जाज्वल्यमानकिरणोस्तु दिनेषु चन्द्रः
सूर्यः समुल्लसतु पश्चिमदिक्प्रदेशात् |
शुष्कः स्वयं भवतु कल्पतरुः परन्तु
व्यर्था भविष्यति न मद्विहिता प्रतिज्ञा ||
(प्रतापविजयम्)
ये भगवान नही उनके अवतार है,
जिनके कारण आज भी हमारे मंदिरों में भगवान है।
गिरा जहां पर खून वहां का , पत्थर पत्थर जिंदा है ।
जिस्म नही है मगर नाम का ,अक्षर अक्षर जिंदा है ।।
जीवन मे यह अमर कहानी , अक्षर अक्षर गढ़ लेना ।
शौर्य कभी सो जाएं तो ,राणा प्रताप को पढ़ लेना ।।
झुके नही वह मुगलोँ से,
अनुबंधों को ठुकरा डाला,
मातृ भूमि की भक्ति का,
नया प्रतिमान बना डाला,
हल्दीघाटी के युद्ध में,
दुश्मन में कोहराम मचाया था,
देख वीरता राजपूताने की,
दुश्मन भी थर्राया था…
⚔️महाराणा प्रताप⚔️
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हूँ भूख मरूँ, हूँ प्यास मरूँ,
मेवाड़ धरा आजाद रवै।
हूँ घोर उजाला में भटकूँ,
पण मन में माँ री याद रवै।
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MAHARANA PRATAP
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THE LIGHT AND LIFE OF THE HINDU COMMUNITY
"राणा सांगा का ये वंशज,
रखता था राजपूती शान।
कर स्वतंत्रता का उदघोष,
वह भारत का था अभिमान।"
Does he Qualify to be called Great ?
It's a rare thing, bravery. Many claim to be, very few really are. History tells us stories of men and women who transcended boundaries unimaginable, who laid down their lives for a bigger cause, who stood for what was right. Those people are never defeated, no matter the result of the fight. They remain immortal because of the courage they showed.
Finally, coming to Maharana Pratap (MP), This Saga is set in the time the Mughals invaders came to loot our motherland. A beautiful country with resources unlimited. Who wouldn't have been attracted to India? They started capturing parts of the country, made alliances with other kings and spread their kingdom deep into the heart of our nation.
Many had accepted the fate of being under their rule. But in an ocean of fear, fed water by the Mughals, he was the small island that disrupted its flow. They tried as hard as they could to make him bow down to the Mughal Empire. But it was an impossible task. The 7-feet 5-inch tall warrior never knelt. He stood tall, really tall. He was the king of Mewar. His name was Maharana Pratap. Pratap wasn't up against just any emperor. He faced the mightiest Mughal of them all - Jalal-ud-din mohammad Akbar protphet of new faith Din-e-ilahi. Or how history written by coMunist thugs remembers him - Akbar the Great.
Badrudin / jalaludin Akbar had tried persuading Pratap many times to join hands. His own brothers worked for Akbar, along with other Rajput chiefs. But an alliance was out of the question. His forefathers had taught him that, his ideals taught him that. No form of diplomacy would work. He was ready for war, unconcerned by the outcome, not wavered by the force that would be brought down on him if he did not comply with the Mughals.
But again, this is Maharana Pratap we are talking about. His courage and strength knew no bounds. Once an attacker sneaked up on him, but he saw him through the corner of his eye. Pratap literally sliced the man in half. From head to pelvis to horse. One brutal barbarically-fluid motion.We can not compare MP with Alexander, as far as "extent" of political empire is concerned, but certain individual acts i would like to point out. Like Alexander, he too led from front, MP's warswere fought by him, "in person". He may not have that many resources with him as Alexander, Ashoka and Akbar,
But nonetheless, he was second TO NONE when it came to IDEALS and PRINCIPLES.
He never bartered his independence no matter what . Come what may, he faced it all.Even after being hunted from forest to forest and from cave to cave, he refused to submit to the Mughals.Single-handedly, for a quarter of a century [1572-97], he withstood the mightiest empire of his times under one of the mightiest sovereigns to have ever walked on this earth.
The story of the prolonged struggle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar is replete with incidents and produces the impression that it involved the Mughals in useless sweat and toil. Try as they did, the Mughal Emperor could not wrest back control of Mewar (with the major exception Chittorgarh) from Pratap, till the time he lived.Great warrior as Pratap was, it is to be admitted that Akbar was a master strategist who brought almost everyone into his fold whatever may be the means, except Pratap.
Pratap's remaining aloof from that hold was an impediment to his task(as Abu'l Fazl says). Had Pratap joined the service of Akbar, his country could have been saved from plunder, continuous destruction and ruin.But Pratap's name is immortal in the history of this land as a great soldier of liberty.
He focused on themoral aspect of the struggle without caring for material advantage or losses involved. His was a war not aimed at increasing his dominions, but to uphold the independence of his race, and as long as this race lives, it will cherish with pride the memory of one who staked his all in a fight against the person "who wanted to imperialize him".
