Hammiradeva

Hammiradeva
Hammira's palace at the Ranthambore Fort
King of Ranthambore
Reign1283 – 10 July 1301
PredecessorShaktideva
SuccessorPosition disestablished
Died10 July 1301
Ranthambore Fort, Kingdom of Ranthambore
DynastyChahamana

Hammiradeva (IAST: Hammīra-deva; c. 1283 – 10 July 1301), also known as Hammir Dev Chauhan in vernacular legends, was the last ruler of Ranasthambhpura (Ranthambore) from the Chahamana dynasty. He is popularly known for the resistance against the Khalji expansion in the Rajputana region.

Hammiradeva ruled a kingdom centred around Ranthambore in present-day Rajasthan, India. In the 1280s, he raided several neighbouring kingdoms, which ultimately left him without allies. In the 1290s, he successfully defended his kingdom against Jalaluddin Khalji of the Delhi Sultanate. In 1299, he gave asylum to some Mongol rebels from Delhi, which prompted Jalaluddin's successor Alauddin Khalji to invade his kingdom. Hammira achieved some successes against Alauddin's generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan, but he was ultimately defeated and killed in 1301 after a long siege.

Hammira is celebrated as a hero in several texts composed after his death including Nayachandra Suri's Hammira Mahakavya, Jodharaja's Hammira Raso, and Chandrashekhara's Hammira-Hatha.