<P> Bahadur Shah who came to the throne in 1526 AD as the Sultan of Gujarat besieged the Chittorgarh fort in 1535 . The fort was sacked and, once again the medieval dictates of chivalry determined the outcome . Following the escape of the Rana, his brother Udai Singh and the faithful maid Panna Dhai to Bundi, it is said 13,000 Rajput women committed jauhar (self immolation on the funeral pyre) and 3,200 Rajput warriors rushed out of the fort to fight and die . </P> <P> The final Siege of Chittorgarh came 33 years later, in 1567, when the Mughal Emperor Akbar invaded the fort . Akbar wanted to conquer Mewar, which was being ably ruled by Rana Uday Singh II, a fine prince of Mewar . To establish himself as the supreme lord of Northern India, he wanted to capture the renowned fortress of Chittor, as a precursor to conquering the whole of India . Shakti Singh, son of the Rana who had quarreled with his father, had run away and approached Akbar when the later had camped at Dholpur preparing to attack Malwa . During one of these meetings, in August 1567, Shakti Singh came to know from a remark made in jest by emperor Akbar that he was intending to wage war against Chittor . Akbar had told Shakti Singh in jest that since his father had not submitted himself before him like other princes and chieftains of the region he would attack him . Startled by this revelation, Shakti Singh quietly rushed back to Chittor and informed his father of the impending invasion by Akbar . Akbar was furious with the departure of Shakti Singh and decided to attack Mewar to humble the arrogance of the Ranas . In September 1567, the emperor left for Chittor, and on October 20, 1567, camped in the vast plains outside the fort . In the meantime, Rana Udai Singh, on the advice of his council of advisors, decided to go away from Chittor to the hills of Udaipur . Rao Jaimal and Fatah (Rajasthan), two army chieftains of Mewar, were left behind to defend the fort along with 8,000 Rajput warriors under their command . Akbar laid siege to the fortress . The battle continued till February 23, 1568 . On that day Jaymal was seriously wounded but he continued to fight with support from Patta . Jayamal ordered jauhar to be performed when many beautiful princesses of Mewar and noble matrons committed self - immolation at the funeral pyre . Next day the gates of the fort were opened and Rajput soldiers rushed out to fight the enemies . Rao Jaimal and Rawat Patta Singh Sisodia who were at last killed in action . One figure estimates that only 5,000 Mughal soldiers were killed in action . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Chittorgarh Fort Precincts <P> </P> Kirti Stambh Gaumukh Reservoir Vijay Stambha </Th> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Chittorgarh Fort Precincts <P> </P> Kirti Stambh Gaumukh Reservoir Vijay Stambha </Th> </Tr>

A visit to the fort of chittorgarh paragraph