Rajput History Archive > War
Battle Of Lalsot
The Battle of Lalsot was fought in 1787 between the Jaipur-Jodhpur alliance and the Marathas under Mahadji Scindia. It was a significant engagement that checked Maratha expansion in Rajputana.
Detailed Historical Chronicle
The Battle of Lalsot (Tunga, 1787): The Great Rajput Triumph over Mahadji Scindia
The Battle of Lalsot (also recorded in military history as the Battle of Tunga; Hindi: लालसोट / तुंगा का युद्ध), fought on the hot plains between Tunga and Lalsot on July 28, 1787 CE, was one of the greatest military victories won by the combined Rajput armies of Jaipur and Jodhpur against the imperial Maratha forces commanded by Mahadji Scindia.
The victory shattered the myth of Maratha invincibility in Rajasthan and temporarily expelled Maratha garrisons from the sovereign territories of Dhundhar and Marwar.
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1. Prelude: Scindia's Extortionate Tribute Demands Following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb and the weakening of the Mughal court, Maratha forces under the Peshwas and Scindias began imposing crushing financial tributes (Chauth and Ghanim) upon the states of Rajputana. In 1786 CE, Mahadji Scindia marched into Jaipur territory with 80,000 troops, including modern European-trained infantry brigades commanded by French general Benoit de Boigne and 100 heavy siege guns, demanding 63 lakh rupees in arrears.
Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh of Jaipur refused to submit. He dispatched a solemn appeal to Maharaja Bijay Singh of Marwar:
> *"The honor of Rajputana is one. If Jaipur falls today, Marwar cannot stand tomorrow. Let the Rathores and Kachwahas unite their swords."*
Bijay Singh responded by dispatching 20,000 veteran Rathore desert cavalry under Bakshi Bhim Singh to join the Jaipur army at Tunga.
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2. The Battle of July 28, 1787 CE At 09:00 AM on July 28, the Maratha heavy artillery opened a devastating barrage across the plains. At the height of the bombardment, the Rathore cavalry executed an epochal charge: - Clad in saffron robes (Kesariya), ten thousand Rathore horsemen charged headlong across two miles of open ground through concentrated grape-shot and canister fire. - Ignoring casualties, the Rathore cavalry slammed directly into Scindia’s right wing commanded by French artillery officers, sabering the gunners and overturning the field batteries. - At the same time, Jaipur’s heavy cavalry and Naga sadhu warrior contingents struck the Maratha center commanded by Rana Khan.
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3. Scindia’s Retreat & Liberation of Ajmer By sunset, Scindia’s infantry brigades were broken. Fearing an encirclement by Rajput reserves, Mahadji Scindia ordered a tactical retreat under cover of darkness toward Dig and Gwalior, abandoning his baggage trains and artillery ammunition.
Following the victory of Lalsot, Maharaja Bijay Singh of Marwar marched triumphantly into Ajmer, liberating the ancient holy city and the fortress of Taragarh from Maratha occupation.
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