Maharana Sangram Singh popularly known Rana Sanga (12 April 1484-17 March 1527) was the Sisodiya Rajput ruler of the Mewar, Rajasthan. Rana Sanga ruled between the 1508 and 1528.
Maharana Sanga succeeded his father, Rana Raimal, as the king of Mewar in 1508. He fought against the Mughals in the battle of Khanwa, which ended with the Mughal victory and died shortly thereafter on 17 March 1527.
The crisis of succession led Maharana Sanga to the throne, bringing the forth another warrior son of Mewar who fought for his kingdom till the last drop of his blood.
Rana Sanga was married to the Rani Karnavati who later committed Jauhar on 8 March 1535 AD inside the Chittor Fort. This was the second of the three Jauhars performed at Chittor. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya Singh and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of legendary Maharana Pratap.
The Battle of Khanwa was fought near the village of Khanwa about the 60 kilometres west of Agra, on March 17, 1527. Battle of Khanwa 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 new Mughal dynasty in India.
War between the Rana Sanga and Babur:
After his initial gains Rana Sanga became recognised within the north India as the principal player in the power struggle to rule the northern territories of Princely India. His objectives grew in scope- he planned to conquer the much sought after the prize of the Muslim rulers of the time, Delhi and bring the whole of India under his control.
He had crushed Gujarat and conquered Malwa and was now close to Agra. It was at this Juncture that he heard that the Babur had defeated and slain Ibrahim Lodhi and was now master of Delhi Sultanate.
Rana Sanga decided in a miscalculation of Babur’s strength and determination, to wage the war against the Mughal invader. At the first move, he coerced the Afghan fugitive princes like Mehmud Lodhi and Hasan Khan Mewati to join him. Then he ordered Babur to leave India. Initially, he hoped to attain this by sending his vassal Sardar Silhadi of Raisen as his emissary. Silhadi who went to Babur’s camp was won over by the Babur. Babur accepted that to rule North India he may have to engage in the battle with the Rana Sanga and hence had no desire for the retreat. Babur and Silhadi, who held the large contingent of 30,000 men joined the Babur’s camp at the critical moment of battle and thus defeat Maharana Sanga. Silhadi who went back to Chittor, told Rana that the war is must.
The Rajput forces of Rana Sanga, supplemented by the contingents of Hasan Khan Mewati and Afghan, Mehmud Lodhi and Raja Medini Rai of Alwar, met the Babur’s army at Khanwa near the Fatehpur Sikri in 1527. The battle lasted for not more than 10 hours. At the critical moment of battle, the defection of Silhadi and his contingent caused the split in the Rajput forces. Rana Sanga was trying to rebuild the front was wounded and fell unconscious from his horse. The Rajput army thought their leader was dead and fled in disorder, thus allowing the Mughals to win the day.
Maharana Sanga was whisked away to safety by the Rathore contingent from the Marwar and once he became conscious he learnt of the defeat. But the Rana Sanga, unwilling to admit the defeat, set out once more to rebuild his military and renew war with the Babur. In 1528, he once more set out to fight with the Babur at Chanderi to help Medini Rai who attacked by the Babur. He fell sick at kalpi and died in the camp.
Maharana Sanga’s death established the Mughal rule in India marking the new beginning to the history of Indian subcontinent.
Maharana Sanga succeeded his father, Rana Raimal, as the king of Mewar in 1508. He fought against the Mughals in the battle of Khanwa, which ended with the Mughal victory and died shortly thereafter on 17 March 1527.
The crisis of succession led Maharana Sanga to the throne, bringing the forth another warrior son of Mewar who fought for his kingdom till the last drop of his blood.
Rana Sanga was married to the Rani Karnavati who later committed Jauhar on 8 March 1535 AD inside the Chittor Fort. This was the second of the three Jauhars performed at Chittor. She was the mother of the next two Ranas, Rana Vikramaditya Singh and Rana Uday Singh, and grandmother of legendary Maharana Pratap.
The Battle of Khanwa was fought near the village of Khanwa about the 60 kilometres west of Agra, on March 17, 1527. Battle of Khanwa 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 new Mughal dynasty in India.
War between the Rana Sanga and Babur:
After his initial gains Rana Sanga became recognised within the north India as the principal player in the power struggle to rule the northern territories of Princely India. His objectives grew in scope- he planned to conquer the much sought after the prize of the Muslim rulers of the time, Delhi and bring the whole of India under his control.
He had crushed Gujarat and conquered Malwa and was now close to Agra. It was at this Juncture that he heard that the Babur had defeated and slain Ibrahim Lodhi and was now master of Delhi Sultanate.
Rana Sanga decided in a miscalculation of Babur’s strength and determination, to wage the war against the Mughal invader. At the first move, he coerced the Afghan fugitive princes like Mehmud Lodhi and Hasan Khan Mewati to join him. Then he ordered Babur to leave India. Initially, he hoped to attain this by sending his vassal Sardar Silhadi of Raisen as his emissary. Silhadi who went to Babur’s camp was won over by the Babur. Babur accepted that to rule North India he may have to engage in the battle with the Rana Sanga and hence had no desire for the retreat. Babur and Silhadi, who held the large contingent of 30,000 men joined the Babur’s camp at the critical moment of battle and thus defeat Maharana Sanga. Silhadi who went back to Chittor, told Rana that the war is must.
The Rajput forces of Rana Sanga, supplemented by the contingents of Hasan Khan Mewati and Afghan, Mehmud Lodhi and Raja Medini Rai of Alwar, met the Babur’s army at Khanwa near the Fatehpur Sikri in 1527. The battle lasted for not more than 10 hours. At the critical moment of battle, the defection of Silhadi and his contingent caused the split in the Rajput forces. Rana Sanga was trying to rebuild the front was wounded and fell unconscious from his horse. The Rajput army thought their leader was dead and fled in disorder, thus allowing the Mughals to win the day.
Maharana Sanga was whisked away to safety by the Rathore contingent from the Marwar and once he became conscious he learnt of the defeat. But the Rana Sanga, unwilling to admit the defeat, set out once more to rebuild his military and renew war with the Babur. In 1528, he once more set out to fight with the Babur at Chanderi to help Medini Rai who attacked by the Babur. He fell sick at kalpi and died in the camp.
Maharana Sanga’s death established the Mughal rule in India marking the new beginning to the history of Indian subcontinent.
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