In the article, “History lessons for current Armymen” (May 26), the author, Aakar Patel, has displayed a good knowledge of history, but it is obvious that he has not been a participant in history-making.
I would advise him to read Jadunath Sarkar’s book, The Fall of the Mughal Empire, the prequel to A Short History of Aurangzib. On May 29, 1658, Dara Shikoh’s army was decisively defeated in the Battle of Samugarh, 16 km east of Agra. But the bravery shown by the Hada Rajputs’ cavalry of Bundi under Rao Chhatrasal, who fought on Shikoh’s side, was outstanding.
Similarly, the Indian Army’s