As a great warrior of liberty, a devoted lover of noble cause and a hero of moral character, his name is to millions of men eventoday, a cloud of hope by the day and a pillar of fire by the night.Pratap was nobly supported. The temptations of wealth and fortune could not sway his followers from leaving his side. With the aid of some chiefs with good judgment and experience,
Pratap remodeled his government, adapting it to the exigencies of the times and to his slender resources. New grants were issued, with regulations defining the service required. Kumbhalgarh, now the seat of government, as also Gogunda and other mountain fortresses were strengthened. Unable to keep the field in the plains of Mewar, he followed the system of his ancestors and commanded his subjects, on pain of death, to retire into the mountains. During the protracted contest, the fertile tracts watered by the Banas and the Beris, from the Aravalli chain to the eastern tableland, were to be left. The range to which Pratap was restrictedwas the mountainous region around, though chiefly to, the west of the new capital, Udaipur. Hiswrit ran from north to south, from Kumbhalgarh to Ricumnath, and from west to east, from Mirpur to Sataula.
Pratap was a gallant foe to Mughal Emperor Akbar and, despite his ill fortune, he made the latter fight hard for triumph. The people of Mewar rallied behind Pratap in excruciating living conditions and are worthy of remembrance.IMO, the vanquished were "greater than the victor"...
IN short, one can term it a war between two people - a war that was all about "Love forone's freedom vs. Imperialism".Had Mewar possessed her Thucydides or her Xenophon, neither the wars of the Peloponnesus nor the retreat of the " ten thousand " would have yielded more diversified incidents for the historic muse than the deeds of this brilliant reign amid the many vicissitudes of Mewar. Undaunted heroism, inflexible fortitude, that which " keeps honour bright ", perseverance -with fidelity such as no nation can boast, were the materials opposed to a soaring ambition, commanding talents, unlimited means, and the fervour of religious zeal ;
All, however, insufficient to contend withone unconquerable mind- that of Pratap.I re-iterate, GreatNess of any person is seen in context of what is the benchmark we set.
For some, it is the morals, principles and heroism of Pratap which make him GREAT.
There were times when he had nothing to eat, when he lived in forests, feeding his family on wild fruits and water.!!. His family slept on an empty stomach.
Pratap was a person who was born in a Royal House, whose ancestors ruled Chittor right from 734 AD,
Starting from Bappa Rawal.Was he born to lead a life like this.?? He could have easily accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal Emperor and led a comfortable life in a palace. But he rejected all this - for what ??
IDEALS and FREEDOM.
He was a man who refused to act under the orders of anyone.!
Just like Akbar was NOT accustomed to see anyone disregarding his orders, in the same manner, Pratap was NOT used to take orders from anyone, except his own SELF.Aren't some of these qualities sufficient to concede a THOUGHT about the greatness of Pratap -
The ONLY 'Maha'rana among all the Ranas ??
This is my question to all, as this was the question put to me also.
This post is an attempt to capture the personality of an exceptionally remarkable warrior in the history of Hindustana - Maharana Pratap..
The scion of the Sisodia Clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs of Mewar - Maharana Pratap, one of the most notable name among the Rajputs,
A person whose name counts along the ranks of Bappa Rawal, Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Hamir, Rana Kumbha, and Rana Sanga, to name a few Rajput warriors of the finest mettle who set their foot on the hot sands of Rajputana.
In spite of countless barriers, this mancoupled with indomitable spirit, stood up against the 'imperialism' throughout and lead his life in a manner which is remembered even today.
Born to Rana Udai Singh and Maharani Jaivanta Bai Sa, on May 9 1540, in the fort of Kumbhalgarh, the seat of his great grandfather - Rana Kumbha. He was born in the comforts of a palace but was destined to FIGHT and only FIGHT through out his life. He spent his childhood out of his palaces and got a first hand experience ofthe hardships of the citizens, of the problems which plagued the state.
He declined a comfortable life and chose struggle, for his love of Freedom and Respect which were his jewels - robbery of which was not acceptable to him.
He stood up in timesof all adversities, waged a lone battle against THE MOST powerful man of Hindustan - Mughal Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammed Akbar Padshah.
What for? HIS ONLY demand - the freedom of HIS Matrabhumi, his motherland, his Mewar. Religious tolerance without political considerations, broadness of mind and tons ofgenerosity with an ideal thinking, made him in possession of some qualities which gained for him the highest place in all spheres of lives of his people.
A successful general - who knew how to charge his handful of warriors against thebetter equipped enemy : numerically as well as in terms of weaponry, a self-taught minister - who formulated policies on his own, a theologian - whose guides were his shastras,
An ideal military innovator - who invented every possible little strategy despite being resource less living in exile in forest, a man of fortitude, a man of dauntless courage,
A man who NEVER bowed infront in anyone but his mother and HIS Ekling Ji.Sterling in his domestic relations, loving and forgiving to his rebelling brothers, simple like an ascetic, fearless like a tiger, free like the King of Forest, he had a passion for freedom and a hatred for ease of the comfort.
Even today one wonders how A SINGLE MAN kept the Mughal Emperor Akbar at bay from the satisfaction of being successful in making him bow before the Mughal Flag.His coolness and dauntless courage were famous throughout : no danger however great, no emergency however unlooked for, could shake his heart or cloud the serene light of his intellect. Indeed, he regarded danger as only the legitimate risk of greatness.
No amount of exertion could fatigue this 7'5" feet tall warrior.
