INDIA’S FIRST (FAILED) SECULAR ALLIANCE
एक दुखी परिवार – १८
BABAR
Babar, the great grandson of Taimur, invaded India, in 1526. An Indian governor, under the then ruler had ,so to say, hosted Babar, seeking Babar's help, in his fight against Ibrahim Lodi, the last head of the Delhi Sultanate.
Babar was descendant of the (in)famous Genghiz (Changez) Khan, from mother's side. Genghiz alongside Halaku, Taimur, Mahmood Gazani, figure in the Indian history, as worse species than what to-day ISIS or Boko Harram may be accused described as.
Babar defeated Lodi at Panipat, which lies at a close proximity from Delhi, and so he came to establish the Mughal Empire in India. It was not either man power or valour that won Babar his battle. It was technology, gun powerand superior strategy that floored his rival followed by others in line who came his way.
The Battle of Khanwa
The Battle of Khanwa was fought about 60 km west of Agra, on March 17, 1527.
It was the second major battle fought in modern day India, by the first Mughal Emperor Babur after the Battle of Panipat.
The victory in the battle consolidated the Mughal dynasty in India.
Rana Sanga.
The Rajput ruler Rana Sanga had sent invite to Babur, while he was at Kabul, before setting off for India, asking Babur to join in fight against Sultan Ibrahim Lodi .
Sanga had offered to attack Agra while Babur would be attacking Delhi. The contemplated twin attack would uproot the brief muslim dynesty before it could take roots, the Rana thought.
However, while Babur did attack Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, and took over Delhi and Agra, Sanga made no move, apparently having changed his mind.A belated realisation might have dawned upon the Rana that choosing Babur against Lodhi, might imply replacing tweedledom with tweedledee. And also that, whoever might emerge successful, would be weakened enough to endure the Rana when the Rana would subsequently attack the winner.
Babur, on the other hand, after emerging as a winner at the battle against Lodhi, had resented Rana’s backsliding. In his autobiography, Babur accuses Rana Sanga of breach of trust. Historian Satish Chandra speculates that Sanga may have imagined a long drawn struggle taking place between Babur and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi following which he would be able to take control over the regions he coveted.
Alternatively, Sanga may have thought that in the event of a mughal victory, Babur would withdraw from Delhi and Agra--like Timur, content with the treasures rather than territories.
However, once it was realized that Babur intended to stay on ,in India, to rule, Sanga proceeded to build a grand coalition which would either force Babur out of India or else confine him to Punjab.
In early 1527, Babur started receiving reports of Sanga's advance towards Agra.
Initial discord with Rana Sanga
After the First Battle of Panipat, Babur had recognized that his biggest danger came from two quarters: Rana Sanga, and the Afghans ruling in Eastern India at the time.
In a council that Babur called, it was decided that the Afghans represented the bigger danger, and consequently Humayun was sent, heading an army to fight the Afghans in the east.
However, upon hearing of Rana Sanga's advancement on Agra, Humayun was hastily recalled.
Military detachments were then sent by Babur for the conquest of Dholpur, Gwaliyar, and Bayana.
These were strong forts forming the outer boundaries of Agra. The commanders of Dholpur and Gwaliyar surrendered their forts to Babur, accepting his generous terms.
However, Nizam Khan, the commander of Bayana opened negotiations with both Babur and Rana Sanga. Babur's initial military detachment to Bayana was also defeated and dispersed by Rana Sanga's forces.
However, subsequently, Bayana surrendered to Babur.
Rajput-Afghan alliance against Babur
Rana Sanga had succeeded in building a formidable military alliance against Babur.
He was joined by virtually all the leading Rajput kings from Rajasthan--including those from Harauti, Jalor, Sirohi, Dungarpur, Dhundhar, and Amber.
Rao Ganga of Mewar did not join personally, but sent a contingent on his behalf.
Rao Medini Rao of Chanderi in Malwa also joined the alliance. Further, Mahmud Lodi, the younger son of Sikandar Lodi, whom the Afghans had proclaimed their new Sultan also joined the alliance with a force of 10,000 Afghans under him. Hasan Khan Mewat, the ruler of Mewat, also joined the alliance with a force of 12,000. Babur denounced the Afghans who joined the alliance against him as kafirs and mulhids (i.e. those who had apostatized from Islam). According to the historian Satish Chandra, Babur was using these words in a political sense, and not a religious sense. Chandra also argues that the alliance weaved together by Sanga represented a Rajput-Afghan alliance with the proclaimed mission of expelling Babur, and restoring the Lodi empire.
SECULAR ALLIANCE
Hence, the Battle of Khanwa can hardly be seen as a religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims, or even as a Rajput attempt to establish hegemony over North India.
Materially and substantially, it was a coalition which, in the present terminology, may be equated with a secular alliance against a Muslim Invader of thoroughly foreign origin.
