Kingdom of Mewar - Delhi Sultanate Conflict (1326 to 1518)

The Kingdom of Mewar - Delhi Sultanate Conflict (1326 to 1518) was a series of military engagements between the Kingdom of Mewar under the Sisodiya dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate from the regime of Tuqhlaq Dynasty to the succeeding ones. The conflict erupted when the Sisodiya dynasty took the reigon of Mewar from Delhi Sultanate's rule. The conflict was fought in what is today the Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Kingdom of Mewar - Delhi Sultanate conflict (1326 to 1518)
Location North India
Belligerents
Kingdom of Mewar	Delhi Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Maharana Hammir Baruji Sauda Junsi Kachhwaha Kshetra Singh Lakha Singh Mokal Singh Rana Sanga (WIA) Medini Rai	Firuz Shah Tughluq Mubarak Shah (Sayyid dynasty) Ibrahim Lodi Maldev Songara Jaiza Songara

The conflict started in the reign of Rana Hammir against the Tuqhlaq dynasty at the Battle of Singoli.^[1] This conflict was further carried out by Rana Kshetra and his successor Rana Lakha with the Sayyid dynasty in conquests for Bakrol and Badnor.^[2][3] An invasion by the latter was also successfully repelled at Raipur.^[4] The conflict took a short break when Rana Kumbha ascended the throne of Mewar as he was occupied throughout his life with the Islamic Sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.^[5] The conflict resumed again with the Lodi dynasty when the latter tried to counter the growing hegemony of Mewar at the Battle of Khatoli and at Battle of Dholpur^[6][7]

Prelude

In the year 1303, Sultan Allauddin Khilji of the Delhi Sultanate put an end to the Guhila Dynasty of Mewar when he besieged and occupied Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar. Allauddin appointed his son Khizr Khan as the governor of the place.^[8] Khizr Khan remained there for a period of ten years after which he was forced to move to Ajmer and Maldev Songara, belonging to the Songara Chahuhan Dynasty was given the vassalage of Mewar. At the same time another branch of Guhilas known as Sisodias started to take the keypoints of Mewar under their new leader Maharana Hammir. He in coming years was able to take Mewar and the capital Chittorgarh by expelling Maldev.^[9] Meanwhile, Jaiza(Son of Maldev) fled to the Delhi court for help, starting the series of military standoffs which would continue for the next two centuries.^[10]

Conflict

Maldev's son Jaiza had fled to the court of Muhammed Bin Tuqhlaq for help which he received when a large Muslim army led by a general of Delhi Sultanate attacked Mewar and both sides clashed at the Battle of Singoli where the Delhi Sultanate's forces were defeated and compelled to retreat. Hammir with this battle secured the independence of the Rajputana region.^[1] After Hammir his son Maharana Kshetra captured the district of Bakrol from the forces of Delhi Sultanate.^[2] Maharana Lakha the next Rana of Mewar was engaged in military standoffs against the Sayyiad Dynasty of Delhi in which the district of Badnor was captured.^[3] In the reign of Maharana Mokal was repulsed at Raipur.^[4] The conflict from thereafter took a break as Maharana Kumbha next Maharana of Mewar was busy all his life in affairs with Malwa Sultanate and Gujarat Sultanate. Hence no major military standoff was fought between this period. After the assassination of Maharana Kumbha his son Raimal ascended the throne by putting the assassin Uda to death. He too was not able to fight any major battles against the Delhi Sultanate because he had to restore strength and peace in Mewar which was lost after the assassination of Kumbha^[5] The conflict resumed again and took its peak when Rana Sanga became the Rana of Mewar and by enjoying the strong position of Mewar in the North-Western India started the policy of expansion. Sanga captured some parts of the Northeastern Rajputana which at that time were vassals of Delhi Sultanate. Meanwhile the new Sultan of Delhi Ibraihm Lodi attacked Rana Sanga in the battle of Khatoli which resulted in the defeat of the Sultan.^[6] To counter his past defeat he soon raised another force and attacked the Kingdom of Mewar at the battle of Dholpur only to be humbled again.^[7] The victory at the battle of Dholpur made Mewar the master of all the land from bayana to Chanderi which was conquered by Sultan Sikandar against the Malwa Sultanate.^[11] In bid to annex Ajmer and Ranthambore Ibraihm was further defeated by Rana Sanga when the former attacked Ranthambore^[12]

