MEDIEVAL INDIA

A
HISTORY OF Seruggle for Empire in North Indiá-IJ 219
218
the Mughals were bound campaignthat an episodetook place which is a blot on the memory
their side,
zamindars to beginning, Humayun was, on to Shah. Puran Mal, the possessor of the
Sher had vacated the fort on a binding oath powerful
differences among the rewhmaoiln
the fort of
numericallyinferior.In
brothers. Real Chanderi,
of of safe conduct.
his
hhavethem undaruolsye
loyallyserved by Khan's victories. Some historians However,heand his party of 1000 Rajputs, along with their families,
Sher
only after differencessofHumayun with treacherously attacked, and killed outside the fort. The
Cxaggeratedthecarlycharacter. Though not as

Humayun
faults of
his allegedshowed himselfto be a competent general hisandbrothers,Baburand.
Vigorous as
were
theologiansruled that no faith needIbe kept with an infidel, andthat
Mal deserved punishment because he had opprcssed Muslims,
Puran l
till his ill-conceived
Khan, the latter
Bengal campaign. In
showed himself
both the
battles
fto be asuperior general.
romantic onc. He went from
polwiitthiciaShern, and
was
kept Muslim
different.
women in his house. The situation in Rajasthan
Maldeo, the ruler of Marwar who had ascended the
Humayun's life was a hadIrapidly brought the whole ofwestern and northern
and again from rags
to riches. In 1555. , following the rbreicakup
hes rags,the
to gaddiin 1532,
Rajasthan under his control. He further expanded his territories
Sur empire, he was able
to recover Delhi. Bur he did
not liv of
live long to during
Humayun's conflict with Sher Shah. With the help of the
victory. He died from a fall from f Jaisalme, he conquered Ajmer. In his career of conquest
cnjoythe fruits of the
his fort at Delhi. His
the first floor Bhatis of,
ofthe library building in him near the fort. favourite wife builta he came
into conflict with the rulers of the area, including Mewar.
magnificent mausoleumfor This
a new phase in the
style of architecture in north
remarkable feature being the magnificent dome of marble
building marmostks
India, its
Hislatest act
conflict,the
had beenthe conquest of Bikaner. In the course of the
Bikaner ruler was killed after a gallant resistance. His
SOns,.alyan Das and Bhim, sought shelter at the court of Sher Shah.
his relation, Biram Deó of Merta, whom
Many others, including
SHER SHAH AND THE SUR EMPIRE (1540-55) Maldeo had dispossessed from his holding, also repaired to Sher
Shah's court.
Maldeo's attempt to create a large centralised state in Rajasthan
Sher Shah ascended the throne ofDelhiat the age of 54 or so. We do
not know much about his early life. His
under his aegis was bound to be regarded as a threat by the ruler of
original name was Farid Delbi and Agra. It was believed that Maldeo had an armyof 50,000.
and his father was asmall jagrda at JaunprFarid acquired
Sound. Howeve, there is no evidence that Maldeo coveted Delhi or Agra.:
administrative experience by looking after the affairs ofhis father'
jagir. Following the defeat and death of Ibrahimn Lodi and the Now, as before, the bone of contention between the two was the
confusion in Afghan affairs, he emerged as one of the most important domination of the strategically important eastern Rajasthan.
Afghan sardar. The title of Sher Khan was given to him b: his The Rajput and Afghan forces clashed at Samel (1544)between
patron
for killing a tiger (sher) or, for services rendered. Soon, Sher Khan Ajmer and Jodhpur. After waiting for about a month, Maldeo,
emerged as the right-hand of the ruler of Bihar, and its considering it suicidal to attack the strongly fortified Afghan camp
but name. This was before the death of Babur. The rise o.rnaster all
in in the absence of a strong artillery, and wanted to retreat to Jodhpur
'Sher Khan and Siwanawhere he could prepare a better defence. Divided counsel,
toprominence was, thus, not a sudden one.
As a ruler, Sher Shah ruled the mightiest with some of the Rajput sardars considering any retreat to be
into existence in north India since the
empire which had come dishonourable,or suspicion sown in the minds of Maldeo about the
time of Muhammad bin ruse of
Tughlaq. His empire extended from Bengal to the Indus, excluding loyalty of some of his sardars on account of Sher Shah's
Maldeo's
Kashmir. In the west, he conguered Malwa, and dropping some letters addressed to Rajput commanders near
almost the entire
Rajasthan. Malwa was then in a weak and distracted camp, resulted in Maldeo withdrawing the bulk ofhis forces
towards
force
in no poSition to offer any condition and
resistance, It was during the Malwa Jodhpur. Some Rajput sardars rcfused to retrcat. With a small
of about, 10,000 they vigorously attacked Sher Shah's centre and