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Saffron Swords - Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders
How much do we know about the valorous saga of our ancestors from the east to west, north to south of Bharat? Unfortunately very little! Were we always defeated? It is a BIG No! But we have been projected as losers! During the last 1300 years, our ancestors across the country put up a brave resistance against invaders, first against Islamic invasion and rule and later the British. Hundreds and thousands of our warriors won battles and many fought until their last breath defending the motherland.
Indian History text books have hardly glorified these real warriors of the soil. We have grown up reading more about the glories of our invaders. A nation’s citizens, who are ignorant about the brave feats of their ancestors, tend to deviate away from their roots, historicity, and their sense of belongingness for the motherland. Saffron Swords that contains 52 tales of valor, is a tribute to the unsung warriors of India, both men and women, from the last 1300 years. This book is the first in its series.
Indian History text books have hardly glorified these real warriors of the soil. We have grown up reading more about the glories of our invaders. A nation’s citizens, who are ignorant about the brave feats of their ancestors, tend to deviate away from their roots, historicity, and their sense of belongingness for the motherland. Saffron Swords that contains 52 tales of valor, is a tribute to the unsung warriors of India, both men and women, from the last 1300 years. This book is the first in its series.
258 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2019
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556 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 8, 2019
Indian history text books hardly glorify the exploits of Indian warriors who won in battles against Islamic invaders. Many freedom fighters, who played an instrumental role in freeing India from clutches of the British, have not found a place in history. Instead, it is the invaders who are glorified. From the north to the south, east to the west, there are hundreds of winning exploits of warriors, both men and women. 52 stories are inspirational to further bring about pride in our glorious past. I read each and every story like an episode. It is time history text books are rewritten.
This book deserve to be in our school syllabus. It reminds us of our brave ancestors who sacrificed their life but we forgot them because of adultered history.
This book deserve to be in our school syllabus. It reminds us of our brave ancestors who sacrificed their life but we forgot them because of adultered history.
November 28, 2023
An African saying which I have always heard in talks by my favorite author Sanjeev Sanyal is, "Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter". This is what has happened to Indian History as well right from our text books to the public discourse on history. So, for me personally whoever writes anything from an Indic perspective is doing his or her part to rectify the past.
The book Saffron Swords is a collection of 52 short stories about the warriors of Bharat, includes some familiar names like Bajiprabhu Deshpande and Kanhoji Angre that apart, many other names are new to me. I haven't gone through the whole book as yet, but I can surely say that it is worth the time spent on reading it. I am not suitable to review the book from a technical point of view as I am just an amateur in the field of history. However, will try and write what I felt. The first thought which came to my mind after reading the first few stories is people are surely going to question the authenticity. To answer them I can say that, I have met the author heard from her the painstaking journey of finding these valorous warriors from historical records, visiting these interior places, interpreting the local folklore and puting it in words and for me all that was as authentic as it could be.
In one of the stories the author mentions about the movie 300, I don't remember anyone questioning the movie's authenticity we all took it at face value, was it only because it came from the west? Most probably the answer is yes. I would urge you to read the book without any bias, the interested readers can even go further and research more on this and help the Indic narrative.
PS: The story on Bajiprabhu Deshpande lacks a few details. This will be evident to almost every person who has read Babasaheb Purandare's writings or heard his talks, however, it conveys the nub of the story and hence we can live with it.
The book Saffron Swords is a collection of 52 short stories about the warriors of Bharat, includes some familiar names like Bajiprabhu Deshpande and Kanhoji Angre that apart, many other names are new to me. I haven't gone through the whole book as yet, but I can surely say that it is worth the time spent on reading it. I am not suitable to review the book from a technical point of view as I am just an amateur in the field of history. However, will try and write what I felt. The first thought which came to my mind after reading the first few stories is people are surely going to question the authenticity. To answer them I can say that, I have met the author heard from her the painstaking journey of finding these valorous warriors from historical records, visiting these interior places, interpreting the local folklore and puting it in words and for me all that was as authentic as it could be.
In one of the stories the author mentions about the movie 300, I don't remember anyone questioning the movie's authenticity we all took it at face value, was it only because it came from the west? Most probably the answer is yes. I would urge you to read the book without any bias, the interested readers can even go further and research more on this and help the Indic narrative.
PS: The story on Bajiprabhu Deshpande lacks a few details. This will be evident to almost every person who has read Babasaheb Purandare's writings or heard his talks, however, it conveys the nub of the story and hence we can live with it.
January 14, 2021
Books like this one has been a long need for the society.
It is a series of stories on 52 unsung Hindu heroes and resistance from the length and breadth of India to Islamic & British invaders. The name of the book absolutely justifies its contents. The author presents the heroic deeds in a summarized way with only as much background as is needed by a common reader. She doesn’t overplay or underplay any character in the book. And narrates history as it happened.
This is not an encyclopedia of each and every hero/heroine mentioned. For that one would need to read specific books; that’s something only academicians would do and not general citizens.
Reading this book - even though it’s a summary - would make us feel very proud of our ancestors. And we get to understand why all these chapters have been tactfully withheld from us for so long.
This book could be very attractive and interesting for our teenagers and youth for a quick knowledge 👍🏼.
The second part of this book covering some more heroes from the country is still awaited.
It is a series of stories on 52 unsung Hindu heroes and resistance from the length and breadth of India to Islamic & British invaders. The name of the book absolutely justifies its contents. The author presents the heroic deeds in a summarized way with only as much background as is needed by a common reader. She doesn’t overplay or underplay any character in the book. And narrates history as it happened.
This is not an encyclopedia of each and every hero/heroine mentioned. For that one would need to read specific books; that’s something only academicians would do and not general citizens.
Reading this book - even though it’s a summary - would make us feel very proud of our ancestors. And we get to understand why all these chapters have been tactfully withheld from us for so long.
This book could be very attractive and interesting for our teenagers and youth for a quick knowledge 👍🏼.
The second part of this book covering some more heroes from the country is still awaited.
October 2, 2019
Of Lost Stories; And A New Template
BOOK REVIEW
SAFFRON SWORDS
MANOSHI SINHA RAWAL
GARUDA BOOKS (@garudabooks.com)
258 PAGES
PRASHANT PANDEY
Manoshi Sinha Rawal’s book “Saffron Swords”, co-authored by Yogaditya Singh Rawal, her husband, has 52 long and short stories, one in the name of each character that gave the British and the Mughals a run for their money in a brazen display of valour, ethics, integrity and supreme sacrifice over, at least, seven centuries.
It is an important book for quite a few reasons.
First, probably after the books by Sita Ram Goel – like “Heroic Hindu Resistance to Muslim Invaders” and “What Happened to Hindu Temples” in more than one volumes, besides many others – this appears to be an effort after a long time to chronicle the untold history of resistance displayed in our nation during the long centuries of Mughals and the British rule.
Display of supreme valour, integrity and a stubborn refusal to bow down to religious conversion – amid some of the most perverse and cruel methods – fill you with a sense of pride.
Remarkably, all the 52 names (one story against each name) are Indians in the first place – well aware of who came from outside and occupied our lands forcibly.
Two, it brings to light the fact that India as a whole -- and not something born in 1947 (with British playing mid-wife) – comes across as a rebel against the occupying forces over seven centuries.
The North-East -- the forgotten frontiers of our land since independence, the South India, the Western India, the central India, the Northern India – all the regions are involved in this rebellion.
Three, the rebels come from all the socio-economic strata and age-groups – the rich, the poor, the queens, the kings, the generals, the foot-soldiers, the famous names, the names lost to us, the girls, the boys, the villagers, the tribal, the urbane and, yes, the “dacoits” too.
Four, the cross-section that comes alive in these 52 stories would be enough to smear the faces of those who have been drilling ad nauseam in the Indian minds that caste mattered over and above everything for the Hindus.
Five, all of them follow the ethics of war and, often, find it to be their undoing because the enemy was simply not interested in sticking to the same.
Six, treachery from fellow-beings and switching-over of sides by the religiously inclined comes across as a pattern, rather than exceptions.
And, seven, almost always – especially, when dealing with the British – the weaponry becomes a major reason for martyrdom of these brave men and women.
The genesis of book is from that painful question entire generations have asked in this country, only to get a deafening silence from the other side as answer.
In the Preface, Manoshi says that her husband would often ask this question: “I was often left wondering: Were we always defeated? Were we always on the losing side?”
This is a question we all have been asking since independence, as our history books parroted only those incidents where we lost, were marauded and raided and our women raped, or kept in harems, at the sweet will of those carrying out such activities.
India, it would seem, was a land devoid of people and a fence where anybody could just come in and leave at their own sweet will. And the people -- read Hindus -- living here were not bothered beyond what the higher caste was doing to the lower caste.
Such reading of history leads to what a friend of the author, as quoted, had to say: “We Indians are the most shameless, pride-less and guts-less people with extreme deficiency of self-respect...When our history books blank several great heroes and glorify a select few, we as a nation become a joke.”
Manoshi, an English literature graduate is a history researcher and blogger, while husband has been interested in military history and is an acclaimed body-builder. She has written eight books.
But this work, in itself, is a sort of rebellion against the system – I will find and write my own history, if you are not going to provide it!
The incidents related here are not clinical and impersonal academic analysis, rather stories told with passion.
While lucid in reading, the book does not resort to hearsay.
Every chapter is referenced from authentic sources, with Bibliography at the end.
In fact, it is this authenticity that makes it all the more poignant, as most of the stories do end up in our heroes and heroines laying down their lives facing an insurmountable enemy in terms of sheer numbers, weaponry, and treachery. And they are true; not mere ballads.
For today’s generation -- driven by binaries and the bottom-line – there might be another question in their minds: “Why couldn’t we have done it in a much better way?”
To them, this book tells the circumstances in which these heroes and heroines fought – when probably your own body is the only thing to fight your fight with.
