Question

Akbar defeated the Rani Durgavati of ___.
A) Bijapur
B) Jhansi
C) Gondwana
D) Surat

Answer 1

Hint: Jalal-ud-din Abu'l-Fath Muhammad Akbar, usually known as Akbar I or Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, reigning from 1556 until 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, as emperor of India, with the support of a regent, Bairam Khan, who assisted the young emperor in expanding and consolidating Mughal holdings throughout India.

Complete answer:
From 1550 to 1564, Rani Durgavati was the Queen of Gondwana. At the fort of Kalinjar, she was born into the house of Chandel Rajput king Keerat Rai. Rani Durgavati's successes only added to the fame of her ancestors' bravery and support.

Dalpat Shah died in 1550, and Durgavati assumed control of the Gond kingdom due to Vir Narayan's youth. Diwan Beohar Adhar Simha and Minister Man Thakur assisted the Rani in successfully managing the administration. In place of Singorgarh fort, Rani relocated her capital to Chauragarh. It was a strategically important fort on the Satpura hill range.

Shuja I Khan captured Malwa after Sher Shah's death, and his son Baz Bahadur replaced him in 1556. Baz assaulted Rani Durgavati after coming to the throne, but the onslaught was repelled.

In 1562, Akbar defeated the Malwa monarch Baz Bahadur and captured Malwa, establishing it as a Mughal province. As a result, the Rani's state border crossed the Mughal Empire. When the Rani learned of Asaf Khan's onslaught, she resolved to defend her country with all her might. After her Faujdar Arjun Das was slain in combat, the Rani chose to take command of the defence herself. Vir Narayan, her son, also fought in this war. He pushed the Mughal army to retreat three times before being wounded and having to retreat to a safe location.

During the struggle, an arrow struck Rani near her ear, severely injuring her. She lost consciousness after another arrow hit her neck. She realised she was about to lose when she regained consciousness.
So, Akbar defeated the Rani Durgavati of Gondwana.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: In her honour, the Madhya Pradesh government renamed the University of Jabalpur Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya in 1983. On June 24, 1988, the Indian government released a postage stamp mourning her death. The Durgavati Express runs between Jabalpur Junction and Jammutawi, it is named after the Queen.