Book Revisits Battle Of Haldighati

A new book on Maharana Pratap examines the life of the great Rajput warrior and also revisits the famous battle of Haldighati with the Mughals saying it remained inconclusive and there was no clear winner.

In 'Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior', noted historian Rima Hooja describes in detail how Maharana Pratap managed to elude capture by the mighty Mughal army for so long and never bowed down to Akbar.

Recently some school textbooks introduced revised chapters saying Maharana Pratap defeated Mughal emperor Akbar at Haldighati, whereas earlier books said that the battle was inconclusive.

The story of Haldighati is a story of great courage and sacrifice; of the clash of indomitable wills; of Mughal ambition and expansion versus Rajput pride and honour, according to Hooja.

READ: Author Of 'Baahubali' Book Series To Explore Vanara Kingdom Next 

She cites in her book that the two armies faced each other on June 18, 1576, on the terrain of Haldighati. Akbar's Mughal army outnumbered Maharana Pratap' Mewar forces which included cavalry, infantry, 150 elephants and a contingent of Bhils armed with bows and arrows.

The battle began with the Mughal advance guard being routed by Pratap's cavalry charge and continued to rage close to the narrow pass of Haldighati where, as Akbar's court historian Abul Fazl noted that it became difficult to distinguish between friend and foe. Many lives were lost on both sides.

READ: Chetan Bhagat's New Book 'The Girl In Room 105' Appears To Be Different From His Earlier Works In Many Ways. Here's All You Need To Know

Maharana Pratap came face to face with Man Singh, the chief commander of the Mughal army and each could only think of how he could vanquish the other. These were two Rajput warrior princes with two opposing visions.

As described in the book, Pratap, who was astride his favourite horse Chetak, flung his spear at Man Singh who was on an elephant. The spear missed Man Singh and killed the elephant's mahout instead. At the same time, a sword held in the trunk of Man Singh's elephant grievously wounded Chetak's legs. According to Hooja, Akbar tried to extract peaceful submission from Pratap on at least three occasions.

"Between 1573 and 1575, three successive emissaries were sent from the emperor to Maharana Pratap. They were Prince Man Singh of Amber (r 15891614), Man Singh's father Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber (r 157489) whose sister was married to Emperor Akbar, and Raja Todar Mal. The emissaries could not make Pratap change his mind, she writes.