Naiki Devi, The Queen Who Defeated Muhammad Ghori

 Naiki Devi, The Queen Who Defeated Muhammad Ghori

Naiki Devi, a Goan princess who later became the Chalukya queen of Gujarat and defeated the powerful Muhammad Ghori on the battlefield, is one of these unsung warrior ladies.

Here is the hitherto unreported account of how Naiki Devi made history.

The Ghaznavids in Afghanistan had just been vanquished by Muhammad Shahabuddin Ghori, a young Ghurid prince (whose royal name was Mu'izzuddin). He conducted successful incursions far inside Indian territory, something Alexander's armies, the Persians, the Arabs, and even Mahmud of Ghazni were not able to do.

The states of Multan and the citadel of Uch were the targets of Muhammad Ghori's first incursions. He turned southward towards the southern Rajputana and Gujarat after taking Multan and Uch. Anhilwara Patan, a rich fortified town, was his intended target.

Anhilwara Patan, the capital of the Chalukya (also known as the Solankis), who succeeded the Chapotkatas, was founded by Vanraj of the Chapotkata dynasty in the eighth century. The old citadel, with a population of about 100,000, was the tenth-largest city in the world in the year 1000, according to American historian Tertius Chandler.

When Ghori besieged Anhilwara, Mularaja-II, who had succeeded his father Ajayapala to the throne as a child, was in power.

In reality, though, it was his mother Naiki Devi who assumed the role of queen regent.

Interestingly, Ghori had been optimistic in capturing Anhilwara because of this precise aspect because he believed a woman and a child would not put up much of a fight. He'd quickly discover the contrary.

Naiki Devi, who was the Kadamba monarch of Goa's daughter, was skilled in all facets of statecraft, including cavalry, swordplay, military strategy, and diplomacy. She took charge of the Chalukyan force and poured herself into organising a well-planned resistance to the invading army, unfazed by the prospect of Ghori's impending onslaught.

Additionally, Naiki Devi dispatched ambassadors to establish vital alliances and appeal for support from neighbouring regions, especially Prithviraj Chauhan. However, she did obtain assistance from Chalukyan feudatories including the heads of the Naddula Chahamana clan, Jalor Chahamana clan, and Arbuda Paramara clan despite the fact that these countries declined to grant her request.

The smart Naiki Devi carefully designed a war strategy that would balance the odds after realising that this wouldn't be adequate to fight the enormous hordes of enemy soldiers. She decided to stage the battle in the rough terrain of Gadaraghatta, a region close to the village of Kasahrada (in the present-day Sirohi district) at the base of Mount Abu.

The invading army of Ghori was unfamiliar with the small hill passes of Gadaraghatta, which gave Naiki Devi a significant edge and allowed her to balance the odds in one brilliant stroke. The courageous warrior queen rode into the battle while holding her son on her lap when Ghori and his army eventually made it to Kasahrada. She then led her warriors in a powerful counteroffensive. The result was a rout.

The invasion force that had previously defeated the great sultans of Multan in battle was routed in the ensuing fight (known as the battle of Kasahrada) by the outnumbered Chalukyan army and its troop of war elephants.

Ghori, facing a crushing defeat, retreated with a few bodyguards. He was humiliated, and he never again attempted to take over Gujarat. Instead, he focused on the more exposed Punjab, planning to penetrate north India by the Khyber Pass the following year.

It's interesting to note that Mahmud of Ghazni and Alexander the Great both travelled along this route. Timur (Tamurlane), who later conquered northwest India in 1383, and his descendant Babur, who established the Mughal empire in India in 1526, both followed the same route.

Regarding the Battle of Kasahrada, it is highly possible that India's history would have changed significantly if the tenacious queen of the Chalukyas had not taken the lead. It's interesting to note that both Chalukyan inscriptions and the state chroniclers of Gujarat make multiple allusions to Naiki Devi's victory.

For instance, the writings of Gujarati poet Someshwara describe how the army of "Bala" Mularaja (the child monarch) overcame the Turkish ruler and routed the foreign army. In his Sukrita-Kirti-Kallolini, another poet, Udayaprabha Suri, claims that Naiki Devi's army beat the Hammira (the Sanskrit name for the Emir) and his mlechchha army, whose men were fully clothed to defend themselves.

In addition, a Chakukyan inscription from the time of Bhima II (Mularaja II's brother and successor) claims that during the rule of Bala Mularaja, even a woman could beat the Hammira.

A Persian chronicle from the 13th century, Minhaj-i-Siraj, also recounts the Chalukyan triumph in his narrative. He claimed that Muhammad of Ghor travelled through Uchchha and Multan on his way to Nahrwala (Anhilwara). Although he was a relatively youthful king, the Rae of Nahrwala oversaw a sizable army that included war elephants.

"The army of Islam was defeated and put to rout" in the next conflict, forcing the invading king to retreat without having achieved anything.

The invader's defeat is also mentioned by the 16th-century author Badauni, who claims that he fled to his homeland with much difficulty.

The most thorough account of the Battle of Kasahrada, however, may be found in the writings of Jain chronicler Merutunga, who lived in the 14th century. He relates how Naiki Devi battled the mlechchhas at Graghaa and defeated their chief.

The renowned Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi, Rani Tarabai of the Marathas, and Rani Chennamma of Kittur are on par with Naiki Devi's unwavering tenacity and unbreakable spirit as one of the fiercest women in Indian history. Yet there isn't much in the history books about her or her remarkable tale. This needs to change.

TBI Trivia: The Rani ka Vav stepwell can be found near Anhilwara, the capital of Naiki Devi and the location of modern-day Patan. The meticulously designed monument, which was created in the 11th century for her husband King Bhimdev I of the Chalukya (Solanki) dynasty, is a subterranean water storage system.

It includes seven levels of stairs, more than 500 major sculptures, and more than a thousand lesser sculptures on its panelled walls, and was created in the Maru-Gurjara style as an inverted temple to emphasise the holiness of water!