For instance, what could have made Baji Rout of Odisha, a boy barely 12 years old, to refuse the British police from taking them across the river in his boat? The boatman’s son remained steadfast, even as they began beating him up. They kept beating him, they broke his skull, and, ultimately, he died. But the British police team would not get across that day. Why didn’t he choose to give in? Could any of today’s generation recall an instance, where they stood steadfast for what was right?
There are many such hair-raising stories.
The story of Baba Banda Bahadur Singh should be another eye-opener.
The man, who was inspired by Guru Govind Singh to take up the task of leading a Sikh Army -- the first one to free Punjab from the Muslim rule after centuries! But the Mughals from Delhi managed to overpower him after some time. They killed 2,000 Sikh soldiers and hoisted their heads on their spears on their way back to Delhi.
In Delhi, Baba was kept with his son, barely five, in jail. He was being asked to convert to Islam. But when he refused, they got his son killed in his lap, took out his pumping heart and tried to shove it down his throat. When Baba still refused to accept Islam, his skin was peeled-off; his eyes were gouged out and then he was killed. But, they could not convert him.
And then, there are the stories where treachery; or simply following the Hindu code of war ethics cost our heroes heavily.
For instance, Prataprao Gurjar, a general of Shivaji, let go off Mughal general Bahlol Khan, after having him firmly in his grip, because the latter asked for pardon. In fact, Shivaji had warned him against such magnanimity.
It turned prophetic – Bahlol Khan, against his promise, returned with a huge army and Gurjar, in a bid to defeat him, had to pay with his life.
Similarly, in the story of Prithu, a king from Assam, who sent Bakhtiyar Khilji packing from his borders, it was just one converted Mech (a tribe) chieftain, who helped Khilji get inside Assam territory – and also help him get out of trouble, when he could have been killed – which led to a process that, today, threatens the peace in Assam.
Prithu had taken many prisoners of war from Khilji’s army. Later, when they sought pardon, he let them free and made arrangements for their settlement. This was the first instance of Muslim settlement in the North-East.
But to limit the stories in this book -- which can and should be narrated to our children, in place of fluffy fairy tales -- as just romantic passages from history would amount to committing the same folly -- The nation which forgets its history does become a joke!
In fact, it should be treated as backgrounder for a new template.
Here’s why?
If the question is: “Did we resist?”
The answer given by this book is an unqualified “Yes”.
If the question is: “Did we always loose?”
The answer from these stories is: “Almost always”.
And that is the lesson to be learnt from the past: To make an India, which knows what it means to be united; An India, which knows what it means to have the necessary military training and wherewithal to deal with the most potent; An India, which knows that war ethics are to be followed only for those, who are ready to reciprocate; An India, which knows for sure those among the ranks, who would switch sides or cave-in under slight pressure (or greed) and have these weak links taken care of; An India, which knows what kind of people ought to be given shelter!
It is in the history that we learn the lessons for today! And that would be the most meaningful contribution of this book.
BOOK REVIEW
SAFFRON SWORDS
MANOSHI SINHA RAWAL
GARUDA BOOKS (@garudabooks.com)
258 PAGES
PRASHANT PANDEY
Manoshi Sinha Rawal’s book “Saffron Swords”, co-authored by Yogaditya Singh Rawal, her husband, has 52 long and short stories, one in the name of each character that gave the British and the Mughals a run for their money in a brazen display of valour, ethics, integrity and supreme sacrifice over, at least, seven centuries.
It is an important book for quite a few reasons.
First, probably after the books by Sita Ram Goel – like “Heroic Hindu Resistance to Muslim Invaders” and “What Happened to Hindu Temples” in more than one volumes, besides many others – this appears to be an effort after a long time to chronicle the untold history of resistance displayed in our nation during the long centuries of Mughals and the British rule.
Display of supreme valour, integrity and a stubborn refusal to bow down to religious conversion – amid some of the most perverse and cruel methods – fill you with a sense of pride.
Remarkably, all the 52 names (one story against each name) are Indians in the first place – well aware of who came from outside and occupied our lands forcibly.
Two, it brings to light the fact that India as a whole -- and not something born in 1947 (with British playing mid-wife) – comes across as a rebel against the occupying forces over seven centuries.
The North-East -- the forgotten frontiers of our land since independence, the South India, the Western India, the central India, the Northern India – all the regions are involved in this rebellion.
Three, the rebels come from all the socio-economic strata and age-groups – the rich, the poor, the queens, the kings, the generals, the foot-soldiers, the famous names, the names lost to us, the girls, the boys, the villagers, the tribal, the urbane and, yes, the “dacoits” too.
Four, the cross-section that comes alive in these 52 stories would be enough to smear the faces of those who have been drilling ad nauseam in the Indian minds that caste mattered over and above everything for the Hindus.
Five, all of them follow the ethics of war and, often, find it to be their undoing because the enemy was simply not interested in sticking to the same.
Six, treachery from fellow-beings and switching-over of sides by the religiously inclined comes across as a pattern, rather than exceptions.
And, seven, almost always – especially, when dealing with the British – the weaponry becomes a major reason for martyrdom of these brave men and women.
The genesis of book is from that painful question entire generations have asked in this country, only to get a deafening silence from the other side as answer.
In the Preface, Manoshi says that her husband would often ask this question: “I was often left wondering: Were we always defeated? Were we always on the losing side?”
This is a question we all have been asking since independence, as our history books parroted only those incidents where we lost, were marauded and raided and our women raped, or kept in harems, at the sweet will of those carrying out such activities.
India, it would seem, was a land devoid of people and a fence where anybody could just come in and leave at their own sweet will. And the people -- read Hindus -- living here were not bothered beyond what the higher caste was doing to the lower caste.
Such reading of history leads to what a friend of the author, as quoted, had to say: “We Indians are the most shameless, pride-less and guts-less people with extreme deficiency of self-respect...When our history books blank several great heroes and glorify a select few, we as a nation become a joke.”
Manoshi, an English literature graduate is a history researcher and blogger, while husband has been interested in military history and is an acclaimed body-builder. She has written eight books.
But this work, in itself, is a sort of rebellion against the system – I will find and write my own history, if you are not going to provide it!
The incidents related here are not clinical and impersonal academic analysis, rather stories told with passion.
While lucid in reading, the book does not resort to hearsay.
Every chapter is referenced from authentic sources, with Bibliography at the end.
In fact, it is this authenticity that makes it all the more poignant, as most of the stories do end up in our heroes and heroines laying down their lives facing an insurmountable enemy in terms of sheer numbers, weaponry, and treachery. And they are true; not mere ballads.
For today’s generation -- driven by binaries and the bottom-line – there might be another question in their minds: “Why couldn’t we have done it in a much better way?”
To them, this book tells the circumstances in which these heroes and heroines fought – when probably your own body is the only thing to fight your fight with.
For instance, what could have made Baji Rout of Odisha, a boy barely 12 years old, to refuse the British police from taking them across the river in his boat? The boatman’s son remained steadfast, even as they began beating him up. They kept beating him, they broke his skull, and, ultimately, he died. But the British police team would not get across that day. Why didn’t he choose to give in? Could any of today’s generation recall an instance, where they stood steadfast for what was right?
There are many such hair-raising stories.
The story of Baba Banda Bahadur Singh should be another eye-opener.
The man, who was inspired by Guru Govind Singh to take up the task of leading a Sikh Army -- the first one to free Punjab from the Muslim rule after centuries! But the Mughals from Delhi managed to overpower him after some time. They killed 2,000 Sikh soldiers and hoisted their heads on their spears on their way back to Delhi.
In Delhi, Baba was kept with his son, barely five, in jail. He was being asked to convert to Islam. But when he refused, they got his son killed in his lap, took out his pumping heart and tried to shove it down his throat. When Baba still refused to accept Islam, his skin was peeled-off; his eyes were gouged out and then he was killed. But, they could not convert him.
And then, there are the stories where treachery; or simply following the Hindu code of war ethics cost our heroes heavily.
For instance, Prataprao Gurjar, a general of Shivaji, let go off Mughal general Bahlol Khan, after having him firmly in his grip, because the latter asked for pardon. In fact, Shivaji had warned him against such magnanimity.
It turned prophetic – Bahlol Khan, against his promise, returned with a huge army and Gurjar, in a bid to defeat him, had to pay with his life.
Similarly, in the story of Prithu, a king from Assam, who sent Bakhtiyar Khilji packing from his borders, it was just one converted Mech (a tribe) chieftain, who helped Khilji get inside Assam territory – and also help him get out of trouble, when he could have been killed – which led to a process that, today, threatens the peace in Assam.
Prithu had taken many prisoners of war from Khilji’s army. Later, when they sought pardon, he let them free and made arrangements for their settlement. This was the first instance of Muslim settlement in the North-East.
But to limit the stories in this book -- which can and should be narrated to our children, in place of fluffy fairy tales -- as just romantic passages from history would amount to committing the same folly -- The nation which forgets its history does become a joke!
In fact, it should be treated as backgrounder for a new template.
Here’s why?
If the question is: “Did we resist?”
The answer given by this book is an unqualified “Yes”.
If the question is: “Did we always loose?”
The answer from these stories is: “Almost always”.
And that is the lesson to be learnt from the past: To make an India, which knows what it means to be united; An India, which knows what it means to have the necessary military training and wherewithal to deal with the most potent; An India, which knows that war ethics are to be followed only for those, who are ready to reciprocate; An India, which knows for sure those among the ranks, who would switch sides or cave-in under slight pressure (or greed) and have these weak links taken care of; An India, which knows what kind of people ought to be given shelter!
It is in the history that we learn the lessons for today! And that would be the most meaningful contribution of this book.
May 16, 2019
Amazing 52 stories who fought for our nation. Most of these tales are not even taught in our schools. Read this book to know such brave we were. Naman to such people.
