Students pursuing MA History at University of Rajasthan (RU) will soon be studying about Akbar’s Haldighati ‘defeat’ by Maharana Pratap. The university’s history department will be introducing a book that projects Rajput king Maharana Pratap as a victor.
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Students pursuing MA History at University of Rajasthan (RU) will soon be studying about Akbar’s Haldighati ‘defeat’ by Maharana Pratap. The university’s history department will be introducing a book that projects Rajput king Maharana Pratap as a victor in the 1576 Battle of Haldigati against Mughal emperor Akbar’s forces.
Dominant view challenged
As per HT report, historical evidence shows that Pratap had fled the battlefield with more casualties on his side and later continued his guerrilla warfare against the Mughals. The dominant view about the battle so far has been in favour of the Mughal army. But those who dispute the dominant view, including the revised history schoolbook, say that the Mughal army’s failure in capturing or killing Maharana Pratap, its decision to not pursue Pratap’s army after he fled, and Akbar’s displeasure with his generals Man Singh and Asaf Khan prove that Pratap prevailed in the war.
Question raised over Akbar’s victory
In March, School education minister Vasudev Devnani raised a question on Akbar’s victory asking why he attacked Mewar six times if he won the battle, and pronounced the Rajput king the victor.
(Read: Maharana Pratap may defeat Akbar in Rajasthan University history books)
Last month, RU’s history department conducted a meeting of its board of studies. It was decided that Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma’s Rashtra-Ratna Maharana Pratap will be included in the list of recommended readings in the paper ‘Rajasthan Through the Ages’ in the second semester of MA History.
His book is considered to contain a fresh interpretation of Maharana Pratap, and portrays him as a great freedom fighter, besides projecting him as a victor in the battle of Haldighati. The board also decided to include a topic ‘Debate on the outcome of the Battle of Haldighati’ in the topics to be covered under the paper.
The university’s academic council subsequently approved the board’s decisions, which means students shall be studying the revised syllabus from this year onwards.
[Source”GSmerena”]
