Summary

Maharana Sangram Singh or short for Rana Sanga (Chittor, April 12, 1484 - Baswa, March 17, 1527) was maharana (king) of Mewar from 1509 to 1527. He was defeated in the battle of Khanwa by Mogul emperor Babur.

Rana Sanga succeeded his father Rana Raimal as ruler of Mewar in 1509. Like his predecessors, Rana Sanga considered the sultanate of Delhi an enemy. He was one of the Rajput rulers who invited the Afghan general Babur to invade India to end Delhi's power. Babur promised Rana Sanga dominion over Dholpur, Biana and Kalpi if he supported him in battle. After Babur crushed the sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, in the battle of Panipat (1526), he found that the promised support from Mewar had not lived up to his expectation. He therefore refused to hand over to the maharana the promised cities.

Rana Sanga saw the failure to transfer as treason. He then made an alliance with Raja Hasan Khan Mewattpati, the Muslim Rajput ruler of Mewat. The latter had granted asylum to some of Ibrahim Lodi's sons after the fall of Delhi. According to tradition, the combined army of the Rajputs numbered more than 100,000 men, a large numerical superiority over Babur's Moguls. Negotiations broke down because the confident Rana Sanga claimed all the territory around Agra. Babur, however, was a much better general. He withdrew his troops to the vicinity of Agra and patiently awaited the Rajputs' attack. The Moguls used a combination of cannon and fast cavalry units, tactics unknown to the Rajputs. In the battle of Khanwa (March 17, 1527), despite their supremacy, the Rajputs were crushed.

Maharana Rana Sanga died a few days after the battle. He was succeeded as maharana of Mewar by Ratan Singh.

Sources

1. Rana Sanga
2. Rana Sanga
3. ^ "Rajasthan Through the Ages Vol 1 Bakshi S. R."
4. ^ a b Sharma 1954, p. 12-13.
5. ^ V.S Bhatnagar (1974). Life and Times of Sawai Jai Singh, 1688-1743. Impex India. p. 6. Mewars grand recovery commended under Lakha and later under kumbha and most notably under Sanga it became one of the greatest power in the northern india in first quarter of 16th century
6. ^ a b Chandra 2005, pp. 224.
7. ^ Day, Upendra Nath (1978). Mewar Under Maharana Kumbha, 1433 A.D.-1468 A.D. Rajesh Publications. p. 35. Regarding Al Badayuni praise of Kumbha we dont find that instead we find him priasing [sic?] Rana Sanga and further calling him bravest of all Rajputs along with Rai Pithaura
8. BR Verma and SK Bakshi, Rajput Role in History
9. I. Austin, Mewar The World's Longest Serving Dynasty