April 29, 2021
It is a collection of a bunch of short tales from various parts of India about our forgotten heroes, who are either lost in the pages of history or are fading away slowly and are only known in the realm of folk tales. It shows the valor and courage of the people of the Indian Civilization to fight back an outside enemy.
As I’ve mentioned ‘short tales’, This book is not for those who are looking for in-depth details,
but while reading these short tales, I felt I wanted to know more about each and every Hero.
And the same question makes me wonder, Why do our History textbooks fail to mention these heroes?
The book however course corrects the true history writing that too by facts not just from western sources but also by majorly ignored even demeaned native scholarly works and folk stories. Book has ample chapter wise citations for reference.
It basically answers some pertinent questions which not only puzzles surviving adherents of Hindu dharma but also thrown around by negationists to wrongly propagate their dogma of negationism, which are as follows:
How did dharma survive if the Islamic Turks "ruled" for 1000 years??
Which they didn't. It was just a long battle.
Why Arabs after the first attack didn't return for 300 years?
Why Turks post Ghaznavi didn't attack for nearly 200 years?
Did British inherit the reign of India from the Mughals?
Did Mughals win Delhi from Turk sultans?
What was happening pan India all this while?
This book is an effort to bring to you the brave feats of our ancestors, those tales of valour which we should feel proud of.
A rich heritage and culture identifies India.
Let’s bask in the glory, the valor of our ancestors.
𝙑𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙈 🇮🇳
As I’ve mentioned ‘short tales’, This book is not for those who are looking for in-depth details,
but while reading these short tales, I felt I wanted to know more about each and every Hero.
And the same question makes me wonder, Why do our History textbooks fail to mention these heroes?
The book however course corrects the true history writing that too by facts not just from western sources but also by majorly ignored even demeaned native scholarly works and folk stories. Book has ample chapter wise citations for reference.
It basically answers some pertinent questions which not only puzzles surviving adherents of Hindu dharma but also thrown around by negationists to wrongly propagate their dogma of negationism, which are as follows:
How did dharma survive if the Islamic Turks "ruled" for 1000 years??
Which they didn't. It was just a long battle.
Why Arabs after the first attack didn't return for 300 years?
Why Turks post Ghaznavi didn't attack for nearly 200 years?
Did British inherit the reign of India from the Mughals?
Did Mughals win Delhi from Turk sultans?
What was happening pan India all this while?
This book is an effort to bring to you the brave feats of our ancestors, those tales of valour which we should feel proud of.
A rich heritage and culture identifies India.
Let’s bask in the glory, the valor of our ancestors.
𝙑𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙈 🇮🇳
March 21, 2021
Book: Saffron Swords
Author: Manoshi Sinha Rawal
Publisher: Garuda Prakashan (March 2019)
Paperback: 258 pages
Language: English
Price: 356/-
The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting. It is indeed disheartening that we Indians are often the most brazen, and craven people with acute shortage of self-worth. We are unreservedly slapdash about our icons while we get insanely jingoistic about as trivial a thing as a Cricket match victory over Bangladesh.
There are hundreds and thousands of unsung warriors from the east to west, north to south, who have put up daring resistance against alien rulers in battle and against British oppression.
And they don’t find a place in history text books.
Consequently, the citizens of India do not get to read or know about the heroic exploits of their own ancestors!
When citizens of a nation are inspired by the exploits of warriors from the past, patriotism evolves mechanically.
This is a book based on the exploits of 52 intrepid heroes and heroines of India down the ages. Various dynasties have ruled India with golden periods witnessed during the Mahajanpadas, the Guptas, and Vijaynagara, to name a few.
During the Islamic and the colonial rule, hundreds and thousands of our warriors offered stiff resistance.
Nevertheless, their saga of blood and glory, their anecdotes of gallantry have not been highlighted in our History text books.
Indian History text books hardly glorify the real warriors of the soil. Only a select few warriors find place in our text books.
We grow up reading more about the glories of invaders rather than the audacious feats of our ancestors from the east to west, north to south.
When our history books blank numerous great heroes and heroines and lionize a select few, and when we read only about routs and no resistance by our ancestors, we end up deviating ourselves from a sense of belongingness for the nation.
This book seeks to bridge that gap. There are 52 tales of Indian valor in this book, many of whom are unheard of. Names such as Matmur Jamoh, Pasaltha Khaungchera, Kapaya Nayaka, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kaneganti Hanumanthu, Narasimhadeva, Roipulliani, Suhaldev, Rana Hammir Singh, Rani Velu Nacchiyar, Chain Singh, Kuyili, Avantibai, Suhungmung, Mula Gabharu, Kanhoji Angre and Naiki Devi have been almost obliterated from popular historical records.
The chapters in to which this book has been divided into are:
1. Rampyari Gurjar: How 40,000 Women Led by Rampyari Gurjar Attacked Taimur and His Forces
2. Prithu: Assam King Who Badly Defeated Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1206 CE
3. Saraswathi Rajamani: Youngest Spy to Work for Netaji Bose’s INA
4. Jhalkaribai: Rani Laxmibai’s Lookalike Who Defended Jhansi against British in 1857-58
5. Bajiprabhu Deshpande: Led 300 Soldiers against 12000 Adilshahi Army, Defending Shivaji
6. Karnavati: Garhwal Queen who Defeated Mughal Army in 1640; Cut Noses of Surviving Invaders
7. Rana Sanga: Fiercely Defeated Delhi Sultan in Khatoli Battle
8. Battle of Haldighati: Who Won? Rana Pratap or Akbar? The Real Story!
9. Tonkham Borpatra Gohain: Ahom General Who Defeated and Killed Afghan Turbak Khan in 1533 CE
10. Veer Savarkar: Active Role in Assassination of British Officials; Voiced ‘Hindutva’
11. Chennamma: Rani of Keladi Who Fought Bravely against Mughals and Gave Shelter to Shivaji’s Son
12. Kuyili: First Human Bomb of India against British
13. Unknown Hindu Yogi: How He Shot Dead a British Captain in Front of British Army in 1857!
14. Gurjars in Freedom Movement in 1824: 100s of Gurjars Martyred and 100s Hung in Single Tree
15. Naiki Devi: Gujarat Chalukyan Queen Who Defeated Mohammad Ghori in 1178 Battle
16. Tarabai Bhosale: Maratha Queen Who Successfully Led War against Aurangzeb’s Forces
17. Baji Rout: Freedom Fighter Martyred at 12 Years
18. Tirot Sing: Guerrilla Terror to British from 1829 to 1833
19. The Bishnois: 15th Century Legacy of Vaishnava Theology and Ecology Conservation
20. Kanaklata Barua: Freedom Fighter Martyred at 17 for Holding High the National Flag
21. Uda Devi: Killed 32 British Soldiers in Sikandar Bagh in 1857
22. Roipulliani: 84 Year Old Mizoram Village Chief Who Defended her People from British Aggression
23. Kartar Singh Sarabha: Sikh Freedom Fighter Martyred at 19; Bhagat Singh Regarded Him as Guru
24. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev: What You Must Know
25. Chandrashekhar Azad: The Journey for 'Swatantrata'
26. Khudiram Bose: An Orphan at 7 to Hanging by British at Age 18
27. Paona Brajabashi: Fearless Manipur General Who Led Fierce Battle against British in 1891
28. Shivdevi Tomar: Killed 17 British Soldiers in 1857
29. Veerapandiya Kattabomman: Tamil Nadu Chieftain Who Defeated British Twice; Hanged at 39
30. Kanhoji Angre: 18th Century Maratha Navy Admiral Who Was Never Defeated by European Forces
31. Pasaltha Khuangchera And Brave Warriors of Mizoram Who Fought against Britishers
32. Lakshmi Bai: Motherless at 4 to Battlefield Warrior against British Forces and Martyrdom at 30
33. Hemchandra Vikramaditya: From a Vegetable Seller to the Last Hindu Ruler of Delhi
34. Alluri Sitarama Raju: Killed Several British Officers and Martyred at 26
35. Rana Hammir Singh: Regained Mewar from Delhi Sultanate and Rajputana from Tughlaqs
36. Kakatiyas and Kapaya Nayaka: Telugu Chieftain Who Reconquered Warangal from Delhi Sultanate
37. Matmur Jamoh: Arunachal Pradesh Freedom Fighter Who Killed British Officer; Jailed at Kalapani
38. Kalyan Singh Gurjar: Terrorized the British by Killing Many Britishers in 1822-24 183
39. Sambhudhan Phonglo: Dimasa Freedom Fighter Who Raised an Army for War against British
40. Banda Singh: Sikh General Who Led 5 Battles to Victory against Mughals and Established Supremacy in Punjab
41. Mula Gabharu: Ahom Warrior Who Killed Two Lieutenants of Muslim Army in 1533 Battle
42. Chain Singh: 24 Year Old Rajput Who Led an Army of 50 against Huge British Force in 1824
43. Kaneganti Hanumanthu: Revolted Against British Tax Policy Imposed on Farmers; Martyred at 30
44. Avantibai: Ramgarh Rani who Won 1st Battle against British and Martyred in 2nd at 27 Years
45. Mahabiri Devi: How Mahabiri Devi and 22 Village Women Killed Many British Soldiers in 1857
46. Suhaldev: Shravasti Raja who Defeated and Killed Ghaznavid General Salar Masud in 1034 CE
47. Durgadas Rathore: Protected Jodhpur Prince from Aurangzeb and Kept Marwar Flag Flying High
48. Prataprao Gurjar: Defeat of Mughal Army in Salher Battle and Encounter with Bahalol Khan
49. Narasimhadeva: Orissa King Who Defeated Turkic Afghan Tughan Khan in 1244 CE
50. Benoy Badal Dinesh: Bengal Freedom Fighters who Killed Col NS Simpson, British IG of Police
51. Nag Bhat I: This Gurjar Pratihar King Badly Defeated Arab Forces
52. Santi Ghosh and Suniti Choudhury: How the Two Teenage Freedom Fighters Assassinated a British Magistrate
Each one of these warriors put up a valiant opposition against the repression of either Muslim rulers or British ascendancy. While several among the aforementioned 52 are renowned, a large number of them have been lost in the cobweb of absentmindedness.
