MARATHON OF MEWAR - THE UNSUNG BATTLE OF MAHARANA PRATAP THE GREAT - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

विजयादशमी शुभा भवतु।
श्रीमहाकाली महालक्ष्मी महासरस्वती च सर्वदा तुष्टा वरदाश्च सन्तु,
अविद्याया अधर्मस्य असत्यस्य अन्यायस्य नाशञ्च कुर्वन्तु ॥

          

विजयदशमी पर्व के दिन ही १५८२ ही महाराणा प्रताप और उनकी सेना ने दिवेर में लुटेरे मुग़ल सेना पर भयंकर आक्रमण कर उन्हें परास्त किया था। युद्ध में लुटेरे मुग़ल सेनापति और बहुत से लुटेरे मुग़ल मारे गए, जो बचे वो भाग गए।

नवरात्रि में महाराणा प्रताप अपनी सेना सहित कुलदेवी और हमीर के खड़ग की पूजा करते हुए।

हल्दीघाटी के बाद अक्टूबर १५८२ में दिवेर का युद्ध हुआ। इस युद्ध में मुगल सेना की अगुवाई अकबर का चाचा सुल्तान खां कर रहा था । इस दिन विजयादशमी थी और महाराणा ने अपनी नई संगठित सेना को दो हिस्सों में विभाजित करके युद्ध का बिगुल बजा दिया। एक टुकड़ी की कमान खुद महाराणा संभाल रहे थे , तो दूसरी टुकड़ी का नेतृत्व उनके पुत्र महाराज कुमार अमर सिंह कर रहे थे। तय रणनीति के तहत महाराणा प्रताप की सेना ने महाराज कुमार अमर सिंह के नेतृत्व में दिवेर के शाही थाने पर हमला किया। यह युद्ध इतना भीषण तरीके से लड़ा गया था कि महाराणा प्रताप के पुत्र महाराज कुमार अमर सिंह अमर सिंह ने मुगल सेनापति पर भाले का ऐसा वार किया कि भाला उसके शरीर और घोड़े को चीरता हुआ जमीन में जा धंसा और मुगल सेनापति मूर्ति की तरह एक जगह गड़ गया।

राज प्रशस्ति में दिवेर का युद्ध:

" गज पर बैठा सुल्तान खान, राणा ने गज पर प्रहार किया ।

चूर हुआ खुरसाणी अभिमान, जब गज कुम्भ का विध्वंस किया ।।

राणा प्रताप ने दिवेर के घाटे में हाथी पर बैठे बादशाह के काका सुल्तान  सेरिम का सामना किया। राणा के सोलंकी वीर ने हाथी के दोनों पाँव काट दिए और राणा ने पक्षी की भाँति झपट कर हाथी का मस्तक फोड़ दिया।

तब सेरिम घोड़े पर सवार हुआ, अमर सिंह ने भाले से ऐसा वार किया कि  भाला सेरिम के कवच और अश्व को भेद धरती में जा गड़ा।

अमरसिंह ने हाथ से भाले को खींचा, पर वह निकला नहीं। तब राणा प्रताप ने कहा लात देकर खींचो, तब अमरसिंह ने सेरिम पर लात रख क्रोध से भाला खींचा, तब जाकर भाला निकला।

दिवेर के बाद कोशीथल समेत 84 मुग़ल चौकियों से मुग़ल खदेड़ दिए गये।

राजस्थान के इतिहास १५८२ में दिवेर का युद्ध एक महत्वपूर्ण युद्ध माना जाता है, क्योंकि इस युद्ध में राणा प्रताप के खोये हुए राज्यों की पुनः प्राप्ती हुई, इसके पश्चात राणा प्रताप व मुगलो के बीच एक लम्बा संघर्ष युद्ध के रुप में घटित हुआ, जिसके कारण कर्नल जेम्स टाॅड ने इस युद्ध को "मेवाड़ का मैराथन" कहा है।

दिवेर के युद्ध ने मुगलों के मनोबल को बुरी तरह तोड़ दिया। दिवेर के युद्ध के बाद प्रताप ने गोगुंदा, कुम्भलगढ़, बस्सी, चावंड, जावर, मदारिया, मोही, माण्डलगढ़ जैसे महत्वपूर्ण ठिकानों पर कब्ज़ा कर लिया।

 Unsung Battle of Dewair MahaRana Pratap

Maharana Pratap was Hindu king of Mewar. He was titled as "Mewari Rana" and was notable for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire and was known for his participation in many Battles including the famous Battle of Haldighati and Battle of Dewair.

Maharana Pratap’s army of 22,000 soldiers met 2,00,000 soldiers of Akbar at Haldighat. Maharana Pratap and his soldiers exhibited great valour in this battle although he had to retreat but Akbar’s army was also not successful in defeating MahaRana Pratap and Haldi Ghati was not The End!

