RAS question
The Battle of Sumel (or Jaitaran), fought in 1544 CE, was between Rao Maldeo of Marwar and:
Correct answer: (A) Sher Shah Suri.
The Battle of Sumel, also known as the Battle of Giri-Sumel or Jaitaran, was fought in 1544 CE between Rao Maldeo of Marwar and Sher Shah Suri.
Explanation
The answer is Sher Shah Suri because the Battle of Sumel, also called Giri-Sumel or Jaitaran, was a clash between the armies of Sher Shah Suri and Rao Maldeo. It was fought in 1544 CE, and the key exam-relevant point is that Rao Maldeo's Rajput side had early success, but Sher Shah ultimately won through a stratagem. The famous post-battle remark about nearly losing the empire of Hindustan for a handful of millet captures why this battle is remembered: it was not a routine victory for Sher Shah, but a hard-fought contest against Marwar's ruler.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Babur cannot be the opponent because he died in 1530 CE, well before the 1544 CE Battle of Sumel.
- (C) Humayun is not the answer because, although he had been emperor, Sher Shah Suri had already expelled him from India before this battle.
- (D) Akbar is ruled out because he was born in 1542 and was only about two years old when the Battle of Sumel was fought.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan history theme of Rajput resistance and Marwar's relations with north Indian imperial powers. RAS repeatedly asks such battles because they connect local rulers, chronology and larger political change in one factual frame.