Does it matter who won the battle of Haldighati?
BJP MLA Mohanlal Gupta wants University of Rajasthan to introduce a book titled “Maharana Pratap: Kumbalgarh se Chavand” by Prof KS Gupta for the students of history. This book has a different point of view than the conventional ones. This book claims that Maharana Pratap defeated Akbar in the battle of Haldighati in 1576, the contrary of which is narrated in other books.
Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma joined hands with neighbouring state MLA and stated that textbooks will be amended to reject the distorted view that has been presented and the new one will show the true valour of Rajput kings. Does it even matter who won over whom in a battle fought in the 16th century to be debated and fought over in the 21st century?
Yes1. Being proud of one’s heritageMughals were invaders, even the greatest ones in the history, and hence patronizing them is something that should offend some people. The main purpose of the book is to make students feel proud of their cultural heritage. Reading valour stories of our kings and rulers is supposed to be what history in schools cover and not the dominance of Mughal Emperors over Rajput kings.
2. Distorted viewIt is only natural that Persian writers who wrote great stories for Akbar would have been under the pressure of showing things in favour of their king. They had to see the world through rose coloured glasses of their masters. There are evidences to prove that the royal writers were not so accurate at times and always skipped the harsh things about their masters. Forcing the same distorted versions to students is unfair. It is only fair that they be taught from the contexts that are more affirming.
3. Right to differThere are contrary views presented in history by different historians and ancient writers. The students of history have a right to know each view and form their own opinion based on facts and figures. There is nothing wrong in introducing a different history book, something that differs from what has always been narrated.
No1. Changing textsIntroducing another view on the battle of Haldighati would have been totally understandable but revising the written books to go one way is absolute nonsense. The government can’t decide the facts of a battle that was fought in the 16th century. For years, history books have claimed that either Akbar won the battle over the Maharana Pratap who fought bravely or that both the sides withdrew their troops after a long deathly battle.
2. Why fight over history?History is past. It is gone days that students of history major reads over and over again and what the government is doing is showing them how it is done. Each time you come across something unpleasant to your people, you should change it. Just because they can, shouldn’t mean they should change history to suit their sides. It is being made into a useless battle, as if there aren’t real issues to concentrate on.
3. DistractionThe education ministers of states are so bored, and that too in the states of Haryana which has the largest illiteracy rate and Rajasthan that still outlives the dead evil customs of child marriage and not sending girls to school. These ministers are supposed to be working on creating a better history for their states in terms of education for the poor and for girls. But instead, their main concentration is on rewriting history.
4. Battle of invaders v/s defendersAkbar is one Mughal king who has been portrayed in good light. Maharana Pratap’s valour and patriotism is without doubt one of the best to be proud of amongst all Indian rulers. The battle between them has been accounted and re-accounted in different ways. BJP MLA’s intentions are that since Mughals were the invaders, they ought to be the defeated villains.
No, it doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t matter after all these centuries of gap. Teaching students to obsess over history is not going to breed unbiased historians but the ones who would know which side to take in order to sustain .
