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Raslila, an Indian sacred dance devoted to Krishna, Radha and the Gopies.
Rasora, the Royal Kitchen in the City Palace, Udaipur, built by Maharana Karan Singh II. The Central Office of the Mewar Palace organisation now occupies the building. The kitchen was large enough to feed a fortress, and contained large eating halls. Food for seven hundred of the Maharana's court was prepared daily-and this was for only the King and his ministers and guests. Food for the personal servants of the prince, or female establishments, was prepared separately.
Rastha Shayana: see DURGA.
Ratan Singh. Apart from Rawal Ratan Singh I and Maharana Ratan Singh II, there were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Amargadh (Kanawat); Bassi (Choondawat); Boheda (Saktawat); Gurlan (Chauhan); Karoi (Ranawat); Kurabad (Choondawat); Mangrop (Purawat); Parsoli (Chauhan); Roopnagar (Solanki); Salumbar (Choondawat); Tana (Jhala); and Rawat Ratan Singh, grandson of CHOONDA, who fought with distinction in the 1527 Battle of KHANWA but refused to wear the royal insignias when Maharana Sangram Singh I was wounded (see SALUMBAR). The most infamous person bearing this name, apart from Maharana Ratan Singh II, was Kunwar RATAN SINGH, the Pretender.
Ratan Singh I, Rawal (d. 1303, Chittor), forty-second ruler of Mewar (r. 1302-1303); succeeded Rawal SAMAR SINGH and ruled briefly from Chittor. In Mewar's most famous legend, his main wife was the famous Rani PADMINI (whose name does not appear in any historical record, nor that they, or indeed Ratan himself, had any children). Ratan Singh, who died defending Chittor against Ala-ud-Din Khilji (see CHITTOR, 1ST SACK), was eventually succeeded by a relative of the Sisodia branch of the family, HAMIR SINGH I. Hamir adopted the Sisodia title of Rana, extending it to Maharana, thus making Ratan Singh I the final Rawal of the Mewar Dynasty.
Ratan Singh II, Maharana (d. 1531, Bundi), fifty-first ruler of Mewar (r. 1527-1531); second son (his elder brother Bhoj Raj had died in battle) and successor of his father, Maharana SANGRAM SINGH I (Sanga). His actual enthronement was February 5, 1528. He ruled from Chittor. Ratan's younger brothers were Vikramaditya and Udai Singh, both of whom would become successive Maharanas. An unpopular ruler, Ratan Singh managed to gain several enemies during his brief four-year reign, one of them being Prince Surajmal of the Hara clan of BUNDI. In a ploy to get rid of Surajmal, Ratan Singh led a party of warriors to the northern State. In the vicinity of the capital, he sent a message for the Prince to attend him. When Surajmal arrived, the Maharana's elephant was goaded into trying to crush him beneath its feet, but Surajmal was able to save himself. No doubt, the Maharana suggested the affair was an unfortunate accident, but Surajmal was on his guard. Shortly, the Maharana proposed a boar hunt, a favourite sport of Princes. During the hunt, the Maharana signalled Puranmal (one of his nobles) to attack Surajmal, but Puranmal was too frightened to do so. In anger, Ratan Singh attacked his enemy himself, severely wounding the Bundi prince in the head. Immediately, Puranmal forgot his fear and moved in on the wounded Surajmal for the kill, but the Bundi prince fought back. The Maharana acted quickly to save Puranmal, but Surajmal grabbed the reins of the Maharana's horse, preventing escape, and wielding a heavy broadsword, slashed at Ratan Singh, slicing him from neck to navel, and killing him instantly. Later, Prince Surajmal also died of his fatal head wound. As Ratan Singh had no heir, his younger brother, VIKRAMADITYA (II), succeeded him.
Note: History would repeat itself two hundred and forty-two years later. The much hated Maharana Ari Singh II went to Bundi to celebrate the spring festival. He agreed to attend a boar hunt with the heir to the Bundi throne, Prince Ajit Singh. During the hunt, the prince drove his spear into the Maharana's chest, killing him instantly. The official explanation was an accident, but many consider factions at Mewar's court had organised the assassination, using the Bundi heir to do the job.
