Punyashlok ahilyabai holkar

Battle of Kumher

1. Battle of Old Delhi

Overview:-
The battle of old delhi took place on 10 March 1753.

Quick facts :-

Date: 10 May 1753

Location: Delhi

Result: Old Delhi plundered
i) Peace negotiated by Madho Singh I of Jaipur.
ii) Suraj Mal pardoned by the emperor.
iii) Safdar Jung withdraws from Delhi.

Belligerents:
Attackers-
i) Oudh State
ii) Kingdom of Bharatpur

Attacked-
i) Mughal Empire
ii) Rohilla Afghans
iii) Marathas under Mankeshwar

Commanders and leaders:
Attackers-
i) Safdar Jung
ii) Suraj Mal

Attacked-
i) Ahmad Shah Bahadur
ii) Imad-ul-Mulk
iii) Najib-ud-Daulah
iv) Antaji Mankeshwar
v) Jeta Gujar

The Mughal Emperor had taken back domain of Awadh and Allahabad from Safdar Jung and to avenge his humiliation, Safdar Jung rebelled and attacked Delhi.

Battle:-

i) On 13 May, Safdar Jung was dismissed as wazir and appointed in his place, Intixam, with Imad as Mir Bakshi. On Suraj's advice, Safdar Jung reacted by appointing  Akbar Adilshah as Emperor.

ii) On 14 May, the Jats sacked Charbaag, Baag-e-kultat and Hakim Munim Bridge.

iii) On 15 May, Jaisinghpura, burning several areas.

iv) On 16 May, the Jats attacked Delhi and defeated Delhi and defeated Sadil Khan and Raja Devidatta in a battle.

v) On 17 May, the Jats captured Feroz Shah Kotla.

vi) In the fight against the rohillas, the Jats rode bulls and threw cannonballs with bare hands.

vii) Najib Khan was wounded and 400 Rohilla pathans died.

Aftermath:-

Imad-ul-Mulk being the de facto ruler of Delhi called for help from the Marathas and instigated them to attack Jat territory.

2. Battle of Kumher

Kumher was founded by a Jat chieftain Kumbh.
The Battle of Kumher was fought among Jats, Marathas and Mughals.
In 1754, when Suraj Mal or Sudan Singh was the king, the fort came under siege by Marathas, as Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao's younger brother Raghunath Rao (Supported by Scindias and Holkars) wanted to be subservient to them.
In 1754, Khanderao alongside with his father, Malhar Rao Holkar laid the siege of Kumher fort of Jat Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur on request from Imad-ul-Mulk and the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur's general Mir Bakshi and Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and Alamgir II. Suraj Mal had sided with Mughal Emperor's wazir Safdar Jung and Alamgir II's adversary Siraj-ud-Daulah.

Army:-

Belligerents:
Attacked-
Kingdom of Bharatpur

Attackers-
Maratha Empire
Mughal Empire

Commanders and leaders:
Attacked-
Suraj Mal or Sujan Singh

Attackers-
Khanderao Holkar
Raghunath Rao
Alamgir II

Strength:

Attacked-
10,000 Jats

Attackers-
80,000 combined forces of Marathas and Mughals

Casualities and losses:
Attacked-
Very less

Attackers-
High, Khanderao Holkar died due to heavy artillery.

Battle:-

At the beginning of 1754, Khanderao alongwith an army of 4 thousand Marathas, attacked the Jats hiding in the mountains and forests.
The Marathas besieged Kumher fort from 20 January to 18 May 1754. The war continued for about 4 months.
During the war, Khanderao Holkar, son of Malhar Rao Holkar was one day inspecting his army in an open palanquin, when he was fired upon from the fort. The cannonball hit and killed him on 24 March 1754.
Malhar Rao was infuriated by the death of his only son and wanted to take revenge. He vowed that he would cut off the head of Maharaja Suraj Mal and throw the soil of fort into Yamuna after destroying it.
The Marathas increased pressure and Suraj Mal defended pacifly.
But Suraj Mal was isolated as no other ruler was ready to help him. At this moment, Maharaja Suraj Mal was counseled by Maharani Kishori, who assured him not to worry and started diplomatic efforts. She contacted Diwan Roop Ram Katara. She knew there were differences between Malhar Rao Holkar  and Jayappa Sindhia and that Jayappa Sindhia was very firm in his determinations. She advised Maharaja Suraj Mal to take advantage of mutual differences within Marathas.She requested Diwan Roop Ram Katara to take a letter from Maharaja Suraj Mal proposing a treaty. Jayappa Sindhia assured Suraj Mal of assistance and contacted Raghunath Rao. Raghunath Rao in turn advised Holkar to sign a treaty with Suraj Mal. Malhar Rao Holkar assessed the situation and consented for the treaty due to possibility of isolation. This led to a treaty which proved beneficial for Maharaja Suraj Mal.

After Khanderao became martyr (in Battle of Kumher):-

After the death of Khannderao Holkar, Ahilya Bai Holkar had given up all desires of life and decided to perform sati to accompany her husband at his funeral pyre. People requested her not to commit sati, but she said her husband had pledged to accompany her  lifelong and now he has left midway. When she had made up her mind to perform sati and was not relenting, it was finnaly her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar who made fervent emotional appeals to stop her. He said:
" Daughter, my son left me whom I raised with a hope that he would support me in my old age. Now, will you also leave me, an old man, alone to be drowned in the fathomless ocean ? .... Will you also leave me without any support ? Still, if you don't want to change your mind, let me die first. "
Ahilya Bai Holkar stayed in the battlefield or nearby for sometime to make a well and memorial of Khanderao Holkar Bahadur.

His samadhi chhatri was built at Gangarsoli near Kumher and Deeg, which is built by Ahilya Bai Holkar and Malhar Rao Holkar alongwith a well.

It is said that on Maheshwar Fort, Ahilya Bai Holkar got the details of Battle of Kumher designs on the walls of the fort that how Khanderao Holkar fought in the battle.