Padmavat
सुमिरि रूप पदमावति केरा । हँसा सुआ, रानी मुख हेरा ॥
(नागमती-सुवा-संवाद-खंड)
"Who is more beautiful, I or Padmavati?,
Queen Nagamati asks to her new parrot, and it gives a displeasing reply…";
An illustrated manuscript of Padmavat, c. 1750
Padmavat or Padmawat (Hindi: पद्मावत) is an epic poem written in 1540 by Malik Muhammad Jayasi in the Awadhi language. It is the first important work in Awadhi.[1]
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[edit] Theme
This epic poem is a fictionalized version of the historic siege of Chittor by Alauddin Khilji in 1303 AD, who attacks Chittor after hearing of the beauty of Queen Rani Padmini, the wife of King Rawal Ratan Singh.[1]
According to Jayasi, Chitor stood for body, Raja for mind, Ceylon for heart, Padmini for wisdom and Alauddin for lust.
Jayasi imagined Padmavat as the world and the ruler as desire. The whole story was built around this figment of imagination.
Some part of the work is dedicated to Sher Shah (1486–1545).
[edit] Cultural influence
The poem is the ultimate source of Albert Roussel's opera Padmâvatî (1923).
[edit] See also
- Padmâvatî, an opera by Albert Roussel
[edit] References
- ^ a b Meyer, William Stevenson; Burn, Richard; Cotton, James Sutherland; Risley, Herbert Hope (1909). "Vernacular Literature". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 2. Oxford University Press. pp. 430–431. http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V02_465.gif. Retrieved 2009–04–06.
