Battle of Sammel
The Battle of Sammel, also known as the Battle of Giri-Sumel, was fought in 1544 near the villages Giri and Sumel of the Jaitaran sub-division in the Pali district of Rajasthan between the Afghan Sur Dynasty under Sher Shah Suri and the Rathore army led by the commanders Jaita and Kumpa of Rao Maldeo Rathore.
| Battle of Sammel | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Sur Empire |
 | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Sher Shah Suri Khawas Khan Marwat Isa Khan Niazi |
Rao Maldeo Rathore Jaita Rathore † Kumpa Rathore † | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
80,000 Pashtuns[1] 40 cannons | Small band of Rathore Horseman[2] | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy | Heavy | ||||||||
The Battle
In 1543, Sher Shah set out against Marwar with a huge force of 80,000 cavalry. With an army of 50,000, Maldeo advanced to face Sher Shah's army. Instead of marching to the enemy's capital Sher Shah halted in the village of Sammel in the pargana of Jaitaran, ninety kilometers east of Jodhpur. After one month of skirmishing, Sher Shah's position became critical owing to the difficulties of food supplies for his huge army. To resolve this situation, Sher Shah resorted to a cunning ploy. One evening, he dropped forged letters near Maldeo's camp in such a way that they were sure to be intercepted. These letters indicated, falsely, that some of Maldeo's army commanders were promising assistance to Sher Shah. This caused great consternation to Maldeo, who immediately (and wrongly) suspected his commanders of disloyalty. Maldeo left for Jodhpur on 4 January 1544 with his own men, abandoning his commanders to their fate.[3]
According to Rao Maldev ki bat: The Rao came back and put on his royal dress, tied his swords and without asking anyone he mounted his horse and told his generals to retreat to Jodhpur. He then left the field with his bodyguards. Some of the Rathore chieftains upon thinking that retreating could stain their family honour, as they were suspected for deceit, chose to stay and fight.[4]
When Maldeo's innocent generals Jaita and Kumpa found out what had happened, they were worried about how they would prove their innocence. When the king ordered withdrawal, they overheard the chat between the village women worried about the Afghan Army. One of the women said we need not to worry as long as Jaita and Kumpa are here to protect us. This statement made the proud chieftains regain their honour, they decided that they would not leave the field even though they had just a few thousand men against an enemy force of 80,000 men and 40 cannons. Jaita said that the land we are leaving has been won and protected by our ancestors and we must not leave and flee. In the ensuing battle of Sammel (also known as battle of Giri Sumel), Sher Shah emerged victorious, but his army suffered heavy losses.
"The Rathore chieftains, with a few thousand cavalry,
had decided to stay back and fight in order to prove their loyalty.
Their cavalry charge pushed the Afghans back into their own army,
causing the death of many."[5]
In the words of Tarikh-i Daudi: "Some of the chieftains such as Jaya (Jaita) and Goha (Kumpa) and others, came and attacked Sher Shah Suri, and displayed exceeding valour. Part of the Afghan army was routed, and a certain Afghan came to Sher Shah and shouted in his native tongue 'Mount for the infidels are routing your army' Sher Shah ordered his horse and was ready to retreat when news of victory was brought to the effect that his men had slain Jaita and Kumpa. When Sher Shah learnt the valour and gallantry of Jaita and Kumpa, Sher Shah is said to have commented that "for a few grains of bajra (millet, which is the main crop of barren Marwar) I almost lost the entire kingdom of Hindustan."[6][5]
According to Satish Chandra - Sher Shahs oft quoted remark " I had given away the country of Delhi for a handful of millets" is a tribute to the gallantry of Jaita and Kumpa and the willingness of the Rajputs to face death even in the face of impossible odds.[7]
The Aftermath
After this victory, Sher Shah's general Khawas Khan Marwat took possession of Jodhpur and occupied the territory of Marwar from Ajmer to Mount Abu in 1544.[3] But by July, 1545 Maldeo reoccupied his lost territories.[6]
See also
- Rao Maldeo Rathore
- Nimaj
- Battles of Rajasthan
References
- Notes
- Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II pg-80, By Satish Chandra
- Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II pg-81, By Satish Chandra
- Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2006). The Mughal Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp. 81-2
- The Quarterly Journal of mythic society, Bangalore
- Tarikh -i Daudi Farid bin Hasan Sur entitled Shir Shah fol 114
- Mahajan, V.D. (1991, reprint 2007). History of Medieval India, Part II, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 81-219-0364-5, p.43
- Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II By Satish Chandra pg.80.
- Bibliography
- Kalika Ranjan Qanungo (1965). Sher Shah and his times. Orient Longmans
- Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. New Delhi: S. Chand
- Rottermund, H. K. (1998). A History of India. London: Routledge.