# Mahmud Khalji

Mahmud Khalji (1436–1469), also known as Mahmud Khilji and Ala-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I, was the Sultan of Malwa, in present-day Madhya Pradesh, India. He ascended the throne in 1435 after assassinating Mohammad, the son of the previous ruler, Hoshang Shah. Mahmud Khalji launched an unsuccessful campaign against the Delhi Sultanate; however, under his reign, the Malwa Sultanate reached its greatest height.

## Battles and campaigns of Mahmud Khalji
### Battle of Mandavgad (1437)

The Battle of Mandavgad was fought in 1437, in which Rana Kumbha of Mewar defeated and captured Mahmud Khalji of Malwa.

### Battle of Mandalgarh and Banas (1442-1446)

A series of battles took place between Mahmud Khalji of Malwa and Rana Kumbha of Mewar between 1442 and 1446. Bloodied by these engagements, the Sultan did not launch another attack on Mewar for the next ten years.

### Siege of Gagron (February 1444)

In February 1444, Sultan Mahmud Khalji besieged the fort of Gagron, which was under the control of Palhan Singh Khichi. Rana Kumbha had sent reinforcements under his commander Dahir, but Dahir was killed in battle. Palhan Singh was slain by Mahmud's forces while attempting to flee the fort.

### Battle of Mandalgarh (1457)

Sultan Mahmud Khalji launched an attack on Mandalgarh, deploying seven detachments to engage Rana Kumbha from multiple directions. However, the Malwa forces under Taj Khan and Ali Khan suffered heavy losses. Following the defeat, Mahmud retreated the next morning.

### Siege of Mandalgarh (December 1456 - October 1457)

In December 1456, Rana Kumbha was compelled to move north to confront the Sultan of Gujarat. Taking advantage of his absence, Sultan Mahmud Khalji attacked Mandalgarh once again. After a prolonged siege, he successfully captured the fort in October 1457.

### Conquest of Mandalgarh (1457)

The conquest of Mandalgarh was a significant military expedition led by Sultan Mahmud Khalji against Mewar. The primary objective of this campaign was to capture the fort of Mandalgarh, which was under the command of Uparamal, a subordinate of Rana Kumbha. Mahmud Khalji marched towards Mewar in 1457 and successfully captured the fort.

### Conquest of Ajmer

Sultan Mahmud Khalji invaded and captured the fort of Ajmer. The governor of the fort, Gajadhar Singh, was killed during the conquest, securing Malwa's control over the region.

## Rule

During the reign of Muhammad Shah II of the Gujarat Sultanate, Mahmud Khilji of Malwa invaded Gujarat. After capturing and securing Champaner, he advanced towards Gujarat with an army of 80,000 cavalry. However, before he could proceed further, Muhammad Shah II passed away and was succeeded by Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II.
Mahmud Khilji laid siege to Sultanpur, where Malik Ala-ud-Din bin Sohrab, the commander of Kutb-ud-Din, surrendered the fort. In recognition of his service, he was sent to Malwa with honour and appointed as the governor of Mandu. Mahmud Khilji then marched to Sarsa-Paldi and summoned Bharuch, which was under the command of Sidi Marjan on behalf of the Gujarat Sultanate. However, Sidi Marjan refused to surrender. Fearing further delays, Mahmud Khilji plundered Baroda (now Vadodara) before proceeding to Nadiad. There, he was astonished by the bravery of the local Brahmins, who managed to kill a rampaging elephant.
Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II soon advanced to confront Mahmud Khilji, and the two armies clashed at Kapadvanj. After a prolonged and uncertain battle lasting several hours, Kutb-ud-Din emerged victorious, forcing Mahmud Khilji to retreat. Muzaffar Khan, who had allegedly incited Mahmud Khilji to invade Gujarat, was captured and beheaded. His severed head was displayed at the gate of Kapadvanj as a warning to others.
In the same year, Sultan Mahmud Khalji attempted to conquer Nagore, which was then held by Firuz Khan, a cousin of the Gujarat Sultan. In response, Kutb-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II dispatched an army under the command of Sayyid Ataullah. As the Gujarat forces approached Sambhar, Mahmud Khalji retreated. Shortly thereafter, Firuz Khan passed away.