THE GREAT HINDU RAJPUT RULER RANA SANGRAM SIGH
Maharana Sangram
Singh Sisodia commonly
known as Rana Sanga was an Indian ruler of Mewar and head of a
powerful Rajput confederacy in Rajputana during the 16th
century.
Rana Sanga
succeeded his father Rana Raimal as king of Mewar in 1508. He fought
against the Afghan Lodhi dynasty of Delhi Sultanate and
later against the Turkic Mughals.
After
first ascending to the throne of his home kingdom Mewar. Then consolidating
power there Rana Sanga moved his army against the internally troubled
neighbouring kingdom of Malwa.
Under
the rule of Mehmod Khilji Malwa was torn by dissension. Wary of his
Rajput Wazir Medini Rai’s power the politically weak Mehmod sought
outside assistance from both Sultan Ibrahim
Lodi of Delhi and Bahadur Shah of Gujarat whereas
Rai on his part requested Sanga to come to his aid. Thus began the prolonged
war between Mewar against the Muslim sultans of North India.
Joined
by Rajput rebels from within Malwa Sanga's troops from Mewar beat back
invading armies from Delhi ultimately defeating Malwa's army in a series of
hotly contested battles. Khilji was himself taken prisoner only to be freed
after leaving his sons as hostages in Mewar's capital Chittor. Through these
events Malwa fell under Rana’s military power.
Battle
of Khatoli
The Battle of
Khatoli was fought in 1518 between the Lodi dynasty under Ibrahim
Lodi and the Kingdom of Mewar under Rana Sanga,
On the death of Sikander Lodi in 1518 his
son Ibrahim Lodi succeeded him. He
was engaged in putting down the revolts of his nobles when news of Rana
Sanga’s encroachments reached him. He prepared an
army and marched against Mewar. The
Maharana advanced to meet him and the two armies met near the village of Khatoli
on the borders of Haravati. The Delhi army could not stand the onslaught of
the Rajput’s and after a fight lasting
five hours, the Sultan’s army gave way and fled followed by the Sultan himself
leaving a Lodi prince prisoner in
the hands of Sanga. The prince was released after a few days on payment of a
ransom. In this battle the Maharana lost an arm by a sword cut and an arrow
made him lame for life.
Battle of Dholpur
Ibrahim Lodi was smarting under his defeat at Battle
of Khatoli. To avenge it he made great preparations
and moved against Rana Sanga. When the Sultan's army reached the Maharana's territory
the Maharana advanced with his Rajputs. Maharana leads his army his
strength was 10,000 horsemen and 5,000 infantry whereas Ibrahim Lodi leads his
strength was 30,000 horsemen and 10,000 infantry As the two armies came in sight of each other
near Dholpur Mian Makhan made dispositions for the battle. Said Khan
Furat and Haji Khan were placed on the right Daulat Khan commanded the center
Allahdad khan and Yusuf Khan were placed on the left. The Sultans army was
fully prepared to give the Maharana a warm reception.
The Rajputs started
the battle with a cavalry charge which was personally led by Rana Sanga
his cavalry with their accustomed valor advanced and fell on the Sultans army
and in a short time put the enemy to flight. "Many brave and worthy men
were made martyrs and the others were scattered".The Rajputs pushed the
Sultans army up to Bayana.
Hussain Khan taunted his
fellow nobles from Delhi: "It is a hundred pities that 30,000 horsemen
should have been defeated by so few Hindus."
Battles of Idar
The Battles
of Idar were three major battles fought in the principality of Idar between the
armies of the two princes of Idar Bhar
Mal who was supported by the Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah II and Rai Mal who was
supported by the Rajputs under Rana
Sanga.
The main reason for Rana Sangas involvement in these battles was to reinstate Rai
Mal to his rightful throne and to weaken the growing power of Gujarat
Sultanate. In 1517 Rai Mal with the help of Rana
Sanga was able to successfully defeat Muzzafar Shah II and retake his kingdom.
Siege of Mandsaur
After a skirmish between 200
horsemen under Shuja-ul-mulk and others and some Rajputs in the hills
the Sultan's army advanced and invested the fort of Mandsaur in Malwa
then in the Maharana's possession. The governor of the fort Asoka Mal was
killed but the fort did not fall.
The Maharana left Chitor with a
large army and arrived at the village of Nandsa 24 miles
from Mandsaur. In the meantime- Sultan Mahmud Khilji
of Malwa arrived from Mandu to assist the Gujarat forces to
repay the debt he owed to Muzaffar Shah. The siege was pressed but no progress
was made. The Maharana was reinforced by Medini Rai's army and
Raja Silhadi the Tomar Chief of Raisen joined the Maharana
with ten thousand cavalries. The Mirati Sikandar says that "all the Rajas
of the country round went to the support of the Rana. Thus on both sides, enormous forces were assembled. But the enterprise of Malik Ayaz did not
advance in consequence of the ill-feeling entertained against him by the Amirs
No progress was made in the siege of the fort.
Battle of Gagron
Rana Sanga advanced with a large army from Chittor reinforced by the Rathors of Merta under
Rao Viramdeva and met Sultan Mahmud Khilji II accompanied by Gujarat
auxiliaries under Asaf Khan.
As soon as the battle started the Rajput Cavalry made a fierce charge and tore through the
Gujarat Cavalry the few remnants that survived fled in every direction that they
could find. The Rajput cavalry after routing the Gujarat reinforcements turned
towards the Malwa army. The Sultan's forces fought bravely but could not
withstand the furious charge of the Rajput cavalry
and sustained a complete defeat. Most of his officers were killed and the army
was nearly annihilated. Asaf Khan's son was killed and Asaf Khan himself sought
safety in flight. Sultan Mahmud was taken prisoner wounded and bleeding.
Battle of Khanwa
The Battle of
Khanwa was fought near the village of Khanwa in Bharatpur District of Rajasthan on 16th March 1527. It was fought between the
invading forces of the first Mughal Emperor Babur and the Rajput forces led by Rana Sanga of Mewar,
Sangram Singh gathered a
coalition of Rajputs from the kingdoms of Rajasthan. They were joined by Muslim
Rajputs from Mewat and Afghans under Mahmud Lodhi, the son of Sikandar Lodhi of
Delhi. This alliance fought against Babur in the Battle of Khanwa to
expel Babur from India. At a critical moment of
battle, the defection of Silhadi and his contingent caused a split in the Rajput
forces. Rana Sanga while trying to rebuild his front was wounded and fell
unconscious from his horse. Rana's army thought their leader was dead and fled
in disorder thus allowing the Mughals to win the day. Khanwa turned into
a disaster for the Rana when Silhadi defected. the Mughal victory was
decisive and turned out to become Rana Sanga's first and last defeat.
Rana Sanga wanted to prepare
another army and fight Babur. However, on 30 January 1528 Rana Sanga died in
Chittor apparently poisoned by his own chiefs who held his plans of renewing
the fight with Babur to be suicidal.
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