16 
THE MODERN LITERARY HISTORY OF HINDUSTAN. 
came to the throne in A.H. 947 (A.D. 1540), was then the ruling 
king. 927 is therefore probably incorrect for 947. 
The outline of the story of Padmawat is as follows:—There was 
a king named Ratari Sen , of Chitaur, who was informed by a parrot 
of the great beauty of Padmawat or PadminJ, daughter of the king 
of Sirjghal Dip (Ceylon). He journeyed to Ceylon as a mendicant, 
married her there, and returned with her to Chitaur. After this one 
Rag ho, a dismissed astrologer of Eatan’s court, informed Alau’d-dln 
Khiljl, then reigning at Dilll, of the great beauty of Pad mini. 
Alau’d-dln in consequence attempted, but unsuccessfully, to capture 
Chitaur in order to obtain possession of her. He nevertheless, by 
a stratagem succeeded in capturing Ratan’s person, and held him as a 
hostage for her surrender. During her husband’s imprisonment 
proposals of an insulting nature were made to her by one Deb Pal, 
Eaja of Kambhal’ner, which she repelled with scorn. Eatan was 
subsequently released from his dungeon by the valour of two heroes, 
Gbra and Badal, the former being killed fighting bravely in the battle 
which ensued. As soon as Eatan was again seated on his throne, he 
attacked Kambhal’ner in revenge for the insult offered to his wife, and 
killed Deb Pal. He was, however, himself sorely wounded, and only 
arrived at Chitaur in time to die. His two wives Padminl and 
Uag'mati became sail for him, and while their ashes were still warm 
the advance guard of Alau’d-dln’s army appeared at the gates of the 
city. It was nobly defended by Badal, who fell fighting in the 
gate, but was finally taken and sacked, “and Chitaur became Islam.” 
In the final verses of his work the poet says that it is all an allegory. 
By Chitaur he means the body of man; by Ratan Sen the soul; by the 
parrot the guru or spiritual preceptor; by Padminl wisdom; by 
Rag ho Satan; by Alau’d-dln delusion, and so on. 
The story of the Padmawat is founded on the historical facts of the 
siege of Chitaur, which is described by Tod [Rajasthan i, 262 (Calc. ed. 
i, 281), and ft]. The substance is as follows :— Lakam’si, the minor king 
of Chitaur , came to the throne A.D. 1275. His uncle Bhim’si ruled 
during his minority. He had espoused Padminl, the daughter of 
Hammir Saykh (Chauhan ), of Ceylon. Alau’d-din besieged the city 
in order to obtain possession of her, and after a long and fruitless 
siege he restricted his desire to a mere sight of her extraordinary 
beauty, and acceded to the proposal of beholding her through the 
medium of mirrors. Eelying on the faith of the Eaj’put he entered 
Chitaur, slightly guarded, and having gratified his. wish returned. 
