en: they would hear with
equanimity of the death of their sons or husbands in the battlefield,
while they heaped scorn and contumely on those who returned after
defeat. They were constantly ready to sacrifice themselves to the
flames rather than fall into the hands of a conqueror; and the Johar,
the final act of a besieged garrison, when the women threw themselves
into the furnace, while the men sallied forth to die in battle against
the enemy, is recorded again and again in Rajput annals. Three times
was this tragedy enacted at the fall of Chitor, formerly the capital
fortress of the Sesodia clan; and the following vivid account is
given by Colonel Tod of a similar deed at Jaisalmer, when the town
fell to the Muhammadans: [487] "The chiefs were assembled; all were
unanimous to make Jaisalmer resplendent by their deeds and preserve
the honour of the Yadu race. Muhaj thus addressed them: 'You are of
a warlike race and strong are your arms in the cause of your prince;
what heroes excel you who thus tread in the Chhatri's path? For the
maintenance of my honour the sword is in your hands; let Jaisalmer be
illumined by its blows upon the foe.' Having thus inspired the chiefs
and men, Muhaj and Ratan repaired to the palace of their queens. They
told them to take the _sohag_ [488] and prepare to meet in heaven,
while they gave up their lives in defence of their honour and their
faith. Smiling the Rani replied, 'This night we shall prepare, and
by the morning's light we shall be inhabitants of heaven'; and thus
it was with all the chiefs and their wives. The night was passed
together for the last time in preparation for the awful morn. It
came; ablutions and prayers were finished and at the royal gate were
convened children, wives and mothers. They bade a last farewell to
all their kin; the Johar commenced, and twenty-four thousand females,
from infancy to old age, surrendered their lives, some by the sword,
others in the volcano of fire. Blood flowed in torrents, while the
smoke of the pyre ascended to the heavens: not one feared to die,
and every valuable was consumed with them, so that not the worth
of a straw was preserved for the foe. The work done, the brothers
looked upon the spectacle with horror. Life was now a burden and
they prepared to quit it They purified themselves with water, paid
adoration to the divinity, made gifts to the poor, placed a branch
of the _tulsi_ [489] in their casques, the _saligram_ [490] round