Early Life

Rana Sanga was a grandson of Rana Kumbha He was born 12 April 1482. His father, Rana Raimal had three sons who, unhappily for their country and their father’s repose, discarded brotherly love for deadly hate.

Each aimed at the throne, as did also their uncle Surajmal, and the feuds and dissensions consequent upon their rivalry kept the state in perpetual turmoil. In the end, all the rivals killed each other except Sanga, the rightful successor of the throne. He lived to succeed his father in 1509.

Rana Sanga was of the middle stature, but of great muscular strength, fair in complexion, with unusually large eyes, which appear to be peculiar to his descendants.

In a short time, Rana Sanga entirely allayed the disorders occasioned by the internal feuds of his family. He reorganised his forces, with which he always kept the field. He had gained eighteen pitched battles against the kings of Delhi and Malwa.

Rana Sanga on War Path

As ruler of Mewar he expanded the boundaries of his Kingdom. First taking the advantage of internal strife in the Delhi Sultanate, he expanded into North East Rajasthan after defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the Battles of Khatoli and Dholpur.

Brave Medieval Rajput Warrior
Brave Medieval Rajput Warrior

Mewar reinstating Raimal in an attempted to control Idar. Mewar defeated Bharmal, the hated rival of Raimal and his backer, the Ruler of Gujarat. This led to a Mewar-Gujarat war and the Battles of Idar.

He supposedly defeated the Gujarat Sultanate during Rana Sanga’s invasion of Gujarat. Soon Rana Sanga also defeated the joint forces of Gujarat and Malwa Sultanates in the Siege of Mandsaur and the Battle of Gagron.

The Pilakhal river became the northern boundary of his territories, which extended to the Sindh river in the east, and to Malwa in the south, while his native hills formed an impregnable barrier in the west. Thus he swayed, directly or by control, the greater part of Rajasthan.

He exhibited at his death but the fragments of a warrior. Rana Sanga lost his one eye in fight with his brother. He lost his arm in an action with the Lodi king of Delhi. While he lost his leg when cannon ball struck him on his leg during the battle. His body was covered with eighty wounds on parts of his body.

People know him for his energetic enterprise. He successful storm the almost impregnable Ranthambor, though ably defended by the imperial general, Ali, is a celebrated instance.

Babur- Worthy Enemy of Rana Sanga

The Rajput prince had a worthy antagonist in the king of Ferghana. Like Sanga, he had been trained in the school of adversity. In 1494, at the tender age of twelve, he succeeded to a kingdom.

He was sixteen, he defeated several confederacies and conquered Samarkand, and in two short years, again lost and regained it. Soon his life was a tissue of successes and reverses ; at one moment hailed lord of the chief kingdoms of Transoxiana ; at another, flying unattended, or putting all to hazard in desperate single combats.

Driven from Ferghana, in despair he crossed the Hindu Kush, and in 1509 the Indus. Between the Punjab and Kabul he lingered seven years, soon he advanced to measure swords with Ibrahim of Delhi.

Fortune returned to his standard ; Ibrahim was slain, his army routed and dispersed, and Delhi and Agra opened their gates to the fugitive king. A year later, he ventured against the most powerful of his new antagonists, the Rana of Chitor.

War between Rana Sanga and Babur

It was in February 1527 that Babar advanced from Agra and Sikri to oppose Sanga who, at the head of almost all the princes of Rajasthan, was marching to attack him.

Rana Sanga encountered the advance guard of the Tartars, amounting to 1,500 men at Biana, and entirely destroyed them. Reinforcements met the same fate, and the news of the disaster, carried to the main body by the few who escaped with their lives, created the utmost dismay.

Accustomed to reverses, Babar adopted every precaution that a mind fertile in expedients could suggest to reassure the drooping spirits of his troops. He threw up entrenchments in which he placed his artillery, connecting his guns by chains, and, in the more exposed parts, united by leather ropes—a precaution continued in every subsequent change of position. Babar was blockaded in his encampment for nearly a fortnight.

At length, Rana Sanga placed Babur in the unendurable state of almost total inactivity. Babar renounced his sins and courted the favour of gods. Thereupon, he vowed never more to drink wine.

Soon Babur directed his soldier to break all gold and silver utensils used for drinking parties. He directed his soldier to divided the fragment among dervishes and the poor.

Rana gave Babur two whole weeks to renegotiate. Babur used this times to reanimate the courage of his troops. The delay proved as unfortunate for him as it did advantageous to the Tartar. It gave the latter the opportunity of proposing terms of peace, and this necessitated the presence in his camp of a Rajput prince to conduct the negotiations.

Rana Sanga choose the chief of Raisen, by name Silhandi, as the medium of communication. Silhandi came back without a treaty, but with treachery in his heart.

Battle of Khanwa

Babar was not a man to let the iron grow cold. Having stirred his troops to the necessary pitch of enthusiasm, he at once broke up his camp, and marched in order of battle to a position two miles in advance, the Rajputs skirmishing up to his guns.

The attack commenced by a furious onset on his centre and right wing, and for several hours the conflict was tremendous. The Tartar artillery made dreadful havoc in the close ranks of the Rajput cavalry, who never fought with more devotion than on that fatal day. Babur’s guns defended his entrenchment and infantry and prevented Rana army from braking his ranks.

While the battle hang in balance, the traitor of Raisen(silhandi) went over to Babar. This event forced Rana Sanga to retreat from the field.  Babur army killed many of his chief and wounded Rana Sanga.

Babar had gained the day; but he had suffered so heavily that he was unable to follow up his victory. Triumphal pyramids were raised of the heads of the slain, and on a hillock overlooking the field of battle a tower of skulls was erected. The conqueror assumed the title of Ghazi, which was retained for many generations by his descendants.

Sanga retreated towards the hills of Mewat, announcing his fixed determination never to enter Chitor but with victory. Had his life been spared to his country he might have redeemed the pledge; but the year of his defeat was the last of his existence, and he died at Buswa, on the frontier of Mewat, not without suspicion of poison.

A cenotaph long marked the spot where the fire consumed his remains. He left seven sons, of whom the two elder died in nonage, and the third, Ratna, succeeded him.

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