Question

Gayatri: Maharana Pratap was courageous no doubt, but his forces lost to the forces of Emperor Akbar the Great in the Battle of Haldighati. The king of a region such as Mewar and the Emperor of most of the Indian sub-continent at the time cannot both be eligible for the title, ‘the Great’, given the historical context.

Ranjini: Pratap never surrendered to Akbar in his lifetime despite Akbar sending several envoys to his great rival with the offer of making him a Mughal ally. Pratap’s defiance gave other Rajput rulers the courage to refuse alliance with Akbar. The victory in the Battle of Haldighati was a hollow victory for Akbar at best. Pratap’s forces were outnumbered by Akbar’s by far in the battle, but Pratap escaped with his life and subsequently recovered much of the territory lost in the battle. Maharana Pratap the Great received recognition of his greatness from none other than Emperor Akbar the Great. The latter is known to have wept on hearing the news of his rival’s death.

In support of which of the following does Gayatri state the fact that Maharana Pratap’s forces lost to the forces of Emperor Akbar the Great? 

विकल्प

• Maharana Pratap was not courageous

• Mewar is a smaller region in comparison to the Indian sub-continent

• Maharana Pratap does not deserve the title ‘the Great’

• Akbar defeated Pratap in the battle

Answer 1

Maharana Pratap does not deserve the title ‘the Great’