Padmavati (poem)

For the original poem, see Padmavat.

Padmavati
by Alaol
Original title	পদ্মাবতী
Country	Arakan
Language	Bengali

Padmavati (Bengali: পদ্মাবতী, romanized: Poddabotī) is an epic poem written in 1648 by Alaol.^[1][2] It is a medieval Bengali poem inspired by the Awadhi poem Padmavat, by Malik Muhammad Jayasi.^[3][4][5] Blended with folklore and history, the poem is about the marriage of Ratnasimha and Sinhala and the ever-beautiful princess Padmavati of Chittor. However, Alauddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate leads an invasion to win her. The Bengali version of the account focuses more on the topic of secular love and less on Sufism, unlike the original. The poem was written under the patronage of Quraishi Magan Thakur.^[6] According to this text, Padmini (Padmavati) handed over the responsibility of her two sons to the Sultan, Alauddin before her death by committing jauhar.^[7]

Origin

According to Alaol, the people of Roshang wanted to hear the story of Padmavati, which was performed in the Chief Minister, Magan Thakur's assembly. Thakur then ordered Alaol to compose it in Bengali.^{[8][9][10][failed verification][11][page needed]}

Legacy

It inspired a number of novels, plays and poems in 19th-century Bengali literature.^[3] It also had Bengali adaptations by Kshirode Prasad Vidyavinode in 1906 and Abanindranath Tagore in 1909.^{[12][unreliable source?]}

References

1. Ahmed, Wakil (2012). "Padmavati". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
2. Ahmed, Wakil (2012). "Alaol". In Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir (eds.). Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
3. "Absurdity of epic proportions: Are people aware of the content in Jayasi's Padmavat?". India Today.
4. "Padmavati isn't history, so what's all the fuss about?". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
5. "Padmavati trailer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's new film looks grand, spellbinding and very expensive!". Business Today. 9 October 2017.
6. "Bangla literature". The New Nation. 18 September 2015.
7. Dr. Ashok Kumar Mishra (2011). উচ্চমাধ্যমিক বাংলা সাহিত্যের ইতিহাস (Uccha Madhyamik Bangla Sahityer Itihas) (in Bengali). Kolkata: Rabindra Library. p. 119. Retrieved 20 November 2021. "জহরব্রতে মৃত্যুর আগে পদ্মিনী তাঁর দুই পুত্রের ভার তুলে দিয়ে যান আলাউদ্দিনের হাতে।"
8. পদ্মাবতী. Banglapedia (in Bengali). Retrieved 18 November 2021.
9. Abdul Karim (2016) [First published 2000]. The Rohingyas: A Short Account of Their History and Culture. Jatiya Sahitya Prakash. p. 55. ISBN 984-7000-0289-1. in his assembly ... they heard the story of Padmavati... The people of Roshang do not understand the language, so if it was composed in Bengali poem, all will be happy. So Magan Thakur ordered me to compose Padmavati.
10. Fernand Mendes Pinto (1653). The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendez Pinto.
11. Syed Ali Ahsan (1968). Padmavati (in Bengali). OCLC 21062174.
12. "Padmavati has been a part of Indian theatre & cinema for 111 years, and nobody protested". The Print (Opinion). 20 November 2017.