Alauddin Khalji captured the fort of Chittor, then ruled by Rana Ratan Singh, in the year:

Alauddin Khalji besieged and captured the fort of Chittor (Chittorgarh), in Mewar (Rajasthan), in 1303 CE.

About the siege:

• Chittor was ruled at the time by Rana Ratan Singh (Ratnasimha) of the Guhila (Rawal) dynasty.
• Alauddin led the siege himself, which lasted about eight months.
• The fort was captured, and according to Amir Khusrau, who accompanied Alauddin, thousands of people were killed.
• Alauddin placed his eldest son in charge of the fort and renamed it after him.
• The fort was later handed over to a local Rajput chief, and Mewar soon regained its independence under Rana Hammir (of the Sisodia branch).

The legend of Padmini:

• According to a popular legend, Alauddin attacked Chittor because he wanted to capture Rani Padmini (Padmavati), the beautiful queen of Ratan Singh.
• The women of the fort, led by Padmini, are said to have performed "jauhar" (self-immolation) to avoid capture.
• This story is told in the Hindi epic poem "Padmavat", written by the Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi in 1540, more than two centuries after the event.
• Historians believe that the story is largely legendary; contemporary writers do not mention Padmini.

The jauhars of Chittor:

Chittor is famous for three jauhars: in 1303 (Alauddin Khalji), in 1535 (Bahadur Shah of Gujarat) and in 1568 (Akbar).

About Chittorgarh fort:

• It is one of the largest forts in India, built on a high hill, and covers about 700 acres.
• It contains the Vijay Stambha, the Kirti Stambha, the Rana Kumbha Palace, and the Padmini Palace.
• It is part of the "Hill Forts of Rajasthan" UNESCO World Heritage Site (2013).

Alauddin's other conquests:

• He also conquered Gujarat, Ranthambore, Malwa, Siwana and Jalor.
• His general led campaigns into the Deccan and the far south.

Why not the other options?

• ✗1299 was the year of the conquest of Gujarat.
• ✗1311 was the year of a southern campaign.
• ✗1316 was the year of Alauddin's death.