What our textbooks don't tell us: Why the Rajputs failed miserably in battle for centuries

[I FLY HIGH]

Yes but they deserves the credit of their good quality and that can not be deny. I just did that.

yes , i am analysing my community on the whole , all pluses and minuses . On the whole Rajputs can be proud of their bravery .

 

[doppelganger]

No doubt about it..they deserve atmost respect for bravery. Only because of them only what is todays India is India...

Not at all. Bravery is good for historians and bards to wax eloquent about. For a soldier, the only thing that matters is to survive long enough to kill more of the enemy.

India remains Hindu India because the Marathas broke the Muslim back. Viciously, unrelentingly and without mercy. We did not allow ourselves the luxury of ethics or honor or any such "higher" ideals in battle. The only thing that was worth fighting for was the bleeding corpse of the enemy soaking the soil of the battlefield red.

This is what Elphinstone famously wrote about my ancestors

"As small sturdy men, well made, though not handsome, they are all active, laborious, hardy, and persevering. If they have none of the pride and dignity of the Rajputs they have none of their indolence or their want of worldly wisdom. A Rajput warrior as long as he does not dishonor his race, seems almost indifferent to the result of any contest he is engaged in.

A Maratha thinks of nothing but the result and cares little for the means if he can attain his object. For this purpose he will strain his wits, renounce his pleasures and hazard his person; but he has not a conception of sacrificing his life or even his interest for the point of honor. This difference of sentiment affects the outward appearance of the two nations; there is something noble in the courage even of the ordinary Rajput and something vulgar in that of the most distinguished Maratha.

The Rajput is the most worthy antagonist. The Maratha is the most formidable enemy; for he will not fail in boldness and enterprise when they are indispensable and will always support them or supply them with stratagem, activity, and perseverance. All this applies chiefly to the soldiery to whom more bad qualities might fairly be ascribed. The mere husbandmen are sober, frugal, and industrious and though they have a dash of the national cunning, are neither turbulent nor insincere.

Whether a peasant or a soldier, nature fostered in the Maratha an innate love of independence which made him rebellious in spirit. In this combination of courage, cleverness and power endurance, in his ability to plan and execute surprise and night attacks, in his skill to extricate himself from a tight corner or to vary his tactics to the changing phases of a battle without waiting for guidance from a superior, it was hardly possible to beat the Maratha Soldier."

And to this day the Maratha remains a formidable arm of the Indian Army.

 

[GURU DUTT]

the most idiotikthinkingaboutrajputs isthat they were too egoistic and proud about there birth rights than any thing else after demise ofsher shah a bania (hem chandar /hemu)who was from rewari near delhi and supplied rations to afghan army slowly rose to power and when humayun was on run grabbed the power in delhi but these rajputs instead of helping a hindu and fighting of mughals played into mughal hands and helped in defate of hemu just because a proud rajput could never see himself ruled by a "baniya"


Hemu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[IND151]

No doubt about it..they deserve atmost respect for bravery. Only because of them only what is todays India is India...


He talk about tacics and philosophy of war. haar jeet to chalati rahati hai...
about loosing, Shivaji was greatly outnumber and no doubt Raja Jai Singh was one of the best general...

And ultimately Marathas emerged Victorious, after Final War with Mughals.

 

[luoshan]

For all the self-glorification and bravado of the Rajputs, they didn't create any empire, not even a decent dynasty. Most of their warrior energies were utilized in fighting amongst themselves for some weird sense of honor and glory. They were the top-dogs of North-west India when their opposition was meek and disunited. When they faced some real opposition from some hardcore warrior classes from central Asia, they just disintegrated.

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Irrespective of their failures, Rajputs kept alive the spirit of resistance against Western threats in India.

Also, including the credit of halting Arab expansion, which Turk/ Persians / Central Asians and Chinese failed to do so.

 

[HariPrasad]

the most idiotikthinkingaboutrajputs isthat they were too egoistic and proud about there birth rights than any thing else after demise ofsher shah a bania (hem chandar /hemu)who was from rewari near delhi and supplied rations to afghan army slowly rose to power and when humayun was on run grabbed the power in delhi but these rajputs instead of helping a hindu and fighting of mughals played into mughal hands and helped in defate of hemu just because a proud rajput could never see himself ruled by a "baniya"


Hemu - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yes. We have so many of such sad incidents associated with our history. Had the result of Panipat been in the line of 22 victories of hemu. We would have been an another state. I will only say that goddess of luck was not in our favor.