The privations of a campaign or forced ride had no terror for him. He lead his army from the front. Numerically, his forces were of no match with the never ending armies of the Mughal Emperor. He devised a sensible strategy new to those times -Guerilla Warfare - according to which the fight was conducted in the place which was suitable for HIS OWN SMALL army ;
Which was later implemented in Deccan Region by Hindawa swarajya Sansthapak ChattraPati Shivaji Maharaj of Bijapur. Of diplomacy he was a past master, and could not be beaten in any kind of intrigue or secret manipulation. He was as much a “lord of the mind” asa “lord of the sword.” Though, amongst his most favorite battle weapons, his spearwas the foremost. And his most trusted companion was HIS Chetak - his horse.
He possessed that warm generosity of the heart, that chivalry to fallen foes, and that moderation and easy familiarity of address in private life, which earned him the love and admiration of his citizens, other contemporaries and of all posterity.Of the grants given by him, many are still preserved by the present Royal House of Udaipur, in the Udaipur Palace...
"Around 400 years back, with the might of their huge armies, foreign forces, one after another, were invading the Indian territories. Afghans, Turks and then the Mughals...all had one burning desire... establishing their control over a prosperous India. But even in these hard times, there was one province which gave a bold fight to these enemies and that was the gleaming rajya of the Rajputs- Mewar! For the rajputs, no sacrifice weighed more importance than freedom. But despite this unprecedented courage, Mughal forces often dominated over the courageous Rajputs and it seemed the desires of these enemies would be fulfilled before long. In this troubled time, the soil of Mewar gave birth to its bravest son, Maharana Pratap who became an emblem for courage for the entire country. This is the storyof a great warrior king, who in personal life is an ideal son to his father, a loving son to his step mother who hates him, a soothing leader to his people in their difficult times and trials. He is most surprisingly the man who only had love for his brothers, who in turn were either filled with jealousy, or hatred as they wanted themselves to be the rulers of Mewar. Many of these brothers went in the service ofAkbar, but as history proves, his love would change his jealous brothers melodramatically in times of War. The story of Maharana Pratap is not just the story of king who was a great warrior and who lead the army of his kingdom to victory against the armies of another empire. The story of Maharana Pratap is alsonot the story of a Rajput prince, who got his throne as a birthright from his father and ruled their state as a king in comfort. This story is actually the journey of a boyPratap, who much later would earn his title Maharana, through his own deeds and dedication."
The magnitude of the peril confirmed his fortitude, who vowed " to make his mother's milk resplendent " ; and he amply redeemed his pledge ; at one time carrying destruction into the plains, at another flying from rock to rock, feeding his family from the wild fruits of his native hills, and rearing the nursling hero Amar^ , amidst savage beasts and scarce less savage men, a fit heir to his prowess and revenge. The bare idea that "the son of Bappa Rawal* should bow the head to a mortal man" was insupportable ; and he spurned every overture which had submission for its basis, or the degradation of uniting his family with the Tattar, though lord of countless multitudes...."^ - Son of Maharana Pratap, talks about the days when he was living in exile in forests.* - He founded Mewar dynasty in 734 A.D., ancestor of Pratap.----- Annals of MewarSingle-handed, for a quarter of a century [1572-97] did he withstand the combined efforts of themightiest empire of his times under one of the mightiest sovereigns to have ever walked this earth. The story of the struggle between Pratap and Akbar, which is crowded and too replete with incidents, produces the impression that it was a prolonged struggle and involved the Mughals in useless sweat and toil. The repeated attempts of the Mughal commanders were nullified by the repeated counter-assaults launched by Pratap's army, and ultimately brought much misery and sufferings on the invading forces. For a long time the Mughal interest had to suffer in Bengal and North- West Frontier provinces on account of the major resources of the Mughal empire being utilized against the Rajputs in Mewar.
Scene from the Battle of Haldighati - Maharana Pratap on Chetak attacking Man Singh on his Elephant
As a general and leader of men in war, Pratap was a person suited to the need of his own time and also "his conditions".At the Battle of HaldiGhati, it is true - his army, initially, had destroyed the Mughal army which " started to flee(not retreat) from the battle-field after the Pratap army's onslaught**",
but they committed a sad error by subsequent engagement in the frontal attack against the numerically much superior Mughal army with reinforcements, where four hours of action brought disaster and ruin to them; but equally true is the fact that he made amends, by subsequently following the policy of abandoning a post and rallying his strength inthe hilly strongholds. Cutting the enemy's communications, surprise attacks and retreat, the new tactics applied scientifically to his advantage against heavy odds, were legacies which he gave to the generations following him.
His defensive mountainous warfare became a techniquein itself. The application of Bhil Tribal infantry for dash and sudden attacks added a novelty to his system of warfare which no one can ignore.** -
The flight of Mughal Army at the Battle of Haldighati(1576), after the onslaught of Pratap's army has been recorded in many records, both Mughal(in brief) and Rajputana..
I list some of them here :
1. Al-Badaouni - Persian, Volume-2, Pg-2322.
Tabaqat-i-Akbari, Persian, Pg-3333.
Akbarnama, Persian, Vol-3, Pg-1524.
Amarkavya Vanshavali, F-43(b), 44(a)
5. Raj Ratnakar, Canto-7, VV-19/206.
Sanskrit Inscription inscribed at the Jaganath Rai Temple at Udaipur. Scan. >
It is said that expeditions to Mewar were given up by Akbar about 1584-85 A.D. , and were never seriously taken up again till 1597, the year Pratap died. Pratap re-organised his power and undid all that was done by the Mughal forces after so much of hard struggle and loss of men and money.
