History is a written politics of the past. The correct understanding of history is important because it helps us to learn from past mistakes and motivates us to not repeat them in modern times. Moreover, it also provides a sense of pride & feeling of togetherness among the modern population and popularized the idea of nationhood. But when our history is distorted for modern political & cultural gain, it becomes very important for us to correct the understanding.
Every understanding is a misunderstanding
Indian movie actor Akshay Kumar is busy promoting his new movie on the heroic story of legendary Hindu Rajput warrior king of Chahamanas Dynasty Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. In the effort, he is continuing the visit to Hindu shrines and continuously sharing posts related to this on social media.
Recently a post was shared from his social media account on May 27, 2022. In the post, celebrating the birth anniversary of Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan he said “according to the date of birth, today is the birth anniversary of the last Hindu emperor Veer Shiromani Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. We all salute him by remembering his great valor and sacrifice. Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan remains immortal in the consciousness of India for ages”.
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 27, 2022
Here, in his greetings of Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, he showed his pure ignorance & lack of understanding of true history. Calling Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, the ‘last Hindu emperor’ is not only an attempt to popularize the wrong discourse of history but it is an insult to all the Hindu rulers who fought till the death to defend the Hindu identity.
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A Hindu defense against Islamic invaders
When India was under attack from Islamic crusaders during the 7th century, Rajput Kingdoms in north India were the main defenders of the Hindu religion & culture. They successfully defended the north gate of the country till the 12th century. But, the internal conflict and betrayal proved to be the most dangerous for the country, and the Delhi region was captured by the Islamic Ghaznavid ruler Muizzuddin Muhammad. The loss of Hindu king Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain in 1192 paved the way for Islamic rule in India. But, Prithviraj Chauhan was not the last Hindu emperor. There is a long list of majestic & courageous Hindu emperors after Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan who continuously defended our land from the Islamic invaders.
After 1192, north & west India was occupied by foreign Islamic invaders and a constant religious war started between Islamic invaders & local Hindu kings. Fierce resistance was posed by various local kings throughout the Delhi Sultanate period. Every local kingdom like Gurjara, Pratiharas, Paramaras, Rashtrakutas, Chandela, Pala, Hoysala, Chalukya, and Pallavas gave strong resistance to Islamic invaders and kept the hope alive for every Hindu till their last breath.
Last Hindu Emperor
Throughout the Delhi Sultanate period, Islamic invaders could not consolidate their power in Hindustan & which resulted in the further invasion of Mughal. When Babur started its expedition in India, many local confederacies were still present in the country and the Delhi sultanate area of influence was limited till Agra.
Read More: Veergatha – The Forgotten Warriors | Samrat Hemchandra Vikramaditya
When the Mughal army under Akbar & its army chief Bairam Khan started to expand its territory beyond Agra, Samrat Hemchandra Vikramaditya (Hemu) was ready to expel them from the area. In its resistance against the Mughal army, Hemu first captured Agra from the Mughals and then launched an expedition against the Mughals towards Delhi. With an army of 50000 cavalry, 500 elephants, and strong artillery he marched towards Delhi. In the well-contested battle, Hemu defeated the Mughals near Delhi and occupied the city. After the initial victory, he did not consolidate its power and the Mughal army under Bairam Khan again challenged the Hemu forces. On 5 November 1556, Hemu & Mughal forces met at Panipat and Hemu was winning the battle but the tide of battle turned when an arrow hit Hemu in the eye & he fainted. The unfortunate incident turned the course of history and paved the way for Mughal rule in India.
So, Samrat Hemchandra Vikramaditya was the last Hindu emperor who defended Hindus till his last breath. It is said that he was a Vaishya by birth, Brahmin by knowledge, and a Kshatriya by his martial skills. History can not be unkind to him. When we bury the courage and valor of such a Hindu king, we not only discredit the great contribution of such great rulers but we also insult the resistance of the whole Hindu kingdom who laid their life in defending their motherland.
