Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v1.c20.s3.t1.41

v1.c20.s3.t1.41

The Sin of the Capture of Chitor.—When the Carthaginian gained the battle of Cannae, he measured his success by the bushels of rings taken from the fingers of the equestrian Romans who fell in that memorable field. Akbar estimated his, by the quantity of cordons (zunnar) of [329] distinction taken from the necks of the Rajputs, and seventy-four mans and a half ¹ are the recorded amount. To eternize the memory of this disaster, the numerals ‘74½’ are talak, or accursed.² Marked on the banker’s letter in Rajasthan it is the strongest of seals, for ‘ the sin of the slaughter of Chitor ’ ³ is thereby invoked on all who violate a letter under the safeguard of this mysterious number. He would be a fastidious critic who stopped to calculate the weight of these cordons of the Rajput cavaliers, probably much over-rated as the trophies of the Roman rings, which are stated at three and a half bushels. It is for the moral impression that history deigns to note such anecdotes, in themselves of trivial import. So long as ‘74½’ shall remain recorded, some good will result from the calamity, and may survive when the event which caused it is buried in oblivion.