Hostilities King Viradhaval of Gujarat engaged in hostilities with
Jaitrasingh, the ruler of
Mewar, who remained defiant, bolstered by his confidence in his military strength. According to historical accounts, during this time, a spy informed King Viradhaval about events in Nagada, where the city had been set ablaze, causing widespread panic. Many residents fled in fear, while others took their own lives. The spy reported that he sought to calm the distressed population by announcing the arrival of Viradhaval with his full army, which allegedly caused the
Turk invaders to retreat in disarray. A fierce battle took place at Bhutala, near Nagada, during which Talaraksha Yograj’s eldest son, Pemraj, was killed.
Texts The invader is referred to in the text as
Milachchhrikara. According to
G.H. Ojha, this term is a Sanskritized version of
Amir-i-Shikar, a title attributed to
Iltutmish in the
Tabaqat-i-Nasiri. However, O.R. Barnett and
H.C. Ray dispute this identification, arguing that
Milachchhrikara cannot phonetically derive from
Amir-i-Shikar.
Dasharatha Sharma, on the other hand, interprets it as a
Paishachi form.
Dates Regarding the date of this invasion, G.H. Ojha places the event around 1229 CE, while
Dasharatha Sharma suggests 1222 CE. Sharma bases his conclusion on the fact that
Vastupala, the chief organizer of the anti-Muslim confederacy, was the governor of Cambay (now
Khambat) during the invasion. Since Vastupal held this position between 1219 and 1222 and was removed in 1222, Sharma argues that the incursion could not have occurred after that year. However, the
Charbhuja temple inscription of Nandesama, dated 1222 CE, mentions
Jaitrasingh as having his capital at Nagada. Given that
Jaitrasingh relocated his capital to
Ahar after the invasion, the event is unlikely to have occurred in 1222. A more detailed account of the invasion is found in the
Hamir-Mada-Mardan, a contemporary work completed in 1229 CE. Therefore, the invasion is most likely to have occurred between 1222 and 1229 CE. ==Aftermath==