Battle of Sarangpur

The Battle of Sarangpur was fought between Rana Kumbha and Sultan Mahmud Khilji. Mahpa Panwar, who was one of the assassins of Rana Mokal, was sheltered by the Sultan of Mandu. A demand for this person was made by Rana Kumbha, but Mahmud Khilji refused to surrender the refugee. The Rana prepared for hostilities and advanced to attack Mandu. The Sultan advanced with a powerful army to meet Kumbha.^[3][4]

Battle of Sarangpur
Part of Mewar–Malwa conflicts
Date 1437 Location Sarangpur and Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, India Result Mewar–Marwar victory[1] Mahmud Khilji taken prisoner for six months and then released.
Belligerents
Mewar Marwar	Malwa
Commanders and leaders
Rana Kumbha Rao Ranmal Rathore	Sultan Mahmud Khilji (POW)
Casualties and losses
unknown	Sarangpur was burnt down Several soldiers and Muslim women were enslaved[2]

Background

The reason for hostilities between Kumbha and Mahmud was due to Kumbha's aggressive garrisoning of frontier forts, helping Mahmud Khilji's rival Umar Khan and Mewar asserting overlordship over areas that the Malwa Sultanate previously controlled. Mahmud, in order to show his dissatisfaction, gave refuge to Mahpa Panwar who was one of the assassins of Kumbha's father, Mokal. The two armies thus clashed at Sarangpur.^[1]

Battle

The two armies met in A.D. 1437 and after a severe engagement, the Sultan's army was utterly routed. The Sultan fled to the refuge of his fort of Mandu. The Rana's army followed up the victory and laid siege to Mandu. When the Sultan was hard-pressed, he told Mahpa Panwar that he could keep him no longer. Mahpa thus fled to Gujarat. Kumbha stormed and took the fort. Ranmal's forces captured Sultan Mahmud Khilji, his army fleeing in all directions. The Rana returned to Chittor bringing the Sultan captive with him.^[5][6]

Aftermath

To commemorate this great victory, Rana Kumbha built the great Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory) in the fortress of Chittor. However, before this tower could be completed, the Rana had to face and vanquish the combination of the two most powerful kingdoms in India at the time, those of Gujarat and Malwa, these glorious events are inscribed on the celebrated tower. Sultan Mahmud Khilji remained a prisoner in Chittor for a period of six months, after which he was liberated without ransom by Rana Kumbha.^[3][4][1]

References

1. Hooja, Rima (2006). A history of Rajasthan. Rupa and Company. pp. 526–529. ISBN 9788129115010. The Rana's promise of help to Umar Khan against Mahmud Khilji, the garrisoning of Mewars frontier outposts, and Kumbha's assertion of overlordship over Hadauti, Mandsaur, Gagron....The armies of Mewar and Malwa clashed at Sarangpur in 1437. The latter army was conclusively routed here.... Furthermore the Rana laid siege to Mandu, the capital of Malwa, and carried off its Sultan Mahmud Khilji...Mahmud was kept prisoner in Chittor for six months before being granted his freedom and an honourable return to his own kingdom. This act of generosity has been favourably commented upon by Abul Fazl.
2. Mewar Saga. p. 30.
3. Sarda, Har Bilas (1917). Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar. University of California Libraries. Ajmer, Scottish Mission Industries co.
4. Dr Mankekar in Mewar SagaThe rana’s army met the sultan’s forces near Sarangpur, between Chittor and Mandsaur. The engagement that followed saw Mohmad Khilji routed and, according to the Kumbhalgarh Inscription, Kumbha “captured countless Muslim women and burnt down Sarangpur.” The sultan shut himself up in the fort of Mandu. The rana stormed the fort and took Mohmad Khilji prisoner, while his army fled in ail directions. The sultan was brought to Chittor as prisoner
5. Rima Hooja in A History of Rajasthan According to the bardic tradition, which is repeated in Kumbha’s Ranpur and Kumbhalgarh inscriptions, after Sarangpur was burnt down, countless enemy soldiers were taken prisoner by Kumbha. Furthermore, the Rana laid siege to Mandu, the capital of Malwa, and carried off its sultan, Mahmud Khalji, captive to Chittor, the Mewar capital, in 1437. Mahmud Khalji was kept prisoner at Chittor for about six months, before being granted his freedom and an honourable return to his own kingdom
6. Mankekar, D. r (1976). Mewar Saga.