Mewar–Malwa conflicts

The first battle between the Kingdom of Mewar and Malwa Sultanate was during the reign of Rana Kshetra, son and successor of Rana Hammir, who (after consolidating power in Mewar) began to take key points in eastern Rajasthan. He captured Ajmer, Jahazpur, and re-annexed Mandalgarh, Mandsaur, and Chappan.^[8] At that time, Dilawar Khan Ghori (the first sultan of Malwa) attacked him at Bakrole. The battle ended with Dilawar's victory and the retreat of the Malwa army.^[4] The conflict was continued by Rana Kumbha in 1437 at Sarangpur, where he defeated the Malwa army and took Sultan Mahmud Khalji prisoner for six months.^[11][12] He also captured Sarangpur and other Malwa territories. Mahmud was later freed, since Kumbha was unwilling to antagonise neighbouring sultanates with the sultan's captivity.^[13]

Mahmud fought with Kumbha again at Mandalgarh and Banas between 1443 and 1446; both battles were indecisive.^[14] The Kingdom of Mewar experienced setbacks as Sultan Mahmud Khilji raided as far inland as Ajmer and established his governor there; it also fought the sultans of Gujarat and Nagore and contended with the Rathors of Marwar. Rana Kumbha repulsed the setbacks, reconquered Ajmer, and held onto most of his conquests. Only the border area of Ranthambore, in the rugged region of Hadoti, eluded his grasp.^[15] Rana Kumbha was assassinated by his oldest son, Uday Singh I, in 1468; this began a period of political instability in Mewar. Taking advantage of this vacuum, the next sultan of Malwa (Ghiyas-ud-Din Shah) captured Ajmer and Sheopur. He supported Surajmal (the son of Udai Singh I) as Rana of Mewar; Uday was struck by lightning and another son of Kumbha, Raimal, was crowned king. At this time, Malwa had the upper hand against Mewar.^[16] The sultan's ambitions were thwarted when he experienced setbacks during the Battle of Mandalgarh in 1473, resulting in the loss of Sheopur ^[17] Ajmer was later conquered by Kunwar Prithviraja, a son of Raimal.^[18]

The conflict entered its last phase when Rana Sanga ascended the throne of Mewar in 1508 and supported Medani Rai, a rebellious feudal lord who was serving the sultan of Malwa Shihab-ud-Din Mahmud Shah II. During his first invasion of Malwa, Sanga was driven out by the combined armies of Malwa and Gujarat. In an attempt to make Sanga pay for his previous invasion, the sultan of Malwa attacked Gagron. This led to the 1519 Battle of Gagron, which resulted in the sultan's capture and the near-total loss of his Malwa territory.^[19][20]

After Rana Sanga's victory in the Battle of Gagraun, restoring Hindu rule in Malwa, Sanga ordered Medini Rai to remove the Jizya tax from the region's Hindus. Another Rajput chief, Silhaditya Tomar, established himself as master of the Raisen and Sarangpur regions. According to historian Satish Chandra, these events took place between 1518 and 1519.^[21]