Aftermath

The successful war under the various Maharanas of Mewar paved the way for Kingdom of Mewar to become one of the greatest powers in Northern India.^[13] Chanderi was given to Medini Rai as a gift.^[14]

List of Battles

Name of Conflict(time)	Maharana/ Commander	Sultan/Commander	Outcome
Recovery of Mewar (1321–36)	Maharana Hammir Baruji Sauda	Maladeva & Jaiza (first under Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq and later Muhammad bin Tughluq)	Mewar Victory[9] Amid the turmoil caused by the end of the Khalji dynasty in Delhi, Hammir Singh regained control of whole of Mewar including Chittorgarh. He evicted Maladeva's son Jaiza, the Chauhan vassal of the Delhi Sultanate, from Mewar and established the Sisodiya dynasty in Mewar.
Battle of Singoli (1336)	Maharana Hammir Junsi Kachhwaha	Unknown	Mewar Victory[1] Hammir Singh gained a decisive victory and freed all of Rajputana from the Sultanate's rule.
Battle of Bakrol	Maharana Kshetra	Firuz Shah Tughlaq	Mewar Victory[2] Kshetra Singh obtained a victory over the King of Delhi, who was badly defeated at Bakrole.
Battle of Badnor	Maharana Lakha	Firuz Shah Tughlaq	Mewar Victory[3] Rana Lakha like his father defeated the royal army of Delhi's Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq. He further took the war to Gaya in Bihar and was exempted from the pilgrimage tax imposed on Hindus for their visit there.
Battle of Raipur	Maharana Mokal	Mubarak Shah	Mewar Victory[4] Maharana Mokal repelled an invasion by Sayyid dynasty.
Battle of Khatoli (1517)	Maharana Sanga (WIA) Medini Ra	Ibrahim Khan Lodi	Mewar Victory[6] Rana Sanga defeated Ibrahim Lodi and annexed northeast Rajputana. Ibrahim after being defeated fled from the battle leaving one of his sons behind to be taken as a prisoner. The resources of Ibrahim were depleted by this war with Sanga so he could not renew the contest for some time.
Battle of Dholpur (1519)	Maharana Sanga Medini Rai	Ibrahim Khan Lodi	Mewar Victory[7] In the battle, which was fought near Dholpur, the Mewar army made a successful charge, and defeated the opposing armies despite being numerically inferior. The boundaries of Rana Sanga's military influence came to extend within striking distance of Agra. Chanderi bestowed to Medini Rai.
Battle of Ranthambhore	Maharana Sanga	Ibrahim Khan Lodi	Mewar Victory[12] According to a 16th-century text "Parshvanath-Shravan-Sattavisi", Rana Sanga further defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Ranthambore after the Siege of Mandsaur.