Though, itseems, Akbar did not leave Pratap at ease during this period and he was monitoring Pratap's actions. To support my statement i mention the following facts:1.Raja Jagannath, brother of Raja Bhagwan Das of Amer & son of Raja BharMal, was appointed the incharge of Mughal Forces in 1584, with orders to "get Pratap" , as his activities were becoming very dangerous ("khatarnaak"). He was also made the Governor of the important Suba of Ajmer..... From Akbarnama(Persian), Volume-3, Page-440.
2. For complete one year, Raja Jagannath and Pratap were at continuous odds/clashes, and Pratap was pursued relentlessly by Mughal Forces from all sides. But the task of capturing him was not successful. Here is a famous incident. While Jagannath attacked Mewar, Rajput forcesengaged him here but Pratap was not found . He was in Kumbhalgarh, knowing about which, Jaganath proceeded there but Pratap by then, was "busy attacking the Mughal forces in neighbouring districts of Kumbhalgarh". Such swift were Pratap's moves that, before Raja Jagannath could catch Pratap in neighbouring Kumbhalgarh, Pratap had already left for Chittor.....
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-440.
3. Raja Jagannath was in no mood to leave his pursuit for Pratap. On October 8, 1585 the Mughal Forces had very nearly captured the Rana. They scoured the countryside and left no stone unturned to get him. Even in his retreat Pratap was surprised by the Mughal Forces, but finally "a faithful Rajput and Pratap got away"....From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-468.
4. Rumor spread that Rana Pratap had gone to Gujarat, and Mughal forces went after him with great speed. But Pratap made himself "scarce" to be found. The armies came back. Almost same time another rumor hastened that Pratap was planning a junction with the Rai of Dungarpur(south-east Rajputana), but Mughal forces were present there beforehand , before the Rai could take any position dangerous to them. The Rai paid a huge money as tribute beforethe Mughals departed from there....From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-468.
{ This ruler had a track record of giving shelter to many Mughal rebels/enemies before entering the service of Akbar in 1573. He had also given shelter to Baz Bahadur of Malwa and also to Chandra Sen of Marwar. It is interesting to note that, this king was a father in law of Akbar, as his daughter was married to Akbar in 1577. She was childless.}
Kumbhalgarh Fort at Night
5.The skirmishes continued for two more years till July 1587 when Raja Jagannath was called and sent to Kashmir expedition. His task of subjugating / bringing Pratap to Akbar was not completed.....From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-523....
Note:It is interesting to see the timeline here. > By1588, Pratap and Rana Amar Singh had thrown off36Mughal garrisons, and Pratap was giving land grants(from copper plate inscription number368at Udaipur Commisioner's Office) to his loyal supporters for reconstruction of Mewar economy, despite the presence of Raja Jagannath in Mewar tillJuly 1587.
6. Appointment of Raja Gopal Jadon to Ajmer in 1589.......
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-575...
(His son, Sanwal Das was a personal trusted soldier, who remained in the company of Akbar.....
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-434...}
7.Appointment of Sheroya Khan to Ajmer in 1594.......
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-655....
{ He was the son of Sher Afghan, Nur Jahan was his (step?)mother........
From Maasir(Persian), Vol-2, Pg-573....}
8. Appointment of Bharti Chand Diwan to Ajmer in 1595......
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-670....
9.Appointment of Rustum Khan as the Faujdar of Chittor in 1595.......
From Akbarnama(Persian), Vol-3, Pg-696....
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Akbar had not lost hold of happenings in Mewar even in these years. We can see from the happenings above. The issue with Mughal accounts(which are easily available) is that, they conceal uncomfortable defeats in their writings. Hardly any win of Pratap has been mentioned in the Mughal accounts.One wonders after reading them, if Pratap did not win against Mughal forces, then how come he re-gained entire Mewar back(except Chittor and Mandal).?
For example : No Mughal account mentions the 4 continuous sieges/fights to take Kumbhalgarh Fort, against the Rana where the Mughal forces were defeated 4 times between October 1577 toApril 1578. On April 3, 1578 the fort was left due to extinction of the fighters after continuous fight and drying up of food provisions. Hence, finally, Kumbhalgarh Fort was taken.
This news of taking the fort has been recorded inallthe Mughal accounts but NOT the previous 4 defeats.!!As late as 1595, were Pratap's advancement checked - One of the last persons to accept Mughal authority in1595, after continuous battles, was ason of the late King of Gwalior, Raja Ram Shah Tanvar, who was an ally of Rana Udai Singh and Maharana Pratap. Despite being singled out from every side, Pratap remained free.I mentioned in the last post that Akbar wanted to remove Salim from Mughal court in 1597, but that was not successful. Finally, he was made to go against Mewar in 1599 A.D.
Whatever may be the case, but only Chittor and Mandalgarh remained in the hands of Akbar, at the end. The facts as explained above make us think that the right course for Akbar after Haldgi-Ghati War(1576) would have been to stop the useless carnage in Mewar, to be content with the results already acquired, to hold the captured forts fast, and rally the population of that part to the standard of the principles followed in the Mughal dominion. It is a strange irony of history that Akbar began his career of the conquest in Mewar with the possession of the Forts ofChittor and Mandalgarh after the Battle of Chittor(1567-68), and ended up retaining these two only at his death(1605). !!
As regards Pratap it must be said that for 25 long years, he spent the prime of his life in hardships, and stood to the might of the mightiest person of not only Hindustan but possibly the most powerful empire of that time. Pratap had played an important part upon the political stage, and represented with remarkable fidelity the views of the great majority of his subjects.
