Battle of Durgara (1399)

Mal Dev had made his kingdom independent and had sought to extend it towards the west, beyond the river Chenab also. His political ambition and the chaos caused by Turk and tribal invasions dragged Jammu into a long drawn struggle with hostile forces entrenched all around. The period of about a century from Mai Dev's accession in 1361, was the most eventful for the people and rulers of Jammu. They had a busy time with invaders and in conflicts with their warlike neighbours, the Khokhars, and with rulers of Delhi and their governors at Lahore. The Mongol inroads on the north-western regions of India had started distressing people. The Turks had entrenched themselves in power in Afghanistan and north-western Punjab. Forcible conversion of Hindus to Islam in Kashmir and in the Punjab had become a routine of Muslim rule in India, which was then represented at Delhi by the imbecile rule of the later Tughlaks, followed by the Sayyid Sultans, and the Lodhis in quick succession. The plains of Punjab and the low hills of Jammu-Kangra region had become a cock-pit of continuous struggle between the invaders, free-booter plundering tribes of Khokhars, Chibhs and Awans, the empire builders of Delhi and their representatives at Dibalpur and Lahore ; and last of all, tribal raiders and foreigners seeking and carrying men and women to slavery, rapine and loot. These Muslim bands in various garbs had made this region a veritable hell for the so-called 'infidels' whom they mercilessly and frequently slaughtered in the name of Islam and sent them to hell.Amir Timur oceupied Delhi in December, 1398. After plundering the capital of the Sultans for about 3 weeks, he left it on hearing of the Hindus, who inhabited the outer hills (Siwaliks) determined to carry a holy war against them on his way back to the Indus. After storming Meeruth and Haridwar in January, 1399 he entered the Siwalik, defeating, slaughtering and plundering on all sides. Between the Satluj and the Beas he had severe conflicts in the outer valleys with the forces of the Raja of Nagarkot (Kangra). Between January 24 and Febrnary 23, when he reached the neighbourhood of Jammu he had fought twenty battles and gained as many victories, and conquered several forts which Timur numbers at eight. or Kalu Chak on the bank of the Balol torret as Timur descended along it from the rugged hills to the fertile plain through which he marched on to Jammu. It was at this place that the envoy of Sultan Sikandar of Kashmir reached Timur's camp on 24 February, and Timur wanted the Sultan to be informed that he should wait upon him on the banks of the Indus without bringing any presents. 62 Sikandar set out from Srinagar but on reaching Baramula learnt that Timur had hurriedly left the Indian frontier for Samarqand and returned to his capital.

Timur was informed that the castle of Jammu was near, that it was connected with the Siwalik and Kuka (probably Trikuta) mountains and that inhabitants were not submissive and obedients to the Sultans of Hindustan. He decided to carry his arms against the infidels of Jammu, and on 23 February 1399, he marched from Mansar six Kos (about 9 miles) and encamped at the village of Baila in the territory of Jammu. Probably Timur passed through Purmandal and Uttarbehni I and the locality of Baila (possibly a forest of rushes along foot-hill stream) was a few miles south of it on the bank of the Devika. There could not be any considerable village in those desolations. Timur sent a force against the village the inhabitants of which "Confident in their numbers, in the density of the Jungle, and in the altitude of the position, had placed themselves in ambush in many places along the borders of the jungle prepared to give battle and offer resistance. 61 " Timur's officers could not dare to attack them. The same day, 24 February, he advanced about six miles and then encamped, probably in the vicinity of the modern Bari-Brahmanaa [1] On 26th Timur again marched, and came up opposite to the city of Jammu, and there camped. The five or six Kos (about 9 miles) which he tranversed on that day was entirely through a cultivated country. He did not see anywhere dry or waste land. He probably encamped in the Satwari plain where "there was grain and grass enough between the tents to feed the animals.'*64 Sharafud-Din Yazdi's[2] account of Timur's march to Jammu gives a little more details. He says that "The men of Baila were very brave, and they had some strong jungles. They placed palicades aloug the edges, and then stood ready fight and slay." Timur evaded fighting them and only plundered the already deserted village an[3] d set fire to it. The invaders then marched four Kos (6 miles) and encamped near a village. Here the envoys from Kashmir presented themselves before Timur. This village at the foot of a mountain, had many people. There was a fight, Hindus were put to sword and the village plundered and set on fire. On the same day, in the afternoon they attacked two other villages which were near, for provisions.65 The hill people, though quite small in numbers seem to have lurked about Timur's baggage and plundered it here and there leading to skirmishes and smart fights in which one of Timur's officers was badly wounded with an arrow. The record of Timur's proceedings agatnst Jammu is not proud one. He evaded a direct fight with the people of Jammu "The rai, with a force of bold and fearless men, had taken his stand in a strong position on the mountain, wnere they discharged their arrows and kept on shouting like dogs baying the moon."66 Timur was not in a mood to fight a pitched battle as his soldiers were burdened with spoils of Hindustan, and in addition, he was in hurry to clear away from India to reach Iran hastily as he had received the distressing news of a rebellion in the eastern parts of his empire.67 He, therefore, adopted a cunning strategy.[4]