For instance, one of the chapters delves on Nag Bhat I, a Gurjar Pratihar king, who with an alliance of Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Guhils, and more forces decimated the combined Arab army led by Emir Junaid of Sind in 738 AD. In the words of Suleiman, an Arab chronicler, the Arab forces in this battle ‘were scattered like hay by the hoofs of the horses of the Gurjar king and his alliances’. Inscriptions about this great victory have been found at various places including Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Take the instance of Narasimhadeva I of Orissa, who defeated Tughan Khan, the Turkish Muslim Nawab of Bengal in 1244 CE. He was the first king of Orissa to give a strong defence against Muslim invasion during his reign. He was one of the greatest rulers of the imperial Ganga family, of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
Has history cared to remember the superlative gallantry of Mula Gabharu, the wife of Ahom commander Phrasengmung Borgohain?
She fought like Goddess Shakti herself in battlefield in 1533 CE against Mohammedan forces of the Bengal Sultanate commanded by Turbak Khan, an Afghan. Khan deceitfully killed Phrasengmung Borgohain in battle. The death of the commander demoralized the Ahom forces. Mula Gabharu immediately set to action, marching towards the battlefield on a horse with a flashing sword in hand. She killed two Lieutenants of the enemy including several soldiers before attaining martyrdom in the battlefield. The Ahoms won this battle.
Have popular history chronicles ever told you how Kapaya Nayaka led a confederation of Telugu nobles to liberate the South Indian kingdom of Warangal from the Delhi ultanate? Delhi was then under the Tughlaqs. He drove the Tughlaqs out of Warangal in 1336.
The British established their supremacy in parts of the northeastern states after the Treaty of Yandaboo signed in 1826 with Burma. It was in the 1900s that the British moved inwards towards the hill regions of Arunachal Pradesh. However, in this context have you ever come across the tale of valor of Matmur Jamoh and a group of Adi warriors from Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh?
Then there is description of the valorous tale of Roipulliani, an 84 year old village chief from Mizoram.
The book describes how she defended her people from British aggression. Roipulliani never paid any tax to the British nor gave in to any of their demands. The following was her declaration, which she followed till the end of her rule: “My subjects and I have never paid any tax to anyone, neither have we done any forced labor. We are the owners of this land. We must evict and chase out any and everyone who is an alien.”
Every country has written great pages and dark pages in History. For the United States, slavery and the Civil War that brought an end to it were definitely some of the darkest pages.
And we must never forget.
History is not supposed to make you feel good or bad. History is your best defense against ignorance.
Every time you learn about History, you are improving your defense and you are increasing your chances to have a bright future.
When you know your History, you are less likely to get manipulated and to get lied to.
A nation that overlooks its past has no future!
Author: Manoshi Sinha Rawal
Publisher: Garuda Prakashan (March 2019)
Paperback: 258 pages
Language: English
Price: 356/-
The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting. It is indeed disheartening that we Indians are often the most brazen, and craven people with acute shortage of self-worth. We are unreservedly slapdash about our icons while we get insanely jingoistic about as trivial a thing as a Cricket match victory over Bangladesh.
There are hundreds and thousands of unsung warriors from the east to west, north to south, who have put up daring resistance against alien rulers in battle and against British oppression.
And they don’t find a place in history text books.
Consequently, the citizens of India do not get to read or know about the heroic exploits of their own ancestors!
When citizens of a nation are inspired by the exploits of warriors from the past, patriotism evolves mechanically.
This is a book based on the exploits of 52 intrepid heroes and heroines of India down the ages. Various dynasties have ruled India with golden periods witnessed during the Mahajanpadas, the Guptas, and Vijaynagara, to name a few.
During the Islamic and the colonial rule, hundreds and thousands of our warriors offered stiff resistance.
Nevertheless, their saga of blood and glory, their anecdotes of gallantry have not been highlighted in our History text books.
Indian History text books hardly glorify the real warriors of the soil. Only a select few warriors find place in our text books.
We grow up reading more about the glories of invaders rather than the audacious feats of our ancestors from the east to west, north to south.
When our history books blank numerous great heroes and heroines and lionize a select few, and when we read only about routs and no resistance by our ancestors, we end up deviating ourselves from a sense of belongingness for the nation.
This book seeks to bridge that gap. There are 52 tales of Indian valor in this book, many of whom are unheard of. Names such as Matmur Jamoh, Pasaltha Khaungchera, Kapaya Nayaka, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Kaneganti Hanumanthu, Narasimhadeva, Roipulliani, Suhaldev, Rana Hammir Singh, Rani Velu Nacchiyar, Chain Singh, Kuyili, Avantibai, Suhungmung, Mula Gabharu, Kanhoji Angre and Naiki Devi have been almost obliterated from popular historical records.
The chapters in to which this book has been divided into are:
1. Rampyari Gurjar: How 40,000 Women Led by Rampyari Gurjar Attacked Taimur and His Forces
2. Prithu: Assam King Who Badly Defeated Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1206 CE
3. Saraswathi Rajamani: Youngest Spy to Work for Netaji Bose’s INA
4. Jhalkaribai: Rani Laxmibai’s Lookalike Who Defended Jhansi against British in 1857-58
5. Bajiprabhu Deshpande: Led 300 Soldiers against 12000 Adilshahi Army, Defending Shivaji
6. Karnavati: Garhwal Queen who Defeated Mughal Army in 1640; Cut Noses of Surviving Invaders
7. Rana Sanga: Fiercely Defeated Delhi Sultan in Khatoli Battle
8. Battle of Haldighati: Who Won? Rana Pratap or Akbar? The Real Story!
9. Tonkham Borpatra Gohain: Ahom General Who Defeated and Killed Afghan Turbak Khan in 1533 CE
10. Veer Savarkar: Active Role in Assassination of British Officials; Voiced ‘Hindutva’
11. Chennamma: Rani of Keladi Who Fought Bravely against Mughals and Gave Shelter to Shivaji’s Son
12. Kuyili: First Human Bomb of India against British
13. Unknown Hindu Yogi: How He Shot Dead a British Captain in Front of British Army in 1857!
14. Gurjars in Freedom Movement in 1824: 100s of Gurjars Martyred and 100s Hung in Single Tree
15. Naiki Devi: Gujarat Chalukyan Queen Who Defeated Mohammad Ghori in 1178 Battle
16. Tarabai Bhosale: Maratha Queen Who Successfully Led War against Aurangzeb’s Forces
17. Baji Rout: Freedom Fighter Martyred at 12 Years
18. Tirot Sing: Guerrilla Terror to British from 1829 to 1833
19. The Bishnois: 15th Century Legacy of Vaishnava Theology and Ecology Conservation
20. Kanaklata Barua: Freedom Fighter Martyred at 17 for Holding High the National Flag
21. Uda Devi: Killed 32 British Soldiers in Sikandar Bagh in 1857
22. Roipulliani: 84 Year Old Mizoram Village Chief Who Defended her People from British Aggression
23. Kartar Singh Sarabha: Sikh Freedom Fighter Martyred at 19; Bhagat Singh Regarded Him as Guru
24. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev: What You Must Know
25. Chandrashekhar Azad: The Journey for 'Swatantrata'
26. Khudiram Bose: An Orphan at 7 to Hanging by British at Age 18
27. Paona Brajabashi: Fearless Manipur General Who Led Fierce Battle against British in 1891
28. Shivdevi Tomar: Killed 17 British Soldiers in 1857
29. Veerapandiya Kattabomman: Tamil Nadu Chieftain Who Defeated British Twice; Hanged at 39
30. Kanhoji Angre: 18th Century Maratha Navy Admiral Who Was Never Defeated by European Forces
31. Pasaltha Khuangchera And Brave Warriors of Mizoram Who Fought against Britishers
32. Lakshmi Bai: Motherless at 4 to Battlefield Warrior against British Forces and Martyrdom at 30
33. Hemchandra Vikramaditya: From a Vegetable Seller to the Last Hindu Ruler of Delhi
34. Alluri Sitarama Raju: Killed Several British Officers and Martyred at 26
35. Rana Hammir Singh: Regained Mewar from Delhi Sultanate and Rajputana from Tughlaqs
36. Kakatiyas and Kapaya Nayaka: Telugu Chieftain Who Reconquered Warangal from Delhi Sultanate
37. Matmur Jamoh: Arunachal Pradesh Freedom Fighter Who Killed British Officer; Jailed at Kalapani
38. Kalyan Singh Gurjar: Terrorized the British by Killing Many Britishers in 1822-24 183
39. Sambhudhan Phonglo: Dimasa Freedom Fighter Who Raised an Army for War against British
40. Banda Singh: Sikh General Who Led 5 Battles to Victory against Mughals and Established Supremacy in Punjab
41. Mula Gabharu: Ahom Warrior Who Killed Two Lieutenants of Muslim Army in 1533 Battle
42. Chain Singh: 24 Year Old Rajput Who Led an Army of 50 against Huge British Force in 1824
43. Kaneganti Hanumanthu: Revolted Against British Tax Policy Imposed on Farmers; Martyred at 30
44. Avantibai: Ramgarh Rani who Won 1st Battle against British and Martyred in 2nd at 27 Years
45. Mahabiri Devi: How Mahabiri Devi and 22 Village Women Killed Many British Soldiers in 1857
46. Suhaldev: Shravasti Raja who Defeated and Killed Ghaznavid General Salar Masud in 1034 CE
47. Durgadas Rathore: Protected Jodhpur Prince from Aurangzeb and Kept Marwar Flag Flying High
48. Prataprao Gurjar: Defeat of Mughal Army in Salher Battle and Encounter with Bahalol Khan
49. Narasimhadeva: Orissa King Who Defeated Turkic Afghan Tughan Khan in 1244 CE
50. Benoy Badal Dinesh: Bengal Freedom Fighters who Killed Col NS Simpson, British IG of Police
51. Nag Bhat I: This Gurjar Pratihar King Badly Defeated Arab Forces
52. Santi Ghosh and Suniti Choudhury: How the Two Teenage Freedom Fighters Assassinated a British Magistrate
Each one of these warriors put up a valiant opposition against the repression of either Muslim rulers or British ascendancy. While several among the aforementioned 52 are renowned, a large number of them have been lost in the cobweb of absentmindedness.
