Maharana Hammir Singh (1314–1364), or Hammir (not to be confused with
Hammir Singh of Ranthambore), was a 14th-century Hindu
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
ruler of
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...
in present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Hammir Singh, was a scion of the cadet branch Rana of the Guhila dynasty, who regained control of the region, re-established the dynasty after defeating the
Tughlaq dynasty
The Tughlaq dynasty ( fa, ), also referred to as Tughluq or Tughluk dynasty, was a Muslim dynasty of Indo- Turkic origin which ruled over the Delhi sultanate in medieval India. Its reign started in 1320 in Delhi when Ghazi Malik assumed the ...
, and captured present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
from Muslim forces of Delhi and became the first of the 'Rana' branch to become the King of
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...
with title of Maharana. Hammir also became the progenitor of the
Sisodia
The Sisodia is an Indian Rajput dynasty belonging to the clan that ruled over the kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan. The name of the clan is also transliterated as ''Sesodia'', ''Shishodia'', ''Sishodia'', ''Shishodya'', ''Sisodya'', ''Sisodiya'',
...
clan, a branch of the
Guhila dynasty
The Guhilas of Medapata colloquially known as Guhilas of Mewar were a Rajput dynasty that ruled the Medapata (modern Mewar) region in present-day Rajasthan state of India. The Guhila kings initially ruled as Gurjara-Pratihara feudatories be ...
, to which every succeeding Maharana of Mewar has belonged. Mewar during Rana Hammir's reign, was one of the few ethnic Indian states that had withstood the Turkic invasions. According to
John Darwin "Only in Mewar and in Vijaynagar had Hindu states withstood the deluge".
Mahavir Prasad Prashasti identify to Hammmir as ''Vanquisher of Turushkas''.
After regaining Chittor, he built the
Annapoorna Mata temple in
Chittor Fort
The Chittorgarh (literally Chittor Fort), also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls o ...
dedicated to Aai Birwadi.
He also built the old temple of Roopnarayan Ji in Sewantri.
Relations with the Rawal Branch
Ancestors of Hammir Singh connecting to the Guhila Rawal Branch of Chittor are:
* Rann Singh
* Rahapa
* Narapati
* Dinakara
* Jasakarna
* Nagapala
* Karnapala
* Prithvipal
* Bhuvanasimha
* Bhimasimha
* Jayasimha
* Lakhanasimha
* Arisimha (Arasi)
* Hammira (Hammir Singh)
Early years
Rana Laksha of Sisoda had nine sons, of whom the eldest was Ari Singh, who married Urmila, a Chandaana Chauhan Rajput lady from the village of Unnava near Kelwara. Rana Hammir was the only child of this couple.
At the turn of the 13th century,
Alauddin Khilji
Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative ...
attacked Chittorgarh, Rana Laksha and his sons joined the garrison at Chittorgarh to defend it against the invading army. Rana Laksha died along with his seven sons performing ''saka'' (fighting to death) at the end of
Siege of Chittorgarh. Ruling Rawal branch of Chittorgarh ceased to exist, as they all died performing ''saka''. Ajay Singh was wounded and was smuggled out of Chittorgarh to preserve the blood line. He reached Kelwara and recovered of his wounds there. There he found out about Hammir and called him from Unnava. Rana Hammir killed Munja Balecha of Godwar, who was causing chaos in the nearby area. This event impressed his uncle and Hammir was chosen as the successor to the throne.
Lakshman Singh was Thakur of Sisoda village. He died along with his seven sons performing ''saka'' (fighting to death), while their women committed
jauhar
Jauhar, sometimes spelled Jowhar or Juhar, was a Hindu practice of mass self-immolation by women, in the Indian subcontinent, to avoid capture, enslavement and rape by an invading army, when facing certain defeat during a war. Some reports of ...
(self-immolation in preference to becoming enemy captives). Laksha was descended in direct patrician lineage from
Bappa Rawal
Bappa Rawal (c. 8th century) was a king of the Mewar kingdom in Rajasthan, India. The bardic chronicles describe him as a member of the Guhila Rajput Clan, and some of them consider him to be the founder of the Guhila dynasty. He is credited w ...
and hence belonged to the Gehlot (Guhilot) clan. Laksha came from the village of Sisoda near the town of Nathdwara and thus his children came to be known as ''Sisodia''.
Recovering Chittorgarh
Khaljis allocated administration of Chittorgarh to Sonagara Maldev, ruler of the nearby state of Jalore. After becoming the Rana of Sisoda,
Hammir pursued an aggressive scheme of recovering
Mewar
Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...
.
