The confrontation between Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan still goes on

-Muhammad Ghori (left) and Prithviraj Chauhan (right)

The confrontation between Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan still goes on

It has been more than 800 years now since Muhammad Shuhab ud din Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan fought the battle at the plains of Tarain. The former is the legend of Muslim history, hailing from Ghor, Afghanistan. And the latter is the hero of Hindu history. Both are massively revered in the Muslim and Hindu communities respectively . However, it may sound ridiculous that after the passage of so many years, the aftershocks of that battle are still felt in contemporary times, if we take a look at the political and cultural landscape of Pakistan and India. The ghost of that rivalry is still haunting us.  

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I don't know that someone but he rightly said, "Let the dead past bury its head". This phrase not only guarantees peace at the present moment but also get us rid of the past wrongs. It is a blueprint for a refreshing start. But scenes are not such when we analyze Pakistan and India relations. It seems like both have been carrying their past luggage for years. Someone may say, their animosity is as old as the partition of the sub-continent or as 1965, 1971, and 1999 war. But the seed of hatred was planted when Shuhab ud Din Ghori routed the invincible forces of Prithviraj Chauhan at the second battle of Tarain in 1192. So it is the late 12 century's events that are a precursor to recent jingoistic mindsets -not all but some- prevailing equally on both sides of the border. 

Ghori was first defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan. Ghori was on an adventurist invasion at that time, having already conquested a vast swathe of Punjab. His troops were three times smaller than that of Prithviraj Chauhan. Hence, it was a foregone conclusion that Ghori was destined to be defeated also considering the valor of the Rajputs. The Rajputs, the subject of the ruler Chohan, were invincible at that time. On the other hand, the soldiers of Ghori were equally determined. After thumping defeat from Prithviraj Chauhan, Ghori vowed to take revenge, and promised not to change clothes until he defeated Chauhan.

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Chauhan mistakenly took Ghori for granted the second time. While his troops and subjects were celebrating the victory, then came the Ghori's troops like a storm and ravaged everything. Its effects were so much so that its social, cultural, and political impacts are deeply felt to this day in the form of not only rivalry between Pakistan and India but also communal politics in India to a considerable scale.

The states of Pakistan and India were so much inspired by their respective heroes that even missiles are titled after their names- Ghori and Prithvi Missiles. 

Ghori Missile (left) and Prithvi Missile(right) 

Not only this, the innocent Muslims of India are enduring the wrath of extremist Hindus in India. Some rogue elements in India have not yet stomach the atrocities happened to them by the Muslim rulers. Therefore, their animosity is driving them to coerce the Muslim minority in India. The intellectual circle of Indian Muslims chastises Pakistani Muslims when they try to glorify the heroics of Ghori or Ghaznavi. They claim that such glorification invites the wrath of Hindu nationalists, and it is they who have to suffer at their hands. 

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All this scenario lead us to believe that we have not yet learned from the past. The legacy of Ghori and Prithvi still continues in one way or another, and no wonder that it is also causing a rift between the two communities. It is better to forget such events which only freshen wounds.