Battle of Sarangpur

Battle of Sarangpur
Date	1437
Location	Sarangpur and Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, India
Result	Rajput victory; Mahmud Khilji taken prisoner for six months; ;
Belligerents
Kingdom of Mewar; Kingdom of Marwar	Malwa Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Rana Kumbha; Rao Ranmal Rathore	Sultan Mahmud Khilji (POW)

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.

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.^{[full citation needed]}

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.^{[full citation needed]}

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.^[1]
^{[full citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b 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 of it's 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.

[RH-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 of it's 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.

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