The story of Padmavati, the queen Khilji lusted after

Queen Padmavati had an interesting life. Find out more about her here. Photo Courtesy: Facebook

What's one thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Padmavati?' Probably Deepika Padukone. And her unibrow in the poster of the upcoming film Padmavati.  Phew! This is one movie we all are eagerly waiting for. After all, the controversies surrounding the film have only made it more interesting. Even to those who hated history in school.

Now, you may have read about Queen Padmavati aka Padmini in your textbooks, but you probably don't remember any of it. We don't blame you. Neither do we. So, aren't you tiny bit intrigued about who the woman really was?  And what was it that made everyone so crazy about her?

Did Padmavati Really Exist?

This is the baap of all questions. Was she a real person or just a poem written long, long ago? Since we really weren't there to verify this, we will see what historians have to say about it.

Some say, Padmavati was nothing but a poem called Padmavat. And it was written by poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540. Okay, interesting. Let's find out more:

Written in Awadhi, this poem talks about Al-ud-Din Khilji. This man attacked Chittor in 1303 CE in hopes of conquering it. Not because he wanted the kingdom for political gains. Na, na. Turns out, he was obsessed with the queen. And he wanted her all to himself. But why, you ask? Well, because she was hauntingly beautiful. Yup, so beautiful that Mr. Khilji declared war on Chittor. But, that's what the poem says.

Was she a real person or just a poem written long, long ago? Photo Courtesy: Facebook

Some Believe the Tale of Padmavati Is True

If you ever go to Rajasthan, you will get to hear a lot of folk songs about Padmavati. And all of them have been adapted from a Rajput version of Padmavat. A special tale called Gora Badal Padmini Chaupai states it all was real. Meaning Padmavati did exist.

According to Hemratan's Gora Badal Padmini Chaupai, Gora and Badal were legendary warriors from Chittorgarh, Mewar. Mr. Khilji attacked Chittor and captured Padmavati's husband Ratan Sen. Basically, Khilji being a smartass that he was, wanted Padmavati in ransom. But, the duo devised a plan to free their king. Unfortunately, the plan did not work.

A special tale called Gora Badal Padmini Chaupai states it all was real. Photo Courtesy: Indiafacts

The Interesting Life of Padmavati

Before going in further, let's see who Padmavati really was. Jayasi describes her as the daughter of Ghandharv Sen, the king of Singhal kingdom. Interestingly, Singhal is now present day Sri Lanka. Anyhow, Padmani or Padmavati (whatever you wish to call her) was a woman of beauty.

Also, she had a talking parrot called Hira-mani. Apparently, she was too fond of her pet. But, her dad, Mr. Sen, was not very happy about it. So, he ordered to get the bird killed. But, the smart parrot flew away to save his life. Later, he got captured by a bird catcher, who sold it to a Brahmin. Long story short, the Brahmin brought the bird to Chittor.

Padmini and Ratan Sen got hitched. Good for them! Photo Courtesy: Facebook

There King Ratan Sen purchased the bird and was impressed with its description of Padmini's beauty. Super happy, he reached Singhal. There, after he could not meet Padmini, he decided to attack the kingdom. Unfortunately, he lost and got captured. The poor fellow was about to get killed, when a royal poet revealed to Padmini's dad that Ratan Sen was the king of Chittor.

Daddy dearest was happy with the match and Padmini and Ratan Sen got hitched. Good for them!

But, then came a twist…

The Tragic End

Going by Hemratan's version, "Once when Ratan Sen and Padmini were making love, a Brahmin named Raghav Vyas accidentally interrupted them. Fearing Ratan Sen's anger, he escaped to Delhi, where he was received honourably at the court of Al-ud-Din Khilji. When he learned about the existence of beautiful padmini women on the island of Singhal, he set out on an expedition to Singhal."

"However, soon Mr Khilji learned that the only padmini woman on the mainland was Padmavati. So, he gathered an army of 2.7 million soldiers, and attacked Chittor. He deceitfully captured Ratan Sen, after having caught a glimpse of Padmini," it continues.

Al-ud-Din Khilji captured Ratan Sen, after having caught a glimpse of Padmini. Photo Courtesy: Facebook

Queen Padmavati's Death

It's unfortunate what happened to the lovely couple, but more bad luck awaited them.

People, this piece of information comes from a compiled version of legends in the book Annals and Antiquities of Rajas'han. It was written by British writer James Tod in the 19th century.

So, coming back to the story. After Ratan Sen was captured and killed by Mr. Khilji, Padmini along with other women in the fort decided to commit mass suicide. Instead of allowing the lustful Mughal ruler to go ahead with his evil plans, the queen along with the other women jumped into fire--committing jauhar.

How Padmini died is a topic of debate too. Photo Courtesy: Facebook

Though, how Padmini died is a topic of debate too. For instance, Jayasi states that she sat on the funeral pyre of her husband while the rest of the women committed jauhar.

Sad.

So, with that ended the sad tale of rani Padmavati. Nonetheless, this tragic tale is sure to mint millions at the box office. And we are more than excited to see Deepika and Ranveer come together for this magna opus.