RAS question
The term 'Saka' in Rajput tradition refers to:
Correct answer: (B) The combined event of Jauhar by women and fight to death by men.
In Rajput tradition, Saka refers to the warriors' final charge to fight till death after the women have performed Jauhar.
Explanation
Saka, also spelt Shaka in the UNESCO nomination text, is tied to the last stage of a siege when defeat is accepted as certain. UNESCO separates the two acts clearly: Jauhar is the self-immolation of womenfolk rather than submission to the enemy, while Shaka is the warriors charging out of the fort to fight till death after Jauhar. In the Rajput practice, the men wore saffron clothes, or Kesariya, and chose death in battle over surrender. Therefore, the term is not merely Jauhar and not a general ritual; it names the martial act that followed Jauhar as part of the combined Rajput wartime tradition.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Calling Saka a religious ceremony misses its specific wartime meaning: it was the final martial charge after Jauhar in a besieged fort.
- (C) Women's self-immolation alone is Jauhar; Saka refers to the warriors' fight to death that followed it.
- (D) A peace treaty ends conflict through settlement, whereas Saka describes choosing a final battle rather than surrender.
Concept
This tests Rajput military and cultural terminology in Rajasthan history, especially the distinction between Jauhar and Saka. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan's fort traditions and Rajput codes of honour are a standard part of the art, culture and history syllabus.