He made several attempts at capturing Chittor, but failed, due to which his resources dwindled and many of his followers left. Hammir, wishing to give rest to his men and regroup, ceased the attacks and started on a pilgrimage to
Dwarka
Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...
with his remaining men. On the way, he camped at the Khod village in
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, where lived a known mystic lady Aai Birwadi who was considered an incarnation of
Hinglaj
Hinglaj (Devanagari: हिंगलाज, bal, هنگلاج, sd, هنگلاج, ur, ) is an important Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of many Kshatriya, Charan, Rajpurohits and other Hindu Communities of India. ...
. Hammir paid homage and recounted his setbacks, at which he was advised to return to Mewar and make preparations for another attack. Hammir responded that he no longer has the manpower and capacity to launch another attack. The mystic Birwadi assured him that her son Baruji will join him in Mewar.
In a few days, Baruji, a rich dealer in
horses
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...
, arrived with a large caravan of 500 horses at
Kherwara, where Hammir had camped.
In a requirement to settle his rule, Maldev arranged for the marriage of his daughter Songari with Rana Hammir. Khiljis didn't like this matrimonial alliance and they took back Chittorgarh from Maldev and gave him Merta. This prompted Hammir to strive for expelling the Khilji's army from Mewar. Hammir and his
Charan
Charan ( IAST: Cāraṇ; Sanskrit: चारण; Gujarati: ચારણ; Urdu: ارڈ; IPA: cɑːrəɳə) is a caste in South Asia natively residing in the Rajasthan and Gujarat states of India, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan provinces ...
allies led by
Baruji Sauda mounted an attack and succeeded to gain Chittorgarh after
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290 – 20 March 1351) was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the youn ...
came to the throne.
Conflict against the Tughluq dynasty
The Rajput bardic chronicles such as
Nainsi ri Khyat
Nainsi ri Khyat (or 'Khyat of Nainsi') is a late 17th-century Marwari & Dingal text chronicling the history of Marwar. It's author Muhnot Nainsi, an official of Marwar State, based the Khyat (or chronicle) on the Charan accounts and the traditio ...
by
Nainsi (17th century) claim that amid the turmoil caused by the end of the
Khalji dynasty
The Khalji or Khilji (Pashto: ; Persian: ) dynasty was a Turco-Afghan dynasty which ruled the Delhi sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320.[Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290 – 20 March 1351) was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the youn ...]
to march against Hammir Singh. According to
Muhnot Nainsi
Muhnot Nainsi (1610–1670) is known for his studies of the region now encompassed by the state of Rajasthan in India.
He was a contemporary of Rathore ruler Jaswant Singh of Marwar.
He was son of Jaimal Muhnot, who was senior office holder und ...
, Hammir Singh defeated Tughluq near the
Singoli
Singoli is a block and a nagar panchayat in Neemuch district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Geography
Singoli is located at . It has an average elevation of 363 metres (1,190 feet). Singoli is located at the border of Madhya P ...
village, in the
Battle of Singoli
The Battle of Singoli (1336 CE) was fought between the forces of Mewar, led by Hammir Singh, and the Tughlaq forces, led by Mohammad bin Tughlaq, at Singoli, in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India, in which Hammir Singh defeated Tughlaq forces ...
and imprisoned the Sultan. He then released the Sultan Six months later, after the Sultanate ceded to him
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
,
Ranthambor
Ranthambore Fort lies within the Ranthambore National Park, near the city of Sawai Madhopur in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, India. the park being the former hunting grounds of the Maharajahs of Jaipur until the time of India's Indep ...
,
Nagaur
Nagaur is a city and municipal council in Nagaur district of the state of Rajasthan in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Nagaur District. The Nagaur city lies about midway between Jodhpur and Bikaner.
Nagaur is famous for spices ...
and
Sooespur; and paid 5 million rupees and 100 elephants as ransom.
A 1438 Jain temple inscription attests that Rana Hammir Singh forces defeated a Muslim army; this army may have been led by a general of Muhammad bin Tughluq. It is possible that subsequently, Muhammad bin Tughluq and his successors did not assert their authority in the present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
, and Hammir Singh's authority was recognised by other Rajput chiefs, making Mewar practically independent of the Delhi Sultanate.
In popular culture
''Rana Hamir'' is a 1925 Indian silent film about the monarch by
Baburao Painter
Baburao Krishnarao Mestry, popularly known as Baburao Painter (3 June 1890 – 16 January 1954) was an Indian filmmaker and artist. He was a man of many talents with proficiency in painting, sculpture, film production, photography, and mechanic ...
.
See also
*
List of Rajputs
*
List of battles of Rajasthan
Several significant battles are recorded to have taken place in what is now known as Rajasthan.
Against the Arabs
* Umayyad campaigns in India (712–740 CE) – An alliance of rulers under Rajput Pratihar King Nagabhata I defeated the Arab ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
* {{cite book, title=History of Rajputana, Part 2, last=Ojha, first=G.H.. , ref=G.H.Ojha, year=1932, location=Ajmer
Mewar dynasty
14th-century Indian monarchs
1314 births
1378 deaths