The Battle of Haldighati

The Battle of Haldighati

The Battle of Haldighati

Period : June 18, A.D. 1576

Between : Akbar vs Maha Rana Pratap

Result : Rana Pratap defeated and flee away from battle field

The Mughal army was quite large and very powerful in comparison to the army of the Rajputs, but the Rajputs were the symbol of bravery and chivalry and they opposed the well-equipped Mughal army in the battle of Haldighati on June 18, A.D. 1576. The Rajputs fought so ferociously that even their enemies had to praise them. When a commander enquired from Asaf Khan, “How are we now in these circumstances to distinguish between friendly and hostile Rajputs?.” As the Rajputs were fighting from both the sides, Asaf Khan answered, “They will experience the whiz of the arrows, by what way, in whichever side they may be killed, it will be a gain to Islam.” It indicates that the chief aim of the Mughal commander was to finish the Rajput race by hook or by crook and they did not have any definite policy towards the Rajputs.

In the beginning the reverse attack of the Rajputs created depression and awe among the Mughals but their great number proved useful for them. At a time the Mughals surrounded the Rana from all corners and he seemed to be in danger but one Bida Jhala, a noble of Pratap, seeing this precarious situation took a very wise step and taking off the crown from the head of Rana Pratap put it on his own head. The soldiers took him to be Rana Pratap and directed towards him. It gave Rana Pratap a chance to flee away from the battlefield in order to save his life. No doubt victory was achieved by the Mughals and the Rajputs had to cut a sorry figure but they made the Mughals so much tired in this encounter that they could not take any advantage of defeat of the Rajputs, hence they did not chase the Rajputs after their defeat in the battle of Haldighati.

Rana Pratap vacated Gogunda and Man Singh established is control over it. As Man Singh could not get any remarkable success against the Sisodiya Rajputs, he was called back by Akbar. Akbar dispatched various Mughal nobles and commanders against Rana Pratap but none of them could subdue him and his spirits. Undoubtedly, the Mughal forces devastated the entire Mewar region and Rana Pratap, his family and his confidants had to suffer for long in the forests of the Aravali Hills but they continued to furl the flag of independence till his death in A.D. 1597. The sacrifice and bravery of Rana Pratap has been praised by Colonel Tod in these words, “There is not a pass in the alpine Aravalli that is not sanctified by some deed of Pratap – some brilliant victory, or oftener, more glorious defeat. Haldighati is the Thermopylae of Mewar: the field of Dewir her Marathon.”

The end of the struggle with the Rajputs is thus briefly described by Dr. Ishwari Prasad. “Rana Pratap was succeeded by his son Amer Singh in A.D. 1597. He reorganized the institutions of the state, made a fresh assessment of the lands, and regulated the conditions of military service. The Mughals took the offensive again, and in A.D. 1599, Akbar sent Prince Salim and Raja Man Singh to invade Mewar. The Prince frittered away his time in the pursuit of pleasures at Ajmer, but the valiant Raja aided by other officers did a great deal. Amar Singh led the attack, but he was defeated and his country was devastated by the imperialists. The campaign came to an end abruptly, when Raja Man Singh was called away by the Emperor in order to quell the revolt of Usman Khan in Bengal. Akbar contemplated another invasion of Mewar, but his illness prevented him from putting his plan into execution.”

Milan Tomic

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