For instance, one of the chapters delves on Nag Bhat I, a Gurjar Pratihar king, who with an alliance of Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Guhils, and more forces decimated the combined Arab army led by Emir Junaid of Sind in 738 AD. In the words of Suleiman, an Arab chronicler, the Arab forces in this battle ‘were scattered like hay by the hoofs of the horses of the Gurjar king and his alliances’. Inscriptions about this great victory have been found at various places including Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Take the instance of Narasimhadeva I of Orissa, who defeated Tughan Khan, the Turkish Muslim Nawab of Bengal in 1244 CE. He was the first king of Orissa to give a strong defence against Muslim invasion during his reign. He was one of the greatest rulers of the imperial Ganga family, of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
Has history cared to remember the superlative gallantry of Mula Gabharu, the wife of Ahom commander Phrasengmung Borgohain?
She fought like Goddess Shakti herself in battlefield in 1533 CE against Mohammedan forces of the Bengal Sultanate commanded by Turbak Khan, an Afghan. Khan deceitfully killed Phrasengmung Borgohain in battle. The death of the commander demoralized the Ahom forces. Mula Gabharu immediately set to action, marching towards the battlefield on a horse with a flashing sword in hand. She killed two Lieutenants of the enemy including several soldiers before attaining martyrdom in the battlefield. The Ahoms won this battle.
Have popular history chronicles ever told you how Kapaya Nayaka led a confederation of Telugu nobles to liberate the South Indian kingdom of Warangal from the Delhi ultanate? Delhi was then under the Tughlaqs. He drove the Tughlaqs out of Warangal in 1336.
The British established their supremacy in parts of the northeastern states after the Treaty of Yandaboo signed in 1826 with Burma. It was in the 1900s that the British moved inwards towards the hill regions of Arunachal Pradesh. However, in this context have you ever come across the tale of valor of Matmur Jamoh and a group of Adi warriors from Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh?
Then there is description of the valorous tale of Roipulliani, an 84 year old village chief from Mizoram.
The book describes how she defended her people from British aggression. Roipulliani never paid any tax to the British nor gave in to any of their demands. The following was her declaration, which she followed till the end of her rule: “My subjects and I have never paid any tax to anyone, neither have we done any forced labor. We are the owners of this land. We must evict and chase out any and everyone who is an alien.”
Every country has written great pages and dark pages in History. For the United States, slavery and the Civil War that brought an end to it were definitely some of the darkest pages.
And we must never forget.
History is not supposed to make you feel good or bad. History is your best defense against ignorance.
Every time you learn about History, you are improving your defense and you are increasing your chances to have a bright future.
When you know your History, you are less likely to get manipulated and to get lied to.
A nation that overlooks its past has no future!
September 2, 2022
Short stories of Indian historical Heroes who didn't got much recognition in the Indian Chapters of History Books. This book gives a short idea about the valorous fight that have happened in the History with Mughals or Britishers or other foreign invaders, and about Veer or Veerangana who sacrificed his or her life for the nation.
July 29, 2021
I am still very much new in this field of Indian History and have read about mostly what was taught in school and colleges. However, over the period of time I have realised the fact that Indian history text books hardly glorify the exploits of Indian warriors who won in battles against Islamic invaders. Many freedom fighters, who played an instrumental role in freeing India from clutches of the British, have not found a place in history. Instead, it is the invaders who are glorified. 52 stories are inspirational to further bring about pride in our glorious past. This book deserves to be in our school syllabus. It reminds us of our brave ancestors who sacrificed their life but we forgot them because of adultered history. Very well done job by the writer.
February 15, 2020
Excellent book.and a must read for all Indians. It features Indian heroes fighting in the freedom struggle against the British and against the foreign Islamic invaders
December 28, 2021
I've always been interested in History and the blatant erasure of so many freedom fighters from our textbooks is truly a shameful act.
This is exactly the kind of book I wish we had when we were at school. The book contains more than 50 freedom fighter, kings and queens and even common people who resisted foreign rule and invaders. From the so called "great" mughals to the so called "civilized" british. Civilized yeah right. As thousands of britishers died in victorian eras and industrial era due to incompetent drainage system while Indus valley civilization, a 4000-5000 years old civilization had a specially designed drainage plan.
Civilized the british were indeed as they demonstrated their so called civilization by sexually assaulting women revolutionaries in streets ,by eroding India of its wealth, by killing unarmed people, by doing whatever they could to make the people ashamed of their culture.
Article on women assault in British era
Yet NCERT does a disservice to great revolutionaries such as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Laxmibai, Saraswathi Rajamani and so many other by not even mentioning their sacrifice.
Why? because they took up arms and refused to wait and let their country suffer while they sat peacefully
As the author perfectly writes in this book
As soon as a child goes to school and starts learning Indian history, all he/she learns is defeats faced by Indian kings at the hands of invaders. From
my childhood to teenage, I went through the same ordeal. History, especially military history being my favorite subject, I was often left wondering: were we always defeated? Were we on the losing side always?
So I started reading whatever I could find anywhere beyond the pathetic NCERT books.
Yes, NCERT books are indeed pathetic because as a young mind I, like countless others, was influenced much by the defeats and routs. Such portrayal creates a feeling that we were inferior to the invaders, thus sowing the seeds of inferiority complex. This happens to such an extent that one
robotically tends to think that all that is from foreign lands is better than what we have here.
This.
Another thing I found commendable in this book was the fact that the author didn't just take the famous names, but names that aren't widely known. From a 11 year old boy who died but refused to serve the British, Maratha rulers who resisted Islamic invasions, Queens who fought with their children tied on thier backs, an 84 year old tribe leader who stood against the british to two 14 year old girls who assassinated a British officer.
Some excerpts from the book -
Akbar, deemed ‘the GREAT’ ordered the slaughter of around 40,000 unarmed old men, women and children of Chittorgarh after he captured it on 23 February 1568 as per accounts by Abul Fazl and Badauni
___________
The cruel Mughals sent Hemu’s head to Kabul while his body gibbeted on a gate in Delhi. The Mughals were not contended with this. They constructed a minaret with the heads of Hemu’s 5000 plus dead soldiers. This was not the end of the cruel story. They captured Hemu’s old father from Alwar. Pir Muhammad, the Mughal officer who captured him, offered to spare his life if he converted to Islam. Hemu’s father refused to convert. He was then executed. Hemu’s wife managed to escape.
___________
And this excerpt about martyrhood of Chandrashekhar Azad
Was Jawaharlal Nehru the informant who notified the British about Azad’s whereabouts? According to an article published in Daily O , Sujit Azad, the nephew of Chandrashekhar Azad, claimed that Nehru had provided the British specific information about Azad’s whereabouts. According to him, based on information provided by Nehru, the British accosted him leading to his martyrdom. Sujit Azad also claimed that Azad handed over HSRA
funds to Nehru hoping to free Bhagat Singh in exchange. Nehru took the money, but did not keep his words. He played no role in freeing Bhagat
Singh!
According to a few sources, on the day of his death, Chandrashekhar Azad had visited Jawaharlal Nehru. A verbal fight ensued between them. After he left Nehru’s house that day, he was trapped in Alfred Park by British forces.
Isn’t it a coincidence? Besides, Nehru had confirmed in his autobiography that he did meet Azad in early 1931.
___________
On 9 June 1716, a Mughal executioner gave Banda Singh a dagger to cut his son Ajai Singh, who was then seated on his lap. He refused. Immediately, the executioner pierced the chest of the little boy, violently took out the vibrating heart and tried to push it into the mouth of the father. A shackled Banda Singh furiously refused. Following the orders of the Mughal ruler, the executioner offered to spare his life if he converted to Islam. Upon refusal, his flesh was notched out with pliers and hot sharp
rods were inserted into his flesh. His eyes were gouged out and his limbs severed. Yet he refused to give up his faith. The Mughals then went to the
extent of having his skin removed. Yet he remained firm, refusing to convert. He was then killed. Banda Singh Bahadur was only 45 years old
then.
___________
She was against the concept of Gandhi’s non-violence theory. Shocked to see her with the gun, Gandhi asked her why she needed a gun and why she practiced. Without even looking at Gandhi she bluntly replied that looters should be killed and that the British had been looting India. Though Gandhi advocated non-violence to the little girl, the latter expressed her desire to shoot the British. She said that when she would grow up, she would shoot and kill at least one British officer
A passage from the chapter about Saraswathi Rajamani.
Why aren't we taught about her?
Shouldn't NCERT include them too? What would be a better inspiration?
If we as a society are to achieve equality wouldn't it be better for NCERT too include female warriors and revolutionaries too? Tell me, did NCERT ever teach you about Jhalkaribai? About Saraswathi Rajamani? Rampyari Gujar? or Santi Ghosh and Suniti Chaudhary arrested at 14 for assassinating a British Magistrate?
However, NCERT class 10th textbook chapter 2 Nationalism in India certainly wrote this.
Gandhiji was convinced that it was the duty of women to look after home and hearth, be good mothers and good wives. And for a long time the Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation. It was keen only on their symbolic presence.
