A History of Agriculture in India v2.c55.s5: Caste-System—Cause of Defeat of Hindu Armies

v2.c55.s5.1

The main cause of the defeat of the Hindus was their caste-system. Fighting was the profession of the Rajputs, the Kshatriyas, who were the rulers. There must have been lakhs of able-bodied persons among the other castes, who, given an opportunity, would have fought the Islamic armies with greater valour. However, all this talent and prowess was not available to the Indian army due to caste monopoly of the Rajputs. Besides the Hindu army had no national feeling. Rather than making a united front against the invaders, they were riven with petty jealousies, viz. the ire of treacherous Jai Chand of Kanauj against Prithviraj Chauhan for abducting his daughter, with the result that they were both destroyed one by one. The Islamic armies had a strong cavalry force which functioned as an offensive weapon in the open field. Elephants, on which the Rajputs relied, could not stand cavalry charges of the Moslems and, in panic, turned tail and trampled the Rajput soldiers. The Rajputs, lacking confidence, believed in defence and shut themselves up in their strong forts. The Islamic commanders adopted the device of construction of pashebs, rising mounds of earth made by heaping sand-bags right up to the ramparts of the fort and thus invading the fort. Besides the besieged armies could also be starved into submission by cutting off their food supplies.