On 27th, February, he sent army over the river to the foot of the mountain, on the left of the town, and to the village of Manu on the right. The people of Jammu sent off their wives and children from their villages to the tops of the mountains, and they fortified themselves in their villages. The Raja with his warlike Rajputs took his post in the valley. Timur ordered his soldiers not to go towards them, but to attack and plunder the town of Jammu and the village of Manu. Accordingly, his forces fell to plundering, and secured an enormous booty in grain, goods of all kinds, and cattle.[5] The invaders then returned totheir eamp for the night. Next day Timur sounded his march towards the Chenab, leaving oehind a force in ambush in the Babu forest.After leaving his forces in ambush he moved from Jammu along the left bank of the Tawi for a long distance before he crossed over to the right bank at a spot from which he traversed about 6 miles and encamped on the bank of the river Chenab. On 24th he crossed that river into Bajwat, marched westward into the Chibhan or Bimbar and crossed the river Jhelum probably a little way above the present town of the same name. There he left his army and travelled by forced marches to Indus on his way back to Samarqand

The Turco-Mongol conqurerer Timur (1336 – 1405)

the tradition recorded by Ganesh Da s and G.C. Smyth affirms that it was Mai Dev, who was contemporary < f Timur and who died in about 1400 A.D. The Dogra folk ballands gi e a different version of Mai Dev's role in the affair. In one of the lege*.ds it is narrated that Mai Dev organised a confedercy of Rajas against Timur and fought the invaders in defending Kangra, and died there a heroic death. Another balled lauds Mai Dev's terrible battle with the invaders in which Timur was badly repulsed. It is probable that the "Raja of Jammu" which Timur's men captured in ambush cade, was not the Raja, but only a vassal of the King of Jammu, who, along with 'fifty rais and Rajputs' might have come down the valley of the Tawi on way to the plain country lying across it, and fell iuto ambuscade.[6] It was some zamindar or rai who was forcibly converted to Islam, and not the King of Jammu. That is why the great Rakwal, Chandel and Chauhan Rajput dynasties did not besitate to marry their daughters to Mai Dev's successor. In case of Mai Dev's conversion to Islam this could not have been possible in Rajputs, who were overzealous for the preservation of the purity of their blood. Ganesh Dass records another tradition.[7] He siates that Timur invited Mai Dev to submission and conversion to Islam, to which the proud Raja replied by recourse to fight. Mai Dev made a sudden sally, surprised and routed the invading force and took shelter in lofty fastnesses. Timur's forces reacted by advancing up to the foot of the hill of Jammu.70 but retreated after plundering the neighbouring villages.[8] TimurV battles in the hills seem to have been against the crowds of people, who were wont to hover around the recreating invaders with the intention of reli ving them of some of the booty.[9]

• Battle of the Kondurcha River
• Siege of Damascus (1400)
• Battle of Tarian
• Battle of Dewair (1606)
• Battle of Ankara