Thread by @sheshapatangi1

LONG THREAD

#YashwantraoHolkar – The Warrior King, Master Strategist, A Hindu Senani Who Was As Good As Chatrapati Shivaji.

When he was killed by treachery, the British had to say this “The only protector of Hindustan is no more. The strength of the Hindu community is broken.

The strength of the Muslim emperor was already broken. The British are overjoyed with Yashwantrao's death”.

I Never Found This Much Difficulty In Searching For A King’s Biography, For Reasons We Never Know The Hero Yashwantrao Holkar Has Been Made Forgotten By Historians.

It is our good fortune that such a great man was born on our soil. It is our misfortune that we do not know them.
Sir Major John Malcolm, the Scottish Historian (1769-1833) & arch-enemy wrote, In fact, if the Peshwas had shown a little foresight to use Yashwantrao's prowess for

wealth, the British rule would never have come to this country.
Further he wrote, Yashwantrao used to have a wonderful Chaitanya. Disappointment they did not know. He did not lose his balance, despite the extreme personal crises. They have often turned potential defeats into

victories because of their self-sacrificing attitude. This should explain why Yashwantrao is called Napoleon of India.
In fact, the question arises as to whether Napoleon himself learned from Yashwantrao. Because Yashwantrao happened before. Napoleon followed.

The Battle of Waterloo took place in 1815 & many French in India were then recording the political and strategic events of the time and reporting them back to their homeland. It cannot be said that Napoleon did not learn anything from it. Some of the fighters from the battle of

Bharatpur later joined the battle. It is also said that Bharatpur was more difficult than Waterloo. This is the salute given to Yashwantrao by the world warriors.
The British government had to oust a Governor General like Wellesley as Yashwantrao could not win.

Policies towards India had to change. The British army, considered invincible in the world, was hung on the gates of the world.
Malcolm adds, He himself wielded all the weapons perfectly. He had a special love for guns. Once while practicing shooting, his right eye was injured

in an explosion. Even then, his love of guns never waned. In javelin throw, there was no one to hold his hand at that time, Malcolm proudly reports. He was a good accountant himself, so he was not likely to be cheated by a clerk in revenue collection.

The overall life journey

of Yashwantrao Holkar (3-12-1776 to 28-10-1811) is astounding. Such a thrilling journey of life, so many storms of crises, constant storms of wars, constant hopes of victory, hopes of freedom, willingness to move forward with ease of betrayal, immense leadership ability, extreme

fighting skills, relentless optimism, unwavering exertion of efforts, forgiveness, great warrior and ruler with all his qualities is rarely found in the history of the world.
During its downfall, the mighty Maratha Empire was similar to MVA or UPA (Bitter enemies joined to keep

their territories safe)

Yashwantrao's greatest and most unique work after Shivaji was his Vedic coronation in January 1799. This coronation is never discussed. Yashwantrao was never given official robes by the Peshwas. However, he was crowned for the sake of popularity and for

other chiefs to know his importance & support him in his work.
In fact, if the Peshwas had shown a little foresight to use Yashwantrao's prowess for wealth, the British rule would never have come to this country.

He was the first Indian ruler to realize the demonic aspirations

of the British after the Treaty of Vasai. Despite traditional feud with the Shids, he brought them & Bhosles together against the British, despite the fact that they had committed so many crimes against the Holkars. What the Shids did? They planned to destroy Holkar himself.

The course of history would’ve changed if Bhosle and Shids listened to him.
Neither of them did not understand the burning patriotism of Yashwantrao and the real danger of the British. This resulted in their own humiliating defeat and subjugation.

Many English historians often

accuse Yashwantrao of cruelty. It is true that Yashwantrao carried out horrific massacres of the enemy in the war. So why are there wars? To plunder the enemy and bring him home alive with dignity?

