Battle of Haldighati
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Haldighati was fought between the Mughal Empire
and the forces of Rajput
kingdom Mewar
on 18 June 1576 at Haldighati Pass which lies 44 km north of Udaipur
in Rajasthan
, India
.
Renewed conflicts began between the Mughals and the Rajputs. after the coronation of Maharana Pratap of Mewar in the year 1572. Maharana Pratap vowed to continue the war against the Mughal Emperor Akbar, since they had successively captured many forts after the sieges of Chittorgarh
, Ranthanbhor and Dungarpur. Maharana Pratap described the Mughals as invaders and refused to recognize the Akbar as the ruler of India, although his brother Shakti Singh
was in service of Akbar. The Mughals made attempts to negotiate with Maharana Pratap, but he roundly rebuffed every such attempt to make peace with Akbar.
, Akbar sent his most experienced generals to subdue the Muslim
Gujarat Sultanate
and contain the presence of the Portuguese
. Sensing the Mughal Emperor's preoccupation with the wars in Gujarat, Maharana Pratap like his father Udai Singh before him led ferocious attacks and raids upon the caravan
s carrying weapons and supplied to Mughal forces in Gujarat.
The Mughal Emperor immediately mobilized his forces and set out on an expedition to set up command in the Sufi city of Ajmer
. Once Akbar had reached Ajmer
he gathered thousands of his troops and initiated his campaigns against Maharana Pratap of Mewar
. The Mughal Emperor then sent one of his most capable commanders Raja Man Singh to initiate the blockade of Mewar
and await for Akbar to arrive with superior forces. Raja Man Singh was given command of almost 22,000 Mughal warriors almost 10 Cannon
s and War elephant
s, including complete seniority over the younger commander Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
.
On 10 June 1576 Raja Man Singh and his large Mughal force set out from Ajmer
and annexed territories near the Banas River and then made his way into the plains of Khamnur. When Maharana Pratap realized that the Mughals have blocked the main strategic entrance and exit of the Mewar
region, he immediately set out with 3000 Rajput
s including his commander Ramdas Rathor.
. Maharana Pratap divided his army into 3 Cavalry
divisions in a major attempt to rout Raja Man Singh's Mughal encampment. The Rajput
s led by Maharana Pratap and Ramdas Rathor began a massive Cavalry
charge from three sides in his attempt to decimate Raja Man Singh's Mughal encampment. Raja Man Singh ordered the Mughal forces to remain a single unit and avoid decentralization under lesser commanders. The Mughal's respond with cannon fire and even a hail of arrows.
However, Maharana Pratap and his Rajput
s overran the Mughal front center Sowar
s and almost surrounded Raja Man Singh's forces. After suffering subsequent casualties the Mughal reserve cavalry positioned behind Raja Man Singh's front, led by Ghazi Khan Badakshani and Mehtar Khan began to flank the incoming Rajput
s on four tactical sides. When the circumferential Mughal flanks began to enter the battle front Bayduni ordered Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
to halt all mounted archers and artillery from grapeshot's.
When right commanded Ghazi Khan Badakshani's Sowar
s killed Ramdas Rathor and when they nearly began their assault on the Rajput
main center, Maharana Pratap began a tactical retreat. The Rajput
s were then perused by Mehtar Khan and his mounted archers who later also retreated back to the Mughal camp after inflicting a demoralizing effect upon the Rajput
s.
Maharana Pratap then sent almost 15 of his War elephant
s to break the ranks of the Mughal cavalry as the Mahout
attacked the Mughals they were cut down by the mounted archers and mainly the Matchlock
infantry. According to the Akbar-nama elephants collided with elephants on the battlefield, but Mughal elephants unlike their counterparts had "Sword Tusks" and were almost completely armored in Chain Mail
and steel plates.
Observing the Mughal preoccupation with the War elephants Maharana Pratap charged and suffered even heavier casualties when Raja Man Singh also led to a massive charge that inflicted severe injuries upon Maharana Pratap himself who fainted and escaped from the battlefield along with his heavily wounded horse. A Rajput rider then adorned the umbrella of Maharana Pratap and devised a diversion that eventually led to his death but allowed Maharana Pratap to escape. The battle of Haldighati, lasted only four hours.
, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who had not participated in the battle became interested in religious debates in Fatehpur Sikri
, Ajmer
and Agra
. Raja Man Singh emerged as the preeminent general in the Mughal Empire
, becoming the first Rajput
to reach such heights. Ghazi Khan Badakshani would continue to internally strengthen the Mughal army. Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
would become a general and adviser to Akbar's son Jahangir
.
Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravalli hills and continued his struggle. His one attempt at open confrontation having thus failed, Pratap resumed the tactics of guerrilla warfare
. Using the hills as his base, Pratap harassed the large Mughal forces in their encampments. He ensured that the Mughal occupying force in Mewar
never knew peace: Akbar dispatched three more expeditions to ferret Pratap out of his mountainous hideouts, but they all failed. During this era, Pratap received much financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well-wisher. The Bhil
tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace. Thus the years passed. Pratap died of injuries sustained in a hunting accident. He died at Chavand, on January 29, 1597, aged 56. It is said that as he lay dying, Pratap made his son and successor, Amar Singh
, swear to maintain eternal conflict against the Mughals. Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh
, fought several battles against the Mughals but he conditionally accepted them as rulers.
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
and the forces of Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
kingdom Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
on 18 June 1576 at Haldighati Pass which lies 44 km north of Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Renewed conflicts began between the Mughals and the Rajputs. after the coronation of Maharana Pratap of Mewar in the year 1572. Maharana Pratap vowed to continue the war against the Mughal Emperor Akbar, since they had successively captured many forts after the sieges of Chittorgarh
Siege of Chittorgarh
Siege of Chittor, Siege of Chittorgarh, In October 1567, well equipped Mughal forces of approximately 5000 men led by Akbar surrounded and besieged 8000 Hindu Rajputs in Chittorgarh Fort and within a few months Akbar's ranks expanded to over 50,000 men and possibly more than 60,000 troops during...
, Ranthanbhor and Dungarpur. Maharana Pratap described the Mughals as invaders and refused to recognize the Akbar as the ruler of India, although his brother Shakti Singh
Shakti Singh
Shakti Singh is an Indian discus thrower and shot putter.His personal best shot put is 20.60 metres, achieved in July 2000 in Bangalore. His personal best discus throw is 61.72 metres, achieved in June 1994 in Bangalore.-Achievements:...
was in service of Akbar. The Mughals made attempts to negotiate with Maharana Pratap, but he roundly rebuffed every such attempt to make peace with Akbar.
Background
As the Mughals surrounded MewarMewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
, Akbar sent his most experienced generals to subdue the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Gujarat Sultanate
Gujarat Sultanate
The Gujarat Sultanate was an independent kingdom established in the early 15th century in Gujarat. The founder of the ruling Muzaffarid dynasty, Zafar Khan was appointed as governor of Gujarat by Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad bin Tughluq IV in 1391, the ruler of the principal state in north India at the...
and contain the presence of the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Sensing the Mughal Emperor's preoccupation with the wars in Gujarat, Maharana Pratap like his father Udai Singh before him led ferocious attacks and raids upon the caravan
Caravan
-Specific automobile models:*Dodge Caravan*Nissan Caravan*Opel Omega Caravan*Opel Astra Caravan*Chevrolet Caravan -Airplane models:*Cessna Caravan, a utility airplane*C-76 Caravan, an American 1940s medium military transport aircraft-Other:...
s carrying weapons and supplied to Mughal forces in Gujarat.
The Mughal Emperor immediately mobilized his forces and set out on an expedition to set up command in the Sufi city of Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
. Once Akbar had reached Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
he gathered thousands of his troops and initiated his campaigns against Maharana Pratap of Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
. The Mughal Emperor then sent one of his most capable commanders Raja Man Singh to initiate the blockade of Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
and await for Akbar to arrive with superior forces. Raja Man Singh was given command of almost 22,000 Mughal warriors almost 10 Cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s and War elephant
War elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s, including complete seniority over the younger commander Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan was the father of Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, who was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Emperor of India. Asaf Khan was also the elder brother of Mehrunissa, , the empress of Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir. Many scholars have been researching...
.
On 10 June 1576 Raja Man Singh and his large Mughal force set out from Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
and annexed territories near the Banas River and then made his way into the plains of Khamnur. When Maharana Pratap realized that the Mughals have blocked the main strategic entrance and exit of the Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
region, he immediately set out with 3000 Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s including his commander Ramdas Rathor.
Battle
18 June 1576 the two armies met at Haldighati, near the town of GogundaGogunda
Gogunda is a small town and tehsil headqaurters located about 35 km in north-west from Udaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated on a high mountain in Aravalli hills and is reached by crossing a difficult mountain pass. The great Mewar king Maharana Pratap's Raj Tilak was performed...
. Maharana Pratap divided his army into 3 Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
divisions in a major attempt to rout Raja Man Singh's Mughal encampment. The Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s led by Maharana Pratap and Ramdas Rathor began a massive Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
charge from three sides in his attempt to decimate Raja Man Singh's Mughal encampment. Raja Man Singh ordered the Mughal forces to remain a single unit and avoid decentralization under lesser commanders. The Mughal's respond with cannon fire and even a hail of arrows.
