Haldighati
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (Retd.), Jaipur |
Haldighati (हल्दीघाटी) is a mountain pass between Khamnore and Balicha village situated at Aravalli Range in Rajsamand District of Rajasthan in India which connects Rajsamand and Pali districts.
Location
The Haldighati pass is located at a distance of 40 kms from Udaipur and 17 kms from Nathdwara. The name 'Haldighati' is believed to have originated from the turmeric-coloured yellow soil of the area. (Turmeric is haldi in Hindi).[1]
Variants
- Haldi Hhati (हल्दीघाटी), जिला उदयपुर, राज, (AS, p.1013)
- Battle of Haldighati (हल्दीघाटी की लड़ाई)
Battle of Haldighati
The mountain pass is a significant historical location. It is the site of the Battle of Haldighati, which took place in 1576 between the Kingdom of Mewar and the Mughal Army led by king Mansingh. Maharana Pratap led the armed forces of Mewar against the Mughals who fought under the command of Mughal emperor Akbar's general Man Singh I of Amber.
The Battle of Haldighati was fought on 18 June 1576 between Maharana Pratap and Akbar's forces led by Man Singh I of Amber. The Mughals were victorious and inflicted significant casualties among the Mewaris but failed to capture Pratap, who had to leave the battlefield to save his family that was under siege in Udaipur. The site of the battle was a narrow mountain pass at Haldighati near Gogunda, in modern day Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. Maharana Pratap fielded a force of around 22,000 cavalry and 400 Bhil archers. The Mughals were led by Raja Man Singh of Amber, who commanded an army numbering around 100,000 men. After a fierce battle lasting more than three hours, Pratap found himself wounded and the day lost. While a few of his men bought him time, he managed to make an escape to the hills and lived to fight another day. The casualties for Mewar numbered around 14,000 men. The Mughal army lost 8,000 men, with another 3,500 wounded.[2]
Maharana Pratap could not resist the huge Mughal Army and came out of war on his wounded horse Chetak. Jhala Man of Bari Sadri took away the royal insignia from Maharana Pratap and made him leave the battlefield. Even today, the Maana Talab reminds us of this martyr. The injured stead Chetak ran through the mountains carrying Pratap finally across the stream near village Balicha by jumping over it. There, finding Pratap safe, the loyal stead breathed his last. During the encounter, one of Chetak's hind legs was wounded from sword. Maharana Pratap's horse Chetak played a pivotal role in the Battle of Haldighati. Chetak was fatally wounded in this battle and died on 18 June 1576. Maharana Pratap erected a small monument for his horse at the place where Chetak fell. It would be difficult to find another such example of a Horse's devotion and loyalty to its master. The memorial stone and tomb of Chetak still exist adding glory to this place.
Chetak Samadhi is a memorial where Chetak, a faithful horse of Maharana Pratap (AD 1540-1597) took his last breath on 18th June during the battle of Haldighati in AD 1576. In this battle, Maharana Pratap and his horse were severely wounded. The critically injured Chetak saved his master by carrying him from Rakta Talai to the other end of Haldighati by crossing the nearby stream. To remember his loyalty and sacrifice of Chetak, a memorial was raised over the site.[3] The Government of India commissioned the construction of Maharana Pratap National Memorial in the year 1997, and in June 2009 the monument was finally dedicated.[4] The memorial features a bronze statue of the Maharana astride Chetak.
हल्दीघाटी
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[5] ने लेख किया है ...हल्दीघाटी (AS, p.1013): उदयपुर से नाथद्वारा जाने वाली सड़क से कुछ दूर हटकर पहाडि़यों के बीच स्थित हल्दीघाटी इतिहास प्रसिद्ध वह स्थान है, जहां 1576 ई. में महाराणा प्रताप और मुग़ल बादशाह अकबर की सेनाओं के बीच घोर युद्ध हुआ था। इस स्थान को 'गोगंदा' भी कहा जाता है। अकबर के समय के राजपूत नरेशों में मेवाड़ के महाराणा प्रताप ही ऐसे थे, जिन्हें मुग़ल बादशाह की मैत्रीपूर्ण दासता पसन्द न थी। इसी बात पर उनकी आमेर के मानसिंह से भी अनबन हो गई थी, जिसके फलस्वरूप मानसिंह के भड़काने से अकबर ने स्वयं मानसिंह और सलीम (जहाँगीर) की अध्यक्षता में मेवाड़ पर आक्रमण करने के लिए भारी सेना भेजी।
हल्दीघाटी की लड़ाई 18 जून, 1576 ई. को हुई थी। इसमें राणा प्रताप ने अप्रतिम वीरता दिखाई। उनका परम भक्त सरदार झाला मान इसी युद्ध में वीरगति को प्राप्त हुआ था। स्वयं प्रताप के दुर्घर्ष भाले से गजासीन सलीम बाल-बाल बच गया। किन्तु प्रताप की छोटी सेना मुग़लों की विशाल सेना के सामने अधिक सफल नहीं हो सकी और प्रताप अपने घायल, किन्तु बहादुर घोड़े पर युद्ध-क्षेत्र से बाहर आ गये, जहां चेतक ने प्राण छोड़ दिये। इस स्थान पर इस स्वामिभक्त घोड़े की समाधि आज भी देखी जा सकती है। इस युद्ध में प्रताप की 22 सहस्त्र सेना में से 14 सहस्त्र काम आई थी। इसमें से 500 वीर सैनिक राणा प्रताप के सम्बंधी थे। मुग़ल सेना की भारी क्षति हुई तथा उसके भी लगभग 500 सरदार मारे गये थे। सलीम के साथ जो सेना आयी थी, उसके अलावा एक सेना वक्त पर सहायता के लिये सुरक्षित रखी गई थी। और इस सेना द्वारा मुख्य सेना की हानिपूर्ति बराबर होती रही। इसी कारण मुग़लों के हताहतों की ठीक-ठीक संख्या इतिहासकारों ने नहीं लिखी है। इस युद्ध के पश्चात् राणा प्रताप को बड़ी कठिनाई का समय व्यतीत करना पड़ा था। किन्तु उन्होंने कभी साहस नहीं छोड़ा और अपने राज्य का अधिकांश मुग़लों से वापस छीन लिया था।
External links
References
- ↑ http://www.udaipur.org.uk/excursions/haldighat-in-udaipur.html
- ↑ Sarkar 1960, p. 77–79.
- ↑ Samadhi:ASI
- ↑ http://haldighati.com/
- ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.1013