This is exactly the kind of book I wish we had when we were at school. The book contains more than 50 freedom fighter, kings and queens and even common people who resisted foreign rule and invaders. From the so called "great" mughals to the so called "civilized" british. Civilized yeah right. As thousands of britishers died in victorian eras and industrial era due to incompetent drainage system while Indus valley civilization, a 4000-5000 years old civilization had a specially designed drainage plan.
Civilized the british were indeed as they demonstrated their so called civilization by sexually assaulting women revolutionaries in streets ,by eroding India of its wealth, by killing unarmed people, by doing whatever they could to make the people ashamed of their culture.
Article on women assault in British era
Yet NCERT does a disservice to great revolutionaries such as Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Laxmibai, Saraswathi Rajamani and so many other by not even mentioning their sacrifice.
Why? because they took up arms and refused to wait and let their country suffer while they sat peacefully
As the author perfectly writes in this book
As soon as a child goes to school and starts learning Indian history, all he/she learns is defeats faced by Indian kings at the hands of invaders. From
my childhood to teenage, I went through the same ordeal. History, especially military history being my favorite subject, I was often left wondering: were we always defeated? Were we on the losing side always?
So I started reading whatever I could find anywhere beyond the pathetic NCERT books.
Yes, NCERT books are indeed pathetic because as a young mind I, like countless others, was influenced much by the defeats and routs. Such portrayal creates a feeling that we were inferior to the invaders, thus sowing the seeds of inferiority complex. This happens to such an extent that one
robotically tends to think that all that is from foreign lands is better than what we have here.
This.
Another thing I found commendable in this book was the fact that the author didn't just take the famous names, but names that aren't widely known. From a 11 year old boy who died but refused to serve the British, Maratha rulers who resisted Islamic invasions, Queens who fought with their children tied on thier backs, an 84 year old tribe leader who stood against the british to two 14 year old girls who assassinated a British officer.
Some excerpts from the book -
Akbar, deemed ‘the GREAT’ ordered the slaughter of around 40,000 unarmed old men, women and children of Chittorgarh after he captured it on 23 February 1568 as per accounts by Abul Fazl and Badauni
___________
The cruel Mughals sent Hemu’s head to Kabul while his body gibbeted on a gate in Delhi. The Mughals were not contended with this. They constructed a minaret with the heads of Hemu’s 5000 plus dead soldiers. This was not the end of the cruel story. They captured Hemu’s old father from Alwar. Pir Muhammad, the Mughal officer who captured him, offered to spare his life if he converted to Islam. Hemu’s father refused to convert. He was then executed. Hemu’s wife managed to escape.
___________
And this excerpt about martyrhood of Chandrashekhar Azad
Was Jawaharlal Nehru the informant who notified the British about Azad’s whereabouts? According to an article published in Daily O , Sujit Azad, the nephew of Chandrashekhar Azad, claimed that Nehru had provided the British specific information about Azad’s whereabouts. According to him, based on information provided by Nehru, the British accosted him leading to his martyrdom. Sujit Azad also claimed that Azad handed over HSRA
funds to Nehru hoping to free Bhagat Singh in exchange. Nehru took the money, but did not keep his words. He played no role in freeing Bhagat
Singh!
According to a few sources, on the day of his death, Chandrashekhar Azad had visited Jawaharlal Nehru. A verbal fight ensued between them. After he left Nehru’s house that day, he was trapped in Alfred Park by British forces.
Isn’t it a coincidence? Besides, Nehru had confirmed in his autobiography that he did meet Azad in early 1931.
___________
On 9 June 1716, a Mughal executioner gave Banda Singh a dagger to cut his son Ajai Singh, who was then seated on his lap. He refused. Immediately, the executioner pierced the chest of the little boy, violently took out the vibrating heart and tried to push it into the mouth of the father. A shackled Banda Singh furiously refused. Following the orders of the Mughal ruler, the executioner offered to spare his life if he converted to Islam. Upon refusal, his flesh was notched out with pliers and hot sharp
rods were inserted into his flesh. His eyes were gouged out and his limbs severed. Yet he refused to give up his faith. The Mughals then went to the
extent of having his skin removed. Yet he remained firm, refusing to convert. He was then killed. Banda Singh Bahadur was only 45 years old
then.
___________
She was against the concept of Gandhi’s non-violence theory. Shocked to see her with the gun, Gandhi asked her why she needed a gun and why she practiced. Without even looking at Gandhi she bluntly replied that looters should be killed and that the British had been looting India. Though Gandhi advocated non-violence to the little girl, the latter expressed her desire to shoot the British. She said that when she would grow up, she would shoot and kill at least one British officer
A passage from the chapter about Saraswathi Rajamani.
Why aren't we taught about her?
Shouldn't NCERT include them too? What would be a better inspiration?
If we as a society are to achieve equality wouldn't it be better for NCERT too include female warriors and revolutionaries too? Tell me, did NCERT ever teach you about Jhalkaribai? About Saraswathi Rajamani? Rampyari Gujar? or Santi Ghosh and Suniti Chaudhary arrested at 14 for assassinating a British Magistrate?
However, NCERT class 10th textbook chapter 2 Nationalism in India certainly wrote this.
Gandhiji was convinced that it was the duty of women to look after home and hearth, be good mothers and good wives. And for a long time the Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation. It was keen only on their symbolic presence.
January 2, 2021
We are brought up hearing the tales of Mughal invaders through our highly biased history books and how Britishers were the major contributors in our infrastructural capabilities to flourish. But have never heard of the real Hindus who have always resisted against such traitors whose glorification knows no bounds. The people who give up their life, were brutally killed only because they never let themselves get converted into other religion . Their tales are never talked about across the text books as it doesn't suit the narratives of the doers who are sadly present today too in a more horrific manner. Just their war weapons are replaced by acute diplomacy and brainwashing . Isn't it ironic, that the very people who carried out such atrocious activities are mentioned in our history books as heroes and the ones who give up their lives as fearful and losers? That's how the systematic propaganda works and hatred is spread and that's what this book does so well in bringing out : the ultimate truth without mincing any words or sugar coating the facts.
The book is a collection of over 50 such tales of our real fighters who dint show any fear even when they are up against a much larger enemy in strength, number and power. The beauty of the book lies in the fact that it is well supported by evidences at every step instead of just presenting any baseless thing in the name of secularism.
It feels so bad that even today the very invaders who terrorised our nation, our land are doing the same and to a large extent are successful. Books like this should be read by every Indian and should be a permanent part of our curriculum. It presents the true picture of our nation, it's rich cultural heritage and how deceitful lies, treachery played a big role in handing over the rule to Mughals and Britishers.
The book is a collection of over 50 such tales of our real fighters who dint show any fear even when they are up against a much larger enemy in strength, number and power. The beauty of the book lies in the fact that it is well supported by evidences at every step instead of just presenting any baseless thing in the name of secularism.
It feels so bad that even today the very invaders who terrorised our nation, our land are doing the same and to a large extent are successful. Books like this should be read by every Indian and should be a permanent part of our curriculum. It presents the true picture of our nation, it's rich cultural heritage and how deceitful lies, treachery played a big role in handing over the rule to Mughals and Britishers.
May 17, 2019
Exceptional stories of heroism and courage !!
I don't have adequate words to praise this book well enough. This book is a collection accounts of extraordinary people who laid down their lives for our country. The book is well researched and kudos to the author for writing on extraordinary people and freedom fighters of India who are lost in Oblivion. The book is fast paced and easy to read. Cover page and title of the book compel you to pick it up . This is rarity among books. Book is clearly and engagingly written.A must have book on your bookshelf. Highly recommend.
I don't have adequate words to praise this book well enough. This book is a collection accounts of extraordinary people who laid down their lives for our country. The book is well researched and kudos to the author for writing on extraordinary people and freedom fighters of India who are lost in Oblivion. The book is fast paced and easy to read. Cover page and title of the book compel you to pick it up . This is rarity among books. Book is clearly and engagingly written.A must have book on your bookshelf. Highly recommend.
August 9, 2020
Make sure every Indian reads this book, and every kid reads this book.
Pride in Swajan and swadharma, is the most important, and this book serves in dollops!
Thnq to Manoshi ji
Pride in Swajan and swadharma, is the most important, and this book serves in dollops!
Thnq to Manoshi ji
December 26, 2020
Three chapters were read and I already knew I was deprived of my ancestors valorous heroism back in school. As I read further and further I was transported back to the times of Rampyari Gurjar, Rana Sanga, the times where brave Manipuris and Mizorami heroes posed themselves as nightmare to invaders. This book gave me nothing but goosebumps!! Saffron Swords penned by @manoshisinha is a must for everyone. This book aims to cast light on the unknown brave heroes who never made it to our textbooks for various reasons. This book is a must for everyone who's driven by the assumption drilled in schools that Indians were always on loosing sides and we weren't brave enough to resist the invaders. Because we never heard of lion-hearts like Kanhoji Angre, Kalyan Singh Gurjar, Raja Prithu, Tonkham Borpatra Gohain, Veerapandiya Kattabomman except in their localities. I had no knowledge about these heroes. As the author says mothers make brave warriors women like Karnavati, Chennamma of Keladi, Laxmi Bai, Tara Bhosle, Naiki Devi, Mula Gabharu and others roared fiercely against Mughals and British such that they didn't stop battling until their last breath. This book has 52 adrenaline rushing stories of the brave Indian heroes of whom the talks have been at their extinction. The author has made an amazing work bringing their name and fame back to the surface. I learnt a great deal from this book and it was worth every second. It made my blood pump with patriotism and devotion towards all the heroes that I need no inspiration from anyone else but them. Although there were a lot of local heroes the author could cover I felt relieved that there's going to be a second book any time. This is something that can be read by anyone since the language is so simple and it doesn't bore you anywhere. The author indeed briefs about the previous stories just in case there's any connection to the present ones hence making it easy for the reader to connect the dots. This book also gives you many facts regarding history which makes you wonder why you weren't taught them at all in your school. There are so many hidden truths but the author did an excellent job bringing them all. Although the stories are really short they give you whole picture of what happened. The book exposes the brutality of the invaders and the resisting gallantry of brave warriors. It's a book anyone can read, from a child to an elderly person and this is worth a try!
