3) When and why did the Rajput wives (Rajputani) perform "Jauhar”?
Answers
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The fabled and now controversial Rani Padmavati, the woman who protected the honour of the Rajputs after the siege of Chittor in 1303, did so by committing jauhar – or jumping into a pit of fire to avoid being raped and captured by the invading army.
Rajputs’ strong sense of honour made Padmavati take the drastic step of self-immolation, so that the victory of Alauddin Khilji, the powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, would have been a hollow one, for there would be no royal women left for him and his army to enslave.
Being captured and raped by enemies was unconscionable to Rajput women, who upon getting word that their armies had lost, would voluntarily jump into flames and commit jauhar to avoid capture. Historians have even touted the practice as being a precursor to the practice of sati, as Margaret P Battin noted in her book Ethics of Suicide.
The practice was common among the Rajputs, who were known to place honour higher than the value of their own lives.
The wives of the warriors would take their children and jump into the fire after being faced with defeat. It’s also believed that the women would don their bridal attire before stepping into the flames.
The term jauhar is the loose Arabic translation of the Persian word jivhar, which means gem, jewel and merit, as noted by John S Hawley in his book Sati, the Blessing and the Curse.
Women chose to burn themselves for the sake of preserving royal lineage and defending territory, as Hawley also noted in his book. Fire is also a symbol associated with purity, which is why these rituals were performed.