Dalpat Shah
| Dalpat Shah | |
|---|---|
| Reign | ?–1550 |
| Predecessor | Sangram Shah (1482–1532) |
| Successor | Rani Durgavati (1550–1564) |
| Spouse | Rani Durgavati |
| Issue | |
| Dynasty | Garha Kingdom dynasty |
| Father | Sangram Shah (1482 –1532) |
Dalpat Shah was the 49th ruler of the Garha Kingdom, which controlled the Indian region of Gondwana. His reign was short, he died in 1550, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his able wife Rani Durgavati, acting as a regent for their son Vir Narayan.
Dalpat Shah was the son of Raja of Garha Mandla, Sangram Shah, the 48th and greatest ruler of the Garha Kingdom.[1]
Dalpat is best known as the husband of Rani Durgavati, one of the greatest Gond rulers in history[2], her bravery and for defending the kingdom against the forces led by Asaf Khan I sent by the mighty Mughal emperor Akbar.
Biography[]
Dalpat Shah was son of the 48th and greatest Gond ruler, Sangram Shah. He was said to be a brave lad with an outstanding personality.[3]
Durgavati was a skilled and beautiful princess of a minor branch of the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti which ruled at Mahoba, whose father was Keerat Rai or Shalivahan. Various tales describe why her father agreed to marry his daughter to a man of 'low' caste. A popular story says says that Durgavati had heard how brave and handsome Dalpat Shah was and sent him a private message, asking him to come and win her hand by defeating her father. Dalpat Shah obliged and invaded Mahoba in 1544 AD with 50,000 troops (the number is extremely unlikely to be accurate), defeated Shalivahan and won Durgavati's hand in marriage.[4][3][5] Other stories say that Sangram Shah wanted a high-born and beautiful princess like Durgavati as a bride for his son, matching his qualities as a part of his rise to high social status. Her father agreed, either because he gained a strong ally or because he was paid a large sum of money.[4]
Then Dalpat took Durgavati to Singhorgarh, the Gondi capital, and married her in c. 1542. He succeeded his father Sangram Shah as the king of Garha-Mandla.[6][1][7][4][7][8] Many tales also describe Dalpat as belonging to a high caste to make their marriage much more acceptable. According to Abul Fazl, Sangram Shah, who was childless, convinced one of his employees, Govind Das, a Kachhwaha Rajput, to let his wife give birth in the palace and claimed the child as his own, making Dalpat Shah of Rajput birth.[4]
In 1545,[4] they had a son named Vir Narayan. When the boy was only four, Dalpat Shah fell severely ill and died in 1550,[4], leaving the kingdom in the hands of his wife Durgavati, who would act as a regent on behalf of her son.[3]
References[]
- ^ a b Dikshit, R. K. (1976). The Candellas of Jejākabhukti. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 978-81-7017-046-4.
- ^ "Rani Durgavati: The Warrior Queen of the Gonds"
- ^ a b c Publications Division. Yojana January 2021 (English)(Special Edition). Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. p. 60.
- ^ a b c d e f Archana Garodia Gupta (20 April 2019). The Women Who Ruled India- Leaders. Warriors. Icons (Ebook). Hachette India. ISBN 9789351951537.
- ^ "Rani Durgavati: The Warrior Queen of the Gonds"
- ^ Sharma, Anima (2005). Tribe in transition : a study of Thakur Gonds (1st ed.). New Delhi: Mittal Publications. ISBN 9788170999898.
- ^ a b Datta, Saurav Ranjan. Goddesses of Fury: History’s Most Daring Queens. The Little Booktique Hub. ISBN 978-93-93209-19-1.
- ^ "The Gond kingdoms". downtoearth.
 | This article needs additional or more specific categories. (October 2020) |
- 16th-century Indian monarchs