Siege of Bhatinda, 1191-2

The siege of Bhatinda of 1191-2 took place between the two battles of Taraoir (1191 and 1192) fought between Muhammad of Ghur and Prithviraja Chauhana III of Delhi, and saw Prithviraja recapture the fortress before suffering defeat and death during the second battle of Taraoir.

Bhatinda fell to Muhammad of Ghur during the winter of 1190-91, and was garrisoned by 1,200 cavalry under Qazi Ziya-ud-din. After taking Bhatinda Muhammad continued on to the east, before suffering a heavy defeat in the first battle of Taraori (1191). When Muhammad retreated west to Ghazni Ziya-ud-din was left behind to defend Bhatinda. Prithviraja advanced west and besieged Bhatinda.

The fortress held out for thirteen months, giving Muhammad the time he needed to gather a new army and return to India to win his great victory at Taraoir.

Medieval Indian Armies (2), Indo-Islamic Forces, 7th-Early 16th Centuries, David Nicolle. Covers a vast topic, a millennium of Indian history, with at least twenty eight Islamic dynasties claiming some part of the sub-continent. Starts with useful overviews of the involvement of Islamic powers in the area, before moving on to look at the military history and armies, split into five chapters, each of which discusses the main military activities of the period with an overview of what we know about the armies involved (Read Full Review)

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy