Facts About The History Of India

The second half of the 16th century witnessed the rapid expansion of the Mughal Empire
under Emperor Akbar, who had succeeded the throne in 1556. Akbar had established his
power over large parts of northern and central India at the time of the death of his
regent, Bairam Khan. Now he decided to defeat the various states of Rajputana that
challenged his supremacy. In 1561 he began his mission to conquer these states. He had
already conquered Ajmer and Nagor. He used diplomacy and military power to achieve
his goal. In 1564, he sent a large army under the command of Asaf Khan against
Gondwana in central India. Gondwana, at that time was under the rule of Rani
Durgavati, a heroic and brave queen and her youngest son, Vir Narayan. She gave strong
resistance to the invaders but was eventually defeated. She took her life to evade capture
while her son was killed during the attack on her capital, Chauragarh. Gondwana was
annexed to the Mughal Empire.
The next state to feel the weight of the Mughal arms was Ranthambore. Akbar
considered Ranthambore a great threat because the Rajput Fairies of this fort were
considered sworn enemies of the Mughals. Akbar had for the first time led an expedition
against Ranthambore in 1558, but then decided to annex Jaunpur, Gwalior and
northern Rajputana. Akbar turned to Ranthambore after his great victories around
Rajputana and the fall of Chittorgarh. He had decided to capture it as it was considered
the most invincible fortress of Rajputana.
This fort was the capital of the state of Bundi, which belonged to the Hada clan under
the command of Rao Surjan Hada. On February 8, 1568, Akbar launched an offensive
against Ranthambore. The fort was besieged by a Mughal force composed of more than
50,000 men led by the emperor. An area that encompasses a circumference of eight
miles around the fort was captured by a Mughal force that comprised 5000 men. The
besieging forces had brought with them the largest cannons ever built in the empire.
Three of them measured more than 15 feet long. An additional force of 70,000 men
joined the ranks of the besieging forces within a few weeks of the offensive. The
emperor's tent was installed in front of the hill in front of the entrance of the fort. The
invaders captured three rocky outcrops located near the fort. Cannon batteries were
placed in these three rock formations. It was from these three positions that Akbar
bombed Ranthambore's fort, which was located on a steep rocky cliff. During the
following days, Akbar subjected the fort to a relentless beating with even larger cannons
and high-speed mortars. He also ordered his men to begin building sabers or covered
trenches to allow the army to approach the fortress walls. The invading forces were able
to capture the areas just below the steep slope of the fort. The Mughal army built
prefabricated walls to prevent these territories from being recaptured by the Rajputs.
They then bombarded the fortress walls with long-range cannons and volley cannons
with deadly effect. They were able to set fire to the buildings within the walls of the
fortress. The flames began to skyrocket, and the skies turned black with smoke. Akbar
then gathered his forces near the fort's gates and prepared to launch an attack. Finally,
on March 21, 1568, Rao Surjan Hada, the ruler of Ranthambore, opened the doors of the
fort and allowed the invaders to enter. He welcomed the Mughal emperor who in turn
invited him to his imperial camp. Rao Surjan Hada thus submitted to the Mughal
emperor. He was sent to Bundi while a Mughal garrison was stationed in Ranthambore
Fort under the command of Mehtar Khan.

By: Preeti Narula
Content: http://www.indian-heritage.org/articles/hstry_pmk9.html