References

1. Majumdar, R.C (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
2. Sarda, Har Bilas (1918). Maharana Kumbha: Sovereign, Soldier, Scholar. pp. 4"Kumbha's great grandfather, Rana Kshetra Singh, who ruled Mewar from A.l). 1364 to A.l). 1382, was the son and successor of the celebrated Rana Hammir. He greatly enlarged the kingdom. He captured Ajnier and Jahazpur, re-annexed Mandalgarh, Mandsor, and the whole of the Chappan to Mewar. He obtained a victory over the King of Delhi, who was utterly defeated at Bakrole".
3. Ahluwalia, Manjit Singh (1978). Muslim Expansion in Rajasthan: The Relations of Delhi Sultanate with Rajasthan, 1206-1526. Yugantar Prakashan. pp. 168. "Lakshman Simha (Rana Lakha) is said to have defeated the Sultan of Delhi near Badnor and was exempted from the pilgrimage tax imposed on the Hindus for their visits to holy places like Kashi, Gaya and Paryag.".
4. Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa and Co. pp. 335–336. ISBN 978-81-291-0890-6.
5. Chandra, Satish (2005). History of Medival India(800-1700). Orient Blakckswan (published 2007). pp. 173"The conflict with Gujarat and Malwa occupied Kumbha throughout his reign. ". ISBN 9788125032267.
6. Somani, Ram Vallabh (1976). History of Mewar; from earliest time to 1751 A.D. C.L Ranka. pp. 158"Maharana Sanga wrested some territory of eastern Rajasthan belonging to the Sultans of Delhi and annexed the same to his state, Nirodbhushan Roy", while editing the history of Afghans, written by ‘Niamatullah, observes that both Sanga and Ibrahim were not free to contest a battle immediately after the accession of the later, But this statement does not seem to be correct, A battle was fought near the village Khatoli (District Bundi), wherein the Rajputs emerged victorious, A prince of Lodi family was also made captive, ".
7. Sarda, Har Bilas (1970). Maharana Sāngā, the Hindupat: The Last Great Leader of the Rajput Race. pp. 61"When this army reached the Maharana's territory the Maharana advanced with his Rajputs. As the two armies came in sight of each other near Dholpur, 1 Mian Makhan made dispositions for the battle. Said Khan Furat and Haji Khan with 7, 000 horsemen, were placed on the right, and Daulat Khan, Allahdad Khan and Yusuf Khan commanded the centre. The Sultan's army was fully prepared to give the Maharana a warm reception. The Rajputs, with their accustomed valour, advanced and fell on the Sultan's army, and in a short time put the enemy to flight.".
8. Somani, Ram Vallabh (1976). History of Mewar; from earliest time to 1751 A.D. pp. 100 "After reducing the stronghold of Chittor, Alauddin assigned it to his heir—apparent Khizrakhan by renaming it as Khizrabad.".
9. Mankekar, Mankekar (1976). Mewar Saga. Vikas Publishing House. pp. 27 "Khizar Khan had to give up Chittor and live in the security of .Ajmer, even though he was nominally in command of that fort for ten years, until the sultan passed on the governorship of Chittor to a Jalor Chauhan, Maldeo. Hamir Singh soon, by a stratagem, wrested Chittorgarh from Maldeo, and embarked on a career of re-establishing and consolidating his ancestral kingdom.". ISBN 978-0-7069-0416-1.
10. Majumdar, R.C (1960). The History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 6. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 70 "The Chauhan ruler Jaiza, son of Maldev, who was ruling Mewar as a feudatory of the Sultan, fled to Muhammad Tughluq at Delhi. Thereupon the latter marched against the Maharana, ".
11. Sarda, Har Bilas (1970). Maharana Sanga; the Hindupat, the last great leader of the Rajput race. pp. 62"By this victory all that part of Malwa which had been usurped by Muhammad Shah (Sahib Khan), younger brother of Sultan Mahmud Khilji II of Mandu, during his rebellion against his brother, and had subsequently been taken possession of by Sultan Sikander Lodi, father of Sultan Ibrahim, now fell into the hands of the Maharana. Chanderi was one of the many places which fell into the hands of the Maharana, ".
12. Hooja, Rima (2005). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa and Co. pp. "Sultan Ibrahim Lodi's bid to annex Ranthambore and Ajmer to the Delhi Sultanate led Rana Sanga to make peace with the sultan of Gujarat...Rana Sanga inflicted a defeat on Ibrahim Lodi when the latter attacked Ranthambore.". ISBN 978-81-291-0890-6.
13. Bhatnagar, V. S. (1974). Life and Times of Sawai Jai Singh, 1688-1743. pp. Impex India. p. 6." Mewar's grand recovery commended under Lakha and later under Kumbha and most notably under Sanga it became one of the greatest powers in the northern India in first quarter of 16th century".
14. Sarda, Har Bilas (1970). Maharana Sanga; the Hindupat, the last great leader of the Rajput race. Ajmer, Scottish Mission Industries. pp. 62 "Chanderi was one of the many places which fell into the hands of the Maharana, who bestowed it on Medni Rai.