Yashwantrao's war strategy always confused the British. Only Yashwantrao made

real use of ganimika (guerilla warfare) after Chatrapati Shivaji eliminating an enemy by first chasing it, then forcing it to run backwards, predicting the changing weather, chasing it for 250 miles in the muddy soil during heavy rains, gradually reducing its power. More than

10000 British soldiers were killed in this war.
This is why many English historians often accuse Yashwantrao of cruelty.
There is not a single instance of Yashwantrao's aggression & alleged brutality hitting the common man. That is why Yashwantrao's Pawade is still sung in

Uttar Bharath.
The most important feature of Yashwantrao, which did not exist among the then Hindavi rulers, was his sense of nationalism.
The Nizam, Tipu, Gaikwad of Baroda, the Sikh Maharajas of the north, the Nawabs, the Rajput kings were all looking after their respective

institutions & that is why they became the mandlik / ankit of the British. But Yashwantrao never had only his own state but the whole country.
For that, the nationalism in the letters he was sending to all the Rajarajwadas, Shishad-Bhosle is inflammatory. He says in the letter

'First my nation, my country. Today, there is a need to go beyond religion, caste, region and see the country-nationless. All of you, like me, must fight a war against the British. '
Later in a letter to Yashwantrao Bhosale, he says,'A lot of unity in the Eastern Swarajya.

Coming today, Karon had spread the monopoly without any satire. '
One nation, the expulsion of foreigners and the execution of foreigners is the real and only reason behind their struggle. And the struggle they started in 1803 was not originally for themselves, because their

own kingdom was secure. The campaigns he carried out in the North from 1803 onwards to awaken all the other monarchies to unite against the British. All the wars they fought after 1803 were against the British. It should also be noted here that there is no one against such

objectives. It is also noteworthy that they have remained undefeated in all these battles.
Only 14 years from 1797 to 1811 were given to Yashwantrao. From 1797 to 1803, Yashwantrao had to choose between establishing his own kingdom and rights, freeing his wife and daughter from

captivity. From 1803, he waged a relentless war against the British and defeated the mighty British forces one after another.
A Western historian named James Wheeler writes about Yashwantrao-
"The life of Yashwant Rao Holkar was one of unceasing struggle and peril, endured with

the abounding high spirits for which he was renowned.

He experienced the murder of one brother by Sindhia and the public execution of another by the Peshwa. He took lightly even the loss of an eye by the bursting of a matchlock; jesting at the belief that a one-eyed man

is wicked, he exclaimed that he had been bad enough before but would now surely be the guru or high priest of roguery.He was generous as well as witty, and his wildness was pardoned as part of the eccentricity of genius.He was of superior education as well as superior mental

abilities, a skilled accountant and literate in Persian as well as Marathi.
"No member of his race ever possessed the gift of guerilla warfare in such higher measures as did Yashwant Rao Holkar. His resources were always slight, but his energy and hopefulness boundless.

When for the war that now followed he announced to his troopers that they must gather their own rewards and these conditions were accepted with enthusiasm. His reputation was such that, even when himself a fugitive from Scindiaks army, he had been continuously strengthened by

desertions from his pursuer. His personal courage was of the kind which soldiers most esteem , that of such leaders as Ney and Lannes, and he never lost his personal ascendancy until he lost his reason. "

Although Yashwantrao is proud of Hinduism, there is not a single instance

of him slandering non-Hindus. He used to consider Amir Khan as his brother. Literally thousands of Muslim soldiera were under his patronage. French-English Christian warriors and soldiers were also his patrons. His army included people of all castes, including the Bhils.

The court was ruled by Brahmins. His role towards women was liberal. He taught his daughter Bhimabai Hees all the weapons from horse riding to reading and writing. He also gave necessary education to Maharani Tulsabai. That is why she was able to rule after Yashwantrao.

The British finally had to kill him by buying Gafurkhan.
The only real reason for his murder was his conviction that he would not be able to swallow the Holkari kingdom while he was alive.

#ForgottenHeroes
#VANDEMATARAM