Thread by @TheReclaMission

"Ho! Neela Ghora re Sawar"

"Ho! Rider of the Blue Horse"

A voice pierces through the hobbled canter of a steed amidst sounds of rattling metal and rustling wilderness.
#MahaRanaPratapJayanti
#महाराणा_प्रताप_जयंती
Artwork by- Arsalanactual (instagram)

It interrupts again, as a shadow approaches riding another steed through the flames of dust, the hooves of whose glow, as they spark like ambers on the hard flint rock...

Maharana Uday Singh, the founder of Udaipur had suddenly fallen ill, a beloved king of Mewar, he was in Gogunda, preparing for war against the Mughals who had aggressed into his kingdom and captured the prized fort of Chittaur.

Within less than a month he succumbs to his illness on 28th of February 1572, his dying lament, to have not reacquired Mewar in its entirety. This although was not before he had proclaimed his younger son Jagmal as successor to the throne of Mewar.

Nobles of Mewar howevr had another plan & didn't see Jagmal fit to rule,& Pratap Sinh instead was crowned the Maharana of Mewar.Even tho it seemed like,the contest was all but over, for another brother, Shakti Singh, elder to Jagmal deemed himslf to b more deserving of the title.

It was in October 1572, the festival of Aheria had come, and among all festivities, the Maharana and his brothers were blessed by the women for the Ritual Hunt, even the horses were given sacred oblations, and before sunrise, the men went into the wilderness for the hunt.

Pratap's childhood friend Tej Singh was accompanying him with the Rajguru (Royal Priest), as they entered the forests, Maharana's steed Chetak smelled wild boar and galloped towards it.Soon Pratap saw the beast moving in the bushes and with a careful aim hurled his spear into it,

a shrill cry was heard, and Tej Singh exclaimed, "A good omen, you have felled the animal with the day's first throw". Upon dismounting and approaching his kill, the Maharana was surprised to see his brother Shakti Singh standing beside the killed boar,

which now seemed to have another spear in it. "How lucky I am, I got the first kill of the day", Shakti smirked mockingly, to Pratap's bafflement who returned to his friend, "Tej, tell him". "The Maharana's spear hit the boar first, I saw it with my own eyes", Tej Singh repeats.

"Lower your tone, it is mine and I will take it", Shakti stares Tej Singh down to which Maharana shouts "Don't touch it", to which Tej again repeats even louder "Don't touch it". Irritated, Shakti draws his sword and walks towards Tej but is interrupted by the Maharana.

This was no sibling rivalry for they were step brothers and former claimants to a throne, a fight ensues and as the Rajguru tries to calm both of them down through first verbal and then physical intervention, he is struck by Shakti Singh's sword.

The old man dies instantly. Shocked, both of them back off at the mishap "Oh my god, what have you done, this is Brahmahatya, that too of the Rajguru" Pratap shouted in disbelief and anger, "This is unpardonable, leave the soil of Mewar, and don't ever come back".

Shaken by all this, Shakti recollects himself, sheathes his sword, mounts his horse and leaves, but not before one final word of severance "Know this Maharana of Mewar, one day I will be back and I will take my revenge".

Come 1576, the Mughal Emperor Akbar now having created alliances with Mewar's enemies and former allies alike, sought to bring the Mewar of Rana Sanga too under his Empire. This would seal the destiny of the House of Chagtai for eternity,

for Mewar was not merely the symbol of resistance, it was his empire's greatest rival, and a threat that Akbar thought, and rightly so, that had the potential to inspire and bring about the destruction of the Mughal dynasty. To his own advantage,

Akbar was an astute statesman, his diplomacy and statecraft had won him all of the ruling kingdoms and brought them under the Mughal Empire, even Shakti Singh had defected to the Mughal side. Akbar's most valued general and friend was Kunwar Man Singh, the Prince of Amer.

Aftr negotiations under Todar Mal hd failed, Man Singh,who was returning frm a successful campaign in Sholapur was sent to do the negotiations with Mewar, howevr those negotiations weren't jst between two diplomats,bt two proud warriors,and those negotiations naturally went awry.