(Cont. ...)
एक दुखी परिवार – १८
BABAR
Babar, the great grandson of Taimur, invaded India, in 1526. An Indian governor, under the then ruler had ,so to say, hosted Babar, seeking Babar's help, in his fight against Ibrahim Lodi, the last head of the Delhi Sultanate.
Babar was descendant of the (in)famous Genghiz (Changez) Khan, from mother's side. Genghiz alongside Halaku, Taimur, Mahmood Gazani, figure in the Indian history, as worse species than what to-day ISIS or Boko Harram may be accused described as.
Babar defeated Lodi at Panipat, which lies at a close proximity from Delhi, and so he came to establish the Mughal Empire in India. It was not either man power or valour that won Babar his battle. It was technology, gun powerand superior strategy that floored his rival followed by others in line who came his way.
The Battle of Khanwa
The Battle of Khanwa was fought about 60 km west of Agra, on March 17, 1527.
It was the second major battle fought in modern day India, by the first Mughal Emperor Babur after the Battle of Panipat.
The victory in the battle consolidated the Mughal dynasty in India.
Rana Sanga.
The Rajput ruler Rana Sanga had sent invite to Babur, while he was at Kabul, before setting off for India, asking Babur to join in fight against Sultan Ibrahim Lodi .
Sanga had offered to attack Agra while Babur would be attacking Delhi. The contemplated twin attack would uproot the brief muslim dynesty before it could take roots, the Rana thought.
However, while Babur did attack Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, and took over Delhi and Agra, Sanga made no move, apparently having changed his mind.A belated realisation might have dawned upon the Rana that choosing Babur against Lodhi, might imply replacing tweedledom with tweedledee. And also that, whoever might emerge successful, would be weakened enough to endure the Rana when the Rana would subsequently attack the winner.
Babur, on the other hand, after emerging as a winner at the battle against Lodhi, had resented Rana’s backsliding. In his autobiography, Babur accuses Rana Sanga of breach of trust. Historian Satish Chandra speculates that Sanga may have imagined a long drawn struggle taking place between Babur and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi following which he would be able to take control over the regions he coveted.
Alternatively, Sanga may have thought that in the event of a mughal victory, Babur would withdraw from Delhi and Agra--like Timur, content with the treasures rather than territories.
However, once it was realized that Babur intended to stay on ,in India, to rule, Sanga proceeded to build a grand coalition which would either force Babur out of India or else confine him to Punjab.
In early 1527, Babur started receiving reports of Sanga's advance towards Agra.
Initial discord with Rana Sanga
After the First Battle of Panipat, Babur had recognized that his biggest danger came from two quarters: Rana Sanga, and the Afghans ruling in Eastern India at the time.
In a council that Babur called, it was decided that the Afghans represented the bigger danger, and consequently Humayun was sent, heading an army to fight the Afghans in the east.
However, upon hearing of Rana Sanga's advancement on Agra, Humayun was hastily recalled.
Military detachments were then sent by Babur for the conquest of Dholpur, Gwaliyar, and Bayana.
These were strong forts forming the outer boundaries of Agra. The commanders of Dholpur and Gwaliyar surrendered their forts to Babur, accepting his generous terms.
However, Nizam Khan, the commander of Bayana opened negotiations with both Babur and Rana Sanga. Babur's initial military detachment to Bayana was also defeated and dispersed by Rana Sanga's forces.
However, subsequently, Bayana surrendered to Babur.
Rajput-Afghan alliance against Babur
Rana Sanga had succeeded in building a formidable military alliance against Babur.
He was joined by virtually all the leading Rajput kings from Rajasthan--including those from Harauti, Jalor, Sirohi, Dungarpur, Dhundhar, and Amber.
Rao Ganga of Mewar did not join personally, but sent a contingent on his behalf.
Rao Medini Rao of Chanderi in Malwa also joined the alliance. Further, Mahmud Lodi, the younger son of Sikandar Lodi, whom the Afghans had proclaimed their new Sultan also joined the alliance with a force of 10,000 Afghans under him. Hasan Khan Mewat, the ruler of Mewat, also joined the alliance with a force of 12,000. Babur denounced the Afghans who joined the alliance against him as kafirs and mulhids (i.e. those who had apostatized from Islam). According to the historian Satish Chandra, Babur was using these words in a political sense, and not a religious sense. Chandra also argues that the alliance weaved together by Sanga represented a Rajput-Afghan alliance with the proclaimed mission of expelling Babur, and restoring the Lodi empire.
SECULAR ALLIANCE
Hence, the Battle of Khanwa can hardly be seen as a religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims, or even as a Rajput attempt to establish hegemony over North India.
Materially and substantially, it was a coalition which, in the present terminology, may be equated with a secular alliance against a Muslim Invader of thoroughly foreign origin.
(Cont. ...)
No comments:
Post a Comment