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In 1308, the
Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).
ruler
Alauddin Khalji Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over lar ...
captured the
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
fort located in present-day
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
, India. Alauddin's forces had been besieging the fort for several past years, but had been unsuccessful in capturing it. In August–September 1308, Alauddin personally arrived from Delhi, and took charge of the operations at Siwana. The Delhi army breached the fort after a few months. Faced with a defeat, Sitala Deva, the ruler of the Siwana, tried to flee, but was captured and killed.


Background

At the beginning of the 14th century, the present-day
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
had several small principalities centered around hill forts. Most of these principalities had acknowledged Alauddin's suzerainty after his conquest of the powerful Ranthambore (1301) and
Chittor Chittorgarh (also Chittor or Chittaurgarh) is a major city in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgarh District. It was a major stronghold ...
(1303) kingdoms. However, the forts of
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
and
Jalore Jalore () ( ISO 15919 : ''Jālora'' ), also known as ''Granite City'', is a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalore District. It has a river known as Jawai Nadi. Jalore lies to south of ...
, located in the south-west end of Rajasthan, remained independent. Siwana, located near the
Thar Desert The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, Subcontinent that covers an area of and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the world's Li ...
, was controlled by a
Paramara The Paramara dynasty (IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs. The dynasty was established in either th ...
chief named Sitala Deva (also called "Satal Deo" or "Sital Dev" in medieval chronicles). A number of local chiefs acknowledged his suzerainty. According to the Delhi courtier
Amir Khusrau Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian sub ...
's ''Dawal Rani'', the Delhi army had been besieging the Siwana fort for 5–6 years without any success. The legendary poem ''
Kanhadade Prabandha ''Kānhaḍade Prabandha'' is a book by Indian poet Padmanābha written in 1455, in a western Apabhramsha dialect. The book tells the story of Raval Kanhadade (Kanhadadeva), the Chahamana ruler of Jalore. Textual history Padmanabha wrote ' ...
'' claims that on one occasion, the Jalore Chahamana ruler
Kanhadadeva Kanhadadeva (IAST: Kānhaḍa-deva, r. c. 1292-1311 CE) was a king belonging to the Chahamanas of Jalor, Chahamana dynasty, who ruled the area around Javalipura (present-day Jalore in Rajasthan). Initially, he ran the administration jointly with ...
sent an army in Sitala Deva's aid. The joint force defeated the Delhi army, killing the invading commanders Nahar Malik and Khandadhara Bhoja.


Siege

In 1308, Alauddin decided to personally lead an expedition to Siwana. He started his march from Delhi on 2 July 1308, and took charge of the siege operations in Siwana in August–September 1308. The Delhi army surrounded the fort from all sides, with Alauddin leading the contingent stationed on the eastern side of the fort. Malik Kamal al-Din 'Gurg' (or Kamaluddin) was in-charge of the
siege engine A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent heavy castle doors, thick city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some are immobile, constructed in place to attack enemy fortifications from a distance, while oth ...
s (''munjaniqs''). The Delhi army tried to capture the fort using many methods, including a shower of arrows from the siege engines. For over three months, the defenders foiled their attempts, by throwing fire and stones at them. Meanwhile, the invaders had been constructing a ''pasheb'', an inclined mound reaching up to the fort
battlement A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...
s. Once the mound was completed, Alauddin's army scaled the fort walls, and defeated the defenders after a full day of battle. The ''
Kanhadade Prabandha ''Kānhaḍade Prabandha'' is a book by Indian poet Padmanābha written in 1455, in a western Apabhramsha dialect. The book tells the story of Raval Kanhadade (Kanhadadeva), the Chahamana ruler of Jalore. Textual history Padmanabha wrote ' ...
'' claims that Sitala Deva was betrayed by a man named Bhayala, with whose help Alauddin defiled the main water tank of Siwana with cows' blood. As the cows are sacred to Hindus, Siwana lost its main source of water. Facing a desperate situation, the women of the fort committed ''
jauhar Jauhar, sometimes spelled Jowhar or Juhar, was a Hindu practice of mass self-immolation by women, in the Indian subcontinent, to avoid capture, enslavement and rape by an invading army, when facing certain defeat during a war. Some reports of ...
'' (mass self-immolation), while the men decided to fight to their deaths. Sital Deva tried to flee to
Jalor Jalore () (ISO 15919 : ''Jālora'' ), also known as ''Granite City'', is a city in the western Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the administrative headquarters of Jalore District. It has a river known as Jawai Nadi. Jalore lies to south of Su ...
, but the Delhi soldiers ambushed and killed him on 10 November 1308. His head was later presented to Alauddin. The contemporary writer
Amir Khusrau Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural history of the Indian sub ...
states that he was a man of huge stature, and Alauddin was astonished on seeing his giant head. The 16th-century historian
Firishta Firishta or Ferešte ( fa, ), full name Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah Astarabadi ( fa, مُحَمَّد قاسِم هِندو شاہ), was a Persian historian, who later settled in India and served the Deccan Sultans as their court historian. He was ...
incorrectly states that Sitala Deva ultimately surrendered by sending a golden statue of himself to Alauddin and asking for a pardon (which was granted). Firishta appears to have confused Sital Deva with the Kakatiya king Prataparudra. After the conquest, Siwana was renamed Khayrabad. It was assigned to Malik Kamal al-Din 'Gurg', who later led the army that captured Jalore.


References


Bibliography

* * * * {{coord missing, India Alauddin Khalji Siwana, Siege of Siwana, Siege of Thar Desert Battles involving the Rajputs
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...
Siwana Siwana is a Tehsil in Barmer district in Indian state of Rajasthan, located 151 km from Barmer. The place is known for its fort which is locally known as Gadh Siwana, Gadh means Fort. Siwana have 130 villages. total Population as peris 213 ...