Lioness of the Himalayas
Karnavati the Great, Invincible Rani of Garhwal
1631, the kingdom was in mourning. Raja Mahipat Shah, the Lion of Garhwal, had become a martyr in the 9 year long war with Kumoun. He left behind a seven year old son — now king, the precious metal mines of the mountains, and hungry enemies on all sides sniffing blood. The city of Srinagar cried for a hero. Their answer came in the form the king’s widow — a heroine for the ages. A Lioness who prowled the mountains for decades, her name became Legend. An inspiration for every underdog who is down for the count, but refuses to give up. She etched her name with sword and blood into the monument of history. She was Karnavati the Great.
Compatibility is an important element in every marriage. Luckily for Mahipat Shah, the Lion was marrying a Lioness. Karnavati was intelligent, always picking the right moment for her actions, and the right people to surround her. She was like a blade in the hands of a seasoned Veteran. Calculated, precise, strong, and elegant. Mahipat Shah was like a mace in the hands of a brawler. Brash, stubborn, powerful, and dread personified.
In 1624, just to punish a few Tibetan raiders Raja Mahipat laid waste to Western Tibet with an army of 12,000 Garhwali Rajputs. The very next year, he ripped apart the Mughal Emperor Jahangir's decree which declared Delhi’s rule over Garhwal. He was not the first nor the last to do it, but a little mountain kingdom telling the mighty Mughals to “Get Lost” was a titanic embarrassment for Delhi. This put the Garhwalis on a very long Hit List. The opportunity to act, and knock out this pesky mountain state came not long after.
Mahipat Shah died in battle against his eternal southern rival — the Kingdom of Kumoun. This left Garhwal with a seven year old king, a small tired army, and mines of gold, silver, and copper just waiting to be taken by any of the surrounding powers. Kumoun was the first to make their move, marching into southern Garhwal. Rani Karnavati was quick to action. Rallying a force of Rajputs and marching down south to end the almost decade long conflict with Kumoun in a stalemate. She then turned northwards towards her homeland of Himachal Pradesh. Sirmour was marching into the Jaunsur-Bhavar region of Garhwal, Karnavati once again displayed her resilience as she defeated the northern invasion. Then an old foe reared its head. Tibet invaded the eastern frontier, and Karnavati rushed to face the threat. Once again her campaign was successful, as she pushed back the Tibetans beyond her borders. Finally, came the most testing of trials, from beyond the mountains a tyrant sent forth his forces to capture Devabhoomi.
Shah Jahan dispatched a force of 30,000 lead by General Najabat Khan. The overwhelming Mughals marched into the home of Yoga — Rishikesh. Then they turned southwards towards the capital Srinagar. Accounts of Italian traveler Manucci describe what happened next. The queen allowed the Mughal forces to penetrate deep into the mountains, feigning retreat until the enemy sat at the doorsteps of Srinagar. This is when Karnavati launched her trap. She closed off all roads, cut off supply chains, and caught the Mughal army starving in the mountains.
Manucci writes, “they could neither advance any farther nor retreat, and there was no way of deliverance for them. Finding himself in this danger, the general sent proposals for peace negotiations.”
The queen refused, saying it was too late to retreat. A campaign of harassment and hysteria ravaged the Mughal camp. Starving, demoralized, and utterly defeated Najabat Khan pleaded with the queen for mercy. Karnavati sent him a simple condition for peace. As Laxman had cut off the nose of Shurpanakha in the Ramayana, Khan was to send her the nose of every single soldier, and officer, leave the mountains and never come back. Khan complied, sending his and the rest of his army’s noses to the Lioness, and then drank poison to avoid the embarrassment of retreating home with his nose cut off. This earned Karnavati the nickname “Nakti Rani” or Nak-Kaati-Rani.
After securing Garhwali independence, the queen turned towards dealing with matters of the realm. She laid the foundation for the city of Dehradun, the modern day capital of Uttarakhand by constructing the Rajpur canal, several monuments at Navada, and founding Karanpur. She oversaw an age of prosperity and multiculturalism in Garhwal, propelling the kingdom into its Golden Age. The Sanwari Granth mention her patronage of Tantric , Kalikula and Shrikula systems. She also held a “vidwat sabha” in Srinagar, consisting of scholars from Gujarat, Kashmir and Kerala. Her court had ministers from all communities of Garhwal to guide her decision making. Once her son came of age, she peacefully transitioned power to him, and remained his utmost advisor and sometimes served as a co-ruler of sorts. Thus, ensuring the golden age continued after her rule.
A girl from Kangra, widowed at an early age, with a child and kingdom to look after, adopted the Garhwali people as her own and became their cherished heroine. Women are often forgotten by history, or discredited for their accomplishment. However, Karnavati proved time and time again that she is one of the rare figures who truly deserves the title of “the Great.”
Hail to the Invincible Rani, the Lioness of the Himalayas, Karnavati the Great.
Sources
Kain, Kulbhushan. “Rani Karnavati – Invincible Queen of Garhwal.” Garhwal Post, 20 June 2021, garhwalpost.in/rani-karnavati-invincible-queen-of-garhwal/.
S, Sipahsalar. “Garhwal’s Rani Karnavati Panwar: Nak-Kati Rani.” Rajput Community Forum, 1 Apr. 2020, www.rajputcommunity.in/t/garhwals-rani-karnavati-panwar-nak-kati-rani/297.
