Seuna Conquest of Varanasi
The Seuna Conquest of Varanasi was an important military campaign led by Ramchandra, the king of the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty, in the late 13th century. With the help of his general Tikkama, Ramchandra captured the city of Varanasi, which was an important religious and cultural center in India. They defeated the local governor, who worked for a rival kingdom, and took control of the city.
| Seuna Conquest of Varanasi | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Seuna (Yadava) Dynasty |
 Delhi Sultanate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Ramachandra Tikkama Saluva |
Unknown | ||||||||
After the victory, Ramchandra strengthened his rule in Varanasi. He also built a temple in the city to show his support for Hinduism. This conquest helped the Seuna dynasty expand its territory and increase its influence in northern India.
Battle
changeRamachandra, a king from the Yadava dynasty, planned to expand his kingdom towards the northeast.Ramachandra decided to invade the Muslim empire and aimed to bring Banaras (Varanasi) under Hindu rule.[1] He marched to Banaras, captured it, and stayed there for about two or three years.[2] The Purushottamapuri plates mention that he built a temple in Banaras dedicated to the god Sarangdhara, showing his efforts to strengthen Hindu rule in the region.[3][4]
This likely happened between the death of Balban in 1286 CE and the rise of Jalal-ud-Din Khalji, during a time when Delhi was too weak to protect its outer territories.Ramachandra could not hold Banaras for long. When Ala-ud-Din Khalji became the governor of Kara, Ramachandra's forces were forced to retreat south, likely by 1291 CE.[3]
Aftermath
changeAfter the conquest of Varanasi, Ramachandra faced a retaliation attack from Alauddin Khalji, the Sultan of Delhi.[5][6][7] In 1291, Khalji's forces invaded Ramachandra's kingdom and defeated him. As a result, Ramachandra was forced to accept Khalji's authority and turn his kingdom into a vassal state. This marked an important loss of power for Ramachandra and brought his kingdom under the influence of the Delhi Sultanate.[8][9]
References
change- ↑ Verma, Onkar Prasad (1970). The Yādavas and Their Times. Vidarbha Samshodhan Mandal. p. 147.
- ↑ Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 458. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yazdani, Ghulam (1960). The Early History of the Deccan. Oxford University Press. p. 551.
- ↑ Y. A. Raikar. Yadavas Of The Deccan And Their Times A Cultural History.
- ↑ Michell, George; Zebrowski, Mark (1999-06-10). Architecture and Art of the Deccan Sultanates. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-56321-5.
- ↑ A Comprehensive History of India: The Delhi Sultanat (A.D. 1206-1526), ed. by Mohammad Habib and Khaliq Ahmad Nizami. People's Publishing House. 1970.
- ↑ Lal, Kishori Saran (1968). History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290-1320. Asia Publishing House.
- ↑ Chandra, Satish (2004). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals-Delhi Sultanat (1206-1526) - Part One. Har-Anand Publications. ISBN 978-81-241-1064-5.
- ↑ A Comprehensive History of India: The Delhi Sultanat (A.D. 1206-1526), ed. by Mohammad Habib and Khaliq Ahmad Nizami. People's Publishing House. 1970.