However, Maharana Pratap and his Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s overran the Mughal front center Sowar
Sowar
Sowar , meaning 'The one who rides' in Persian, was originally a rank during the Mughal period. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-soldier belonging to the cavalry troops of the native armies of British India and the feudal states...
s and almost surrounded Raja Man Singh's forces. After suffering subsequent casualties the Mughal reserve cavalry positioned behind Raja Man Singh's front, led by Ghazi Khan Badakshani and Mehtar Khan began to flank the incoming Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s on four tactical sides. When the circumferential Mughal flanks began to enter the battle front Bayduni ordered Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan was the father of Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, who was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Emperor of India. Asaf Khan was also the elder brother of Mehrunissa, , the empress of Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir. Many scholars have been researching...
to halt all mounted archers and artillery from grapeshot's.
When right commanded Ghazi Khan Badakshani's Sowar
Sowar
Sowar , meaning 'The one who rides' in Persian, was originally a rank during the Mughal period. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-soldier belonging to the cavalry troops of the native armies of British India and the feudal states...
s killed Ramdas Rathor and when they nearly began their assault on the Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
main center, Maharana Pratap began a tactical retreat. The Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s were then perused by Mehtar Khan and his mounted archers who later also retreated back to the Mughal camp after inflicting a demoralizing effect upon the Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s.
Elephant War
War elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s to break the ranks of the Mughal cavalry as the Mahout
Mahout
A mahout is a person who drives an elephant. The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat. Usually, a mahout starts as a boy in the 'family business' when he is assigned an elephant early in its life and they would be attached to each other throughout the elephant's life.The most...
attacked the Mughals they were cut down by the mounted archers and mainly the Matchlock
Matchlock
The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. This design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon's flash pan and made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing,...
infantry. According to the Akbar-nama elephants collided with elephants on the battlefield, but Mughal elephants unlike their counterparts had "Sword Tusks" and were almost completely armored in Chain Mail
Chain Mail
"Chain Mail" is a single by Mancunian band James, released in March 1986 by Sire Records, the first after the band defected from Factory Records. The record was released in two different versions, as 7" single and 12" EP, with different artworks by John Carroll and, confusingly, under different...
and steel plates.
Observing the Mughal preoccupation with the War elephants Maharana Pratap charged and suffered even heavier casualties when Raja Man Singh also led to a massive charge that inflicted severe injuries upon Maharana Pratap himself who fainted and escaped from the battlefield along with his heavily wounded horse. A Rajput rider then adorned the umbrella of Maharana Pratap and devised a diversion that eventually led to his death but allowed Maharana Pratap to escape. The battle of Haldighati, lasted only four hours.
Aftermath
The battle of Haldighati had a considerable impact on the Mughal EmpireMughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who had not participated in the battle became interested in religious debates in Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Built near the much older Sikri, the historical city of Fatehabad, as it was first named, was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570...
, Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
and Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
. Raja Man Singh emerged as the preeminent general in the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
, becoming the first Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
to reach such heights. Ghazi Khan Badakshani would continue to internally strengthen the Mughal army. Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan was the father of Arjumand Banu Begum, also known as Mumtaz Mahal, who was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Emperor of India. Asaf Khan was also the elder brother of Mehrunissa, , the empress of Shah Jahan's father, Jahangir. Many scholars have been researching...
would become a general and adviser to Akbar's son Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
.
Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravalli hills and continued his struggle. His one attempt at open confrontation having thus failed, Pratap resumed the tactics of guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
. Using the hills as his base, Pratap harassed the large Mughal forces in their encampments. He ensured that the Mughal occupying force in Mewar
Mewar
Mewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Pratapgarh, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and some of the part of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later...
never knew peace: Akbar dispatched three more expeditions to ferret Pratap out of his mountainous hideouts, but they all failed. During this era, Pratap received much financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well-wisher. The Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace. Thus the years passed. Pratap died of injuries sustained in a hunting accident. He died at Chavand, on January 29, 1597, aged 56. It is said that as he lay dying, Pratap made his son and successor, Amar Singh
Amar Singh
Amar Singh may refer to:* Amar Singh , Indian test cricketer* Amar Singh , Indian politician* Amar Singh, son of Maharana Pratap...
, swear to maintain eternal conflict against the Mughals. Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh
Amar Singh
Amar Singh may refer to:* Amar Singh , Indian test cricketer* Amar Singh , Indian politician* Amar Singh, son of Maharana Pratap...
, fought several battles against the Mughals but he conditionally accepted them as rulers.