Siege of Siwana

In 1308, the Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji captured the Siwana fort located in present-day Rajasthan, India.

Quotes

• ‘What to say of those sinners (Turks) and their deeds! They killed cow and placing a machine (yantra) over the pile of bags, they flung the dead cow into the waters of the pond.'*"
  At dawn, when young women went to the pond to fill their pitchers, they found that the water, always clean and clear, looked ruddy,'? and head of a cow was floating above the surface of the water. The water being polluted, no one even brushed his teeth near the pond or washed his face, nor the Panihd@rins filled their pitchers.'*? Soon people flocked to the pond to have alook and were deeply pained on seeing the sorry sight. Water is after all the mainstay of this universe, the maintainer of all life.“ Even the high and mighty Ranas and Rais cannot live without it even for a moment. So thought Satala and then sent forhis queens. When they had arrived, he asked them as to what they might do now?'*5 The queens replied:
  "Our Lord ! What is there to be thought now? "We all shall enter the Jauhar (Jamahari) fire! The Hindus regard cow as sacred, and its blood is in the water of the pond.' There is no hope left now for continuance of this life; we will not like to survive on this water in any case."
  • Padmanābha, ., & Bhatnagar, V. S. (1991). Kānhaḍade prabandha: India's greatest patriotic saga of medieval times : Padmanābha's epic account of Kānhaḍade. New Delhi: Voice of India.
  • 43-45

• The queens deeply thought over the situation and then sent a letter to Kanhadade. They wrote:'*”
  "The glorious kingdom of the Chauhans is all the more dearer to us today (when men here will fight to the last and we will enter the Jauhar fire).'“* By the time the letter reaches you, we will have performed Jauhar."
  And to the queens of Kanhadade-Umade, Kamalade, Jaitalde and Bhavala Devi'4°— Satala's queens wrote, dearly and touchingly:
  "What has befallen us today, you may perhaps also experience tomorrow, if such is the wish of God. Kindly continue your affection for us though time has come to take leave in this life. Bid us adieu till we meet again in the next life!"'”
  After this they delayed not. They dressed for the occasion, bedecking themselves with omaments and fineries. Large quantities of sandalwood were brought. Then their family members gathered to meet them for the final parting.'
  Such was the courage of the queens that they calmly entered the Jauhar fire, reciting the name of Lord Rama, while hot tears trickled down from the eyes of their most near and dear ones.
  • Padmanābha, ., & Bhatnagar, V. S. (1991). Kānhaḍade prabandha: India's greatest patriotic saga of medieval times : Padmanābha's epic account of Kānhaḍade. New Delhi: Voice of India.
  • 43-45