History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s3.15

v3.c33.s3.15

The manner and course of the fight described by Firishta so completely resembles the course of the fight between the Hindus and the Mahomedans in 1761 at the battle of Panipat that one might have been tempted to suggest that the description of Firishta was copied from the description of the fight between Sadashiv Bhau and Aḥmadshah Abdali. But Firishta wrote more than two hundred years before the latter battle was fought. We are, therefore, simply reminded here of the maxim history repeats itself. On the plain of Chhachh, in 1008 A. D., the Hindu and Moslem armies lay in front of each other in entrenched camps for forty days, being equally balanced, each watching for an opportunity to gain advantage over the other, like two powerful wrestlers in touch with each other yet motionless for a time. The Gakkhars whose number 30,000 seems to be exaggerated, wild, bareheaded, half-civilized men who had come to the assistance of the Hindus, however, began the fight by rushing the entrenched Ghazni camp and slaying a few thousand Mahomedan soldiers in a few minutes. The two armies now became grappled in conflict and until midday the advantage was with the Hindus as even Utbi admits. The tide, however, turned, by what accident Utbi does not relate, but Firishta states "that the Sultan seeing the fury of the Gakkhars* withdrew himself from the thick of the fight that he might stop the battle for that day. But it so happened that the elephant which Ānandapāla rode became unruly from the effects of naptha-balls and arrows hurled at him, turned and fled. And the Hindus believing that this was a signal for flight on the part of their general all gave way and fled. Abdulla Tai pursued them and 8000 Hindus were cut to pieces". This account is not given by Utbi but he states another fact which is more important viz. that the Sultan with his own guards made a charge "under which the feet of the infidels could not stand". All this was exactly like what happened in the battle of Panipat between the Marathas and the Afghans. Till noon the tide was in favour of the Marathas, under the execution of the guns of the battalions of Ibrahimkhan and the charge of the Huzurat horse. Suddenly a ball struck Vishvasrao dead on his elephant and the news spreading that the general was dead, the army gave way. At this advantageous moment, Ahmadshah Abdali like Mahmud made a furious attack with a force of Afghans which he had kept in reserve and the Maratha army broke and fled. Probably Ānandapāla like the brave but unfortunate Bhaosaheb rushed into the thick of the fight on foot and embraced death on the battle-field. For we do not know what became of both after the battle nor do we hear that they were found dead or alive. Such was the momentous battle fought in 1008 A. D. between the Hindus and the Mahomedans, a precursor of the struggle seven and a half centuries later. The Hindus after this battle no doubt continued in strength in the Panjab for a time as after Panipat, but the blow was severe. Indeed both battles put an end to the dream of the Hindus to drive the Mahomedans out of India.