Siege of Kalinjar (1203)

Siege of Kalinjar
Kalinjar Fort in 1814.
Date 27 April 1203 Location Kalinjar, Uttar Pradesh Result Ghurid victory Territorial changes Kalinjar annexed to Ghurid Dynasty
Belligerents
Ghurid Dynasty	Chandelas of Jejakabhukti
Commanders and leaders
Qutb-ud-din Aibak Iltutmish	Paramardi   # Aj Deo
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown
50,000 taken as captives (slaves) [1]

The siege of Kalinjar was a military expedition conducted by the Ghurid Empire under the leadership of Qutb-ud-din Aibak and Iltutmish against the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti in 1203. During this campaign, the Ghurids successfully captured the Kalinjar fortress after laying siege to it. The Ghurid forces emerged victorious, defeating the Chandelas, and the Chandela ruler Paramardi surrendered Kalinjar to the Ghurids. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Background

Kalinjar served as the political capital of the Chandelas of Jejakabhukti. It faced an invasion by Prithviraj Chauhan of the Chauhan Dynasty in 1183. However, following Prithviraj's demise after the Second Battle of Tarain, the Chandelas reclaimed their dominance over Kalinjar. The Chandela dynasty was ruled by Paramardi, its last major king. ^[5]

Siege

In 1202–1203, Qutb-uddin Aibak, along with his fellow commander Iltutmish, led an expedition towards Kalinjar. His forces defeated the Chandela army and captured Kalinjar. Although Paramardi surrendered and agreed to pay tribute, he died before fulfilling his commitments. ^{[6] [7]} According to Firishta, his chief minister Aj Deo assassinated him. ^[8]

Aj Deo, continued the defense, prolonging the siege until a severe drought depleted the fort's water reserves. On 27 April 1203, the garrison weakened by thirst and exhaustion surrendered and evacuated the stronghold. Thus Kalinjar fell under Ghurid control. ^[8]

Aftermath

Further information: Battle of Kakadadaha

The Ghurids were unable to maintain control over Kalanjara for long. Paramardi's son, Trailokyavarman, also known as Trailokyamalla, defeated the Ghurids at Kakadadaha (modern-day Kakadwa) sometime before 1205 and regained all territories, including Kalanjara. His inscriptions, dated from 1205 to 1241, confirm that his kingdom included areas such as Lalitpur, Chattarpur State, Panna State, Ajaigarh State, and Rewah State. In 1211-1212, he conquered Rewah in Baghelkhand and likely the entire Dahala-matidala region from the Kalachuri ruler Vijayasirhha. Malik Nusrat-ud-din Tayasal, a general under Iltutmish, led an invasion of Kalanjara during the reign of Mamluk Sultanate, acquiring significant wealth through the plundering of the townships within the region. ^[9]

References

1. Raychaudhuri, Tapan; Habib, Irfan; Kumar, Dharma (1982). The Cambridge Economic History of India: Volume 1, C.1200-c.1750. CUP Archive. p. 90. ISBN   978-0-521-22692-9.
2. Srivastava, Ashok Kumar (1972). The Life and Times of Kutb-ud-din Aibak. Govind Satish Prakashan.
3. Kar, Hemendra Chandra (1980). Military History of India. Firma KLM. p. 200. ISBN   978-0-8364-1588-9.
4. Ojha, Dhirendra Nath (1993). Aristocracy in Medieval India. Orient Publications. p. 19. ISBN   978-81-85294-05-6.
5. Dole, Manoj. Great Kings in The World. Manoj Dole. p. 58.
6. Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1979). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 82. ISBN   978-81-207-0617-0.
7. Srivastava, Ashirbadi Lal (1966). The Sultanate of Delhi, 711-1526 A.D.: Including the Arab Invasion of Sindh, Hindu Rule in Afghanistan and Causes of the Defeat of the Hindus in Early Medieval Age. Shiva Lal Agarwala. p. 81.
8. Rezavi 2002 , p. 1242
9. Ramakrishnan, S. (2001). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 05, The Struggle For Empire. Public Resource. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 59–60.

Bibliography

• Rezavi, Syed Ali Nadeem (2002). "The Medieval Fort of Kalinjar and Its History". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 63: 1233–1259. ISSN   2249-1937.