Twilight of the Sultanate c14.s3: The Baghelas of Rewa
Twilight of the Sultanate c14.s3
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The Baghelas of Rewa
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Next year, A.D. 1494-5 (900 H), Sikandar Lodi started to teach a lesson to the Baghela Raja Bhēdachandra of Bhatghora.⁴² Not much is known about the early history of this house. It appears that after the extinction of Baghela rule in Gujarat by 'Alāuddīn Khaljī in 1299, the Baghelas quitted Gujarat *en masse* and settled down in the region round Banda and Kalinjar. About two centuries later their ruler Virama Deva was so hard pressed by the chieftains of Kalpi and Jaunpur, that his successor Raja Bhēdachandra moved to the country now called Baghelkhand bounded by the Kaimūr ranges on the north and north-west and by the Maikal ranges on the south and the south-west. According to the Sanskrit Mahākāvya *Vīrabhānudayā* of Madhava,⁴³ Bhēdachandra extended his authority along the line of the Ganga up to Kantit on the west and up to Gaya in south Bihar in the east.⁴⁴ His capital was Bandūgarh. The Lodī-Sharqī strife had ensured the safety of the Baghelas, but then the loss of Sharqī power threatened to disturb the political balance. Consequently Raja Mān of Gwalior and Raja Bhēd of Bhata helped Husain Sharqī after his crushing defeat at Sonhār. Again in 1493 when the Bachgotīs were instigated by Husain Sharqī to revolt, Bhēdachandra colluded with them and imprisoned Mubārak Khan Nūhānī. Having failed in his opposition to the Sultan, he thought of making amends by meeting Sikandar at Kantit, but the cloud between the two could not be lifted and Sikandar Lodī launched a campaign against Baghelkhand in 1495.
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⁴² Gahora or Ghora, which was the capital of Bhata, is now a forsaken village, about 12 miles east of Karvi in Banda district,
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⁴³ Written in the sixteenth century and translated in abridgement by Hīrānand Shastri in the *Archaeological Survey of India, Memoir* No. 21, 1925.
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⁴⁴ Arch. Sur. *Memoir*, No. 21, 6.
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The Sultan put the countryside to fire and sword. On arrival at Kharan Ghati⁴⁵ he was encountered by Vahārarāya Deva,⁴⁶ son of Bhēdachandra. The prince was defeated and he was forced to vacate his capital. They fled towards Sarguja⁴⁷ but Vahārarāya died on the way and the father followed suit because of the shock. At this Sikandar Lodī gave up their pursuit and returned to Bandūgarh.⁴⁸ He had enjoyed devastating the countryside, but now he paid for it. Provisions became so scarce that even salt was difficult to obtain.
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⁴⁵ *T.A.*, I, 317 has کهارن گھاٹی and *Ferishta*, I, 181 کهارن و كاتی. *Makhzan*, 55 (b) has Kahal while Dorn has Gungauni, 58.
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⁴⁶ He is called Bīr Singh Deo and Narsingh Deo in Persian annals, but *Vīrbhānudayā* gives the above name.
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⁴⁷ Sarguja or Ambikapur, one of the former Eastern States, lies about 32 miles S.E. of Daltongung in Chhotanagpur.
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⁴⁸ Because of the varied spellings of this name in the Persian texts (Ferishta, I, 181; T.A., I, 317; *Makhzan*, 56 (a)) Sir Wolseley Haig, (C.H.I., III, 237), has got it wrong as Phāphāmau. This is not the insignificant village of Phāphāmau near Allahabad but Behavand or Bandhu, which had a strong fort Bandūgarh, Lat. 23° 27′ N., Long. 81° 3′ E. During a later campaign our chroniclers do write the correct name of Bandu or Bandūgarh, about 90 miles S.S.E. from Panna, commonly referred to by our historians, and 60 miles South of Rewa. Also *I.G.*, VI, 358-59; Ranking, I, 417 and n. 7. Rennel's map in *Memoir of a Map of Hindostan*.
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Besides an epidemic carried away many of his men and ninety per cent of his horse and he was forced to retreat.⁴⁹
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⁴⁹ *Makhzan*, 56 (a). T.A., I, 319; Ferishta, I, 181; Dorn, 58.
