The internal strife within the Rajputs and their struggle for supremacy resulted in weakening of the unity between them. There were frequent conflicts among the Rajputs and their neighboring rulers. The foreign invaders took advantage of this situation. The most prominent among them were the Mughals. The Mughal Emperor- Akbar the Great chalked out a clever strategy to bring the region of Rajputana(the land of Rajputs) and Northern India under his control.
In order to gain the trust of the Rajput rulers, Akbar arranged matrimonial alliances. He also sought reconciliation with the hostile Rajputs after performing the matrimonial alliances. He himself married the Rajput princess- Jodha Bai who was the daughter of the Maharaja of Amber. He granted high offices to a large number of Rajput princes and this maintained very cordial relations with these Rajputs. Soon most of the Rajputs were transformed into friends of Akbar from adversaries and many of them surrendered their kingdoms to Akbar.
However all Rajput rulers were not ready to accept Akbar’s dominance and preferred to remain independent. One such ruler was Raja Uday Singh of Mewar, who founded the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. He never accepted Akbar’s supremacy and was at constant war with Akbar. Akbar forcefully seized Chitttor, his capital. After his death, this struggle was continued by his son – Rana Pratap, the valiant Rajput rana (king) whose tales of sacrifice and fearlessness is known to all. He fought a terrible battle with Akbar at the Haldighati pass where he was defeated and wounded and fled for his life. Mewar, which was one of the most pre-eminent kingdoms of Rajasthan, now passed in the hands of Akbar. Since then Rana Pratap remained in recluse for 12 years and attacked the Mughal ruler from time to time. He fought valiantly throughout his life never ceded his independence to the Mughal ruler.
The traditional sacrifice and the self-respect of the Rajput women are also worth mentioning while discussing the imperial rule of Rajasthan during the medieval epoch. When the Rajput rulers were forced to surrender their kingdoms to other invaders, the Rajput women in order to protect their chastity and self-respect used to light up a pyre and together they used to jump into the fire thus sacrificing and ending their own lives. This custom of collective sacrifice was known as Jauhar. Their individual self- respect was more important than their lives.
In this medieval era around 1200 AD, the major regions of Rajasthan such as Nagaur, Ajmer and Ranthanbhor came under the Muslim hegemony. With the decline of the Mughal dominion, the Marathas strengthened their power over Rajasthan. Finally at the outset of the 19th century, the Pindaris gained control over the entire region.
Other great heroes of the Rajput dynasty during the medieval period were Bhappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha and Prithviraj Chauhan. Prithviraj Chauhan fought a brave battle against the foreign invader Muhammad Ghori and defeated him in the great battle of Tarain (1191).
In fact all these audacious Rajput warriors epitomized the vigor and valiance of the Rajput dynasty. Their feats of heroism and excellence are still resounded in the fabulous folklores, dance and music of this illustrious land of chronicles. The grand palaces and the majestic forts of Rajasthan bear witness to the illustrious rule of the Rajput rulers during the medieval era.