He was a great ruler by virtue of his being a good man, with homely virtue, simple life, dauntless courage, untiring industry, generosity and kindness which won him great affection and respect.**
AmarsarYashVarnan, Verse 73, F-7(a).....See scan below>
The wear and tear of many years of almost continuous campaigning and fighting had naturallyaffected Pratap's nerves, while the many wounds he had received may have undermined his iron constitution and he fell ill due to an injury sustained by his leg, while striking the bow. The blow was fatal. After some days ill ness hedied at Chavand on January 19, 1597.He was cremated on the bank of a stream near the village of Bandoli, 1.5 miles near his capital Chavand.-Veer V., Vol.2, Pg-164Even after Pratap's death, Bandoli continued to be the burning place of the Mewar Royal House which is clear from an inscription dated 1601 AD. This inscription is about the date of death of a sister of Pratap, but i could not get her name.
Maharana Pratap's Chattri at Bandoli near Chavand - Place of Cremation
Pratap's death did more than close an epoch .It removed from the stage of Rajput politics it's most striking and most attractive personality. Often Akbar brought Pratap's relations against him, but Pratap indomitable spirit could not be surpassed. The princes of Marwar, Amer, Bikaner, and even Bundi, late his firm ally, was on side of Akbar.Even his own brother, Sagar(second son of his step-mother DheerBai Bhatiyani), deserted him, and joined Akbar afternot being able to sustain the hardships, in 1583. DheerBai's first son, Kunwar Jagmaal had already joined Akbar long before.Pratap employed the same strategy against Akbar. By the feats of his political foresight he made alliances with some of his neighboring states and cleverly diverted the attention of Akbar to undo them.
In the mean time, Pratap was ready with another task for the Mughal Forces. Abu'l Fazl notes the actions of Akbar and Pratap in Volume-3 of Akbarnama as follows >
"If Akbar was a diplomat, Rana Pratap was ready to provide enough work to imperial forces."This device of making alliances often succeeded and Mewar had to face "divided strength" of the Mughal army dispatched for Rajputana. As an eternal optimist he took the blows of adversefortune with equanimity, and he never bore a grudge against it.
By his spirit and success the soldiers were taught to act, the subjects to hope and the enemies to fear and respect.Great warrior as Pratap was, it is to be admitted that Akbar was a master strategist who brought almost everyone into his fold whatever may be the means, except Pratap. Pratap's remaining aloof from that hold was an impediment to his task(as Abu'l Fazl says).
Had Pratap joined the service of Akbar, his country could have been saved from the plunder, continuous destruction and ruin. But Pratap's name is immortal in the history of this land as a great soldierof liberty who concentrated his attention on this moral aspect of the struggle he had to wage without caring for material advantage or losses involved. He upheld the pride of his race and as long as this race lives, it will cherish with pride the memory of one who staked his all in a fight against the person "who wanted to imperialize him".
As a great warrior of liberty, a devoted lover of noble cause and a hero of moral character, his name is to millions of men eventoday, a cloud of hope by the day and a pillar of fire by the night..
Fort of Chittor - Situated on a Hill
The court historians of Akbar, dazzled by the commanding talents and his unlimited means which enabled him to gratify his soaring ambition, seldom have a word of sympathy to spare for the gallant foes whose misery made his triumph possible. Yet they too, men and women BOTH, are worthy of remembrance.The vanquished, it may be, were greater than the victor......
~~"Thus closed the life of awarriorwhose memory is even now idolized by everyone in Rajputana. Had Mewar possessed her Thucydides or her Xenophon, neither the wars of the Peloponnesus nor the retreat of the " ten thousand " would have yielded more diversified incidents for the historic muse than the deeds of this brilliant reign amid the many vicissitudes of Mewar. Undaunted heroism, inflexible fortitude, that which " keeps honour bright ",
Preseverance -with fidelity such as no nation can boast, were the materials opposed to a soaring ambition, commanding talents, unlimited means, and the fervour of religious zeal ;all, however, insufficient to contend with one unconquerable mind -
Pratap."----- Annals of MewarSuch was the story of Pratap...
The MAN whose name resonates in the sands of Rajputana, even today....
