109 
1902.] C. A. Silberrad —History of Western Bundelkhand. 
Ram Sah with an army of 36,000. The armies met at Bhanrer, 1 * and 
Ali Kuli Khan was repulsed and so much harassed that he retired 
leaving horses and equipage which fell to the Bundelas. His father 
was so pleased at the generalship displayed by Ram Sah in this cam¬ 
paign that he increased his powers. Akbar made a third attempt to 
subdue the Bundelas, sending 3am Kuli Khan who however was like¬ 
wise defeated at Chelra. 8 After this battle the Raja appointed his 
second son Horal-Rao Commander-in-Chief, and his third son Dulhar- 
Rao governor of the fort and treasury of Orchha. His fourth and 
fifth sons Ratansen and Indarjit respectively he made ministers of Ram 
Sah. His four remaining sons Saikh Partab Rao, Har Singh Deva, Bir- 
singh Deva and Satrjit being still quite young continued their education. 
In 1568 another unsuccessful invasion of Bundelkhand was made by 
Sheikh Kuli Khan, a general of Akbar. But in 1574 the Emperor 
sent Seiyid Muhammad Bara at the head of a larger and better 
equipped force to conquer Bundelkhand. This the Raja’s eldest sou 
advanced to meet and a battle was fought on the Sindh, in which 
Rarnsah was defeated and compelled to retire to Orchha followed by 
the Imperial army. The Raja himself then marched out of Orchha 
and another battle was fought, wherein in spite of the valour displayed 
by the Raja, and his sons and brothers, the Bundelas suffered defeat. 
The Raja’s brother Aman Das was killed, and Orchha surrendered. 
This disaster was followed by the loss of all his territory from Gwalior 
to Sironj. But nevertheless he succeeded in recovering his power to 
some extent, and in driving the Muhammadans from Orchha and 
Karhara 3 and making himself master of Bundelkhand proper. Akbar 
was not content with his partial success, and in 1633 sent a large army 
under Sadik Khan by way of Narwar. Madli Kur Sah collected 50,000 
men and marched towards Karhara when he engaged the invaders. 
In the battle the Bundelas were defeated with the loss of 7,000 of 
their number, and Horal Rao son of the Raja was among the slain, 
and his brothers Pragdas and Durgadas were wounded. As a result 
Orchha was recovered by the Emperor. Previous to this invasion the 
Kachhwaha Governors of Rampura 4 * and Lahir* had made an alliance 
with Sadik Khan; but in spite of this the Raja laid siege to Orchha 
in 1636 in the course of which siege his son Satrjit was killed. Raja 
Biharimal’s brother Raja Raj Singh Kachhwaha was at this time in 
1 In Gwalior, 19 miles E. N.-E. of Datia town. 
* Said to be in Datia State. 
3 See note 26. 
* In Pargana Madhogarh (Jalaun district) 18 miles N.-W. of Jalaun. 
6 In Pargana Indurkhi (Gwalior) 25 miles W. of Jalaun, 