Akbar wanted to capture Pratap Alive. He kept pouring in Men and Money to Invade the Hilly parts of mewar and Capture pratap Alive, but to No avail. 

Maharana kept Fighting using Guerilla tactics and Inflicted Heavy losses on Mughal Forces.

After this historic battle of Haldighati that ended in a stalemate, Akbar changed his strategy and started sending his soldiers through Mewar's North-Western borders namely, Mandal, Madaria, Mohi and most importantly Dewair. Several garrisons were established in this region for exercising a better control.

Towards the South East of the small town of Pali in Rajasthan, lies Dewair, a village enclosed in the hills of Aravali and between the pages of history, the latter often of an untold nature. This however was not so till about four and a half centuries ago. Dewair was the gateway (read strategic) to the kingdom of Mewar and hence provided access to the supercluster of fortresses spread across the hills, valleys and ravines of the region and why just Mewar, Dewair due to its geographical location was an important access point to Marwar, Gujarat, and Malwa as well. The region's control was incomplete, and ineffective without the control over Dewair. About 2 kilometers south west of the village of Dewair, lies the topic of this buildup - the Battlefield called "Dewair ki Naal", loosely translated as the Horseshoe of Dewair, a local name of the Dewair Valley.

Dewair (दिवेर की नाळ) was important strategic hold which connects Mewar and Marwar, it was also used to check the northern route to Kumbhalgarh and Gogunda. It was then under Mughal control. The forces of Maharana and Mughals contended against each other, through both symmetric and asymmetrical warfare. Several Generals and Commanders of the Mughal forces were deployed in trying to control Maharana's rise but these efforts turned out to be futile. Maharana was utilizing this period to organize his forces, collecting rations, and getting the support of the rulers of Sirohi, Idar, Jalore among others.

It was Vijaya Dashmi of the year 1582, when it all came to its climactic conclusion. Under the ruse of a planted rumor that he had left Mewar, the Maharana with his army marched unnoticed through secret paths to Dewair and attacked the Mughal Garrisons unexpectedly with his son Amar Singh commanding a separate flank fighting beside him bravely.

Mughal army was led by sultan khan. He was sitting on an elephant. Pratap throw his spear towards the elephant. About the same time another warrior brithya solanki cut the legs of sultan Khan's elephant Sultan khan however was saved. He then quickly sat on the horse and resume his fight.

But kuwar amar singh thrust his spear with such a force that the  weapon stuck in the ground after piercing the coat. This battle was as we would say today a surgical strike led by Kunwar Amar Singh. Thus the battle ended with the victory of mewar's army. 

After the battle maharana asked his son amar singh to take out the spear from the sultan khan's body. He also offered him water. 

Maharana Pratap and his son Kunwar Amar Singh faced the Mughals with great valor at Dewair, Kunwar Amar Singh commanding a separate flank fighting beside him bravely. Mughal Commander sultan Sultan Khan was killed by a single stroke of spear by Kunwar Amar Singh in Devair Yuddh.

This the battle ended with the victory of maharana pratap. It resulted in the closing of 32 other mughal check points and a surrender of about 36000 soldiers of the mughal army. Such was the feat that when Colonel James Tod realised the bravery of the soldiers of Mewar, he  compared it to the Greece's Marathon and named it as "Marathon of Mewar". Such was the importance of this battle. After a number of failed attempts at conquest after their defeat at Dewair, including one that Akbar himself commanded, the Mughals never returned to Mewar in Maharana Pratap's lifetime.

MahaRana Ji after Dewair, allied with Rao Chandrasen Rathore of Jodhpur/Marwar to annex Dongarpur and Banswara states in December of 1578AD and regularly harassed Mughals in their own stronghold in Ajmer. He sent his subordiante Rai Singh Rathore to help the Chauhan ruler of Sirohi state, Surtan Singh in thrashing mughals in the Battle of Dattani in 1583 AD. He would have influence well outside of Mewar allying with Chauhans of Sirohi & Ranthambore, princes of Dongarpur, Rathores of Idar in Gujarat and Hadas of Bundi starting fresh revolts and attacks on Mughals.

Jalaluddin Akbar kept Pouring Men and Money till 1587.

But, all of that Was Useless Now. 

After 1587, Akbar decided to Give up his dream of Capturing Mewar, and Moved to Lahore in Order to concentrate on North West India.

Salute to Maharana Pratap, India's most fearless Rajput warrior, a master strategist and the one, who never compromised with his determination to defend his motherland & his self-respect.

A war memorial at Meva Ka Mathara, was erected later to commemorate the Historic victory of the Hindu Rajput king of Mewar.

The old memorial commemorating this victory of Mewar over the Mughals was built just above the road in Dewair ki Naal.

The new Victory Memorial with statue of Maharana Pratap is built near Chapli, north of Dewair ki Naal road. It is approachable from different road from Dewair village on NH-58 (old NH-8).