Siege of Kalinjar (1544)
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| Siege of Kalinjar | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kalinjar fort besieged by Sher Shah Suri leading to the end of Chandelas of Kalanjara | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Suri Dynasty | Chandelas of Kalanjara | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Sher Shah Suri (DOW) Darya Khan Shaikh Halil Shaikh Nizam Isa Khan Hajib Masand Khan |
Raja Kirat Singh  Raja Bir Singh | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| ~Unknown | ~Unknown | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Less | Almost All | ||||||||
  Siege of Kalinjar Location of Siege of Kalinjar | |||||||||
The Siege of Kalinjar (1544)[3] marked a significant military campaign led by Sher Shah Suri, resulting in the complete defeat of the Chandelas of Kalanjara. This victorious expedition proved to be Sher Shah's final triumph, ultimately costing him his life due to a fatal explosion in his gunpowder artillery.[4]
Background
[edit]Sher Shah Suri himself marched from Kachwara towards Kalinjar. When he reached the Shahbandi stage, he received news that Alam Khan Miana had caused a disturbance in the Doab region and had raised an uprising in Meerut, leading to the ravaging of a significant portion of the nearby lands. Upon hearing this, Sher Shah Suri changed his route from Shahbandi and had moved two marches when he was informed that Alam Khan had been defeated.Bhagwant, a slave of Khawas Khan and the governor of Sirhind, had killed Alam Khan near Sirhind. Upon receiving this news, Sher Shah Suri once again redirected his path towards Kalinjar.[5][4]
Siege and Fall of Kalinjar
[edit]The Raja of Kalinjar, Kirat Singh, did not come out to meet Sher Shah Suri, so he ordered the fort to be besieged. Mounds were built against the fort, which eventually grew higher than the fort itself. The Afghan soldiers shot arrows and muskets at the inhabitants of the streets and houses from the top of the mounds. This prolonged method of capturing the fort was due to a specific reason. Among the women in the fort was a slave-girl named Patar who was known for her dancing skills. Sher Shah Suri had heard of her and wanted to possess her. He feared that if he stormed the fort, Raja Kirat Singh would perform jauhar and the girl would be burned.
On Friday, the 9th of Rabi ul Awwal, 952 A.H., during breakfast with his scholars and priests, Sher Shah Suri was reminded of the glory of a religious war against infidels.[4]
Explosion of Gunpowder
[edit]-
Sher Shah Suri 1st Sultan of Sur Empire -
Sixth Gate of Kalinjar Fort
After breakfast, he ordered loaded shells to be brought and personally shot arrows from a mound before a shell hit the fort gate, causing a chain reaction that resulted in an explosion. Sher Shah Suri was partially burnt in the incident, while many others managed to escape. He was carried into his tent, where he convened a gathering with his nobles and instructed Isa Khan Hajib and Masnad Khan Kalkapur to take control of the fort.[6][4]
Fall of Kalinjar
[edit]When Isa Khan conveyed Sher Shah's orders to attack the fort from all sides, the men swiftly moved in and besieged the fort, overwhelming it like ants and locusts. By the time of the afternoon prayers, they had successfully captured the fort, slaughtering all inside and sending all the infidels to their demise.[7] As news of the victory reached Sher Shah Suri during the evening prayers, his face lit up with joy and satisfaction. Raja Kirat Singh, along with seventy men, remained in a house during the attack.[8][4]
Aftermath
[edit]Following the battle, Kirat Singh attempted to flee but was closely chased down and captured alive. He was brought before Sher Shah Suri, who ordered his beheading. This event marked the ultimate end of the Chandelas of Kalanjara.[9][4]
References
[edit]- ^ Hasan, Prof M. (2002). HISTORY OF ISLAM (2 Vols. Set). Adam Publishers & Distributors. p. 336. ISBN 978-81-7435-019-0.
- ^ Gupta, Archana Garodia (2019-04-20). The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders. Warriors. Icons. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5195-153-7."Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Sur Empire in the north, besieged the fort of Kalinjar ruled by Kirat Singh Chandela. The strong fortress withstood six months of siege. Finally, Sher Shah decided to lay mines to blow up the fort. On 22 May 1545, as he stood on a tall tower supervising the attack, a rocket which had been fired against the fort ricocheted off the wall and hit a heap of ammunition, causing an enormous explosion which fatally injured Sher Shah. The assault on the fort, however, continued and Kalinjar was finally taken at sunset. The garrison was massacred. The news of the victory was taken to Sher Shah in his tent."
- ^ Narain, Partap (1994). Indian Arms Bazaar. Shipra Publications. p. 11. ISBN 978-81-85402-35-2.
- ^ a b c d e f Qanungo, Kalika Ranjan (1965). Sher Shah and His Times. Orient Longmans. p. 433.
- ^ Bakshi, S. R.; Sharma, S. K. (1999). Humayun: The Great Moghul. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 357. ISBN 978-81-7629-162-0.
- ^ Bhattacherje, Satya Bikash (1995). Encyclopaedia of Indian Events and Dates. Sterling Publishers Private Limited. p. 43. ISBN 978-81-207-1685-8.
- ^ Cambridge History Of India, Vol. 4, The Mughul Period. p. 55.
- ^ Gupta, Archana Garodia (2019-04-20). The Women Who Ruled India: Leaders. Warriors. Icons. Hachette India. ISBN 978-93-5195-153-7.
- ^ Sarvānī, ʻAbbās Khān (1964). The Tārīkh-i-Sher Shāhī of ʻAbbās Khān Sarwānī: English text. pp. 154–157.