Battle of Sumel, also known as the Battle of Giri-Sumel. Fought in 1544, It was near the villages of Giri and Sumel. The loyal generals of Marwar, Jaita, and Kumpa participated in the war. A famous Persian recorded quote about Sher Shah that encasulates the situation perfectly “for a handful of millet I almost lost the Empire of Hindustan.” (“एक मुट्ठी भर बाजरे के लिए वह हिंदुस्तान की बादशाह खो देता”।)
Kumpa had resisted Sher Shah’s advance in Shekhawati, after which Sher Shah made sure to entrench at every stop and halted in the village of Sammel in Jaitaran, ninety kilometers east of Jodhpur. He established his army with the river Sammel in front of him as a line of defense. Maharaja Maldev of Marwar was surprised by the sudden arrival of his foe and led his army to Girri, which was 12 miles away from Sher Shah’s camp.
During this time, the dispossessed rulers of Bikaner and Merta came to the aid of Sher Shah. Maldev remained in a defensive stance during this time. Sher Shah knew he was in a hostile desert with limited food and water. The digging of trenches had already taken a toll on his Afghan soldiers, who were not used to the terrain. After one month of skirmishing, Sher Shah’s position became critical owing to the difficulties of food supplies for his army. According to contemporary chroniclers writing in Persian, Sher Shah resorted to a cunning ploy. One evening, he dropped forged letters near Maldeo’s camp in such a way that they were sure to be intercepted. These letters falsely indicated that some of Maldev’s army commanders were promising assistance to Sher Shah. It caused great consternation to Maldeo, who immediately (and wrongly) suspected his commanders of disloyalty. Maldeo justify for Jodhpur on 4 January 1544 with his men, abandoning his commanders to their fate.
When Maldev’s loyal generals, Jaita and Kumpa, found out what had happened, they were worried about how they would prove their loyalty. When the king ordered a withdrawal, the chieftains decided to stay, even though they had only a few thousand men against an enemy force of 80,000 men, cannons, and war elephants. Jaita said that the land they were leaving had been won and protected by their ancestors, so they must not flee. In the ensuing battle of Sammel, Jaita, Kumpa, and other chieftains, attacked Sher Shah’s center wreaking havoc in his ranks. Sher Shah reacted to the charge by sending war elephants and reinforcements under Jalal Khan. The Afghans soon used their superior numbers and guns to overpower the attack. The battle continued until the Rathores were defeated.
Sher Shah emerged victorious. But several generals lost their lives, and the army suffered heavy losses. After this victory, Sher Shah’s general, Khawas Khan Marwat, took possession of Jodhpur and occupied the territory of Marwar from Ajmer to Mount Abu in 1544. But by July 1545, Maldeo had re-occupied his lost land.