Battle Of Sher Shah Suri & Humayun | War

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SHERSHAH SURI

Shēr Shāh Sūrī (1486 – 22 May 1545), born Farīd Khān Lodhi, was the founder of the Suri Empire in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its capital in Sasaram in modern-day Bihar.
An ethnic Afghan Pashtun, Sher Shah took control of the Mughal Empire in 1538. After his accidental death in 1545, his son Islam Shah became his successor.
He first served as a private before rising to become a commander in the Mughal army under Babur and then the governor of Bihar.
In 1537, when Babur’s son Humayun was elsewhere on an expedition, Sher Shah overran the state of Bengal and established the Suri dynasty.

A brilliant strategist, Sher Shah proved himself as a gifted administrator as well as a capable general.
During his seven-year rule from 1538 to 1545, he set up a new civic and military administration, issued the first Rupiya and revived the historical city of Pataliputra.
He extended the Grand Trunk Road from Chittagong in the frontiers of the province of Bengal in northeast India to Kabul in Afghanistan in the far northwest of the country.

Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad born on 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556, better known by his name, Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India and Bangladesh from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556.
In December 1530, Humayun succeeded his father to the throne of Delhi as ruler of the Mughal territories in the Indian subcontinent. At the age of 22, Humayun was an inexperienced ruler when he came to power.
Humayun lost Mughal territories to Sher Shah Suri, but regained them 15 years later with Safavid aid. Humayun further expanded the Empire in a very short time, leaving a substantial legacy for his son, Akbar.

The Indian Afgans were preparing for driving the Mughals out and regaining their supremacy in Hindustan.Mahmud Lodi was planning an attack on the Mughals.
Mahmud Lodi paid a visit to Sher Khan and convinced him to cooperate. Under the lead of Mahmud Lodi, the Afghans occupied Banaras and marched on Jaunpur.
The emboldened Afghans now marched upon Lucknow and captured it. The two armies faced each other at Daunrua in the Nawabganj tahsil of the present Barabanki district in Awadh and a well-contested battle was fought there in August 1532, in which the Afghans were badly defeated.

Their leader, Mahmud Lodi, fled to Orissa and he spent the rest of his life there, dying in 1542. Sher Khan recovered South Bihar on the failure of the uprising and again became its ruler.
Circumstances helped Sher Khan greatly to defy the Mughal army. Humayun received the alarming news of the hostile movements of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
Under these circumstances, Humayun decided to make a hurried peace with Sher Shah Suri and hence a peace was made

In 1535 Humayun was made aware that the Sultan of Gujarat was planning an assault on the Mughal territories with Portuguese aid. Humayun gathered an army and marched on Bahadur Shah.
Within a month he had captured the forts of Mandu and Champaner. Sultan Bahadur, meanwhile escaped and took up refuge with the Portuguese.
Shortly after Humayun had marched on Gujarat, Sher Shah Suri saw an opportunity to wrest control of Agra from the Mughals. He began to gather his army.
Upon hearing this alarming news, Humayun quickly marched his troops back to Agra allowing Bahadur to easily regain control of the territories Humayun had recently taken. In February 1537, however, Bahadur was killed.

Whilst Humayun succeeded in protecting Agra from Sher Shah, the second city of the Empire, Gaur the capital of the vilayat of Bengal, was sacked.
Sher Shah withdrew to the east, but Humayun did not follow.Raja Todar Mal, an ally of Sher Shah Suri, constructed the Rohtas Fort to check Humayun from Persia.

Humayun decided to conquer Bengal (Gaur) after capturing Chunar. Later Humayun marched to Gaur (Bengal) and defeated Jalal Khan (Son of Sher Khan).
While Humayun was busy in Bengal Sher Khan strengthened his forces against Humayun.
After capturing Bengal Humayun retured towards Agra. Afghan forces of Sher Khan had already occupied Munger and had imprisoned its Mughal governor, Khan-i-Khanan Dilawar Khan.

At Munger Humayun crossed the Ganga to its southern bank and took the old Grand Trunk Road which passed through south Bihar which was under complete control of Sher Khan and reached Chausa. (at the boundary between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on the confluence of River Karmanasa and Ganges.) Later Sher Khan also reached there with his troops.
The two forces camped opposite each other for three months, but none of them took up the attack. Sher Shah purposely delayed the battle and waited for the rains which could create problem for the Mughal army camped on the banks of Ganga.

In these three months Humayun forces suffered. Humayun realized the weakness of his situation. He opened the negotiations.
As per this treaty, Humayun agreed to allow Sher Shah Suri to rule over Bengal and Bihar. In return, he would give recognition to emperor.

The rains were started and the Mughal camp was flooded. Taking advantage of the situation, Sher Khan made a surprise attack on the Mughals from three directions. just before dawn on June 26, 1539 CE. the Mughal army was defeated. Humayun just saved his life by throwing himself into the river Ganges and reached Agra.
Sher Shah declared himself the Sultan.Sher Khan then marched to Bengal and brought Bihar and Bengal under his control by deposing the Mughal governor Jahangir Beg and then returned to Kannauj.

Humayun was saved by a Bhisti, who supported him on his water skin across the river Ganga. Most of the army was drawn in Ganga or captured or killed.
The army of Sher Shah had already occupied Lucknow and Kanauj and Sher Shah himself reached near Kanauj. in February 1540 Humayun proceeded to meet the enemy and reached Bhojpur near Kanauj, and set up his encampment there. .

When Humayun returned to Agra, he found that all three of his brothers were present. Humayun once again pardoned his brothers for plotting against him.
Sher Shah was gradually drawing closer and closer to Agra. This was a serious threat to the entire family.
Humayun, with his other brothers Askari and Hindal, marched to meet Sher Shah just 240 kilometres (150 mi) east of Agra at the battle of Kannauj on 17 May 1540.

hen Humayun returned to Agra, he found that all three of his He and his brothers quickly retreated back to Agra, but they chose not to stay and retreated to Lahore, since Sher Shah followed them.
The founding of the short-lived Sur Dynasty (which contained only him and his son) of northern India, with its capital at Delhi, resulted in Humayun’s exile for 15 years .