Battle of Thanesar
Encyclopedia
Battle of Thanesar, was fought during the summer in the year 1567, near Thanesar
on the banks of the Sarsawati Ghaggar River in the state of Haryana
. While the Mughal Emperor Akbar was on his campaign to subdue the renegade Rajput
s, he set up camp at a water Qanat
and established camp around that fresh water reservoir in order to properly manage his forces in the nearby regions.
for weeks during the scorching summer heat, Akbar and the Mughal
s encountered a very large group of Sanyasis. The ascetics approached and entered the Mughal
camp with complete disregard for the Mughal
military standard and Red
tents symbolizing the Emperor himself. Akbar was generally displeased at their arrival because he was gathering his armies, constructing morale and preparing for his next campaign against Udai Singh. However the main intentions of the Sanyasi group was to drink and bathe in the Qanat
, which they considered "Holy".
As the summer afternoon began to scorch another group of Sanyasis arrived they began to gather in their hundreds and thousands around the Qanat
. Outraged by their presence and intrude Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
advised the Mughal Emperor Akbar to take action. The Mughals
were waiting for an opportunity to drive the priests out of their encampment, but Akbar believed that they would leave by sunset.
to the Sanyasis and carefully observed their actions. As the "first" large group of priests bathed and drank from the Qanat
, a "second" group of priests also began to arrive in their hundreds. It was due to the arrival of the second group that tensions ignited among the two large groups, that eventually culminated in a brawl inside the Qanat
and almost immediately the two rival groups of Sanyasis began to stab each other using Kitars.
Concerned that the violence might spread into the Mughal
encampment, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered almost 250 of his men to immediately retake the Qanat
from the schismatic priests. The Mughal
s armed with Talwar
s, piked-shield
s, Matchlock
s and Composite Bows and Arrow
s, ferociously overwhelmed the ranks of priests ultimately driving them away from the Qanat
according to their jurisdiction, which justified the usage of force.
, and within the coming months the Mughal
s organized one of the well documented Siege of Chittorgarh
against the forces of the renegade Udai Singh at Chittorgarh Fort
.
Akbar had learnt a valuable lesson from this event and passed a Firman
banning any commoner from entering any Mughal
encampments without a credible reason.
Thanesar
Thanesar is an old and historic town on the banks of the Sarsawati Ghaggar river in the state of Haryana in northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra District, approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi...
on the banks of the Sarsawati Ghaggar River in the state of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. While the Mughal Emperor Akbar was on his campaign to subdue the renegade 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, he set up camp at a water Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and established camp around that fresh water reservoir in order to properly manage his forces in the nearby regions.
Occupation
After staying at the QanatSpring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
for weeks during the scorching summer heat, Akbar and the Mughal
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...
s encountered a very large group of Sanyasis. The ascetics approached and entered the Mughal
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...
camp with complete disregard for the Mughal
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...
military standard and Red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
tents symbolizing the Emperor himself. Akbar was generally displeased at their arrival because he was gathering his armies, constructing morale and preparing for his next campaign against Udai Singh. However the main intentions of the Sanyasi group was to drink and bathe in the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, which they considered "Holy".
As the summer afternoon began to scorch another group of Sanyasis arrived they began to gather in their hundreds and thousands around the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
. Outraged by their presence and intrude 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...
advised the Mughal Emperor Akbar to take action. The Mughals
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...
were waiting for an opportunity to drive the priests out of their encampment, but Akbar believed that they would leave by sunset.
Battle
The Mughal Emperor Akbar, continued to concede the QanatSpring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
to the Sanyasis and carefully observed their actions. As the "first" large group of priests bathed and drank from the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, a "second" group of priests also began to arrive in their hundreds. It was due to the arrival of the second group that tensions ignited among the two large groups, that eventually culminated in a brawl inside the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
and almost immediately the two rival groups of Sanyasis began to stab each other using Kitars.
Concerned that the violence might spread into the Mughal
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...
encampment, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered almost 250 of his men to immediately retake the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
from the schismatic priests. The Mughal
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...
s armed with Talwar
Talwar
The talwar is a type of curved sword or sabre from India and modern-day Pakistan...
s, piked-shield
Shield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
s, 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,...
s and Composite Bows and Arrow
Mongol bow
The Mongol bow is a recurved composite bow renowned for its military effectiveness. The old Mongolian bows that were used during the times of Genghis Khan were smaller than the modern weapons used at most Naadam festivals today. Modern Mongolian bows are larger and have string bridges...
s, ferociously overwhelmed the ranks of priests ultimately driving them away from the Qanat
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
according to their jurisdiction, which justified the usage of force.
Aftermath
The Mughal Emperor Akbar continued to command his campaign from ThanesarThanesar
Thanesar is an old and historic town on the banks of the Sarsawati Ghaggar river in the state of Haryana in northern India. It is located in Kurukshetra District, approximately 160 km northwest of Delhi...
, and within the coming months the Mughal
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...
s organized one of the well documented Siege 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...
against the forces of the renegade Udai Singh at Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. The fort, plainly known as Chittor, was the capital of Mewar and is today situated several kilometres by road south of Bhilwara...
.
Akbar had learnt a valuable lesson from this event and passed a Firman
Firman
A firman is a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in certain historical Islamic states, including the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, State of Hyderabad, and Iran under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The word firman comes from the meaning "decree" or "order"...
banning any commoner from entering any Mughal
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...
encampments without a credible reason.