Siege of Bhatner in 1398 was a military event where Timurid forces, led by Amir Timur, besieged the

Bhatner fort The Bhatner Fort was built by son of Rao Bhati, about 419 km northwest of Jaipur along the old Multan-Delhi route and 230 km north-east of Bikaner. Another name of Hanumangarh was Bhatner, which means "fortress of the Bhati". Believe ...

which was held by a Bhati Rajput chief, Rai Dul Dhand. Dul chand offered submission and fort was taken by Timur.

Siege

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

advanced towards the fortified settlement of Bhatner, with a force of 10,000 cavalry to capture the stronghold. Upon reaching Bhatner, Timur strategically deployed his forces, appointing Prince

Khalil Sultan Khalil Sultan () was the Timurid ruler of Transoxiana from 18 February 1405 to 1409. He was a son of Miran Shah and a grandson of Timur. Biography During Timur's lifetime, Khalil Sultan gained Timur's particular favor. He distinguished himself ...

and Shaikh Muhammad to command the left wing for an assault on the fort, while he positioned himself at the center of the army. The Timurid forces launched a coordinated attack from all sides, successfully breaching the defensive walls and overpowering the

Rajput Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...

defenders, resulting in significant casualties among the Rajputs. Rai Dul Chand, the Rajput leader, organized his forces at the fort’s gate to resist the Timurid onslaught. In response, Timur ordered Prince

Shah Rukh Shah Rukh or Shahrukh Mirza (, ''Šāhrokh''; 20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447. He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynasty in 1370 ...

, Jahan Malik, and Amir Sulaiman to attack Dul Chand’s forces. The ensuing battle saw fierce combat, the Timurids ultimately prevailed, inflicting heavy losses on the Rajput defenders. Perceiving the imminent loss of the fort, Rai Dul Chand submitted to Timur. The following morning, Dul Chand was expected to pay homage to Timur which he didn't do, prompting Timur to renew the attack. A second, intense confrontation ensued within the fort, during which the Timurids decisively defeated the Rajputs. Dul Chand, facing overwhelming defeat, sought mercy from Timur. Subsequently, tensions arose when several Rajput leaders and local Rais failed to meet the terms of ransom payments, leading to further conflict with Timur’s collectors. Upon receiving reports of this defiance, Timur marched to punish those Rajputs. In a desperate act of resistance, some Rajputs shut their own houses, set fire and immolated themselves. The Rajputs then launched a bold but ultimately futile assault against the Timurid forces. The Timurids repelled the attack, killing approximately 10,000 Rajputs and seizing substantial spoils, including valuable goods and treasures.

Aftermath

After achieving victory over

Bhatner Hanumangarh is a city and municipal council in the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar also identified as ancient Sarasvati river, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative headquarter of ...

arrived in

Sarsuti The Sarsuti river, originating in Sivalik Hills and flowing through the palaeochannel of Yamuna, is a tributary of Ghaggar river in of Haryana state of India.B.K. Bhadra and J.R. SharmaSatellite images as scientific tool for Sarasvati Paleochann ...

. He sent his forces against the people of Sarsuti but they fled away and

Timurids The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of contem ...

chased them and slaughtered them, women and children taken as prisoners

References

{{Reflist Battles involving the Rajputs Battles involving the Timurid Empire Conflicts in 1398