QUORA QUESTION: Why did the Rajputs fail to establish their rule over the subcontinent? They lost to the Mughals, Marathas, and later submitted to the British. How did they lose so many wars?
Answer: NOTE: Lol ..We Rajputs are ordinary citizens , so this is not about boasting but to highlight what Agniveer or Scroll cannot.
Firstly know what do we refer to as Rajputs . Rajputs refers to a collective of huge number of clans across Northern parts of South Asia , of which many established states in Rajasthan, Sindh, Punjab , Gujarat , Himachal , MP and J&K over a period of time. So we are definitely not talking of a Rajasthan-centric community , but if that’s what you believe you are not the right person to comment on Rajputs.Kindly check the below video from Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Raag-Desh on a Punjabi Muslim Rajput , Azad-Hind-Fauj General Shahnawaz Janjua (played by Kunal Kapoor), where the character connects his soldiery with his ethnicity.
The question itself comes up with an assumption that “Rajputs lost ,lost and lost” . The truth is they didn’t , which is why even when the Seuna Yadavs of Deogiri, Vijaynagar Emperors , Senas of Bengal — all of them vanished with the Turkic shock while Rajput states (concentrated mostly in Western and Central India) didn’t despite greater proximity to Delhi and Khyberpass. Today most of these Rajput clans continue to serve in modern Indian and modern Pakistani armies too , in both Infantry regiments and paramilitaries while those contemporary aristocratic clans are nowhere to be seen . Clearly this could not be the story of a community that has survived a thousand years of warfare without “Military skills and Technological learning” .
Just a sample from Books of Historians that actually belie this Scroll and Girish-Sahane inspired question. For simplicity, lets just focus on Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap of Mewar and keep in mind what you have been made to believe by non-referenced Scroll-articles and compare with what I am presenting below with references.
Sanga of Mewar
Under Sanga, Mewar State remained a hegemonic power among all kingdoms of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Malwa region. He must have a better military record than that of a “defeat specialist” to unnerve the Emperor of Afghanistan to call his war on the former “Jihad against infidels and apostates” .
Sanga’s first major battle was subjugation of Rajputs of Idar state (Gujarat) in 1514. In 1517, he defeated an alliance of Idar’s Rajputs and Gujarat Sultanate, putting his vassal at Idar. In 1517, Sanga helped Medini Rai wrestle Mandu leading to Turkic Sultan Mahmud Khilji II’s escape to Gujarat. In 1519 at battle of Gagron he defeated an alliance of Gujarat Sultanate and Malwa Sultanate, arresting Khilji II who he restored after six months only when the latter gave Chanderi and Ranthambore fort [22]. In the same battle, he actually had the wounded Gujarat Sultan (a self-confessed Rajput) nursed in his tent (Ferishta, Erskine). In 1517, Sanga defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the Pathan ruler of Agra at the battle of Khatoli , though lost his arm ; many Pathans changed allegiance to him . In 1519 he again defeated Ibrahmin Lodi at Dholpur. After this, his influence reached Pillai Khar near Fatehpur Sikri in Agra (Medieval History Part 1; Satish Chandra; pg-222). In 1520, he led the siege of Ahmedabad against the Gujarat Sultan. His only embarrasment was the Chittor siege 1524 by Gujarat and Malwa Sultans. Is this record of a “defeat specialist”?
At Khanwa, Sanga-led alliance was shocked by matchlocks but so were the Pathan and Turkic Sultans of Gangetic plains — Turkic powers in North ceased to exist. There was a technological lag but which was common to all North Indian forces and not unique to Rajputs. After Khanwa, matchlock was heavily imported and manufactured in North India including in most Rajput-states.
Pratap of Mewar
In 1576, after the fourth summon failed, Haldighati was invaded; Man Singh (son of Bhagwandas) and Syed Hashim Barha led 5000 strong Imperial force — mostly Rajputs and Pathans. The beleaguered forces saw Pratap-led Rajputs, Bhils led by Rana Poonja Bheel and Pathans led by Hakimkhan — 3000 soldiers. After initial success, the release of Imperial reserves forced the beleaguered troops to retreat, failing to break stalemate (Satish Chandra;Vol-II; p-120 to 121). Anyone calling it “victory” or “defeat” is distorting history. In the following months, the Emperor joined the fray and as Pratap was hunted, he temporarily lost all the three fortresses too.
In 1585, with Imperial focus diverted, Pratap conquered most Mewar and consolidated hold over it. He died peacefully in 1597, unlike his three predecessors.
From 1598 to 1605 during Rana Amar’s rule , several expeditions were sent including Prince Salim’s expeditions in 1599 and 1603 but with little success. From 1605 to 1613, Emperor Jehangir sent several expeditions under Prince Pervez, Mahtab Khan and Abdullah Khan, but were repelled. In 1613 Jehangir himself arrived and camped for two years. With heavy toll of life , depopulation and ruination of agriculture, Amar Singh finally accepted a treaty in 1615. He was 56 years old back then and died four years later. He ruled and fought as sovereign for 18 of his 22 year rule (Satisch Chandra; Vol-II;122) against the might of the Imperial Mughal army which was also hugely dependent on Rajput-recruitment.