Ratan Singh Palace (Mahal), Chittorgarh, (also known as Hinghlu Ahada's Palace), on the northwestern road leading to the fort's main entrance, Ram Pol. It is one in a complex of palaces in the area where, quite possibly, Maharana UDAI SINGH II lived before he quit Chittor. It is thought that Ratan Singh of Bundi, Udai's maternal uncle, used to live in these palaces that were named after him, and that Hinglu, an Ahar noble of Dungarpur, lived here before Ratan Singh.
Ratan Singh, Kunwar (The Pretender). In the latter half of the 16th century, Mewar had been ruined financially by the MARATHAS who had invaded and virtually taken over the kingdom. However, troubles soon began with a vengeance for the reigning monarch, Maharana ARI SINGH II (1761-1773). There was a famine in 1764. Four years later, a youth named Ratan Singh, supposedly a posthumous son of the late Maharana RAJ SINGH, made a determined bid for the throne of Mewar. The time was right for dissension: Maharana Ari Singh was hated for his galling behaviour, mainly by the major nobles at Court, the CHOONDAWATS, and for the belief that he had usurped the throne (it was rumoured that Ari Singh had poisoned his nephew, Raj Singh, in order to take the throne.) Immediately, the Choondawats rallied to support the young Pretender, although some say his parentage was not as he claimed and that he was more a convenient puppet of the disaffected clan. The other leading clan, the SAKTAWATS, pledged their support of Maharana Ari Singh. The Choondawats installed themselves and Ratan Singh in KUMBHALGARH, where the Pretender proclaimed himself the rightful Maharana of Mewar. Promising a huge reward, Ratan Singh invited the local Maratha Peshwa, SINDHIA, to help him in this rebellion. The lucrative commission was readily accepted. Another player then entered the scene: Zalim Singh, an astute Rajput chieftain, had been banished from Kota after a tense disagreement with that northern state's Prince over their mutual intentions towards a certain young lady. Zalim had taken up residence in Udaipur and had become an adviser to the Maharana. It was he who now advised Ari Singh to beat the Pretender at his own game, and hire the services of other Maratha commanders, again using the promise of substantial remuneration as bait. With this rather confused scenario in place, Mewaris and Marathas against Mewaris and Marathas, a deadly civil war erupted. During the following years, the wide-ranging battles themselves were equally convoluted. Ratan Singh's army captured a great part of the crown domain, even extending its hold into the valley of Udaipur. In turn, Maharana Ari Singh's army put up a resilient defence and saved the capital. Then, in 1773, Maharana Ari Singh was assassinated while hunting in Bundi (see ARI SINGH II, MAHARANA). With the much hated Ari Singh gone, the nobles no longer had need of a Pretender and they abandoned Ratan Singh. His cause, though weakened, was kept alive through the brief reign of Maharana HAMIR SINGH II (1773-1778) and into that of Maharana BHIM SINGH (1778-1828), but his insignificance eventually left him so unsupported that his death is not even recorded.
ratha, (Hindi) a monolithic shrine; also a temple chariot.
Rathasan: see DURGA.
Ratheshwari: see DURGA.
Rathor: see RATHORE.
Rathore, a Rajput clan to which the rulers of Jodhpur (Alirajpur, Bikaner, Idar, Jhabua, Kishangarh, Ratlam, Saliana, Sitamau) belonged.
Rati, in Hindu mythology, wife of Kama, the God of Love.
Ratna Singh: see RATAN SINGH.
Ratneshwar Lake, Chittorgarh; near Ratan Singh's Palace; built by Ratan Singh of Bundi. There is an old temple of Ratneshwar Mahadev on the western bank of the lake.
Rawal, the former title, similar to Raja or Maharaja, of the rulers of the Guhilot and early Mewar dynasties. Strictly speaking, a Rawal was landlord of a small estate, whereas a Maharawal was the ruler of the State. For the Mewar Dynasty's title changeover from Rawal to Maharana, see HAMIR SINGH I, MAHARANA.
Rawala (Rawla), (Hindi) the female apartments of the King or a feudal lord, also the residence of a feudal lord; in other words, a palace's harem or ZANANA, the latter being a Persian word introduced into India by the Muslim invaders.
Rawat, the title of a feudal lord, also Thakur, Rawal, Raj. See also RAJA.
Rawat Bagh Singh: see BAGH SINGH, RAWAT.
Rawat Bagh Singh Memorial (Chittorgarh): see BAGH SINGH MEMORIAL.
Rawla: see RAWALA.
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