| Siege of Sambhal | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofMughal conquests | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mughal Empire[1] | Western Afghan Confederates[2] | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Bairam Khan Mirza Hindal Beg Sheikh Kuren | Malik Baban Jilwani Kasim Sambhali | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| ~150[4] | Larger[5] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy | High | ||||||||
Thesiege of Sambhal of 1526 by theMughal Empire resulted in the fall and capture ofSambhal.
Babur and his army were strangers to the people whom he had subdued inIndia and a mutual dislike soon manifested itself between his soldiers and the inhabitants ofAgra his headquarters.[6] The invasion was regarded as a temporary inundation that would speedily pass off.[7] Every man in authority raised troops and put himself in a condition to act. Those who held delegated authority orJagirs being generallyAfghans were consequently hostile to the new state of things. They soon came to an understanding among themselves and took measures for mutual cooperation.[8]
Hasan Khan ofMewat in the neighborhood ofAgra was the grand instigator of the opposition which was supported by Nizam Khan in Biana; Muhammad Zaitoon ofDholpur; Tatar Khan Sarang khani inGwalior; Hussein Khan Lohani inRaberi; Kutb Khan inEtawa; Alim Khan Jilal Khan Jighat inKalpi; Kasim Sambhali inSambhal and Marghoob a slave inMahawan within 20 km ofAgra.[9] Indeed, all of these chiefs were immediately aroundAgra or close upon its borders. They looked for aid from Maharana Sangram Singh better known asRana Sanga, the ruler ofMewar, who on his part laid claim to a great part of the right bank of theYamuna River includingDelhi.[10] These Western Afghans wished to place Sultan Mahmud Lodhi a brother of the late SultanIbrahim Lodhi on the throne ofDelhi and so to preserve theAfghan and theLodhi dynasty.[11]
Babur's first active operation in the field was to dispatch a force to the relief ofSambhal a district lying beyond theGanges in what is now calledRohilkhand. It was held by Kasim Sambhali who had formerly shown himself hostile toBabur but was glad to solicit his aid when at this time besieged in his chief town by Malik Baban Jilwani.[12] This powerful and activePathan chief had joinedBabur after he had passedSirhind but subsequently left him under circumstances which are not clear, but he probably was not satisfied with his reception asBabur complains with bitterness of his presumption and pretensions and of the rudeness and stupid forwardness of thePathans in general.[13] However that may be, Baban had withdrawn himself from Babur's camp had collected an army and now besieged Kasim inSambhal which he had discovered was ill garrisoned. Kasim reduced to the last extremity applied toBabur for assistance.[14] The Emperor dispatched Hindu Baig with a body ofTurks-Mughals along with Sheikh Kuren and hisDoab Turkishbunds to his succor.[15]
Hindu Baig marched with all possible expedition till he reached theGanges and while busily employed in conveying his other troops across that river sent on in advance aMughal officer with a body of his countrymen.[16] Though the party did not exceed a 150 men, they rode forward till they reached the town and such was the superiority which the invaders from the north had acquired over the troops of the country that theMughals had no sooner got between the town and the besiegers than they resolutely turned and charged them though already the alarm had been given and Baban had had time to draw out his force.[17] The attack was so vigorous and probably the panic produced by the expected approach of the rest of the detachment so great that Baban's whole army was routed and dispersed several elephants taken and many slaughtered.[18] Next day Hindu Baig arrived with the rest of the troops and had an interview with Kasim Sambhali who made some difficulty about giving up the place.[19] He was soon however seized by stratagem and the fort itself taken possession of. His family and followers were allowed to retire toBiana.[20]
Babur's success did not end here. The fortress ofRaberi on theYamuna was soon after abandoned by its garrison and occupied by his troops and he sent detachments to besiegeEtawa andDholpur two places of the greatest importance from their vicinity toAgra.[21] But these initial victories brought him in direct conflict with the Western and Eastern Afghan confederates at once.[22]Babur then sent an army under his sonHumayun who would put to flight the army of the Eastern confederates and takeJaunpur,Oudh,Kalpi.[23]
Meanwhile, the Western Afghan confederates were being gradually swallowed up byRajputRana Sanga in the guise of alliance and protection.[24] This was increasingly posing as a major threat toBabur.[25] He was justly alarmed at the progress ofRana Sanga who was in active correspondence with Hasan Khan ofMewat the chief of the Afghan confederacy of the West and had acknowledged asSultan ofDelhi, Mahmud Lodhi, the brother of the late SultanIbrahim Lodhi whom the western Afghans had proclaimed King after his brother's death.[26] This would ultimately result in the confrontation known as theBattle of Khanwa.[27]
TURK AUR SAMBHAL by Mohd Usman, 2011.
TURK-ASIA, EUROPE, AFRICA by Mohd Usman Published by VANI PRAKASHAN, New Delhi, INDIA, 2011.
TURK AUR SAMBHAL by Mohd Usman, 2011.
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