Rana Sanga
gigatos | May 25, 2022
Summary
Maharana Sangram Singh or Rana Sanga for short (Chittor, 12 April 1484 – Baswa, 17 March 1527) was maharana (king) of Mewar from 1509 to 1527. He was defeated in the battle of Khanwa by Mogul emperor Babur.
Rana Sanga succeeded his father Rana Raimal as prince of Mewar in 1509. Like his predecessors, Rana Sanga considered the sultanate of Delhi an enemy. He was one of the Rajput rulers who invited the Afghan general Babur to invade India to end Delhi”s power. Babur promised Rana Sanga dominion over Dholpur, Biana and Kalpi if he supported him in the battle. After Babur crushed the sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, in the battle of Panipat (1526), he found that the promised support from Mewar had not met his expectation. He therefore refused to hand over to the maharana the promised cities.
Rana Sanga saw the failure to transfer as treason. He then entered into an alliance with Raja Hasan Khan Mewattpati, the Islamic Rajput ruler of Mewat. The latter had granted asylum to some of Ibrahim Lodi”s sons after the fall of Delhi. The combined army of the Rajputs, according to tradition, numbered more than 100,000 men, a large numerical superiority over Babur”s Moguls. Negotiations faltered as the confident Rana Sanga claimed all the territory around Agra. Babur, however, was a much better general. He withdrew his troops to the vicinity of Agra and patiently awaited the Rajputs” attack. The Moguls used a combination of cannon and fast cavalry units, tactics unknown to the Rajputs. In the battle of Khanwa (March 17, 1527), the Rajputs, despite their superiority, were crushed.
Maharana Rana Sanga died a few days after the battle. He was succeeded as maharana of Mewar by Ratan Singh.
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