Mewar–Malwa Conflicts

The Mewar–Malwa conflicts were a series of wars between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Sultanate of Malwa. The conflict erupted due to mutual territorial expansion triggered by both sides on each other. The war was fought in the modern-day regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Rana branch of the Guhilas, following their successful recovery of the Rajput stronghold of Chittorgarh and the entire region of Mewar alongside Rajputana after the Battle of Singoli, embarked on an ambitious expansion at the cost of their neighbouring kingdoms. On the other side, with the invasion of Timur, the Delhi Sultanate grew weak and many of its provinces gained independence which included Malwa, adjacent to Mewar.

The conflict started in the reign of Rana Kshetra and Dilawar Khan Ghori at Bakrole. Further carried out by Rana Kumbha with Sultan Mahmud Khalji in the Battle of Sarangpur, Siege of Gagron, and battles of Mandalgarh and Banas. The next rulers of Mewar and Malwa Rana Raimal and Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah fought the battle of Mandalgarh. The last battle drawn between these states was under the Reign of Rana Sanga and Shihab-ud-Din Mahmud Shah II named as the Battle of Gagron and Siege of Mandsuar.

Background

Mewar

The Kingdom of Mewar rose to prominence between the 14th and 16th centuries after the battle of SIngoli and took Mahmud (might be identified with Sultan Mohommad Bin Tuqlaq) prisoner. Capturing Idar and laying its sovereignty over Badnore, Bakrole, Ajmer, Mandalgarh, Jahazpur, Hadoti, and Chappan. The Kingdom was an expanding power that was looking forward to expanding its territories on the verge of its neighbouring polities.

Malwa

After the fall of the Parmara Kingdom in 1305 against the Delhi Sultanate, Malwa was annexed and controlled by the latter, until the invasion of Mongol Conqueror Timur. It was due to Timur's invasion that the governor of Malwa Dilawar Khan declared Malwa independent of the Delhi Sultanate and made his capital Dhar. It remained independent till 1562 after which Mughals conquered it.

Conflict

The first battle drawn between the Kingdom of Mewar and Malwa Sultanate was in the reign of Rana Kshetra, son and successor of Rana Hammir who after consolidating his power in Mewar started to take the key points of eastern Rajasthan. He captured Ajmer, Jahazpur, re-annexed Mandalgarh, Mandsaur, and the whole of Chappan to Mewar. It was at that time when Dilawar Khan Ghori attacked him at Bakrole(the first Sultan of Malwa). The battle ended with the victory of the latter and the complete retreat of the Malwa army. The conflict was further carried out by Rana Kumbha in 1437 at the decisive clash of Sarangpur, where he not only secured victory over the Malwa army but also took Sultan Mahmud Khalji as a prisoner for six months. He also captured Sarangpur and some other territories of Malwa. Mahmud was later freed as Kumbha was not willing to encourage neighbouring sultanates to attack him on the grounds of the captivity of the Sultan. Mahmud to avenge his defeat fought with Kumbha again at the battles of Mandalgarh and Banas between 1443 and 1446, both of which turned out to be indecisive. In the coming years, Kingdom of Mewar suffered setbacks as Sultan Mahmud Khilji was able to raid as far as inland in Ajmer and succeeded in establishing his governor there as the Kingdom was already busy in continuous battles against the Sultans of Gujarat and Nagore in the meantime it also had to contend with Rathors of Marwar. However, Rana Kumbha tenaciously repulsed all the setbacks and reconquered Ajmer, and was able to hold onto the majority of his hard-won conquests. Only the border area of Ranthambore, nestled in the rugged region of Hadoti, eluded his grasp. In 1468 Rana Kumbha was assassinated by his oldest son Uday Singh I which caused a period of political instability in Mewar. Taking advantage of this vacuum the next Sultan of Malwa Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah captured Ajmer and Sheopur. He also supported Surajmal (son of Udai Singh I) to become the Rana of Mewar as Uday himself died of a lightning strike and another son of Kumbha named Raimal was crowned as the King. At this time Malwa had an upper hand against Mewar. However, Sultan's ambitions were thwarted when he encountered setbacks during the Battle of Mandalgarh in 1473, resulting in the loss of Sheopur Ajmer too was later conquered by Kunwar Prithviraja, a son of Raimal.

The conflict entered its last phase when Rana Sanga ascended the throne of Mewar in 1508 and supported the cause of a rebellious feudal lord, Medani Rai, who then was serving the Sultan of Malwa Shihab-ud-Din Mahmud Shah II, but Rana during his first invasion of Malwa was driven out by the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat. In an attempt to make Rana pay for his previous invasion, the Sultan of Malwa launched an assault on Gagron. This led to the historic Battle of Gagron in 1519, a conflict that resulted in the Sultan's complete annihilation and capture, and the near-total loss of his Malwa territory.

Aftermath

After the victory of Rana Sanga in the battle of Gagraun and restoring Hindu rule in Malwa, Sanga ordered Medini Rai to remove the Jizya tax from the Hindus of the region. Rai made Chanderi his capital and became king of Malwa. At the same time, another Rajput Chief Silhaditya Tomar established himself as master of the Raisen and Sarangpur region. According to historian Satish Chandra, these events took place between 1518 and 1519.

List of Battles

References

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Battles involving the Rajputs
Kingdom of Mewar
Malwa Sultanate