il CHAPTER IV maharana sangram sinch ALIAS SANGA (1509 A.D. - 1523 A.D.) Sangraa Singh alias Sanga, born to Jaivanta Bai on Tuesday» April 14* 14^ A.B.^ » was the third son of Hana Raiiaal* Nothing is known about his childhood though i t is safe to presume that normal martial training, a necessair equipaient of a prince-royal in the mediaeval times, v/ould not hare been denied to him; and that martial k skill which ch^terised all the sons 2 of Raimal , would have adorned the personality of young Sanga as well. We first hear of him when Prithviraj and Jaimal challenged the(^verdicts )or the astrologer and the priestess-oracle of Bhimal about the future succession of Sanga to the throne of Ghittor after the death of Raimal through their attempts on the life of Sanga. The War of Succession (150$-6 A .D .) and the period following:, the return of Sanga to Mewar to administer the state on behalf of his father schooled him in the ytays of the world and statecraft. The period preceeding the death o f Raimal proved further fateful to him by manoeinrring events to bless the beginning of the reign of Sanga with a victory over the forces of Sikandar Lodi. Battle of Bakrol:- The Vanshavalis evidence for a battle between Sher 3 4 Khan Pathan of Narwar and Maharana Sanga on the 19th day since his succession to the throne of Mewar ( i .e ., Monday, June 11,1509 A .D ,), However, no reason for this clash is giren. Farishta^, Tabkat-i Akhari^, Tarikh-i I t o Daudi , Al Badaoni and Niaiaatullah^ refer to Sultan Sikander's attack on Narwar through Jalal and Sher Shah Fanouli in 1507 A.D. During the siege of the fort of Narwar these Imperial comrnanders fell under suspicion of collusion tdth the garrison and, on the Sultanas having personally come to take the charge of siege operations, they were held in Haniaaantgadh, BThe siege of Narwar lasted for six months moref The shortage of supplies consequent upon a siege lasting for more than an year led to the c^^ture of the fort in 1508 A.D* rhe Muslim historians a-lee do not speak anything beyond this event. However, Khmian liaso says that Babfaar ^han 4ughal sou^t the hand of the beautiiUl dau^ter of tehim Shah, a Mahajan chief minister of the forraer Hindu ruler. **either could i^ahira Shah consent to this proposal ! iusto his religious scruples not. could he refuse due to safety considerations. So he made a false promise to the Chan and soon escaped to Mewar. The extradiction request >f the imperialists was turned down by Sanga. This preci­ pitated a war in which the army o f the Sultan of Delhi fas defeated and the imperialj^band was wrested . The >ossibility of Sher toiah*s leading the forces of Delhi >ultan against Sanga in the Battle of Bakrol is enhanced jy the fact that Jalal, a fellow-prisoner along vdth lim in Hanumantgadh, was freed by 1$08 A.D. as his issignment to protect and aid Mhomed of Malwa suggests Gk>paldas,the great grandson of Chunda, was killed In this 12 battle • Soon after this victory, Naacrwar fell in the hands of Sanga.^^ Conquest a of A.imer and Toda:- The conquest of Narwar was followed by the conquest of Ajmer^^ and the bestowai of Badnor on Kararachand 15 Pawar . /in attack on Toda was also made. Sanga was opposed here by Udai Karan, the younger brother of Rao Surtan. ajr It appears ■ that ati the approach of the Sisodia army the Solankis left Toda. The battle took place beyond the skirts of the other side of the city. The Solankis were defeated^ Sanga*8 Help to Kaimal s/o Kao Sura.imal of Idar:- 17 Rao Bhana of Idar had two sons -> Surajmal and 1B Bhira • Rao Bhim, who had usurped the throne of Idar^^ ?0 died in 1514& A«D. , leaving his son Bhannal to succeed him^^* Raimal s/o Surajmal sought help from Sangaf his 23 father-in-law, who came to Idar in Nov,-Dec, 1 5 H A.D, 20 was 2L The fort of Idar was captured Bhannal/expelled and 25 the country was handed over to icaimal • Muzaffar Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, was at tiiat time ^ Dhar in Malwa^^. On learning about these develoj^nts he was much surprised at the audacity of the Uana to aid Raimal and oust 27 Bharmal , as Idar was regarded by the Sultan as falling 2B within the orbit of the authority of Gujarat • So Muzaffar returned to Gujarat.29 Meanwhile in 1515 A.D. Bharmal sought the help of the Sultan against the Rana^^* Muzaffar Shah deputed Nizamulinulk, the fief-holder of Ahmadnagar, to reinstate Bhannal in his father's place . ^4 On his way tD Idar, N^zamulmulk met Bharmal and both 32 retiomed to Ahmodabad • Probably, Bharml explained the situation to the commander who seems to have realized that there was no chance of success with the help of the 33 forces at his disposal • So both returned to tdie court* They accompanied the Sultan upto Pattan, >^ere N^zaraul- mUlk got leave for the second tiine to proceed