| Siege of Ranthambore | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Conquests of Iltumish | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Delhi Sultanate | Chauhans of Ranthambore | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Iltumish | Balhana | ||||||||
The siege of Ranthambore was a military campaign led by Delhi Sultan Iltumish in the year 1226. At the time, the region of Ranthambore was part of the Delhi Sultanate's domain, following the reign of Qutb-ud-Din Aibak. However, after Aibak's demise, the Rajputs, led by Balhana, declared their independence. In response, Iltumish initiated an expedition, successfully vanquishing the Chauhans of Ranthambore under Balhana. The Sultanate's forces efficiently laid siege to the fortress and subsequently incorporated Ranthambore into the Delhi Sultanate.
Background
Before the Ranthambore became associated with the Mamluk dynasty, Ranthambore was a historically significant fort and region in India. It was originally constructed in the 8th century by the Chauhan Rajput rulers. The Chauhan dynasty at Ranthambore was established by Govinda Raja as a vassal of the Ghurid empire. Govinda Raja was the son of Prithviraj Chauhan.[1][2]
The Chauhans of Ranthambore were initially vassals of the Mamluk empire, the successor state of the Ghurid empire. However, following the passing of Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, the first Mamluk Sultan, the Rajputs, led by Balhana-deva, proclaimed the independence of the Chauhan dynasty.[3] Therefore, in order to reclaim the territory, Iltutmish personally led an expedition towards Ranthambore, ultimately capturing it after a successful siege of the Ranthambore fort. The Rajputs, led by Balhana, were defeated, and the Sultan regained control of Ranthambore.[4][5]
References
- ↑ Singh, R. B. (1964). History of the Chāhamānas. N. Kishore. pp. 211–221.
- ↑ Ratnawat, Shyam Singh; Sharma, Krishna Gopal (1999). History and Culture of Rajasthan: From Earliest Times Upto 1956 A.D. Centre for Rajasthan Studies, University of Rajasthan. pp. 131–132.
- ↑ Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 336. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0.
- ↑ Sahni, Janmenjay (2020-07-30). Magbook Indian History 2020. Arihant Publications India limited. ISBN 978-93-241-9930-0.
- ↑ Srivastava, Ashok Kumar (1972). The Life and Times of Kutb-ud-din Aibak. Govind Satish Prakashan.