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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



mined to look at the Princess 5 reflection 

 in a mirror. Mis request was granted, 

 bill he somehow enticed Prince Bhemsi 

 into ambush, as hostage for the Princess. 

 Torn between honor and safety for the 

 prince, the Rajputs tried strategy, de- 

 vised, it is said, bv woman's wits. Word 



THE TOWER OE EAME AT CHITOR 



This is a solid mass of sculpture without an 

 inch of plain surface. The cupola, which was 

 struck by lightning, and the base have recently 

 been restored by the Maharana of Udaipur. 



was sent to Ala-n-din that Padmini 

 would be sent to him, but, as befitted her 

 rank, with all her maids and serving- 

 women. She, in her splendid dooli, fol- 

 lowed by 700 attendants, each supported 

 on the shoulders of four men, filed 

 slowly through the seven city gates down 

 to the Moslem camp. 



When Ala-u-din, exultant and arrayed 

 as a bridegroom, advanced to part the 

 curtains of the dooli containing his prize, 

 a shout went up, armed warriors tore off 

 enveloping women's veils and fell upon 

 the Moslems. In the confusion of the 

 sudden attack the royal pair made their 

 escape. 



THE WOMEN OE CHITOR CHOOSE DEATH 



Smarting with desire for revenge, 

 Ala-u-din swore by Allah to enslave 

 every woman in Chitor and lay the heads 

 of the proud Rajputs in the dust. He 

 increased his armies until they covered 

 the whole plain, the men working day and 

 night to raise a mound of earth to over- 

 top the city walls at the one weak spot 

 opposite the eastern gate, where the 

 ground rose slightly — a conspicuous ob- 

 ject to this day. They were paid first a 

 copper coin, then silver, and last a gold 

 piece for every basketful of earth. 



At last, when the city was doomed and 

 Ala-u-din with his guard was battering 

 down the inner gate, thousands of 

 women, princesses, and serving-maids, 

 all who were young and fair in Chitor on 

 that fatal day, veiled and wearing their 

 jewels, mounted in swift procession the 

 broad steps of the king's palace, then de- 

 scended to the vaulted chambers in the 

 rock foundations, where a low, iron- 

 clamped door swung open. 



One by one all passed through ; some 

 carried lighted torches, others bundles of 

 fagots. Last of all came Princess Pad- 

 mini, carrying the precious two-edged 

 sword of the Sun Born Kings. 



Flames leaped up, wreaths of smoke 

 curled outward ; . . . then the door 

 was shut and barred. 



