Rajasthan MLA wants Akbar’s ‘defeat’ in Haldighati to be taught at university

The syndicate has referred the matter to the history department’s board of studies, which will examine the suggestion. If it finds the idea fit, it will put it up before the university’s academic council for ratification.

At a meeting of the University of Rajasthan’s syndicate on Saturday, BJP MLA Mohanlal Gupta demanded that a book which argues that Maharana Pratap defeated Akbar in the battle of Haldighati be included in the recommended books for history students.

The book titled Maharana Pratap: Kumbalgarh se Chavand by Prof KS Gupta, a retired history professor from Udaipur’s Mohanlal Sukhadia University, argues that Maharana Pratap won Haldighati — a deviation from the dominant narrative.(HT File Photo)

The book titled Maharana Pratap: Kumbalgarh se Chavand by Prof KS Gupta, a retired history professor from Udaipur’s Mohanlal Sukhadia University, argues that Maharana Pratap won Haldighati — a deviation from the dominant narrative.

“I have examined contemporary Persian records, near-contemporary Rajasthani sources, and studied the circumstances to arrive at the conclusion. From studying the situation then in Gogunda, in the Mughal capital, and most crucially, Akbar’s disappointment with his generals Man Singh and Asif Khan, it has emerged that Maharana Pratap dominated the war,” said Prof Gupta.

University vice chancellor Rajeshwar Singh Gupta said the MLA from Kishanpole constituency also wanted Swami Vivekananda’s writing on cultural nationalism and former BJP MP Omkar Singh Lakhawat’s book Ateet Se Sakshatkar to be made a part of the curriculum.

The syndicate has referred the matter to the history department’s board of studies (BOS), which will examine the suggestion. If it finds the idea fit, it will put it up before the university’s academic council for ratification.

However, in a major embarrassment for the BJP MLA, Lakhawat issued a statement, saying he has neither written nor edited any such book. He also told HT that he was not a student of history and had little to do with the topic in question.

Mohanlal Gupta is abroad and could not be reached for comments.