Ancestry and Early Life

Maharana Kumbha was the son of Rana Mokul. Rana Mokul, who obtained the throne by Chonda’s surrender of his birthright, succeeded in 1398, and reigned worthily for twenty years.

He took possession of Sambhar and its salt lakes, and otherwise strengthened and extended his territories, which the distracted state of the country, consequent on Timur’s invasion, rendered a matter of little difficulty.

Rana Mokul angered his uncle,  the natural brothers of his father, Chacha and Mera who raised doubt on irregularity of their origin. Soon his uncles murdered Rana Mokul. Lack of support, however, caused Chacha and Mera to flee and Maharana Kumbha ascended the throne of Mewar in 1433.

War with Malwa and Gujarat

Maharana Kumbha’s military achievements were many; but the most famous of them was his defeat of the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat.

It was towards the close of the Khilji dynasty that the satraps of Delhi began to shake off the imperial yoke, and to establish themselves as independent rulers. Bijapur and Golconda in the Dekhan, and Jaunpur, Malwa, and Gujarat in Western India became independent and distinct kingdoms. The two latter had attained considerable power when Kumbha ascended the throne, and in the year 1440 they formed a league against him and invaded his kingdom.

The Rana met them on the plains of Malwa bordering on his own state. Maharana Kumbha utterly defeated the invader, and carried Mahmud, the Khilji sovereign of Malwa, to Chittor.

Maharana Kumbha confined Mahmud for six months in Chittor. Babar in his auto biography noted that he recovered the crown of the Malwa king from son of Rana Sanga.

Maharana Kumbha

Rana Kumbha build Vijay Stambha in order to commemorate his resounding victory over the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat in 1440 AD. Vijay Stambha is 9 storey high(37 Meter) which was completed in 1448 CE.

Attack on Mewar from all Side

In 1455, Mahmud Khalji of malwa and new sultan Qutbuddin of Gujarat then reached an agreement (treaty of Champaner) to attack Mewar and divide the spoils. Qutbuddin captured Abu, but his advance to Chittor was blocked as he failed to capture Kumbhalgarh.

Maharana Kumbha allowed the army to approach Nagaur. When he came out, and after a severe engagement, inflicted a crushing defeat on the Gujarat army, annihilating it. Only remnants of it reached Ahmadabad, to carry the news of the disaster to the Sultan.

Soon Mahmud Khalji captured Ajmer and in December 1456, conquered Mandalgarh. Taking advantage of Kumbha’s preoccupation, Rao Jodha (the son of Ranmal Rathore) captured Mandore. It is a tribute to Maharana Kumbha’s skills that he was able to defend his kingdom against this multi-directional attack. In 1458, Qutbuddin Ahmad Shah II of Gujarat died. Later the hostilities between Mahmud Begada (the new ruler of Gujarat) and Mahmud Khalji allowed Rana Kumbha to recapture his lost territories.

Maharana Kumbha successfully defended Mewar. Even though Mahmud Khalji of Malwa, Qutbuddin Ahmad Shah II of Gujarat Sultanate, Shams Khan of Nagaur and Rao Jodha of Marwar surrounded his kingdom, he manged to expannd his territories.

Maharana Kumbha the builder of Medieval Mewar

Maharana Kumbha build 32 new fortress in Mewar. Modern historian credited him as builder medieval state of Mewar.

Inferior only to Chittor, the chief citadel of Mewar, is the fort of Kumbhalgarh, built by Kumbha. It is the highest fort in Rajasthan. This stronghold occupies the top of a lofty and precipitous hill, rising to a height of more than 3,000 feet above the sea. A massive wall, with numerous towers and pierced battlements encloses a space some miles in extent below. The ascent is very narrow, and four gateways have to be passed before the entrance to the fortress can be reached.

The battlements of the Fort rose towards  the summit of the hill, which is crowned with the Badal Mahal, or” cloud-capped palace” of the Ranas. He also built a citadel on the peak of Abu, where he often resided.

Its magazine and alarm-tower still bear his name ; and in a rude temple the bronze effigies of Kumbha and his father receive divine honours.

A temple erected in the Sadri pass, and one of the largest buildings existing. The granite columns 40 feet in height supported the Temple which consists of three stories. The interior is inlaid with mosaics of cornelian and agate.

Cultural Achievement of Maharana Kumbha

Maharana Kumbha also attained some fame as an author, his principal work being a commentary on the Gita Govinda, or u Divine Melodies.”

Mira Bai was the wife of Rana Maharana Kumbha. She was a Rathor princess. Mira Bai was famed for her beauty and piety. She wrote many  odes and hymns to the deity Lord Krishna.

A column, the building of which occupied ten years, commemorates this victory. The prowess of Kumbha who saved his country when “shaking the earth, the lords of Gujur-khand and Malwa, with armies overwhelming as the ocean, invaded Medpat.”Khumbho occupied the throne for half a century, and his reign was the most glorious in the history of Mewar. An assassin cut short his life.

In a patricide, Udaysimha (Udai Singh I) killed his father Rana Kumbha. His achievements, however, continue to inspire successive generations of Indians.

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