Battle of Bundelkhand

The Battle of Jaitpur was fought between the Maratha Confederacy under Peshwa Baji Rao I, on behalf of Chhatrasal Bundela, the ruler of Bundelkhand; and the Mughal Empire under Muhammad Khan Bangash in March 1729. Bangash attacked the state of Bundelkhand in December 1728. Being too old to fight, as well as heavily outnumbered, Chhatrasal appealed to Baji Rao for assistance - under whose leadership the Maratha with 25,000 horsemen with the bundela troops defeated the Muhammad khan bangash.^[3][4]

Battle of Jaitpur
Date March 1729 Location Jaitpur Result Maratha-Rajput alliance Victory. Territorial changes Mughals lose all control over Bundelkhand
Belligerents
Maratha Confederacy Panna State	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Peshwa Bajirao I Chimaji Appa Chhatrasal	Muhammad Khan Bangash  Qaim Khan Bangash
Strength
Total: 25,000+ troops 25,000 Maratha cavalry Unknown number of Bundelkhand troops	Total: 50,000 troops[1] 20,000 under Muhammad Bangash 30,000 under Qaim Bangash
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown number of dead and wounded 3,000 horses and 13 elephants captured[2]

Background

In Bundelkhand, Chhatrasal had rebelled against the Mughal Empire and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by Muhammad Khan Bangash attacked him and besieged his fort and family. Although Chhatrasal repeatedly sought Baji Rao's assistance, he was busy in Malwa at the time. He compared his dire situation to that of Gajendra Moksha. In his letter to Baji Rao, Chhatrasal wrote the following words:^[5]

Know you, that I am in the same sad plight in which the famous elephant was when caught by the crocodile. My valiant race is on point of extinction. Come and save my honour, O Baji Rao.

Battle

After marching to Jaitpur, Baji Rao's forces surrounded Bangash and cut his supply and communication lines. Bangash launched a counterattack against Baji Rao, but could not pierce his defences. Qaim Khan, son of Muhammad Khan Bangash, learned of his father's predicament and approached with fresh troops. His army was attacked by Baji Rao's forces, and he was defeated. Bangash was later forced to surrender and leave, signing an agreement that "he would never attack Bundelkhand again".^[6]

Aftermath

Chhatrasal's position as ruler of Bundelkhand was restored. He granted a large jagir to Baji Rao, and gave him his daughter from a concubine named Ruhani Bai, Mastani. Before Chhatrasal's death in December 1731, he ceded one-third of his territories to the Marathas.^[6]

References

1. Sardesai, Govind Sakharam, ed. (1946). New Cambridge History of Marathas Vol 2. p. 107.
2. Sardesai, Govind Sakharam, ed. (1946). New Cambridge History of Marathas Vol 2. p. 107.
3. SUVRATSUT (2018-01-09). Baji Rao I The Great Peshwa.
4. Jaques, Tony (2006-11-30). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A Guide to 8,500 Battles from Antiquity through the Twenty-first Century [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 483. ISBN 978-0-313-02799-4.
5. "From Medieval to Modern", A History of Christianity in India, Cambridge University Press, pp. 50–67, 1984-02-09, doi:10.1017/cbo9780511520556.006, ISBN 978-0-521-24351-3, retrieved 2023-12-11
6. G.S. Chhabra (1 January 2005). Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803). Lotus Press. pp. 19–28. ISBN 978-81-89093-06-8.