Printed by Chandmal Chandak, Manager, at the Vedic Yantralaya, Ajmer. Maharana Kumbha Sovereign, Soldier, Scholar. BY HAR B1LAS SARDA, M. L. A., M. B. A. S. London, F. R. S. L. London, F. S. S. London, F. S. S. Boston America. AND AUTHOR OF HINDU SUPERIORITY MAHARANA SANGA AJMER HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE HAMMIHA OF RANTO 1932. VEDIC YANTRALATA, AJMER. a4U Rights Reserved. TO HINDUPATI. ARYAKHAND BHASHKARA, Sriman Mukatmani, Medpateshwara, CHHATRAPATI, RAJ RAJESHWARA, His Highness Maharaja Dhiraj Maharana Sahib Shri ing ji OF UDAIPURi THIS SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS OF HIS GREAT ANCESTORS, The Ever Victorious Maharana Kumbha, is BY KIND PERMISSION, DEDICATED. CONTENTS, PAGE. DEDICATION v LIST or ILLUSTRATIONS ix CORRIGENDA xi BIBLIOGRAPHY xiii FOREWORD xxv Chapter. I THE GUHILOT FAMILY OF MEW AR 1 II RANA KHSHETBA SINGH AND LAKSH SINGH ... 4 ITT MAHARANA MORAL 23 IV KUMBHA ASCENDS THE THRONK 35 V RISE FALL OF THE KINGDOMS OF GUJRAT MALWA 42 VI MAHARANAS CONQUEST OF MALWA AND CAPTURE OF SULTAN MAHMUD KHILJI 49 VII ASSASSINATION OF RAO RAN MAL AND MAHARANAS OCCUPATION OF MARWAR 58 VTII RAO JODHA RECOVERS MARWAR 69 IX CONQUEST OF ABU AND HARATATI 77 X WAR WITH THE SULTANS OF MALWA AND GUJRAT. 85 XI DEATH OF MAHARANA KUMBHA 107 XTT KUMBHAS ACHIEVEMENTS 113 XIII KUMBHAS MONUMENTS 120 XIV KUMBHA AS A SCHOLAR 163 XV INSCRIPTIONS AND COINS 169 XYI KUMBHA AS A SOVEREIGN 189 APPENDIX TEXTS OF INSCRIPTIONS 205 INDEX 225 ILLUSTRATIONS. To face page 1. Maharana Kumbha .. 2. H. H. Maharana Sahib Sir Bhopal Singhji Bahadur, G. C. S. I., of Udaipur. v 3. Piohola Lake and Jag Mandir 9 4. and Udaipur 10 5. Rawat Ghonda ...... 21 6. Rao Ran Mai ...... 25 7. Rao Jodha ......... ,, 69 8. Kumbhalgarh ...... ,, 125 9. Katargarh and the Vedi ... ,, 131 10. Fortress of Chitor ...... ,, 137 11. Tower of Victory, Chitot ... 139 . 12. Temple of Ranpur ...... 147 18. Eklingji ........ 155 14. Maharana Pratap ...... 198 --This text refers to the Paperback edition.