Battle of Jammu (1399)
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Battle of Jammu was a battle fought on 27 February 1339 near Satwari Plains in Jammu. The Timurid Empire defeated Kingdom of Jammu.
Background[edit]
Timur entered the Jammu territory through Shahpur Kandi on the River Ravi, and marched along the caravan route from Basohli to Mansar Lake where he plundered the village Thalora and Nand Babor Temple, Manwal in Udhampur and massacred 3000 inhabitants. It is estimated that Gurkani Forces outnumbered the Dogra. Despite being outnumbered, Mal Dev decided to go on with the offensive strategy.
Between January 24 and February 23, when he reached the neighbourhood of Jammu he had fought twenty battles and gained as many victories, and conquered several forts.
On February 26th Timur again marched, and came up opposite to the city of Jammu, and set up camp. He probably encamped in the Satwari plain where "there was grain and grass enough between the tents to feed the animals."
As recorded in Zafarnama (Yazdi biography), Timur himself states that the Raja and his forces have taken their post in the river valley, probably in a horse-shoe shape from the present Pir-Kho to-the Tawi bridge, Timur's forces could not plunder Jammu town without coming into conflict with the defenders. The battle began with a large-scale attack from the Gurkanis. Maharaja Mal Dev and his cavalries fought and successfully penetrated higher Turk ranks giving him the opportunity to cut off the water supply of Timur's army which led them being tired and starving. Seeing the scenario, Timur decided to retreat and gave the call to the other Mongol ranks to start plundering Bahu.
Battle[edit]
On February 23, 1399 Tuesday: Timur was informed about the castle of Jammu, which was connected with the Shiwalik and Kuka (Trikuta hills) mountains and that inhabitants were not submissive and obedient to the Sultans of Hindustan. He decided to carry his army to Jammu, marched from Mansar six Kos and encamped at the village of Baila in the peripherals of Jammu. During this time Timur passed through Purmandal and Uttarbehnil and the locality of Baila which was a few miles south of it on the bank of the Devika.
On February 27, 1399 Wednesday: Timur sent his army over the river to the foot of the mountain, on the left of a town, and to the village of Manu (Bahu Fort) on the right. The people of Jammu sent off their wives and children from their villages to the tops of the mountains, and they fortified themselves in their villages. The Raja with his Rajputs took up a position in the valley. Timur ordered his soldiers not to go towards them, but to attack and plunder the town of Jammu and the village of Manu. Accordingly, his forces fell to plundering, and secured an enormous supply of food.[1]
On February 28, 1399 Thursday: Timur sounded his march towards the River Chenab, leaving behind a force in ambush in the Bahu forest. After leaving his forces he moved from Jammu along the left bank of the River Tawi for a long distance before he crossed over to the right bank at a spot from which he traversed about 6 miles and encamped on the bank of the River Chenab.
On February 29, 1399 Friday: Timur crossed that river into Bajwat, marched westward into the Chibhan or Bhimbar and crossed the River Jhelum probably a little way above the present town of the same name. There he left his army and marched to River Indus on his way back to Samarqand.
Aftermath[edit]
The tradition recorded by Ganesh Dass and G.C. Smyth affirms that it was Mal Dev, who was contemporary of Timur and who died in about 1400 A.D. The Dogra folk ballads give a different version of Mal Dev's role in the affair. In one of the legends it is narrated that Mal Dev organised a confederacy of Rajas against Timur and fought the invaders in defending Kangra, and died there a heroic death. Another balled lauds Mal Dev's terrible battle with the invaders in which Timur was badly repulsed. It is probable that the "Raja of Jammu" which Timur's men captured in ambush cade, was not the Raja, but only a vassal of the King of Jammu, who, along with 'fifty rais and Rajputs' might have come down the valley of the Tawi on way to the plain country lying across it, and fell into ambuscade.[2] It was some zamindar or rai who was forcibly converted to Islam, and not the King of Jammu. That is why the great Rakwal, Chandel and Chauhan Rajput dynasties did not hesitate to marry their daughters to Mal Dev's successor. In case of Mal Dev's conversion to Islam this could not have been possible in Rajputs, who were overzealous for the preservation of the purity of their blood. Ganesh Dass records another tradition.[3] He states that Timur invited Mal Dev to submission and conversion to Islam. Mal Dev made a sudden movment with his army which surprised and routed the invading force which forced them to take shelter quickly. Timur's forces reacted by advancing up to the foot of the hill of Jammu but retreated after plundering the neighbouring villages.[4] Timur's battles in the hills seem to have been against the crowds of people.[5]
"The Raja, with a force
of bold and fearless men, had taken his stand in a strong position on the
mountain and hills, where they discharged their arrows and kept on shouting like
dogs baying the moon."
Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, Zafarnama (Yazdi biography)
See also[edit]
- Battle of the Kondurcha River
- Siege of Damascus (1400)
- Battle of Tarian
- Battle of Dewair (1606)
- Battle of Ankara
References[edit]
- ↑ "When Jammu city was converted into walled city". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K. 27 June 2020.
- ↑ Rai, Mridu (2004). Hindu rulers, Muslim subjects : Islam, rights, and the history of Kashmir. London: Hurst & Co. ISBN 1850656614. Search this book on
- ↑ Kalhana's Rajatarangini. Vol. 2 : a chronicle of the kings of Kashmir : Book VIII. Notes, geographical memoir, index, maps (Reprint ed.). 1989. ISBN 978-81-208-0370-1. Search this book on
- ↑ "Raja Mal Dev". Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ↑ Excelsior, Daily (2 August 2014). "Medieval Jammu". Jammu Kashmir Latest News | Tourism | Breaking News J&K.
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