 

[GURU DUTT]

Yes. We have so many of such sad incidents associated with our history. Had the result of Panipat been in the line of 22 victories of hemu. We would have been an another state. I will only say that goddess of luck was not in our favor.

hemu lost not just because he was weak but by trecherry of rajput soldiers in his army asthey were disghusted to serve under a baniya from whome rajputs collected there revenues and since inmany rajput clans there was female fetucide they dint had much girls and even today in some rajput had very less women to mary there boys most of there brides came from baniyas sothey lloked down upon baniyas and were happy to serve under a muslim invader from afghansutan or central asia rather than a short and dark baniya

this racist slur of calling allhindus as baniya or using retort of short dark evil baniya started onli after bairam khan under akbars forces defeated hemu

 

[IND151]

Not at all. Bravery is good for historians and bards to wax eloquent about. For a soldier, the only thing that matters is to survive long enough to kill more of the enemy.

India remains Hindu India because the Marathas broke the Muslim back. Viciously, unrelentingly and without mercy. We did not allow ourselves the luxury of ethics or honor or any such "higher" ideals in battle. The only thing that was worth fighting for was the bleeding corpse of the enemy soaking the soil of the battlefield red.

This is what Elphinstone famously wrote about my ancestors

"As small sturdy men, well made, though not handsome, they are all active, laborious, hardy, and persevering. If they have none of the pride and dignity of the Rajputs they have none of their indolence or their want of worldly wisdom. A Rajput warrior as long as he does not dishonor his race, seems almost indifferent to the result of any contest he is engaged in.

A Maratha thinks of nothing but the result and cares little for the means if he can attain his object. For this purpose he will strain his wits, renounce his pleasures and hazard his person; but he has not a conception of sacrificing his life or even his interest for the point of honor. This difference of sentiment affects the outward appearance of the two nations; there is something noble in the courage even of the ordinary Rajput and something vulgar in that of the most distinguished Maratha.

The Rajput is the most worthy antagonist. The Maratha is the most formidable enemy; for he will not fail in boldness and enterprise when they are indispensable and will always support them or supply them with stratagem, activity, and perseverance. All this applies chiefly to the soldiery to whom more bad qualities might fairly be ascribed. The mere husbandmen are sober, frugal, and industrious and though they have a dash of the national cunning, are neither turbulent nor insincere.

Whether a peasant or a soldier, nature fostered in the Maratha an innate love of independence which made him rebellious in spirit. In this combination of courage, cleverness and power endurance, in his ability to plan and execute surprise and night attacks, in his skill to extricate himself from a tight corner or to vary his tactics to the changing phases of a battle without waiting for guidance from a superior, it was hardly possible to beat the Maratha Soldier."

And to this day the Maratha remains a formidable arm of the Indian Army.

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A nice, interesting Post...................

 

[doppelganger]

A nice, interesting Post...................

Please give positive rating 1 Nos.

 

[Rau]

Please give positive rating 1 Nos.

Sadhya tar mazya Thanks ni kaam chalav...

 

[Stephen Cohen]

Very good article

I wish the Rajputs had more unity and less ego

There were some 36 clans and they were always engaged in one upmanship

 

[Rau]

in his skill to extricate himself from a tight corner or to vary his tactics to the changing phases of a battle without waiting for guidance from a superior, it was hardly possible to beat the Maratha Soldier

Guidance from superior require when you have luxury of battlefield...when battle is fight in your home superior guidance not needed...This things seen in "27 years war" where without clear guidance people fought only because they have clear objective...

 

[Stephen Cohen]

@doppelganger

Marathas succeeded Also because of the TERRAIN ; ie mountainous terrain
ie in addition to other factors such as UNITY and giving top priority to survival
living to fight another day

The terrain allowed Guerrilla warfare

The PLAINS of Northern India did not allow such tactics

 

[doppelganger]

@doppelganger

Marathas succeeded Also because of the TERRAIN ; ie mountainous terrain
ie in addition to other factors such as UNITY and giving top priority to survival
living to fight another day

The terrain allowed Guerrilla warfare

The PLAINS of Northern India did not allow such tactics

The Marathas routed the enemy across India. Including desert and northern plains.

Yes, ghats and jungle was our domain.