BK Singh
The Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576 between the forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar and the Rajput ruler of Mewar, Maharana Pratap Singh .
The battle took place in the Haldighati pass in the Aravalli Hills of present-day Rajasthan.
The Mughal forces were led by Man Singh of Amber, a trusted general of Akbar. The Mewar forces were led by Maharana Pratap Singh , who was defending the independence of his kingdom from Mughal domination.
The battle was hard-fought, with both sides displaying great valor and skill. Ultimately, Akbar’s superior Mughal forces managed to push back Maharana Pratap’s army, but they were unable to decisively defeat him.
Though the Mughals claimed victory, Maharana Pratap was able to escape and continue his resistance against Akbar’s attempts to subjugate Mewar. This was an important moral victory for the Rajputs, as they were able to maintain their independence and freedom from Mughal rule.
The Battle of Haldighati is remembered as a symbol of Rajput pride and resistance against the Mughal Empire. It demonstrated the military prowess and determination of Maharana Pratap and the people of Mewar in defending their sovereignty.
In fact, history is being taught at Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur, Rajasthan, that Akbar had won the Haldighati battle, while many historians are against it. Evidence has proved that Maharana Pratap had won the Haldighati battle.
After this controversy, the chairman of the Department of History in the university, Prof. Digvijay Bhatnagar has clarified about Akbar’s victory in the Battle of Haldighati with reference to his book ‘Outline of History of Rajasthan’ that this book is based on the earlier published books of historians, which he has only edited. In such a situation, soon a new book will come with an amendment in which Maharana Pratap’s victory in the Haldighati war will be mentioned.
It is noteworthy that the Battle of Haldighati was fought on 18 June 1576 between Maharana Pratap of Mewar and the army of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Akbar’s army was led by Raja Man Singh of Amber, while Maharana Pratap was supported mainly by the Bhil tribe in this war.
Upon his ascension to the Mughal throne, Akbar had embarked on a policy of conquest of the Rajputana region. Using a combination of diplomacy and brute force, many kingdoms of Rajputana submitted to Mughal overlordship except for Mewar.
The Rana (King) of Mewar, regarded as one of the strongest kings of the Rajput states, had fought a war with the Mughals which culminated in the Siege of Chittorgarh in 1568. The siege ended with the loss of a sizable portion of eastern Mewar to the Mughals.
When Maharana Pratap succeeded his father on the throne of Mewar, Emperor Akbar sent many diplomatic missions to convince Maharana Pratap to become a vassal of the Mughals.
The purpose behind these diplomatic missions was to both conclude the ongoing Mughal-Rajput wars and gain access to the rest of Mewar which would secure communication and supply lines to Gujarat, then a vibrant economic powerhouse.
The battle of Haldighati was one of pride and unflinching love for the motherland.
History of India, at many places had been distorted for reasons best known to its writers and those who held the responsibility of disseminating education. Except for a few writers others did not seem to care what they were leaving for the posterity.
Nobody, even governments did not care. However, with the passage of time and research many stumbled upon real facts and this has contributed to facts now being presented by careful writers and historians.
( with inputs from various sources)