Battle of Girri-Sumel: Largest army of Sur emperor 80,000 horsemen, in addition to infantry, artillery and camel corp against 8,000 Rathore horsemen ready to fight till death.
Maldeo Rathore slowly became undisputed ruler. of western India, from Borders of Delhi to Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. From Sindh in modern Pakistan to Chambal river in the west, he became master of all. Sher Shah Sur on other hand after defeating Humayun twice founded
the sur empire whose boundaries stretched from Bengal to Punjab. The encounter between both power was inevitable. Sher Shah Sur collected an army so large that his chronicle Taarikh-i-SherShahi described it as an army so huge
that the best calculators, in spite
of all reflection and thought and calculation, were at a loss to number and reckon them. Even from heights, the whole stretch of army cant be even seen. They asked elders present there if they saw or heard of such a large army
of all reflection and thought and calculation, were at a loss to number and reckon them. Even from heights, the whole stretch of army cant be even seen. They asked elders present there if they saw or heard of such a large army
they all replied they had not. Even with such a huge army Sher Shah proceeded too cautiously towards Marwar. For every day's halt, he raised embankments and fortification lest Rajputs may attack. Maldeo too didn't sit back, he called his banners and collected a host of
50,000 strong Rajput army and marched to face Sher Shah Sur. Some miles south of Ajmer both armies camped opposite to each other but no one could start the initiative. Remember Sher Sha defeated Mughal emperor Humayun twice with a smaller army and without any artillery.
Yet he with even larger army equipped with artillery was hesitant to face the Rajput host. So he played the trick to created doubt in the mind of ever suspicious Maldeo, the trick of forged letters written for Kumpa and Jaita worked its magic and Maldeo
doubted his commanders' intentions. He ordered his army to decamp and get back to Jodhpur. Most of his men followed. But two commanders Jaita and Kumpa refused to follow saying they let him Sher shah come this far bcz of their lord Maldeo's order as he himself conquered
those lands but from here on the land was equally conquered by their common ancestors and we wont leave this to a foreign aggressor without fight.
And so it began, Jaita and Kumpa with merely 8,000 men got in battle formation to face an army more than 10 times their size. Although hopelessly outnumbered their attack was furious that Afghan line buckled under the charge of Rathore horses.
Worried Sher Sha got in his tent and started reciting Quran and remained in tent praying till the battle finished. Outside the Afghan soldiers started cursing their master that they are dying in the field and he is busy praying in the safety of his tents.
Even though Rajputs were still had upper hand in hand to hand fights, worried Sher Shah ordered every Afghan to cease hand to hand fight and retreat behind the artillery which was their upper hand. Slowly numbers started to show result and few Rathores couldnt
go on for ever against such a huge number aided by artillery. Both commander Jaita and Kumpa laid their life fighting alongwith most of their army. But Afghan loss was even higher and finally Sher Shah uttered he could have lost his empire for a handful of Bajra.
He was so close to losing his empire against a few thousand Rathores. In words of Historian Sri Ram Sharma had Maldeo not fallen for Sher Shah's dirty trick, Shershah would have lost his empire in battlefield of Girri.
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