Among those many Kingdoms was a small but significant Kingdom of Jalore in Rajasthan which he could'nt append to his growing empire. It was during this time when Khilji was planning an attack on the King Karnade of Gujrat for Plundering,Looting his Kingdom&destroying the temples.
Khilji asked all Kingdoms in the path from Delhi to Gujarat to let his Army through the safe passage,to which all the Kingdoms agreed but one.
King Kanhadadev of Jalore didn't trust Khilji &he refused the safe passage anticipating the treacherous attack of Khilji on his Kingdom.
Out of desperation and disappointment Alauddin Khilji invited Kanhadadev to his court.
Kanhadadev however, sent his son Biram Dev. The Rajput Prince had a striking physique and features and a beautiful charismatic personality, who was famous for his valour and wrestling skills.
Khilji provoked Biram Dev for a wrestling match with the best of his fighters, to which the Prince agreed. However, more than a wrestling match, it was a conspiracy to kill him as Khilji had ordered his fighter to Kill Biram Dev during the fight.
While the match was going on,a girl named Firoza who was witnessing the match from the women's seating arena fell in love with the Rajput Prince. It was the first sight,but she fell head over heels for Biram Dev.
Do you know who this Girl Firoza was?
She was the illegitimate..
..child of Alaudin Khilji from her maid Asmani Khavas.
Well,the Prince defeated all the champions of Khilji one by one until no one was left. AsSoonas match was over,Firoza couldn't stop herself to go to Biram Dev. In just a few moments she fell so madly in love with Prince dat..
...she proposed him for marriage, to which Biram Dev without even blinking an eye said no. Firoza was heart broken. But she made it very clear to her father Alauddin Khilji that if she couldn't marry Biram Dev, she will remain unmarried her entire life.
Now, Alauddin Khilji had to drop the plans of killing Biram Dev. For the sake of happiness of his daughter he asked Biram Dev to marry his daughter after converting to Islam.Biram Dev denounced the proposal at once and replied very clearly,'I am born a Hindu and will die a Hindu.
&I would prefer to die than to marry a woman of your faith'.
Such was the courage of Rajput Prince dat he said no to Khilji in his court.He let him walk bcoz of his daughter who asked his forgiveness for Biram Dev.
Khilji then,without any delay sent his forces to plunder Gujarat.
King Karnade of Gujarat fled his capital as the forts&temples of the city were being annihilated.The Islamic invaders looted the forts and temples and converted the temples to Mosques.Hindus were massacred, women were raped and thousands of young men&children were took as slaves.
After all the havoc and chaos the brutal army of those monsters was returning back to Delhi, when Khilji asked for a safe passage from King Kanhadadev. The King however declined. Khilji did not pay any heed to the King's denial and decided to Camp at Jalore in the night...
...which he might have deeply regretted afterwards.
Kanhadadev was furious over Khilji's decision to Camp in his territory &he was raging with anger bcoz of the Hindu Genocide that Khilji carried out in Gujarat. Kanhadadev sent a huge Army to attack the Muslim invaders &thrash...
...them out of his territory. Kanhadadev's Army took Khilji's Army by surprise which Khilji was least expecting.Rajputs succeeded in defeating the plunderers &also set free all the slaves.Rajput Army also took back the wealth&treasures that the invaders looted from Hindu Temples.
A fumed Khilji sent another Army to attack Jalore which was again successfully resisted by Kanhadadev's Forces and all the Generals of Khilji were killed.
A third attack was again carried out on Jalore, this time to siege the Jalore Fort.
The Fierce Rajput Warriors under the leadership of their King Kanhadadev and their Prince Biram Dev faught valiantly with the invaders and gave them a befitting reply.The gruesome battle went on for 2 years when finally the Rajputs lost in the year 1311.
Kanhadadev and Biram Dev lost their lives in the Battlefield and died an honorable death protecting their motherland.
The Rajputs faught valiantly and died honorably in the Battlefield and Rajput Women committed Jauhar.
It is believed that Alauddin Khilji brought the head of Biram Dev with him to Delhi and gifted it to Firoza. Firoza on seeing this was overwhelmed with pain and agony and as per the legend she jumped into the river with Biram Khan's head in her hands and gave her life as well.
That was the Legend of Firoza's one-sided love for the Rajput Prince Biram Dev of Jalore.
Some of the other interesting facts about Jalore are:
- Jalore was known by the name of 'Suvarnagiri' in the past. 'Suvarnagiri' meaning 'Golden Hill' on which the fort is located.
-The Mother of Maharana Pratap, Jeevant Kunwar belonged to Jalore.
- The rulers of Jodhpur used to store their treasure in the Jalore Fort owing to its impassable make.
Our History is full of many such tales of valour and honour, which need to be told.