Battle Of Halighati
अरे घास री रोटी ही, जद बन बिलावडो ले भाग्यो |
नान्हों सो अमरयो चीख पड्यो, राणा रो सोयो दुःख जाग्यो ||
हूं लड्यो घणो, हूं सह्यो घणो, मेवाडी मान बचावण नै |
में पाछ नहीं राखी रण में, बैरया रो खून बहावण नै ||
जब याद करूं हल्दीघाटी, नैणा में रगत उतर आवै |
सुख दुख रो साथी चेतकडो, सूती सी हूक जगा जावै ||
पण आज बिलखतो देखूं हूं, जद राजकंवर नै रोटी नै |
तो क्षात्र धर्म नें भूलूं हूं, भूलूं हिन्वाणी चोटौ नै ||
आ सोच हुई दो टूक तडक, राणा री भीम बजर छाती |
आंख्यां में आंसू भर बोल्यो, हूं लिख्स्यूं अकबर नै पाती ||
राणा रो कागद बांच हुयो, अकबर रो सपणो सो सांचो |
पण नैण करया बिसवास नहीं,जद बांच बांच नै फिर बांच्यो ||
बस दूत इसारो पा भाज्यो, पीथल ने तुरत बुलावण नै |
किरणा रो पीथल आ पूग्यो, अकबर रो भरम मिटावण नै ||
म्हे बांध लिये है पीथल ! सुण पिजंरा में जंगली सेर पकड |
यो देख हाथ रो कागद है, तू देका फिरसी कियां अकड ||
हूं आज पातस्या धरती रो, मेवाडी पाग पगां में है |
अब बता मनै किण रजवट नै, रजुॡती खूण रगां में है ||
जद पीथल कागद ले देखी, राणा री सागी सैनांणी |
नीचै सूं धरती खिसक गयी, आंख्यों में भर आयो पाणी ||
पण फेर कही तत्काल संभल, आ बात सफा ही झूठी हैं |
राणा री पाग सदा उंची, राणा री आन अटूटी है ||
ज्यो हुकुम होय तो लिख पूछूं, राणा नै कागद रै खातर |
लै पूछ भला ही पीथल तू ! आ बात सही बोल्यो अकबर ||
म्हें आज सूणी है नाहरियो, स्याला रै सागै सोवैलो |
म्हें आज सूणी है सूरजडो, बादल री आंटा खोवैलो ||
पीथल रा आखर पढ़ता ही, राणा री आंख्या लाल हुई |
धिक्कार मनैं में कायर हूं, नाहर री एक दकाल हुई ||
हूं भूखं मरुं हूं प्यास मरूं, मेवाड धरा आजाद रहैं |
हूं घोर उजाडा में भटकूं, पण मन में मां री याद रह्वै ||
पीथल के खिमता बादल री, जो रोकै सूर उगाली नै |
सिहां री हाथल सह लैवे, वा कूंख मिली कद स्याली नै ||
जद राणा रो संदेस गयो, पीथल री छाती दूणी ही |
हिंदवाणो सूरज चमके हो, अकबर री दुनिया सुनी ही ||
पीथल और पाथलः कन्हैयालाल सेठिया
Such was the impact of his courage that his men were outrageously loyal to him. Like one Jhala Manna, who, during the battle, disguised himself as Pratap by wearing the emblem and royal helmet on the battlefield. Thus, diverting Mughal forces and death towards himself so that Pratap could stay alive.
A rare stone inscription about this battle was recently found in Rajasthan.
After a lot of treatment with various cleaning agents, the inscription appeared readable. The inscription was in Sanskrit language.
The English translation of the same is given below. And this is the appropriate time to discuss the same.
The reason is - 18th June happens to be the439th anniversary of theBattle of Haldighati, which was fought between the forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar and Rajput King MahaRana Pratap on18th June, 1576. The battle is quite famous.
What the inscription tells us ?The Mughal Army under Raja Man Singh was compelled to leave Gogunda on 27th September 1576, after continuous fighting with the forces of Maharana Pratap. Gogunda was the only place which came under Mughal occupation after the Battle of Haldighati, that too after 5 days, on 23rd June 1576, due to the resistance offered. But this was taken back after 3 months on 27th September 1576.
The inscription is a rare piece of great historical value. It gives an insightinto the victory celebration of MahaRana Pratap after regaining Gogunda.
Note:Just for information : Mughal Emperor Akbar had forbidden his favorite general Asaf Khan & Raja Man Singh from the Mughal Court, in anger, after the Battle of Haldighati. Akbar never considered Battle of Haldighati a success because despite using his best resources and even after pouring in a lot of financial assets, his task remained incomplete. He had aimed at the elimination of Rana and subjugation of Mewar. Though, this did not happen.
On the other hand, Gogunda, which was captured after 5 days of the battle of Haldighati(on 23rd June), was also lost. Asaf Khan was also the hero of the earlier victorious campaigns like the Battle against Rani Durgavati and the 3rd Siege of Chittor to name a few.
Location of the inscription:
The inscription was found at The Lakshmi Narayan Temple at a small and very less known Kharasan village in the Bhindartehsilof Rajasthan, PIN : 313602. The inscription is of great historical significance and is located inside the mainmandapaof the temple. It was found between the two pillars at a height of 7 feet on the left of the garbh griha - place where the deity is placed.
Condition of the inscription:
The right edge of the inscription was embedded in white plaster which was applied in later times, to repair the temple. This plaster made most of the inscription unreadable. The inscription was found in a bad condition, which was full of scratches and damaged letters.Efforts to retrieve & understand the inscription:After a lot of efforts, the inscription was first coated with a layer of oil paint. This partially removed the stains of other paints. Many of the letters which had cement and scratches still remained almost unreadable. At last, a layer of vermilion was also applied on the inscription.
Translation:
The inscription gives information about Maharana Pratap, architect, workers and helper/founder of the temple with several names of Vishnu.Credits for this entire excellent translation goes to my friend Rasika.Here is the translation::"We Pray/salute to Him who is called Govind, Keshav, Janardan, Vaasudev. He is omnipresent, the One who killed demon Madhu. He is the God of whole universe. He is lotus naveled , the supreme being , having eyes like a blue lotus. He is the Supreme spirit/God. He is imperishable and permanent andNrusimha(now commonly known as Narasimha - the half lion, half man avatar of Vishnu). We salute to Him.We sing praises to the Gods and describe (the valor of) the King (who) defeated/killed (his) enemies and liberated himself.The King and his servants/men those who are in our(God's) protection.
(This is) was written on the day of Year [Samvat] 1632, [Shake] 1498 ; when Sun is moving southwards, (in) season of autumn, (in) the sacred month ofAshwin, (on) fifth day of bright lunar fortnight ; Time of day 8 hours after sunrise..
{In English calendar this means the year was 1576, the same date when Gogunda was won.}
On Friday, when there isAnuradha Nakshtra, at time of dawn on the day when there areSiddhaYoga(related to astrology),Ravi YogaandSimha Yogaall the three together,this (scripture about) the victory of The King of Kings Maharana Pratapsimha was written.By the greatness/valor (of)Jagannath, Kavar Rama... tillHema,(These are names of people involved) and their leader Bhima bapa Manik, it was written. May auspiciousness be unto all.
."Note:Only some images could be procured. They are present below. As more images are procured, they will be posted.
Copyright of all the images used here rest with Rana Arvind Singh Ji, Present Head of the House of Mewar..
Laxmi Narayan Temple
Conditionn of the Inscription before cleaning
Surface cleaning with soft and hard brush
Filing the engraved letters of the Inscription by paste of lime and marble powder
After cleaning
CHETAK - AN UNFORGETABLE TALE | STORY OF WARRIOR AND HIS HORSE
"Meekily i pray to thee
O My Creator!
Grant me in Charity
the life of my Chetak,
If that be asking too much,
Ibegat least for the loan of life of my Chetak that i may continue thestruggle"---- A teary eyed Maharana Pratap whenChetak was breathing his last,Battle of Haldighati, 18th June 1576
Chetak - Horse of Maharana Pratap -who was no ordinary horse, The tale of Chetak , Maharana Pratap's horse, is no less inspiring. The blue-eyed horse was heavily wounded, while Pratap was injured too. Chetak carried Pratap to safety by jumping across a canal. Pratap survived, butChetak died of his wounds. The brave man cried that day and it only intensified his desire for revenge.The tale of Chetak , Maharana Pratap's horse, is no less inspiring. The blue-eyed horse was heavily wounded, while Pratap was injured too. Chetak carried Pratap to safety by jumping across a canal. Pratap survived, butChetak died of his wounds. The brave man cried that day and it only intensified his desire for revenge.
whose faithfulness to his master isstill a thing talked about in Rajasthan. While we pay a lot of tributes to the rulers in history, let us spare some time and remember this horse who remained faithful to its master till its end.On this day, posting an article aboutChetak- the Maharana's legendary horse. The names of the Maharana and Chetak are inseparable & theirs is aneternal..
chetak's tomb at the place of death
~~legend and an unforgettable tale.
Here's a saga of a legendary king and his battle's'.But it's also a story about a horse...From a story of an eternal tree to an eternal legend. . .Come, listen, to an unforgettable tale of a MAN and his HORSE!
This story comes from Rajasthan, a land that is part desert and part mountainous. The many clans of Rajputs who live in this inhospitable land are as fierce as the sun that beats down on them and as strong as the Aravalli mountains that run along the state's eastern boundary. They bring colour and life to an otherwise barren land.
Nearly a thousand years(800+) ago, the clan of Rathores moved into Marwar. There they found one of the greatest treasures of all times " theMarwari horse. Doyou know that it isone of five indigenous horse breeds of India?Well, on with my story. The beauty, spirit, intelligence and loyalty of the horse amazed the settlers;they went about the business of breeding them.
In a few hundred years, Rathores and other Rajputs had an impressive cavalry of over 50,000 men. From then on began the great 'romance' of Rajput warriors and their Marwaris Horses.
Maharana Pratap selecting horses for his army brought by the Arab traders. Chetak(on right side in white color) was also one of them.
Rana Udai Singh, a Rajput ruler, was defeated at Chittor in 1568. He had to leave his capital to form a new one atUdaipur. Four years later his sonRana Pratap Singhtook the reins ofMewarand for thenext 25 years, ruled with courage, patriotism and determination.
Shall we now begin one of the greatest "love" stories, one of a warrior king and his horse?
Then came a supreme test of the Maharana's kingship.
In 1576 the imperial army of Mughal Emperor Akbar made its way to captureUdaipur. Maharana Pratap and his men waited at the entrance to anarrow one-km long passin theAravalli Mountains. The pass calledHaldighatiwas theaccess to Mewarfor the advancing army. A bloody battle was fought between the armies.People still remember the courage and loyalty of his men and his horse.
Statue of Chetak in City Palace of Udaipur
Chetak, for that was the name of his horse, proved to be amarwarihorse and more. In the thick of the battle, the tusk of theelephant of Raja Man Singh(fighting for Akbar) tore through one of Chetak's rear legs and crippled it. But the horse would not give up. With his wounded king on the saddle, Chetak made his way back to safety on histhree good legs and collapsed.
Mahrana Pratap In grief at the death of "beloved' horse chetak - battle of haldighati (1576)
Picture of portrait from the Haldighati Museum
Another remarkable act of loyalty which the king could never forget was of his trusted aide Jhala Man Singh (not to be confused with Raja Man Singh of Amer)who grabbed the Maharana's royal crown and wore it, as theMughal armyclosed in on him. The deception worked. While the enemy soldiers followed the "king" and killed him. Maharana Pratap was unharmed..
