500 Rupees India Govt. Mint 500th Birth Anniversary Of Rani Durgavati Commemorative Coin (Rs.500 Coin)

500 Rupees India Govt. Mint 500th Birth Anniversary Of Rani Durgavati Commemorative Coin (Rs.500 Coin)

Rani Durgavati, the descendant of the famous Chandela dynasty of Mahoba and the queen of the Gond Kingdom of Garha-Katanga, took on the might of the Mughal Empire with great courage and leadership. Durgavati was born on 5 October 1524 in Kalinjar, one of the most important forts of medieval India, which lies in the Banda district of the state of Uttar Pradesh. At the age of 18, she was married to Dalpat Shah the son of the Gond King Sangram Shah of Garh-Katanga, strengthening an alliance between the two royal families.

Rani Durgavati administered the Kingdom and took it to such high levels of prosperity that people paid taxes in gold coins and elephants. She constructed reservoirs such as the Ranital, Cherital and Adhartal, for the benefit of her people.

According to a contemporary Persian source, the Tarikh-i-Firishta, Durgavati repulsed Baz Bahadur, the ruler of Malwa, who had attacked her kingdom between 1555 and 1560. The Mughal Governor of Kara-Manikur, Asaf Khan, launched a completely unprovoked attack on Rani’s kingdom in 1564. Durgavati with her small force was able to defeat the Mughals and push back them atleast three times. However, the Mughals regrouperd with a strong contingent comprising 10,000 cavalry, infantry and artillery and overwhelmed her forces.

Abul Fazl wrote of Durgavati that she was a combination of beauty, grace and manlike courage and bravery. In 1983 the name of Jabalpur University was changed to Rani Durgavati University and a museum has been named after her. In 1988 a postage stamp was issued in her honour. In 2018, Indian Coast Guard commissioned the 3rd Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) called ‘ICGS Rani Durgavati’ at its district headquarters in Visakhapatnam. However, the most enduring memorial of the Rani is the collective memory of the people, where she has found a place of great regard. Her story has become a legend which forms the theme of songs and tales, through which she stays alive in the hearts of the people every day.

Source: Ministry of Culture

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