First battle of Bhilsa
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| First battle of Bhilsa | |||||||||
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| Part of Delhite expansion | |||||||||
.jpg) Tomb of Iltutmish | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Paramara dynasty | Delhi Sultanate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Maharajadhiraja Devapala of Malwa Yuvraj Jaitugi-deva Rajkumar Jayasimha |
Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi Unnamed Delhite Adhipa | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Medium to heavy | Negligable | ||||||||
  First battle of Bhilsa Location of Bhilsa | |||||||||
The First battle of Bhilsa was a conflict between Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi and King Devapala of Malwa. It was a victory for Iltutmish, who conquered Bhilsa and raided temples and shrines.[1]
Background
[edit]The Delhi Sultanate during the 12th and 13th century was undergoing a period of expansion during strong Sultans such as Qutb ud-Din Aibak and Iltutmish. Meanwhile, the Paramaras under Devapala were under a period of defensive warfare, with mixed success.
Battle
[edit]Iltutmish raided the Paramara-controlled cities of Bhilsa and Ujjain in 1234–35.[1] Iltutmish's army occupied Bhilsa, and destroyed a temple whose construction - according to Minhaj - had taken three hundred years.[2] At Ujjain, his forces damaged the Mahakaleshwar temple and obtained rich plunder, but made little effort to annex the Paramara territory.[3] The jyotirlinga at the site was dismantled and believed to be thrown into a nearby 'Kotiteerth Kunda' (a pond neighboring the temple) with the Jaladhari (a structure supporting the Lingam) stolen during the invasion.[4]
Aftermath
[edit]Despite his victory over Devapala, Iltutmish could not permanantly hold Bhilsa. The Adhipa he put in charge of the city and region was decisively defeated and killed, and Devapala reconquered the region.[5][6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b André Wink 1991, p. 156.
- ^ K. A. Nizami 1992, p. 222.
- ^ Satish Chandra 2004, p. 45.
- ^ Mahajan, Vidya Dhar (1965). Muslim Rule in India. S. Chand.
- ^ Trivedi 1991, pp. 188.
- ^ Sircar 1966, pp. 187–188.