So there is definitely something quite different even in the non-revisionist , actually Left-liberal history-works that smoothly rebutts the Girish Sahane-inspired Scroll gobbledygook .
Therefore perhaps both those who raised the question and those who have attempted to answer it may have got some clue that they may have little clue on History of the concerned community, other than what is sold on Rightwing Agniveer and Leftwing Scroll.
Lets answer the more important question that I am sure the person who asked may have had in mind: Why could not Rajputs set-up an Empire while Mughals, Marathas and British did ? If it was not “Lack of Military History” and not “Lack of learning” , then what else?
The simple answer is: Rajput states were Kingdoms scattered across North India and Pakistan , which never came together under a single umbrella — less due to clan-enmity and more due to geography and different political arrangements with surrounding non-Rajput populace. BUT Rajputs (and even Pathans) were central to what Dirk H.A. Kolff calls “military labor market” above Deccan, evident from their presence in both invading and resisting forces. Khanwa is an example.
Babur’s centralized army empoyed Yusufzai and Dilazak Pathans who he defeated and co-opted in Afghanistan .He also co-opted muslim Janjua Rajputs [23] led by their Sultan Raja Sanghar Ali , who deeply hated Delhi Sultans since Mamluk days. Hindu Purbiya mercenaries (rajputs) led by Shiladi Tomar also switched sides to Babur (Decisive battles lost; Joglekar;p-62).
Sanga’s decentralized alliance included his Mewar Rajputs, Maldeo led Marwar Rajputs , Agra Pathans led by Sultan Mahmud Lodi and Kahnzadas led by Raja Hasan Mewati (Satish Chandra; Vol-II;p-34). Hasan Khan was a Khanzada and Khanzadas are Muslim Jadons (rajputs) (Decisive battles lost; Joglekar;p-60). Thus Rajputs (both hindus and muslims) soldiered on both sides — resisting and invading.
Ex1 This is how even the Maratha armies heavily recruited Purbias (reference to Awadhi and Bihari Rajputs) for their invasion of Rajasthan and the same Purbias were later recruited by the East India Company to crush Marathas.
Ex 2 While the Sikh empire’s main recruits were Sikh converts from Punjab, especially Jat Sikhs, both Sikh Rajputs and Hindu-Rajputs s made up its ranks from Generals to soldiers. Zorawar Kahluria and his Dogra rajputs leading the Himalayan campaign for the Sikh emperor is another note-worthy example.
This does not mean that unlike Marathas , Rajputs never had a huge empire. They had , that was the Pratihar empire and once the Pratihar/Parihar Rajputs lost their sway in 10th century , the political unity that brought most Rajput clans under a common umbrella vanished….but never stopped Rajput Military History which in modern times is represented by dominant Rajput presence in many Infantry regiments even today. In India the Rajputs won 5 PVCs and the Rajputs in Pakistan won 7 NeHs , while the mighty Mughals (the family for whose defense authors like disparaging an entire ethnic group) won none.
Did Rajputs (across India) submit to British ?
Just as Rajputs fought on all sides of the battlefield since time immemorial and to this day Rajputs of India (Rajasthanis, Pahadis , Purbias and Dogras) and Rajputs of Pakistan (Sindhis, Punjabis, Dogras) serve different nations often clashing with each other in service of their flags , so was the history even in 1857.
Like most Maratha Kings , the Nawabs and some Sikh Maharajas the Maru Rajas knelt , but Rajputs still fought British. Kunwar Singh of Jagdishpur[1857 The Uprising; Gupta], Ram Pathania of Nurpur state [History of Himachal ; Ahluwalia]and Ram Baksh Singh of Daundia-Khera [History of Indian Mutiny; Kaye and Malleson; p-386]are some examples. The Bhumihar Mangal Pandey belonged to the 34th British Native Infantry, which was Purbia dominated [Dastan-e-Gadar; Dehliv; 5 ]. A U Siddiqui has explored the revolts by Bhagel chiefs of Rewa against their Raja and the British forces in 1857. On the anti-British revolts in Vindhya Pradesh, Siddiqui also mentions the revolts by Chandels and Bundel Rajas and anti-British banditry by Sengar Rajput dacoits [6]. In 20th century Ramprasad Bismil , a Tomar rajput was a founding figure of HSRA [7], and General Shahnawaz Khan , a Janjua rajput was one of the three officers tried in INA trials [8] .
The statement “Rajputs never fought British” is a lie perpetuated to vilify the community.
A question for the readers: Sikh rulers making final peace with Brits , never makes people allege that Sikhs never fought Brits (afterall we know about the Gadar party and Bhagat Singhji) or the Pathan Nawabs making peace with Brits never makes anyone suggest the same for the Pathan community (perhaps because people remember Bacha Khan and Afghan rebels of Anglo-Afghan wars) , then why are people so keen on making sweeping judgements on Rajputs.