Chimaji Appa
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Hem Chandra Bhargava, more commonly known as Hemu, was the last Hindu emperor to rule from Delhi. Despite him only having a one month reign, he was a remarkable military commander and the finest Indian military mind in the medieval period. With a record of 23 wins and only one loss, Hemu has earned himself a mention among the greatest military commanders of India. Through his amazing logistical abilities as well as tactical geniusness, Hemu was able to re-establish Hindu Dominance on the lost Delhi throne, while obviously staying loyal to Adil Shah Suri in Bengal.
EARLY LIFE:
The origins of Hemu are shrouded in mystery. Several renowned scholars, like J.F. Richards, have named him as a "Baniya", while others, like Jadunath Sarkar, have named him as a "Gaur Brahmin". The Historian Satisj Chandra has named him as a "Dhusar who claim to be Bhargava brahmins". His Haveli also shows that he was from a well to do family. It appears that following the Mughal conquest of his area, his family may have had to take up other activities to make a living. Whatever the case may be, he is agreed to have come from humble origins.
ENTERING THE AFGHAN SERVICES:
A Hindu entering the Suri forces is nothing unheard of. Sher Shah himself also recruited many Hindus from UP and Bihar. Hemu was said to have been a seller of saltpeter. When Islam Shah Suri took the throne in about 1545, Hemu had risen up to become the Superintendent of the market he worked for. He is also said to have taken up other jobs in the Sur empire, from a kitchen inspector to the Chief of Intelligence. When Adil Shah took the throne, Hemu threw in his lot and became the Chief minister of Adil Shah Suri due to his military successes and capable administrative skills.
MILITARY MIND:
Being the finest military mind on the Suri side, Hemu campaigned all over the Sur Empire, waging and winning as much as 22 battles against Afghan rebels in the Sur Empire. He personally led his army every single time. However, his biggest challenge was yet to come. On July 23, 1555, Humayun defeated Sikandar Shah Suri, Adil Shah's brother in law, and recaptured Delhi as well as Agra. 6 months later, Humayun had died, and this gave Hemu the golden opportunity, and he reconquered Bayana, Etawah, Sambhal, Kalpi, and Narnaul. The governor of Agra fled upon hearing about Hemu's arrival. During his march, he recruited many Brahmins and Rajputs from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. With Agra, Bayana and Sambhal reconquered, he now had to defeat the Moghuls at Delhi.
Hemu's Finest Victory: The Battle of Tuglaqabad
Hemu confronted the Mughals under Tardi Beg at Delhi. Hemu kept his center densely populated, while his flanks were weakly gaurded. The Mughals saw this and charged both flanks and drove them back to their camp. The Mughals, who thought they were victorious, went to plunder the camp. However, they had made a massive mistake. Hemu succeeded in making the Mughals overextend their flanks, where a majority of the Mughal forces were. Hemu took his strongly equipped center and charged at Tardi Beg, whose center was weakly guarded. Tardi Beg simply fled without offering any resistance, and Delhi was back under Suri control. The Mughals, who had dispersed to plunder their camp, returned and also retreated after deeming the day as lost. Hemu's reign in Delhi lasted only one month; the Mughals returned to challenge Hemu under Bairam Khan. The 2 armies would clash in what is now known as the Second Battle of Panipat.
SECOND BATTLE OF PANIPAT- A TRAGIC ENDING:
The Mughals had reemerged under Bairam Khan, who marched to reconquer Delhi. Hemu's forces confronted the Mughals at Panipat, and the history changing "Second Battle of Panipat". The 2 forces clashed with eachother and the battle was hotly contested. Mughal sources confirm that Hemu was on the cusp of victory when he was shot in the eye and fell of his elephant. Seeing this, his army lost heart and retreated, suffering heavy losses on the way. North India was now under Mughal dominance, and remained this way for another 200 years.
NOTE: I will be making a much more detailed post on the 2nd battle of Panipat (as well as the first and the third).
LEGACY:
The the 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries saw a massive Hindu resurgence:
The Rajputs easily kicked Turkic garrisons out of Rajasthan, defeated the Muslims on 3 different fronts under Rana Khumbha, and even humbled the Lodi Sultans several times under Man Singh Tomar and Rana Sanga. Vijayanagar in South India whooped the Bahmanids 10 times, while only losing once, and sacked their capital twice under Krishna Deva Raya. Even the Himalayan Kingdom of Kumaon defeated a muslim force that had tried to encroach upon it's lower territories in the plains. The Hindu resurgence was further strengthened by Hemu, who was able to retake the throne of Delhi after 300 years of Muslim dominance.
SOURCES:
Kaushik Roy: India's historical battles from Alexander the Great to Kargi;
John F Richards: The Mughal Empire (The New Cambridge History of India).