Close view
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जद याद करूँ हळ्दीघाटी,
नैणां में रगत उतर आवै।
दुख- सुख रो साथी चेतकड़ो,
सूती सी हूक जगा ज्यावै।
( Maharana Pratap with Chetak breathing his last - Model from Haldighati Museum )
Beautiful, isn't it?The years after the Battle of Haldighati weredifficultfor the ruler of Mewar.Living in the jungles,sleeping on strawandeating off leaf plates, thewarrior king, hisfamilyand hissubjects continuedtheir fight to recapture their land from the MOST powerful MAN of his times - Mughal Emperor Akbar, but never surrendered.In 25 years, the kingregainedhiskingdom except the Fort of Chittor&Mandalgarh.
Picture from Haldighati Museum - Maharana Pratap on Chetak instilling confidence in his soldiers
On his death bed, he made his successor and eldest sonAmar Singh promisethat as long as Mewar was not completely won back,no rulershould eat off gold or silver plates and sleep on mattresses. So, this was a MAN who lived and died up tohisIDEALS.!
Even today, the Mewar Royal Family places aleafunder their plate andstrawunder their beds to keep the promise made to Maharana Pratap 400 years BACK.!!
Info of haldighati
chetak breathing it's last in the lap of maharana - slab of haldighati memorial
This was the moment when Chetak was injured by the weapons in the tusk of Raja Man Singh's elephant.
Note:
1. Maharana Pratap used to carry2swords with him, always. It can be very well seen in each portrait posted here.
It is said that the 2 swords were kept by him for a special reason. In case his enemy was without a weapon, one of the swords was given to the enemy, as it was against 'Rajput' code of warfare to attack an unarmed person..
2.Some contents of this article have been borrowed from an article which appeared in The Hindu
About brave battles and true grit
When all that history is writ
There will sit saddled, one great name
Within the heroes’ hall of fame
The horse Chetak’s, a Marwari
A breed that would the least tarry.
Folklore etched their names in gold
Paeans are sung, stories told
Of rider and the brave blue horse
Now, more renowned the horse of course
In harness he died, one great name
Years pass, but not that horse’s fame.
To be continued.....
Brief from haldighati memorial
Bhakt Rahim's intimate love for BHAGVAN Krishna -
तैं रहीम मन आपनो कीन्हे चारु चकोर।
निसि बासर लाग्यो रहत कृष्णचन्द्र की ओर।।
Poet and Krishna Bhakt Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana .
He Was Son of Bairam Khan (Akbar's Guardian, who made kid name jalaludin the akbar).
Protection and Safe Passage of Mughal Women by Maharana Pratap Changed The Heart of Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
2 Sons of Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana Were Killed By Akbar's Son Jehangir,
Rahiman paani rakhiye bin pani sab soon..
Pani gaye na oobre moti,Manas,choon..
All is unstable in this world. Land and wealth will disappear, but the virtue of a great name lives forever. Pratap abandoned wealth and land, but never bowed his head."
- Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana, part of Akbar's Navratana
Conclusion
For some, it may be the amount of land won by Alexander, which makes him GREAT. For some, the reforms of Emperor Akbar make him GREAT. Ashoka is called GREAT, not for the Kalinga massacre, but for the reforms he undertook after that. Even Pompey, Caesar, Abbas and Suleiman are 'GREAT' and 'Magnificent' in their countries.
Just like Newton's laws are applicable in some " FRAME of REFERENCE " and they change their meaning from one frame to another, same is the case with the epithet, GREATness...
I am not passing any judgement on the GREATness ofanyindividual here. This post is an attempt to know the varied viewpoints of the readers.History can be judged by people from their own perspective. As i mentioned earlier, the criteria are set differently by different authorities. As far as i am concerned,noneof the people, whose names i mentioned in this post, can beobjectively compared.Their challenges were different, the people they governed were different, the resources they had access to were different, their ambitions were different.They had a multitude of dissimilarities but not an iota of similarity except the zeal to think BIG and to pursue their dreams in the face of all odds.
Pratap used guerrilla warfare to outsmart the mighty Mughals. His inspirational resurgence and war tactics were later used by the likes of Shivaji and also by anti-British troops in Bengal.
But this isn't just about where and how he ruled. Or what he lost and conquered. It is simply about courage. Courage that defied one of the mightiest emperors in history. For him, glory and danger were present in equal. Regardless of the outcome, he decided to fight. His valour and soul forever remained unconquerable. He was the bravest Rajput of them all. No one could deny it, not even the Mughals. He was Maharana Pratap.
Interestingly, most of the time, we find it hard to explain, how we are able to respect both Akbar and MP, who happened to be the MOST FIERCE RIVALS of each other during their lifetime.
As much as we admire and salute the Maharana for his courage, principles and never say die spirit ; this post is mostly written from the perspective of Pratap, as the topic of debate was more about the Maharana and his status vis-a-vis the generally "taught" definition of greatness.
It is easy to reign in good order kingdom, but if you have nothing and still you survive people of kingdom then this makes you phenomenal !
Tributes to one of the greatest, bravest and legendary son of Soil, The MaharanaPratap !
राणा तेरा नाम अमर है।
राणा तेरा नाम अमर है।
वीरों का उत्साह बढ़ाए,
कवि जन-मन के गीत सुनाएं,
नित स्वतंत्रता दीप जलाएं,
शौर्य सूर्य की उज्ज्वलकर है,
रजपूती गाथा के तन पर स्वाभिमानी जेवर था,
मरते दम तक नही झुका वो सूर्यवंश का तेवर था।
UDAIPUR - ETERNAL MEWAR
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