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Maharana Pratap. Pages: 145.
One such heroic figure was Maharana Pratap of Mewar, the eldest son of Maharana Udaisingh. The latter had a troubled life fighting enemies from within and without. Pratap was not prepared to be Akbar’s vassal and spurned all overtures of the Mughal emperor. This triggered off active hostilities. The book, minutely but lucidly, details the life and times of Maharana Pratap, including certain controversies involving his letter to Akbar, among other things. Like the Rajputana, the Maharashtra region too has had its share of heroes. Perhaps Shivaji is the most illustrious of them. No wonder he’s a cult figure even today. He’s virtually worshipped by his admirers as Lord Shiva’s incarnation. Born about 80 years after Maharana Pratap, Shivaji too was at loggerheads with the Mughals – despite occasional periods of uneasy peace. The indomitable spirit and vision of the Maratha king forced Aurangzeb to confess, "He was the only man who showed the importance of making new states whereas I have been trying to destroy the old states. He was a great commander. My armies kept on trying against him for 19 years, nevertheless he continued to extend his empire." Heroism has never been the monopoly of any particular class, caste or social stratum of India. Ordinary folks too have thrown up an impressive number of valiant men and women. Bhagat Singh is a shining example. Born on September 27, 1907, in Banga village of Layallpur (now in Pakistan), Bhagat came from a family of freedom fighters determined to overthrow the British rulers. The sacrifices of his father Kishan Singh and uncle Ajit Singh, among others, helped mould the young Bhagat’s mindset. The author has taken great pains to bring alive the saga of Bhagat Singh’s relentless heroic fight against the mighty British, while detailing the contemporary socio-political scenario. All three books must be
read by today’s generation so that it may realise the value of freedom
that has been bequeathed to it by those who laid down their lives while
wresting it from oppressive rulers. |
"The
spirit burning but unbent, / May writhe, rebel – the weak alone
repent." These lines from The Corsair sum up the
quintessence Byronic hero. The turbulent history of India has thrown up
many a braveheart that more than measure up to this description. A
smouldering desire to undo an unjust regime has impelled people in
different ages to raise a banner of revolt, suffering untold misery in
the bargain – some tasted success while others preferred death to a
life of humiliating slavery.