Born: 5 October 1524, India
Died: 24 June 1564
Country most active: India
Also known as: NA
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
In 1524, Rani Durgavati was born in Kalinjar and would go on to rule as Queen of Gondwana from 1550 until her death. Her marriage to Dalpat Shah, son of King Sangram Shah of Gondwana, fostered an alliance between the Chandelas of Mahoba and the Rajgonds of the Garha-Mandla dynasties. After King Dalpat Shah’s death in 1550, Rani Durgavati assumed the throne in place of her minor son.
During her reign, Rani Durgavati strategically relocated the capital from Singorgarh fort to Chauragarh fort in the Satpura hill range. However, her kingdom faced a major challenge when in 1562 Akbar conquered Malwa, placing Rani Durgavati’s kingdom closer to the Mughal Empire.
Despite her advisor’s concerns about the strong Mughal forces, Rani Durgavati chose to defend her kingdom and positioned herself in Narrai, a location with hills on one side and the Gaur and Narmada rivers on the other. Her soldiers, though outnumbered and less equipped, fought valiantly. However, her decentralized kingdom structure posed challenges, as the monarch or local lords controlled fortress districts, and many villages were under these local lords, who also contributed soldiers and weapons during conflicts. The varying quality of soldiers and the influence of these lords over the army created difficulties in the battle against the Mughals.
Rani Durgavati initially considered guerrilla tactics but chose open combat. By the next morning, Mughal General Asaf Khan brought heavy artillery. Rani Durgavati, on her elephant Sarman, led the charge with her son, Crown Prince Vir Narayan. Although Prince Narayan repelled the Mughals multiple times, he was wounded and had to retreat. The Rani, hit by an arrow near her ear and another in her neck, lost consciousness. When she woke up, she realized defeat was inevitable. Refusing to leave, she took her own life on June 24, 1564, commemorated as “Balidan Diwas” in her honor.