Ratnasimha
| Ratnasimha | |
|---|---|
| Rawal of Mewar | |
| Rana of Mewar | |
| Reign | 1302-1303 CE |
| Predecessor | Samarasimha |
| House | Guhilas of Medapata |
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 Chittorgarh). The last ruler of this branch, he was defeated by Alauddin Khilji in 1303 CE.
He is also known as Ratan Singh in vernacular legends. Ratan Sen, a fictionalized version of him, appears in Malik Muhammad Jayasi's Padmavat. According to this poem, Alauddin attacked Chittorgarh to obtain his beautiful wife Rani Padmini. Although Alauddin captured the fort after killing him, Padmini and other women committed mass suicide to avoid falling in the enemy hands.
Ratnasimha succeeded his father Samarasimha as the Guhila ruler of Medapata around 1302 CE. He belonged to the Rawal branch of the family, which ruled from Chitrakuta fort (now known as Chittorgarh).
Ratnasimha is attested by the 1302 CE Dariba temple inscription. A few coins issued by him have also been discovered.
In 1303, Alauddin Khilji, the Muslim ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, defeated Ratnasimha.
The earliest records of the 1303 siege of Chittor are by the Muslim chroniclers Amir Khusrau and Barani. Khusrau accompanied Alauddin during the campaign, and described it in his Khaza'in ul-Futuh, which was written sometime after 1310 CE. According to Khusrau, on 28 January 1303, Sultan Alauddin Khilji left the Siri Fort to capture Chittor. After reaching the foot of the Chittor hill, two wings of his army attacked the fort from two different sides. After two months of unsuccessful siege, the attackers pelted stones on the fort using minjaniqs (mangonels), but still failed to capture the fort. Finally, on 26 August 1303, the invaders managed to enter the fort. The Rai (the ruler of Chittor) came out of the fort, and surrendered. Alauddin conferred "royal mercy" upon him, but ordered all other Hindus to be "cut down like dry grass": 30,000 Hindus were killed in a day as a result of this order.
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