Did Rana Sanga invite Babur to invade Delhi? How was Rajput king defeated by Mughals despite bigger army?

Did Rana Sanga invite Babur to invade India and defeat Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526?

How was he forced to fight against Babur in the Battle of Khanwa?

How and why was Rana Sanga defeated despite leading a bigger and more ferocious army?

After Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman called Rana Sanga a "traitor", who "invited Babur to invade India", all hell broke and a massive controversy erupted over the issue.

Mughal Empire, which ruled India from 1526 to 1857, was established by Babur, who defeated the then ruler of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat, fought on April 21, 1526. 

Rivalry between Rana Sanga and Ibrahim Lodi

Lodhi fought Rana Sanga of Mewar at many battles and he was defeated in each one of these battles. Rana defeated the Lodi Sultanate in the Battle of Khatoli (1517) and the Battle of Dholpur (1518). 

Historian Satish Chandra wrote in his book, 'A History of Medieval India (1526-1748)', that Ibrahim Lodhi was alarmed at the expansion of the rule of Mewar Rana Sanga.

Babur turns attention to Delhi

Marc Jason Gilbert wrote in 'South Asia in World History', that after suffering defeat in Ferghana and Samarkand, Babur turned his attention to Delhi. 

Aware of the infighting among rulers of the region and long-drawn rivalry between Lodi and Rana, the Timurid ruler wanted to exploit it. 

He reached the bank of Chenab in Punjab in 1509 at a time when the Sultanate of Delhi under Ibrahim Lodhi was in tatters with central leadership having lost its control over the regional satraps and governors, who wanted to have their own rule. 

Alam Khan Lodhi and Punjab Governor Daulat Khan Lodhi invited Babur to invade the Sultanate of Delhi. 

Did Rana Sanga invite Babur? 

According to 'Baburnama', written by Babur and translated by Annette Susannah Beveridge, Rana Sanga sent his "best wishes and a proposal" to the Mughal.

Rana reportedly wrote in a letter to Babur, "If the honoured Padshah will come to near Dihli from that side, I from this will move on to Agra."

What did Satish Chandra write?

Historian Satish Chandra writes that Rana Sanga hoped to take advantage of Babur’s conflict with the Lodis, however, he was not sure if he formally invited him.

What did Jadunath Sarkar write?

Dismissing the idea of inviting Babur, historian Jadunath Sarkar emphasised that Babur was driven by his ambitions and alliances with governors and satraps who had revolted against the Sultanate of Delhi. 

Babur captures Punjab

When Babur marched to Lahore in 1524, Ibrahim Lodi had already expelled Daulat Khan Lodi. Lodi suffered serious setbacks in the battle against Babur, who captured territories of Jhelum, Sialkot, Kalanaur, and Dipalpur.

Babur returned to Kabul after pacing Dipalpur under the control of Alam Khan Lodi, an uncle of Ibrahim Lodi.

According to Satish Chandra, Babur launched his campaign in December 1525, conquered Punjab and reached Delhi in April 1526. 

Battle of Panipat

In the First Battle of Panipat, Lodi's army outnumbered 12,000 soldiers of Babur because of better planning, battle strategy and sophisticated weapons, particularly cannons. 

Lodi's elephants panicked, went berserk, and crushed own men, the entire war strategy went haywire. More than 20,000 troops and Ibrahim Lodi were killed in the battle. 

According to historians, Rana Sanga expected Babur to return to Kabul after defeating Lodi. He thought that Babur would leave the region to its fate and the Rajputs would capture Delhi. 

Babur declares himself Sultan of Delhi

On the contrary, the Mughal declared himself the Sultan of Delhi. 

After Babur refused to budge despite several reminders, Rana Sanga consolidated his position by gathering a massive coalition of Rajput and Afghan forces to challenge him.

Babur faced resistance at Bayana, a Rajput stronghold. Though Babur’s forces, led by Abdul Aziz, captured Bayana Fort, Rana Sanga soon hit back and defeated his forces. 

Thus Babur faced his first defeat. 

This caused further consolidation, that led to the Battle of Khanwa in 1527. 

According to historian Satish Chandra, when the Battle of Khanwa took place on March 16, 1527, cannon and gunpowder were used extensively. 

Battle of Khanwa 

It was a significant shift in the battle plans that resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Thousands of troops of Rana Sanga were killed in the battle, that he lost to Babur. 

It is not yet certain if Rana Sanga invited Babur. However historians say that the Rajput king underestimated Babur's ambition, he miscalculated his moves and plans. 

It is true that Rana Sanga fought and lost to Babur.