Battle of Mandavgad

Battle of Mandavgad
Date 1440 Location Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, India Result Rajput Victory, Mahmud Khilji taken prisoner
Belligerents
Kingdom of Mewar Kingdom of Marwar	Malwa Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Rana Kumbha Rao Ran Mal Rathore	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.^[1]

Battle

The two armies met in A.D. 1440 and after a severe engagement, the Sultans army was utterly routed. The Sultan fled to the safe 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. Ran Mal's forces captured Sultan Mahmud Khilji, his army fleeing in all directions. The Rana returned to Chittor bringing the Sultan captive with him.^[2]

Aftermath

To commemorate this great victory, Rana Kumbha built the great Vijay Stambha(Tower of Victory) in the fortress of Chittor. Before, however, this tower was 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.^[3][4]

References

1. Har Bilas Sarda "Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar pg 26"
2. Har Bilas Sarda "Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar pg 27"
3. Gazetteer of Udaipur, 1908, pg 17.
4. Har Bilas Sarda "Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar" pg 28