Rewriting History: Maharana Pratap Won the Battle of Haldighati

The proposal to rewrite history has been endorsed by three ministers, including former Higher Education Minister.

Mural in the City Palace in Udaipur. Image used for representational purposes. (Photo: iStckphoto)

A proposal at the Rajasthan University to rewrite history, and the manner in which it gets taught at the university level, has been endorsed by three senior ministers. The proposal says that the Rajput leader Maharana Pratap Singh won the Battle of Haldighati against the Mughal army led by Akbar’s general Man Singh.

The three ministers belong to the Vasundhara Raje government and include former Higher Education Minister Kalicharan Saraf (now Health Minister), School Education Minister Vasudev Devnani and Urban Development and Housing Minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat, endorsed the plan on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The report points out that authoritative texts like Satish Chandra’s ‘Medieval India: From Sultanate to the Mughals - Mughal Empire’ (1526 - 1748) states:

The Mughal forces were commanded by Kr Man Singh. With both the Hindus and the Muslims divided, the battle of Haldighati can scarcely be considered a struggle between Hindus and Muslims. Nor can it be considered a struggle for Rajput independence since influential sections of the Rajputs had already cast their lot with the Mughals. The struggle can be regarded at best as an assertion of the principle of local independence.

Chandra further adds:

Akbar followed up the battle of Haldighati by coming back to Ajmer, and personally leading the campaign against Rana Pratap. In the process, Goganda, Udaipur and Kumbhalmir were occupied, forcing the Rana deeper into the mountainous tract of south Mewar.

The proposition had been brought up for the first time last week by BJP MLA and university syndicate member Mohan Lal Gupta. Gupta suggested that the curriculum of Rajasthan university should be restructured to show Maharana Pratap as the winner of the 1576 battle.

The proposal has been forwarded to the Board of Studies for the university, said the acting Vice Chancellor Rajeshwar Singh. The Board will take a final decision after critical analysis of the proposal.