoojaP337/>

==Assassination==
The murder of Raghadev had a profound impact on public opinion of Ranmal, with both nobles and the general population already being resentful of his domination at court. Many grew fearful for the life of the young Rana, prompting chiefs to begin curtailing the regent. [[Chunda Sisodia|Prince Chunda]], eldest son and at one-time heir to the late Rana [[Lakha Singh]], was called back to the city to avenge his brother's death. While Chunda re-entered Mewar and removed Rathore outposts outside Chittor fortress, nobles conspired against Ranmal from within. They enlisted the help of Chacha's daughter Bharmali,<ref>{{harvtxt|Singh|1992|page=153}}</ref> who was one of the wives of Ranmal. On the night of [[Diwali]], 1438,<ref name=SinghPXXIV/> she plied him with alcohol until he fell into a drunken stupor and tied him to his bed with his own turban. Ranmal was then set upon by assassins sent by the Mewari nobles. In spite of his bonds, he was able to stand upright, but unable to defend himself, he was ultimately killed.<ref name=HoojaP337/>

The death of Ranmal caused a significant falling out between the kingdoms of Marwar and Mewar, resulting in the former's capital, [[Mandore]], and its surrounding lands being occupied by Mewar's army. It took Ranmal's son and successor [[Jodha of Mandore|Jodha]] (who had barely escaped from Chittor alive himself)<ref name=HoojaP337/> several years to reestablish Marwar's former eminence and territory.<ref name=HoojaP381/>

==Family==
Ranmal married multiple times, as was common among the [[Rajput]] elite.<ref name=HoojaP380/> His wives were:<ref name=SinghP156/>
*Kodamde Bhatiyani, daughter of Ranigde, Rao of [[Pugal]]<ref>{{harvtxt|Singh|1992|page=175}}</ref>
*Bharmali, daughter of Chacha, son of [[Kshetra Singh]], Rana of Mewar<ref name=HoojaP337/>
*Rami Bai, daughter of Lalaji Songira of [[Nadol]]<ref>{{harvtxt|Singh|1992|page=145}}</ref>
*Hansamati Parihar
*Tribhuvan De
*Sarangde
*Nabhal Deval De

He had several sons, many of whom subsequently became ancestors of new Rathore clans. They were:<ref name=SinghP156/>
*[[Jodha of Mandore|Jodha]] – Ranmal's successor as Rao of Marwar. He founded Jodhpur and laid foundations of [[Mehrangarh]]. His descendants are called Jodho Rathors.
*Akhairaj – He received Bagri village and was the ancestor of Akhirajot Rathors, the Kumpawats and Jaitawats.
*[[Rao Kandhal|Kandhal]] – He left Jodhpur with Rao Bika for Bikaner and is the ancestor of the Kandhalot sakh of Bikaner, Rawtots and Baneerots.
*Champa – He received Kaparro and Banar village and is the ancestor of the Champawat Rathors.
*Lakha – He left Jodhpur with Rao Bika for Bikaner and is ancestor of the Lakhavat sakh of Bikaner.
*Bhakhar – He died before Jodhpur was established. Though his son Bala, he is ancestor of the Balavat Rathors.
*Dungarsi – He received the village of Bhadrajan and is the ancestor of the Dungrot of Bhadrajan.
*Jaitmal – ancestor of the Bhojrajots of Palasani through his son Bhojraj.
*Mandala – ancestor of the Mandalot Sakh of Bikanee and Marwar Rathors and the Madlawals of Saroonda and [[Bhanwarani]].
*Pata – Received the village of Karnu and is the ancestor of the Patawats.
*Rupa – Received Cadi Village and is ancestor of the Rupwats of Bheloo and Chakhoo.
*Karna – Received Lunavas village and is the ancestor of the Karnots, the clan of [[Durga Das Rathore]].
*Sanda – ancestor of the Sandawats.
*Mandan – ancestor of the Mandanots of Alay.
*Natha – He left Jodhpur with Rao Bika for Bikaner and is the ancestor of the Nathotas of Jhajhu-Nathoosar.
*Uda – He left Jodhpur with Rao Bika for Bikaner and is the ancestor of the Udawats of Udasar in [[Bikaner]] .
*Bera – ancestor of the Bairawats of Dodhot.
*Jagmal – He died before Jodhpur was established and is the ancestor of the Khetsighot.
*Vaira – Received Dundhar village and is the ancestor of Vairvat Sakh of Marwar Rathors.
*Hapa – ancestor of Rinmalots and Hapavays.
*Adval – founder of Advalot Sakh of Marwar Rathors.
*Sando – founder of Sandavat Sakh of Marwar Rathors.
*Sindho – ancestor of Rinmalots.
*Tejsi – founder of Tejsiyot sakh of Marwar Rathors.
*Vanvir – founder of Vanvirot Sakh of Marwar Rathors.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranmal}}
[[Category:Monarchs of Marwar]]
[[Category:Rajput monarchs]]
[[Category:1392 births]]
[[Category:1438 deaths]]

Ranmal - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Add new article