I am glad I read this book. I literally had no idea about the north eastern brave hearts but now I do. This is just a masterpiece and I can't help but fangirl for the first time over actual heroes!
I am glad I read this book. I literally had no idea about the north eastern brave hearts but now I do. This is just a masterpiece and I can't help but fangirl for the first time over actual heroes!
November 8, 2020
Saffrow Swords penned down by Manoshi Sinha Rawal is a collection of 52 heroic events in which protagonist(s) gave ultimate sacrifice and as mentioned in geeta either won to protect dharma or sacrificed their life and attained veergati.
This work encompasses a long period since arrival of Arabs who were repelled rather obliterated by Gurjara King Nagbhatta to mid 20 th century Freedom struggle against 2nd colonials i.e. British which culminated in Indipendence.
The notion peddled post indipendence by marxist negationist historians (Countered very well in Koenard elst book, negationism in India) was that, since millenia India was an Invader colonial amusement park and natives just surrendered.
The book however course corrects the true history writing that too by facts not just from western sources but also by majorly ignored even demeaned native scholarly works and folk stories. Book has ample chapter wise citations for reference.
Book also shatters the pre esisting model of either western lens or Delhi centric POV. Each chapter brings forth a legend from each corner of the nation including numerous from Seven Sister states in Easter India. It also highlights valour of Shakti roop women warriors from Himalayas to naval battle grounds.
It basically answers some pertinent questions which not only puzzles surviving adherants of Hindu dharma but also thrown around by negationists to wrongly propagate their dogma of negationism, which are as follows:
How did dharma survive if the Islamic Turks "ruled" for 1000 years?? Which they didn't. It was just a long battle.
Why Arabs after first attack didn't return for 300 years?
Why Turks post Ghaznavi didn't attack for nearly 200 years?
Did British inherit reign of India from Mughals?
Did Mughals won Delhi from Turk sultans?
What was happening pan India all this while?
Book had ended with a promise of next volume. As per author's SM account, Volume 2 is a Work in progress and I assueme it shall be released maybe by next year. Eagerly looking forward to 52 more heroic excerpts from the millenia long book of our Itihasa.
This work encompasses a long period since arrival of Arabs who were repelled rather obliterated by Gurjara King Nagbhatta to mid 20 th century Freedom struggle against 2nd colonials i.e. British which culminated in Indipendence.
The notion peddled post indipendence by marxist negationist historians (Countered very well in Koenard elst book, negationism in India) was that, since millenia India was an Invader colonial amusement park and natives just surrendered.
The book however course corrects the true history writing that too by facts not just from western sources but also by majorly ignored even demeaned native scholarly works and folk stories. Book has ample chapter wise citations for reference.
Book also shatters the pre esisting model of either western lens or Delhi centric POV. Each chapter brings forth a legend from each corner of the nation including numerous from Seven Sister states in Easter India. It also highlights valour of Shakti roop women warriors from Himalayas to naval battle grounds.
It basically answers some pertinent questions which not only puzzles surviving adherants of Hindu dharma but also thrown around by negationists to wrongly propagate their dogma of negationism, which are as follows:
How did dharma survive if the Islamic Turks "ruled" for 1000 years?? Which they didn't. It was just a long battle.
Why Arabs after first attack didn't return for 300 years?
Why Turks post Ghaznavi didn't attack for nearly 200 years?
Did British inherit reign of India from Mughals?
Did Mughals won Delhi from Turk sultans?
What was happening pan India all this while?
Book had ended with a promise of next volume. As per author's SM account, Volume 2 is a Work in progress and I assueme it shall be released maybe by next year. Eagerly looking forward to 52 more heroic excerpts from the millenia long book of our Itihasa.
November 18, 2020
I remember when I first read one article in Sunday newspaper edition by punjab kesari uncoverign the deeds of the famous Nehru and Gandhi
It was first time I started giving attention to what we actually were and what we are portrayed in the books by Mughals and Britishers
Such a pity that till today only a small % of people know of their glorious history
This book gives a lot of information about detials of true indian history and will definitely make reader feel proud of being a भारतवासी
जय हिन्द
It was first time I started giving attention to what we actually were and what we are portrayed in the books by Mughals and Britishers
Such a pity that till today only a small % of people know of their glorious history
This book gives a lot of information about detials of true indian history and will definitely make reader feel proud of being a भारतवासी
जय हिन्द
October 13, 2020
SAFFRON SWORDS : Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders
Author : Manoshi Sinha Rawal
Genre: Short biographies of Historical Figures
This book is a collection of biographies of 52 Heroes of our nation , many of them fairly sung of [#BhagatSingh , #VeerSavarkar ] and most of them Unsung . What is common in all the biographies is that they all had a very big impact on the history of our country. The sad truth is our History textbooks barely mention anything about them , if at all !
The co-author of the book and the author's husband , Yogendra Singh Rawal asks the author Was it always the case in history that we lost all the times on the battlefield ? The author researched everything beyond the NCERT Textbooks to write this book and answer her husbands question.
Our textbooks often talk about the men . Except for #RaniLaxmibai (Who also has her fairshare of space in this book ) and a few others , thier are no references to any women . This book does them justice , out of the total 52 chapters , around 20 of them are about women. The book also has a bibliography , having almost all the sources about the facts and tales mentioned in the book unlike many , which just consist of conspiracy theories , with no facts and Data to back them.
The War scenes are really very well descriped by the author , its as if i was present on the battlefield, witnessing the war myself. Especially the chapter on the Battle of Haldighati , that is really amazingly written.
The biographies of Saraswati Rajamani and Suhaldev inspired me the most . Will definetely read detailed and dedicated books about them.
The book is really well written barring a few gramatical mistakes , that the common reader won't even notice . Will reccomend this to every one, especially History Buffs.
Author : Manoshi Sinha Rawal
Genre: Short biographies of Historical Figures
This book is a collection of biographies of 52 Heroes of our nation , many of them fairly sung of [#BhagatSingh , #VeerSavarkar ] and most of them Unsung . What is common in all the biographies is that they all had a very big impact on the history of our country. The sad truth is our History textbooks barely mention anything about them , if at all !
The co-author of the book and the author's husband , Yogendra Singh Rawal asks the author Was it always the case in history that we lost all the times on the battlefield ? The author researched everything beyond the NCERT Textbooks to write this book and answer her husbands question.
Our textbooks often talk about the men . Except for #RaniLaxmibai (Who also has her fairshare of space in this book ) and a few others , thier are no references to any women . This book does them justice , out of the total 52 chapters , around 20 of them are about women. The book also has a bibliography , having almost all the sources about the facts and tales mentioned in the book unlike many , which just consist of conspiracy theories , with no facts and Data to back them.
The War scenes are really very well descriped by the author , its as if i was present on the battlefield, witnessing the war myself. Especially the chapter on the Battle of Haldighati , that is really amazingly written.
The biographies of Saraswati Rajamani and Suhaldev inspired me the most . Will definetely read detailed and dedicated books about them.
The book is really well written barring a few gramatical mistakes , that the common reader won't even notice . Will reccomend this to every one, especially History Buffs.
August 27, 2020
Must read book for every Indian, no matter of which faith or wherever they are now. The book, depicts in details stories of Indic resistance and ignites in us, the flame of confidence that we are among the bravest of people on the planet Earth. Vande Mataram Didi. If I have the permission, i would like to translate the book in Gujarati for my nieces and nephews to read.
June 29, 2019
Though Manoshi Sinha Rawal claims that she has written the book with her husband, Yogaditya Singh Rawal, the cover bears only her name. So we take her to be the author of this book.
It is not clear who the book is meant for. The premise of the book is that, over the centuries foreigners have invaded India. But their conquest of the land was not as effortless as history textbooks tend to suggest. They did not walk over the land unopposed. The invaders – the Islamic ones especially – did face very stiff resistance from the native – mostly Hindu – populations. And there are hundreds and thousands of stories of valour and sacrifice which have been deliberately ignored by the “secular” and “Marxist” historians.
I am not going to argue with that. Though I believe that history can – and should – be revisited in the light of new discoveries and changing perceptions of new generations, it is a subject that calls for far greater erudition than anything that I can muster.
But the question that remains after finishing the book is: who Sinha Rawal had in mind when she wrote the book. Academicians? No. That will be too tall a claim. Children? Probably. But it calls for far greater understanding of the school kid’s psyche than the author seems to be capable of. General reader? Yes. The general reader who has some softness for Narendra Modi and is likely to believe that Modi hai to mumkin hain? Yes, Absolutely.
To her credit, Sinha Rawal does not shy away from displaying where her loyalty lies. She acknowledges her gratitude to, among others, a certain BJP MP.
But the problem is that when you close chapter after chapter (the book has fifty two) with “Jai Hind!” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, the book ceases to be a book; it becomes a slogan-shouting pamphlet.
The blurb says that Sinha Rawal is a postgraduate in English Literature. But – and it pains me to say this – the English is quite bad. Garuda Prakashan appears to be a new publisher. But the first thing it needs to do is to hire a good editor.
In the end, Saffron Swords deals with an important and necessary subject. But the author has failed to live up to the promise of the subject.
It is not clear who the book is meant for. The premise of the book is that, over the centuries foreigners have invaded India. But their conquest of the land was not as effortless as history textbooks tend to suggest. They did not walk over the land unopposed. The invaders – the Islamic ones especially – did face very stiff resistance from the native – mostly Hindu – populations. And there are hundreds and thousands of stories of valour and sacrifice which have been deliberately ignored by the “secular” and “Marxist” historians.