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Lakshmi Chand, son of Bhēdachandra, was not slow to take advantage of this situation. He sent an urgent invitation to Husain Sharqī to strike at the enemy in distress. Husain collected a force in Bihar including a hundred elephants,⁵⁰ crossed the Ganga at Kantit and arrived near Varanasi. When he was at a distance of fifteen *kos*⁵¹ from Varanasi he sent messengers to Sālivāhan, brother and successor of Bhēdachandra, asking for his help. But Sikandar in the meantime had won over Sālivāhan,⁵² who, afraid lest Lakshmi Chand after victory should lay claim to the throne, readily accepted the Sultan's offer of friendship. Reinforced by Sālivāhan, Sikandar met Husain in battle near Varanasi and inflicted a crushing defeat on him. Husain Sharqī fled towards Bihar, but now Sikandar was determined to put an end to his constant pin-pricks once for all. He gave Husain hot pursuit and chased him out of Bihar. Husain went to Colgong,⁵³ situated within the kingdom of Lakhnauti, and sought shelter with Sultan Husain Shāh of Bengal (\textsc{a.d.} 1493-1518).⁵⁴ Sikandar consolidated his hold on Bihar⁵⁵ and obliged the chiefs of Sāran and Tirhut to acknowledge his suzerainty. The Sultan then proceeded to Colgong but retreated on obtaining an assurance from the king of Bengal that he would not help Husain Shāh against Sikandar.⁵⁶ After appointing Āzam Humayūn, son of Khan-i-Jahān, as governor of Darveshpur (situated near Maner) and Dariyā Khan Nūhānī as governor of Bihar, Sikandar Shāh returned to Jaunpur.
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⁵⁰ So have T.A., I, 319; E and D, V, 95. Ferishta, 181, has a few elephants.
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⁵¹ T.A., I, 319 has 18 *kuroh*, Badaonī, Ni‘āmatulla and ’Abdulla have 15 only; E and D, V, T.D., 59.
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⁵² Ferishta, I, 181, *Makhzan*, 56 (a) and all other Persian writers have son of Rai Bhēd. So has Dorn, 58. But Sālivāhan was the brother of Bhēdachandra. See Memoir of Arch. Sur. Ind., No. 21. See also Jour. Bihar & Orissa Research Society, 1930. Supple. article.
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⁵³ It is given as Khulgaon in T.A. and Ferishta and Kahlgawn in T.D., 69-70. It is Colgong now in Bhagalpur district, Lat. 25° 13′ N. Long. 37° 17′ E, about 23 miles east of Bhagalpur town. Constable 29 B.C.
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⁵⁴ During the reign of Ahmad Shāh of Bengal (1431-1442) Ibrāhīm Sharqī of Jaunpur invaded Bengal. Ahmad Shāh sent ’Abdul Karīm Hājī to Shāh Rukh, the successor of Tīmūr residing at Herat, with an appeal for help. The ambassador was received well. Shāh Rukh sent Maulānā ’Abdul Rahīm with a letter to Sultan Ibrāhīm. The latter received the letter with much respect and never afterwards invaded Bengal, and the relations of Jaunpur and Bengal remained cordial thereafter. The letter is cited in *Ferishta* and the circumstances of the embassy are given in the *Matlaus S’adain*. It may not be out of place here to continue the activities of the Iranian ambassador. He went to Malabar from Bengal, but was shipwrecked in the vicinity of Calicut. He was hospitably received by the Zamorin, who along with the Iranian sent an envoy to the court of Herat. It was to repay this compliment that Shāh Rukh sent in A. D. 1442 (846 H) Maulānā 'Abdurrazzāq to Calicut, whence he was invited to Vijāyanagar of which he has given a graphic account in the *Matlaus S'adain*. See *Annual Asiatic Register* of 1800. Also Stewart, *History of Bengal*, 96-99.
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⁵⁵ *Makhzan*, 56 (b); *T.D.*, 69-70.
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⁵⁶ *T.A.*, I, 319; *Makhzan*, 57 (a); *T.D.*, 58-60; Ferishta, I, 181.
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Sikandar Lodī's friendship with Sālīvāhan, born out of necessity of dealing with Husain Sharqī, was snapped as soon as the Sultan had gained his end. His original plan was to annex the kingdom. Therefore, three years later, in A.D. 1499 (409 H),⁵⁷ he once again marched against Baghelkhand. The excuse was Sālīvāhan's refusal to enter into a matrimonial alliance with him. He forced his way across the defiles to Bandūgarh, sacking and pillaging, and so devastated its environs that he "blotted out all traces of cultivation".⁵⁸ He again suffered for his reckless action, for scarcity of provisions forced him to vacate the country. The rulers of Bandūgarh continued to rule independently, but repeated Afghan invasions affected its prosperity and crippled its strength.⁵⁹
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⁵⁷ *Makhzan*, 57 (b).
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⁵⁸ *Makhzan*, 57 (b).
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⁵⁹ For the first quarter of the sixteenth century Bandūgarh had hardly any history. In 1527 its Raja Bīr Singh joined the camp of Rana Sanga at the battle of Kanuah. Subsequently he attached himself to Bābur.
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Thus by 1499 Sikandar Lodī had finally succeeded in crushing all opposition in the east and had annexed Bihar. With Husain Sharqī's death in Bengal in A.D. 1500 (905 H)⁶⁰ the remotest apprehension of danger from that quarter also eliminated. The country from Bihar to Bayana had been completely brought under control. South of the Ganga the Raja of Bhata had been rendered harmless and other rebellious elements had been put down. Sikandar Shāh now thought of subjugating the western region. He began by settling matters with the powerful kingdom of Gwalior.
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⁶⁰ Lanepoole, *The Muhammedan Dynasties*, 304, 309.