Jadunath Sarkar: Military History of India
Satish Chandra: Medieval India from Sultanat to the Mughals Part II
Akbarnama by Abu Fazl
Here is a link to my blog: https://uttaranachalhistory.blogspot.com/2020/04/hemu-hem-chandra-vikramaditya.html
I post there at least once every week, covering everything South Asian military related, from the important battles and tactics, to the top tier military generals who helped shaped South Asian history.
EARLY LIFE:
The origins of Hemu are shrouded in mystery. Several renowned scholars, like J.F. Richards, have named him as a "Baniya", while others, like Jadunath Sarkar, have named him as a "Gaur Brahmin". The Historian Satisj Chandra has named him as a "Dhusar who claim to be Bhargava brahmins". His Haveli also shows that he was from a well to do family. It appears that following the Mughal conquest of his area, his family may have had to take up other activities to make a living. Whatever the case may be, he is agreed to have come from humble origins.
ENTERING THE AFGHAN SERVICES:
A Hindu entering the Suri forces is nothing unheard of. Sher Shah himself also recruited many Hindus from UP and Bihar. Hemu was said to have been a seller of saltpeter. When Islam Shah Suri took the throne in about 1545, Hemu had risen up to become the Superintendent of the market he worked for. He is also said to have taken up other jobs in the Sur empire, from a kitchen inspector to the Chief of Intelligence. When Adil Shah took the throne, Hemu threw in his lot and became the Chief minister of Adil Shah Suri due to his military successes and capable administrative skills.
MILITARY MIND:
Being the finest military mind on the Suri side, Hemu campaigned all over the Sur Empire, waging and winning as much as 22 battles against Afghan rebels in the Sur Empire. He personally led his army every single time. However, his biggest challenge was yet to come. On July 23, 1555, Humayun defeated Sikandar Shah Suri, Adil Shah's brother in law, and recaptured Delhi as well as Agra. 6 months later, Humayun had died, and this gave Hemu the golden opportunity, and he reconquered Bayana, Etawah, Sambhal, Kalpi, and Narnaul. The governor of Agra fled upon hearing about Hemu's arrival. During his march, he recruited many Brahmins and Rajputs from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. With Agra, Bayana and Sambhal reconquered, he now had to defeat the Moghuls at Delhi.
Hemu's Finest Victory: The Battle of Tuglaqabad
Hemu confronted the Mughals under Tardi Beg at Delhi. Hemu kept his center densely populated, while his flanks were weakly gaurded. The Mughals saw this and charged both flanks and drove them back to their camp. The Mughals, who thought they were victorious, went to plunder the camp. However, they had made a massive mistake. Hemu succeeded in making the Mughals overextend their flanks, where a majority of the Mughal forces were. Hemu took his strongly equipped center and charged at Tardi Beg, whose center was weakly guarded. Tardi Beg simply fled without offering any resistance, and Delhi was back under Suri control. The Mughals, who had dispersed to plunder their camp, returned and also retreated after deeming the day as lost. Hemu's reign in Delhi lasted only one month; the Mughals returned to challenge Hemu under Bairam Khan. The 2 armies would clash in what is now known as the Second Battle of Panipat.
SECOND BATTLE OF PANIPAT- A TRAGIC ENDING:
The Mughals had reemerged under Bairam Khan, who marched to reconquer Delhi. Hemu's forces confronted the Mughals at Panipat, and the history changing "Second Battle of Panipat". The 2 forces clashed with eachother and the battle was hotly contested. Mughal sources confirm that Hemu was on the cusp of victory when he was shot in the eye and fell of his elephant. Seeing this, his army lost heart and retreated, suffering heavy losses on the way. North India was now under Mughal dominance, and remained this way for another 200 years.
NOTE: I will be making a much more detailed post on the 2nd battle of Panipat (as well as the first and the third).
LEGACY:
The the 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries saw a massive Hindu resurgence:
The Rajputs easily kicked Turkic garrisons out of Rajasthan, defeated the Muslims on 3 different fronts under Rana Khumbha, and even humbled the Lodi Sultans several times under Man Singh Tomar and Rana Sanga. Vijayanagar in South India whooped the Bahmanids 10 times, while only losing once, and sacked their capital twice under Krishna Deva Raya. Even the Himalayan Kingdom of Kumaon defeated a muslim force that had tried to encroach upon it's lower territories in the plains. The Hindu resurgence was further strengthened by Hemu, who was able to retake the throne of Delhi after 300 years of Muslim dominance.
SOURCES:
Kaushik Roy: India's historical battles from Alexander the Great to Kargi;
John F Richards: The Mughal Empire (The New Cambridge History of India).
Jadunath Sarkar: Military History of India
Satish Chandra: Medieval India from Sultanat to the Mughals Part II
Akbarnama by Abu Fazl
Here is a link to my blog: https://uttaranachalhistory.blogspot.com/2020/04/hemu-hem-chandra-vikramaditya.html
I post there at least once every week, covering everything South Asian military related, from the important battles and tactics, to the top tier military generals who helped shaped South Asian history.
