Battle of Tunga / Lalsot (1787 CE)

Allied Rajput victory of Jaipur and Jodhpur cavalry routing the Maratha army of Mahadji Scindia.

Detailed Historical Chronicle

The Battle of Tunga (Lalsot, 1787 CE): The Allied Victory over Scindia

The Battle of Tunga, fought on 28 July 1787 between Lalsot and Tunga in eastern Rajasthan, was a monumental joint victory for the allied sovereign houses of Jaipur (Kachwaha) under Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and Jodhpur (Rathore) under Maharaja Vijay Singh against the imperial Maratha army of Mahadji Scindia.

1. Resistance to Maratha Tributes Mahadji Scindia marched into Rajasthan demanding astronomical tribute arrears (Chauth). Rejecting Maratha overlordship, Jaipur and Jodhpur formed a historic Rajput confederacy, gathering 50,000 cavalry and infantry.

2. Combat at Tunga Scindia deployed European-drilled sepoys and heavy artillery. However, the allied Rajput cavalry orchestrated a coordinated shock charge: - The Rathore cavalry, led by heroic Thakur commanders, charged the Maratha right wing with unyielding momentum. - Prominent Maratha commanders, including Muhammad Beg Hamdani (whose head was severed by a cannonball), were killed. - Scindia's lines wavered and broke before sunset.

3. Historic Result Scindia was forced to execute a full strategic retreat to Gwalior, abandoning his baggage and lifting Maratha dominance over Rajputana for three years.