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Description:
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Rana Sanga, the ruler of Mewar, had his eyes set on the throne of Delhi. However, the rising Mughal star Babur got rid of the lodhi Sultan of Delhi. Thus the stage was set for the confrontation between the formidable Rana and an equally determined Babur who had just found a new home for his men - Hindustan. In the 8th Century A.D., Bappa Rawal drove out the invaders from Rajasthan and united several small kingdoms into one. Rana Sanga was his worthy successor. Early in the 16th Century, when a vast area of India was under the domination of foreign rulers, he made a valiant attempt to defeat them. This indefatigable fighter carried eight battle-scars on his body and had lost one arm and one eye. He fought a decisive battle against Babar in 1527 at Khanwa and might have won it, but was betrayed by his trusted commander Shiladitya. Sanga was obliged to retreat, but he made a solemn vow never to re-enter Mewar, until he had avenged his humiliation. Had his life been spared, he would have redeemed the pledge, but he did not live to fulfil it. His tenacity of purpose, however, inspired many of his successors including Rana Pratap. In the following pages is narrated the story of the valour of this iron man of India based on Tod's 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan'.
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