Nagmati was, according to legend, the first wife and chief queen of King Ratan Sen (identified with

Ratnasimha Ratnasimha ( IAST: Ratna-Siṃha, r. c. 1302 –1303 CE) was a ruler of the Medapata (Mewar) kingdom in present-day Rajasthan, India. He belonged to the Rawal branch of the Guhila dynasty, which ruled from the Chitrakuta fort (modern Chit ...

), the

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 Medapata (present-day Mewar). Nagmati plays an important role in

Malik Muhammad Jayasi Malik Muhammad Jayasi (1477– 1542) was an Indian Sufi poet and pir. He wrote in the Awadhi language, and in the Persian Nastaʿlīq script. His best known work is the epic poem '' Padmavat'' (1540). Biography Much of the information abo ...

's epic poem ''

Padmavat ''Padmavat'' (or ''Padmawat'') is an epic poem written in 1540 by Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi, who wrote it in the Hindustani language of Awadhi, and originally in the Persian Nastaʿlīq script. It is the oldest extant text among the imp ...

''.

''In Padmavat''

In ''Padmavat'', an epic poem written by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540, Nagmati is said to have been King Ratan Sen's first wife and chief queen, the head of his

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

. She awaits happily as her husband returns home to

Chittor Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...

, but the happiness turns to jealousy and contempt when she hears that he has taken a second wife,

Padmavati Padmāvatī may refer to: Deities * Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of fortune * Alamelu, or Padmāvatī, a Hindu goddess and consort of Sri Venkateshwara of Tirupati * Manasa, a Hindu serpent goddess * Padmavati (Jainism), a Jain attendant goddess ( ...

, the beautiful princess of the

Sinhala Kingdom The Sinhala Kingdom or Sinhalese Kingdom refers to the successive Sinhalese kingdoms that existed in what is today Sri Lanka. The Sinhalese kingdoms are kingdoms known by the city at which its administrative centre was located. These are in chron ...

. Ratan Sen assures an insecure Nagmati that as his first wife, she is still the most dear to him. Nagmati and Padmavati develop a rivalry of sorts, each vying for their husband's attention and love. Initially, Ratan Sen placates them by spending nights with them alternately, but then establishes peace by reprimanding them. After arriving in Chittor, the news of Padmavati's beauty reaches Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

. His demand that she is handed over to him is refused, whereupon he marches to and besieges Chittor. Alauddin captures Ratan Sen in a deceitful manner and takes him back to Delhi as a prisoner. Ratan Sen is later able to escape with his two faithful warriors - Gora and Badal. Shortly afterwards, Ratan Sen is defeated by deceit and killed in a battle against King Deopal of

Kumbhalgarh Kumbhalgarh (literally "Kumbhal fort") also known as the Great Wall of India is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, just about 48 km from Rajsamand city in the Rajsamand district of the Rajasthan state in western India. I ...

. Both Nagmati and Padmavati commit ''

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 ...

'' (the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

custom of mass self-immolation) along with other women of the fort after Ratan Sen's death to protect their honour from Alauddin Khilji, who successfully conquers Chittor Fort.

In popular culture

*Nagmati is portrayed by

Anupriya Goenka Anupria Goenka (born 29 May 1987) is an Indian actress and model who appears in Hindi and Telugu films. She first shot to fame in 2013 as the face of UPA government's ''Bharat Nirman''. Goenka made her on-screen debut with the 2013 Telugu film ...

in the Indian historical film ''

Padmaavat ''Padmaavat'' is a 2018 Indian period romantic action drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Based on the epic poem of the same name by Malik Muhammad Jayasi, it stars Deepika Padukone as Rani Padmavati, a Rajput queen known for ...

''. Jayasi in his Padmavat impressively illustrate the pain of separation of the Queen Nagmati in "''Nagmati Viyog Khand''", which is remarkable in Hindi literature.

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nagmati Mewar dynasty Legendary Indian people Indian queen consorts Indian female royalty History of Rajasthan