I am not going to argue with that. Though I believe that history can – and should – be revisited in the light of new discoveries and changing perceptions of new generations, it is a subject that calls for far greater erudition than anything that I can muster.
But the question that remains after finishing the book is: who Sinha Rawal had in mind when she wrote the book. Academicians? No. That will be too tall a claim. Children? Probably. But it calls for far greater understanding of the school kid’s psyche than the author seems to be capable of. General reader? Yes. The general reader who has some softness for Narendra Modi and is likely to believe that Modi hai to mumkin hain? Yes, Absolutely.
To her credit, Sinha Rawal does not shy away from displaying where her loyalty lies. She acknowledges her gratitude to, among others, a certain BJP MP.
But the problem is that when you close chapter after chapter (the book has fifty two) with “Jai Hind!” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, the book ceases to be a book; it becomes a slogan-shouting pamphlet.
The blurb says that Sinha Rawal is a postgraduate in English Literature. But – and it pains me to say this – the English is quite bad. Garuda Prakashan appears to be a new publisher. But the first thing it needs to do is to hire a good editor.
In the end, Saffron Swords deals with an important and necessary subject. But the author has failed to live up to the promise of the subject.
February 1, 2023
Great collection of short stories that are simple enough for a middle schooler to read and learn. Must buy for your home library.
April 3, 2020
This book is essentially written for children, it is neither academic nor historically robust. It would also have benefited from professional editing to correct the poor syntax and grammatical mistakes. 'Commandeer' is not the same as 'command' - simple spelling errors like this are disappointing and distract readers. The liberal use of exclamation marks belies poor writing. This is unfortunate, because India should celebrate its heroes and we should at least know who these freedom fighters are - which this book does to a limited extent. For me, this book only serves as a reference to the 52 personalities, that I can now study in depth elsewhere. Nonetheless, full credit to the authors for making the effort to recognize these 52 heroes of India. I have given this publication three stars, but if this book was promoted specifically for a young audience, and if it was professionally edited, I would give it four stars.
March 13, 2024
India has a rich history of warriors, but many remain unknown to us. It's important to preserve our heritage and introduce our children to these brave heroes. Books like this help us stay connected to our history and inspire future generations.
This book is a treasure trove of 52 short stories about brave warriors from all over India. Some of them, like Matmur Jamoh, Avantibai, Mahabiri Devi, and Chain Singh, fought against British rule. Reading these stories gave me insight into battles and heroes I had never heard of before. The detailed descriptions made each story come alive, and I especially enjoyed learning about the Battle of Haldighati, Lakshmi Bai, Kalyan Singh Gurjar, and Narasimhadeva. Plus, the one-line information about each warrior added an extra layer of intrigue to the book.
With its captivating narration, this book grips you from the first story all the way to the end. Written in simple language, it's accessible even for kids. The author's meticulous research into these unsung heroes and heroines shines through, making it a commendable read for anyone eager to explore India's rich history of valor and bravery.
A really informative read to keep our history alive.
This book is a treasure trove of 52 short stories about brave warriors from all over India. Some of them, like Matmur Jamoh, Avantibai, Mahabiri Devi, and Chain Singh, fought against British rule. Reading these stories gave me insight into battles and heroes I had never heard of before. The detailed descriptions made each story come alive, and I especially enjoyed learning about the Battle of Haldighati, Lakshmi Bai, Kalyan Singh Gurjar, and Narasimhadeva. Plus, the one-line information about each warrior added an extra layer of intrigue to the book.
With its captivating narration, this book grips you from the first story all the way to the end. Written in simple language, it's accessible even for kids. The author's meticulous research into these unsung heroes and heroines shines through, making it a commendable read for anyone eager to explore India's rich history of valor and bravery.
A really informative read to keep our history alive.
Read
March 11, 2020Manoshi Sinha Rawat’s book, Saffron Swords
So called Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders:
This book is another ploy of the Safron brigade, RSS-BJP and ilk to play Goebbels.
Book is full of fabricated lies and complete devoid of the facts. The BODY India paved the way to of survival, not the hydrocephalus Swaran, Manuvadi Brahman kings ....
These Hydrocephalus, Nambardars/Rai Bahadurs, Sardar Bahadurs and Sawarn Kings and superstitious ruer/monsters remained same throughout the history of India.
Almost all Indian Samants/kings/Rajwades went ahead to form alliances, treaties. The irony, see the level of cowardice, almost all presented their Daughters as gifts to enjoy their riyasats/kingdoms and mutual warm relationships.
Shaheed Udham Singh rose against the tyranny and made supreme sacrifice, Bhima Koregaon is also a real Thappad to Smantvaad.
Such warriors shall keep on fighting against these ilks are return of Paul Joseph Goebbels, the Ministers of Propaganda of RSS, claiming "We are the masters of India,"
Real masters are awake since ages, hence truth shall prevail.
Jay Jahan, Jay Vigyan, Jay Insaan
So called Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders:
This book is another ploy of the Safron brigade, RSS-BJP and ilk to play Goebbels.
Book is full of fabricated lies and complete devoid of the facts. The BODY India paved the way to of survival, not the hydrocephalus Swaran, Manuvadi Brahman kings ....
These Hydrocephalus, Nambardars/Rai Bahadurs, Sardar Bahadurs and Sawarn Kings and superstitious ruer/monsters remained same throughout the history of India.
Almost all Indian Samants/kings/Rajwades went ahead to form alliances, treaties. The irony, see the level of cowardice, almost all presented their Daughters as gifts to enjoy their riyasats/kingdoms and mutual warm relationships.
Shaheed Udham Singh rose against the tyranny and made supreme sacrifice, Bhima Koregaon is also a real Thappad to Smantvaad.
Such warriors shall keep on fighting against these ilks are return of Paul Joseph Goebbels, the Ministers of Propaganda of RSS, claiming "We are the masters of India,"
Real masters are awake since ages, hence truth shall prevail.
Jay Jahan, Jay Vigyan, Jay Insaan
October 6, 2021
A good introduction to many unsung heroes purposefully brushed under the carpet to idolize invaders and traitors. Small chapters. 52 legends, both men and women who fought for upholding of Dharma. You'd be surprised to know how many lost due to traitors within.
It would have been great if the characters were arranged in a chronological order. The arrangement was more random.
Also, it would have been good if the chapters or at the least book was accompanied with a map of India of the relevant time period showing the boundries of kingdoms, how big or small they were. It would have helped in imagining how the geography and demography of the country changed over time, and where these heroes were placed.
Overall, a commendable effort and must read for every person on Indian subcontinent. Know the real heroes. Not plunderers and looters.
It would have been great if the characters were arranged in a chronological order. The arrangement was more random.
Also, it would have been good if the chapters or at the least book was accompanied with a map of India of the relevant time period showing the boundries of kingdoms, how big or small they were. It would have helped in imagining how the geography and demography of the country changed over time, and where these heroes were placed.
Overall, a commendable effort and must read for every person on Indian subcontinent. Know the real heroes. Not plunderers and looters.
Read
October 4, 2021Greatly liked reading the above book on Kindle. The whole book once taken up is simply "unputdownable". Whilst reading and also after completion one does get a feeling of apathy at the powers of our country in the past, which successfully deluded us into believing our false legacy and in the process a generation or more of our population were suppressed into believing the false truth. Its important that the present govt. looks at our history afresh and suitable corrections should be made before long. This will then bring back our lost pride and our younger generation will rightfully appreciate and understand India's glorious history and illustrious legacy, simply clouded by colonized history of close to 1000 years. Congratulations Manoshi sinha for your seminal work.
March 31, 2023
A lost opportunity more than anything else. An honorable aim on the part of the authors to bring some of the forgotten heroes and heroines of Indian struggle against invaders has ended up with a hodge podge of anecdotes that reads more like a propaganda piece than actual historical narrative. This book could have been so much better and reached a much wider audience only if some academic thought had one into it along with the ideological exertions.
The major problem is that there is no sense of continuity, the 52 different accounts are neither chronological, nor alphabetic, nor geographical and so ends up being a sort of different blog posts rather than a proper book.
The major problem is that there is no sense of continuity, the 52 different accounts are neither chronological, nor alphabetic, nor geographical and so ends up being a sort of different blog posts rather than a proper book.
February 8, 2024
Saffron Swords - Centuries of Indic Resistance to Invaders (Part I) is an easy read and narrates heroic tales of Indic freedom fighters and warriors, who picked up weapons to defend India from outsiders and exploiters. This book brings forth lesser known tales of bravery of Indic heroes, who have been forgotten or overlooked in history books, especially in course curriculum of the Indian education system. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in knowing Indian history beyond the Mughals and the Gandhis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2024
Although I am a vivid reader and a student of the Indian freedom movement, I myself did not know about many of these Patriots.
The stories about each of these heroes and heroines is precisely depicted, but often we see many paragraphs being repeated time and again
However, this book is a must for all Indians of all ages.
It speaks about a fight against tyranny of Islamic Jihadi invaders and the British forces against India.
The stories about each of these heroes and heroines is precisely depicted, but often we see many paragraphs being repeated time and again
However, this book is a must for all Indians of all ages.
It speaks about a fight against tyranny of Islamic Jihadi invaders and the British forces against India.
May 20, 2021
A collection of short stories about the valor of Bharatvaasis.
If one is to ask any Indian today to name some of the greatest people of Bharat who stood and fought with their might against the various barbarians to save their culture, their tradition, their land, they would probably will be able to name only a few. This book covers 52 stories of such people.
If one is to ask any Indian today to name some of the greatest people of Bharat who stood and fought with their might against the various barbarians to save their culture, their tradition, their land, they would probably will be able to name only a few. This book covers 52 stories of such people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews