Chunda Sisodia

Rao Chunda, who is considered as the progenitor of the Chundawat sub-clan of Rajputs was the eldest out of eight issues of Rao Lakha.[1] In the last years of Lakha's reign, the ambitious Rathore prince of Marwar, Ranmal arrived to his court with the marriage proposal of his sister Hansa Bai to the "Maharana of Mewar". Ranmal had made several expeditions and had numerous victories in the nearby territories of Mewar. Rao Lakha, who was a greybeard then, jested with the delegation remarking the proposal was obviously not for him. Rao Chunda who was on a mission then was absent from the court. On his return Chunda came to know that the proposal was first brought for his father, hence he rejected the offer.[2]

Ranmal was a short tempered man and having a feel that rejection of Rathore princess could be considered as a sort of derogation by him forced Lakha, who was not in a favour to deteriorate the already strained relationship between Rathore and Sisodia clans to marry the young princess himself. Ranmal was not satisfied with this as he intended to control the Mewar through the nuptial ties of his sister which he sought to make with the ruler of Mewar but old Lakha was soon to be retired and Rao Chunda was his heir apparent. This made Chunda to submit all his claims to the throne in the favour of the first child borne out of the union of his father Lakha Singh and the Marwari princess Hansa Bai.[3]

Chunda thus sacrificed his right to the throne and even helped his step brother and son of Hansa Bai, Rao Mokal to consolidate his hold over the kingdom, who ascended the throne as a "minor", after Lakha Singh was killed in a battle.

During the later part of his life, he was defamed by the queen mother, Hansa Bai, who suspected him of plotting against her son Mokal Singh and sought submission of his rights as the regent. The period saw arrival of Ranmal Rathore, the maternal uncle of the minor ruler Mokal Singh and growing influence of Rathores over Sisodia Kingdom of Mewar, a fact which made many nobles of Mewar to resent and plot against Ranmal.[4]

When Chunda was accused of plotting by Hansa Bai, he left the court and moved to Mandu, the capital of Malwa, and established himself here with his supporters who came to be known as Chundawat Rajputs.[5] Meanwhile, in Mewar the atrocities of Ranmal, who assassinated Raghavdev, and another son of Lakha and made many women his captive, triggered a sentiment of hatred against him, which led to his murder. The grandson of Hansa Bai and Lakha Singh, Rana Kumbha ascended the throne after his murder and took the kingdom of Mewar to its zenith.[6]