against 33 Idar , possibly with a bigger army* Nizamulmulk captured 34 Idar and placed Bharmal on the throne • Eaiiaal betook hiniself to tlie hills of Bijayanagar , the place where his ancestor Punja had sougli^ refuge against 35 36 ^hmad Shah * Niaamulmulk at his own initiative pursued 37 him there and in an action both the parties suffered 3d heavily • Many best emirs and a l>iuslim general lost 39 their lives in this battle • Though it is claimed by Tabkat-i Akbari^^ that this battle was indecisive^ Fariah- ta^^ flrankly admits the defeat of the Gujaratis* Muzaffar Shah disapproved this precipitate action^\ which, according to the Sultan, was unnecessary after the 42 43 recovery of Idar • Hizamulmulk was recalled on that 44 , e very day for having exceeded his instructions • On 46 his return Muzaffar scolded him severely for the 4^ lumecessary loss of a nun^er of Muslim soldiers . The clashes between the forces of Gujarat and Raimal continued till 1517 A*D* with varying fortunes and Muzaffar Shah 49 failed in dislodging Kai°>al the country. Even the personal visit of Muzaffar Shah to Idar on the plea of a 5© hunting expedition failed to improve the situation • In 1517 A«D. on account of Illness of Nizamulmulk, Nasiur^ud* mulk was appointed to relieve the former^\ However, N^zamulmulk left Idar before the arrival o f his successor by leaving the charge in the hands of^ahirulmulk with a small army under his command^\ Eaimal swooped upon 52 Idar and cub off Jahiruliaulk along with 209 nen • The 53 Gujaratis were beaten • This defeat led Muzaffar Shah to order Naj^rulniulk to devastate the area of Idar as 1- 54 far as Bija^agar, the nest &f t}^ rebels • Tl^ fighting went on^^« In 151^ A«li« EaLaal attacked Gilwara and the country of Fattan. Nasaratulmulk, though siiccessful in 56 repelling the enemy, failed to crush him • In 1519 A*i)* Musaffar proceeded Against i.aiml^s protecgor^ iiawal Udai Singh Sisodia of Wagad and devastated his country^^* and then proceeded to Idar^but returned without any 59 substantial results against Kalnal . So Nizam Khan, the Rustam of the age, was appointed as thanedar of Idar, much against the wishes of the ministers of the state^. Defeat of Antl«Mewar Ra.jput Confederacyi- The conquest of Sambhar^^ by Sanga from Sultan 62 Mahmud Khilji of M^du , possibly, offended the Rat>ors of Marwar. This coupled with the defeat of the Solankis of Toda, provoked the other rulers of Kajjputana into hostilities with ^'%war, Consequraitly, Bharmal of Idar, Prithviraj of Dtingarpur, Jaimal of Banswada, Suraj- 7 mal of Deolia aiid either m± Rao Gana or his grandfather ^ ^ *^uja of Marwar63 formed a confederacy aagainst AiSwar, Sanga faced them in ^ battlel^ield and defeated them. The 64 vanquished were restored to their respective thrones • Though the exact year of this battle cannot be ascertained At can be said that it occurred after the partition of Wagad into Banswada and Pungarpur,-4T?»y^ between 1514-13 65 A.D. Conquest of Mandu by Muzaffar Shahi» Duri:;ng these days Medini iiai made himself the de 66 facto 80V€ireign of ^ialwa • bo Kabib Khan of Ashtanagar, Shaikh Hamid of Bhilsa and many others fled ^’^andu to the court of Sultan Muzaffar* These rei'Uci;ees appealled to the Sultan in the name of Islam to put to an end the excesses ( 67 of theiniidels on the faitiifuls in Malwa . They suggest- -ed that there was a great possibility of the impriaoiuoent SB or blinding or assassination of Sultan Malimud Khilji w wlto was tlien completely in the hands of his povjerf\il 69 Rajput minister, ^^edini Kai • Muzaffar Shah promised to 70 march against the infidels at the endcf the monsoons • Meanwhile, Inahmud Hhilji made good his escape from ^^andu 71 to Gujarat with the aid of a u«^yut Krishna of Kharad 72 but not without the connivance of ^’^dini ftai . Muzaffar sent royal peraphernalia for the use of Ma*}ffliud along 73 with Qaiser Khan, Taj Khan and Wawsuiiulmulk on No t .16, 74 1517 A,D. and himself left Ahmedabad on N^v.lS with 75 30,U(X) soldiers and 50 war-elephunts to wage a religioiis 7§ war on the infidels of ■^'’^alwa • a aaecting between Mahmud 77 73 and t^uzaffar took place at Devlah on Dec.29 in which the latter reiterated his promise to v^ipe off the Purbias from Kalwa and reinstate Maiimud on his ancestral throne ^JBoth the Sultans marched togetk.r u|>to Dhar ji^The report of tliis meeting and about the military prepared- ness of Muzaffar on reaching x'iedini BLai through hisspies 81 - unnerved him* He was already kept posted with a H the developments since the welcome of Sultan Mahmiui by Qalser 8 2 Khan etc., on behalf of Muzaffar Shah • So i4edini Ral left Ral Plthora, Bhlm Karan, Said Khan, Budhan, Ganga S and Ugrasen to defenti the fort of Mandu 3, and himself left for Dhar with 20,U00 strong and some elephants for &L.