Previous Year Question

This famous statement is associated with Sher Shah Suri and refers to his campaign against Rao Maldeva Rathore, the ruler of Marwar.

After defeating Humayun, Sher Shah established his authority over northern India in 1540 CE. He then consolidated his empire and expanded towards Malwa and Rajasthan. At that time, Rao Maldeva Rathore of Marwar was one of the most powerful Rajput rulers of Rajasthan.

In 1544 CE, the armies of Sher Shah and Maldeva confronted each other in the region of Samel or Sammel. Historical material of the Government of Rajasthan identifies this confrontation as the Battle of Samel and records Sher Shah's advance against Marwar in 1544.

According to the traditional account, Sher Shah used forged letters in the names of some of Maldeva's commanders to create suspicion in Maldeva's mind regarding the loyalty of his generals. Maldeva consequently decided to withdraw with his main force.

Nevertheless, some of his leading Rajput commanders and soldiers fought Sher Shah's much larger army with great determination. The struggle was so severe that, despite achieving victory, Sher Shah was deeply impressed by the resistance of the Rajputs.

It was in this context that Sher Shah is famously associated with the remark that he had nearly lost the empire of Hindustan for a handful of millet. Here, millet symbolized the relatively dry and less fertile territory of Marwar.

The meaning of the remark was that Sher Shah had nearly risked his vast empire in an extremely difficult battle merely to conquer the arid territory of Marwar.

After the conflict, Sher Shah established control over important parts of Marwar, including Jodhpur and Ajmer. However, the victory had not been easy, and the Rajput resistance had made a strong impression upon him.

Therefore, the famous “handful of millet” statement is associated with Sher Shah Suri.