What followed, was inevitable.

The imperial forces under Man Singh had set their base in Mandalgarh in North-East of Mewar, while the Maharana had made the mighty Kumbalgarh his capital.

While the latter needs no introduction, the former was also a fortress of strategic importance, it was alongside the river Banas flowing by its side, this gave the Mughal forces access to the basins where the Mewaris were at a disadvantage owing to their lesser numbers,

this also gave them food and water supplies to sustain their big army. When conflict became all but inevitable, Man Singh marched alongside the Banas to Khamnore, and shadowing the aggressors,

Pratap moved to Gogunda, from where his father Uday Singh had intended to continue his struggle against the imperial powers.
The forces of Mewar were outnumbered by the imperialists by a factor of four (3000 Vs 12000), hence to take them on in open battle would have been foolish,

howevr part of the way frm Gogunda to Khamnore was through the narrow pass of Haldighati, which would prove to be an equalizer if both their forces were to meet there.There was although an issue, it was almost 10x as further away frm Gogunda as it was from Khamnore(30 km Vs 3km).

Intelligence had reached the Mewari forces that the imperialists had decided to march on Gogunda early in the morning of 18th of June, 1576, hence they had to hurry, and instead of a march they had to hike 30 kilometers to catch the imperialists at the beginning

or else their advances couldn't be checked. With a force made up almost entirely of cavalry, Maharana was able to catch the imperialists right in the narrow passes of the lower Aravalis

and one of the most iconic pitched battles in Indian History ensued in one of the smallest theatres of war - The Battle of Haldighati, also called the Thermopylae of India.

As the Mewaris descended on the imperialists, they knew that they had to give their all, for unlike the Mughals, they couldn't afford reserves. They relied heavily on momentum and as the battle commenced, the imperialists were hit hard.

Pratap holding the royal umbrella was fighting on the opening of the pass.While fighting,he saw Man Singh on his elephant also engaged in battle, while trying to reach Man, he saw Prince Salim's elephant & turned towards him and charged on the head of the elephant with his horse.

His spear impaled through the Mahaut (Elephant Handler) and would have killed Salim too had it not been for the armor on the Howdah (Elephant Carriage). The Elephant now infuriated swayed his head and sliced one of the horse's legs, and ran away.

This effort howevr to get to Man Singh & Salim now brought Pratap in the disadvantageous open areas of the pass & with him the battle would draw out in the open. After hours of struggle and numerous wounds the imperialists had now gained advantage and the Maharana was surrounded.

This was when Manah Jhala with his clansmen rallied and took the brunt of the Mughals after he snatched the royal umbrella from Pratap and declared that he was instead the Maharana, he fought them till death, while the real Maharana was evacuated. The defenders soon retreated,

and the battle ended abruptly. However, two Mughal cavalrymen had seen Pratap's limping horse and followed him.

As the Maharana was making his way back to security while being pursued by two Mughal cavalrymen, he hears the voice...

"Ho! Neela Ghora re Sawar" ("Ho! Rider of the Blue Horse")

He wished his steed Chetak, though on the brink of collapse, could somehow keep up but the pursuer was closing in. As the pursuer reached Pratap he said, "How does it feel when fleeing for one's life?".

Pratap recognized that voice, it was Shakti Singh, even here he was mockingly smirking at him. However, the Mughal cavalrymen pursuing him were nowhere to be seen, they were killed by Shakti. He had seen Pratap in danger and decided to help his brother instead of the Mughals.

Chetak had succumbed to his wounds sustained in the battle. Shakti gave his own horse "Ankaro" to Pratap, and left for the Mughal camp, while Pratap was left mourning his loyal steed, whose ballads would make him probably the most cherished of animal companions in Indian History.

Shakti Singh returns soon after, this time to rejoin his brother Pratap, in helping him retake all of Mewar back from the Mughals. As for the battle, and its comparison with Thermopylae, the war had only begun, and was far from reaching its last stand...
#End