Battle of Sammel

The Battle of Sammel, also known as the Battle of Giri-Sumel, was fought in 1544 near the villages Giri and Sumel of the Jaitaran sub-division in the Pali district of Rajasthan between Sher Shah Suri and the Hindu Rajputs army led by the commanders Jaita and Kumpa of Rao Maldeo Rathore, king of Marwar.

The battle
In 1543, Sher Shah set out against Marwar with a huge force of 80,000 cavalry. With an army of 40,000 cavalry, Maldeo advanced to face Sher Shah's army. Instead of marching to the enemy's capital Sher Shah halted in the village of Sammel in the pargana of Jaitaran, ninety kilometers east of Jodhpur. After one month, Sher Shah's position became critical owing to the difficulties of food supplies for his huge army. To resolve this situation, Sher Shah resorted to a cunning ploy. One evening, he dropped forged letters near the Maldeo's camp in such a way that they were sure to be intercepted. These letters indicated, falsely, that some of Maldeo's army commanders were promising assistance to Sher Shah. This caused great consternation to Maldeo, who immediately (and wrongly) suspected his commanders of disloyalty. Maldeo left for Jodhpur on 4 January 1544. with his own 20,000 men, abandoning his commanders to their fate.

When Maldeo's innocent generals Pachain, Jaita and Kumpa found out what had happened, they did not lose their cool. When the king ordered withdrawal, they overheard the chat between the village woman worried about the Mughal Army. One of the women said we need not to worry as long as Pachain, Jaita and Kumpa are here to protect us. They decided that they would not leave the field even though they had just 20,000 men against an enemy force of 80,000 men and 40 cannons. Pachain said that the land we are leaving has been won and protected by our ancestors and we must not leave and flee. In the ensuing battle of Sammel (also known as battle of Giri Sumel), Sher Shah emerged victorious, but several of his generals including Pachain and Kumpa lost their lives and his army suffered heavy losses. Sher Shah is said to have commented that "for a few grains of bajra (millet, which is the main crop of barren Marwar) I almost lost the entire kingdom of Hindustan."

The aftermath
After this victory, Sher Shah's general Khavass Khan took possession of Jodhpur and occupied the territory of Marwar from Ajmer to Mount Abu in 1544. But by July, 1555 Maldeo reoccupied his lost territories.