Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 264

2:38
THE INDIAX AXTIQUARY
( DECEMBER, 1930
years in 868 A...=1454 A.D.) he himself again marched towards Chitor, but finding his position difficult, acoeptod a sum of money from the Maharana and returned to Manda, About this time the Maharana attacked the Sultan's army under Taj Khan and forced him to retreat.56 When the Sultan of Malwa found himself unable to overpower the Maharana single-handed, he sought an alliance with the Sultan of Gujarat. For this purpose he sent Taj Khan to Gujarat to propose an offensive alliance with Qutb Shah against the Rajpûts of Mewar. Accordingly, a treaty was signed at Champaner by their respective envoys in the year 860 A.H. (1456 A.D.), and in the following year Qutb Shah of Gujarat and Mahmûd Khalji of Malwa began their attacks on the Mahârând. After some fruitless attempts, Mahmud Khalji returned to Malwa, and Qutb Shah went to Ahmadabad, where he died in 863 A.I. (A.D. 1459).57
A few years after these events, in 1468 A.D., the death 58 of Maharana KumbhAkarna was caused by the hand of his own son, Udayasimha, and Chitor soon became the scene of civil war. The parricide Udayasimha was quickly repudiated by the people of Mewår, who invited his younger brother, Rêyamal, to seize the throne. After severe fighting at Jhwar, Darimpur, Pânagarh and other places, Rayamal made an attack on Chitor, which he captured. after stout opposition,69 in Samvat 1530 (1473 A.D.). The dethroned Udayasimha ulti. mately formed an alliance with Sultan Ghiyasu'd-din of Malwa for recovering Chitor, but died almost immediately afterwards, being struck by lightning 60 The Sultan, how. ever, with the intention of placing the two sons of Udayasimha on the throne of Chitor, attacked the fortress, and being defeated after a severe contest, retreated to Mandû.61
After Ghiyâsu'd-din, his son Nåşiru'd-dîn succeeded as Sultan of Malwa. In the Hijri year 909 (1503 A.D.), he proceeded towards Chitor, whence, having received a large sum of money from Maharana Rayamal and the daughter of Jivanadas, one of the subordinate Chiefs, he returned to Manda.6. After a short time, Naşiru'd-din again sent an army against Chitor, in order to help Sûrajmal and Sarangadeva, son and uncle, respectively, of the late Maharâna Udayasimha. After some engagements, this force was defeated and obliged to retire.
After these minor attempts Chitor became the butt of two fieroe attacks made on it by Sultan Bahadur Shab of Gujarat. In the year 938 A... (1532 A.D.), the Sultan decided to attack the fort of Raisin and subdue its ruler Silhadi, as the latter refused to present himself at court. He pitched his camp near the fort of Raisin, the walls of which were levelled to the ground, and orders issued for an attack. Upon this, Silbadi expressed his wish to become a Muhammadan and give up the fort to the Sultân; but his brother Laksmanasen, dissenting from such action, determined to hold the place till succour arrived from Rana Vikramajit of Chitor, to whom Silhadi's son, Bhupat, was despatched for assistance. On hearing that a force of 40,000 horso was being sent by the Rånå of Chitor to the aid of the garrison of Raisin, Bahadur Shah sont Muhammad Khan Asiri and 'Imadu'l-mulk with a force against the RapA, and soon joined this force himself after appointing Ikhtiyar Khan to continue the siege of Raisin. Within 24 hours he travelled 70 kos and put fresh life into his army by his presence. The Rand declined an action, and retreated towards Chitor on learning the superiority of the Sultan's force. Bahadur pursued the Rand with the speed of lightning, but the latter reached Chitor first. As the Raisin fort was still untaken, the Sultan decided not to attack Chitor until matters were settled at Raisin, and accordingly he returned to Raigin, capturing the fort on the last day of Ramazan 938 A.H. (1532 A.D.).63 Shortly after this Bahadur Shah collected an enormous supply of arms, artillery and ammunition and
88 Briggs' Ferishta, voi. IV, pp. 208-23.
57 Pbid., pp. 41-43. 68 Tod's Rajasthan, vol. I, p. 338. 89 Bhavnagar Inscriptions, p. 121, and Vira Vinod, vol. I, p. 337. 80 Tod's Rajasthan, vol. I, p. 339. 61 Tbid. p. 345. Tod gives the name of the Sultan of Malwa as Muzaffar, which is a mistake. 61 Briggs' Ferishta, vol. IV, p. 243.
63 Bayley's History of Gujardt, pp. 366-365.