- Gurdan Saini
Gurdan
Saini was the commander-in-chief of the Rajput army ofRana Hamir . He was regarded by his contemporary Turk historians as the most experiencedRajput warrior in the army of Rana Hamir. According toAmir Khusro ,Khilji dynasty 's royal poet-scholar , Gurdan Saini led victorious campaigns in Malwa and Gujrat for Rana Hamir. Gurdan Saini also led the Rajput forces in the battle of Ranthambore where he was slain while leading a charge against the Turk army.Noted historians Henry Miers Elliot and John Dowson in their work "
The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period " [ The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period (1871) ,pp 541, Henry Miers Elliot and John Dowson , Trübner and co., ] citing Ghurratu-L-Kamal , a work by Amir Khusro, provide the following account of this distinguished Saini general in the Sisodia Rajput army of Rana Hamir :"The rai was in affright, and sent for Gurdan Saini, who was the most experienced warrior amongst the 40,000 rawats under the rai, and had seen many fights among the Hindus. "Sometimes he had gone with the advance to Malwa ; sometimes he had gone plundering in Gujarat." The Saini took 10,000 rawats with him from Jhain, and advanced against the Turks, and, after a severe action, he was slain..."
"Gurdan" appears to be an "apabhransha" or distortion of the name Govardhan which is a very common Hindu name. "Gurdan" name is also common among Sikhs of Punjab, although in the era of Gurdan Saini, Sikhism was not yet born.
The account of this Saini general who commanded a force of 10,000 Rajput fighters and achieved martyrdom almost reads like a eulogy even from a hostile Turk account.
Further reading
* [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D80201011%26ct%3D0 The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period; by Sir H. M. Elliot; Edited by John Dowson; London Trubner Company 1867–1877 vol I-VIII] - DEFAULTSORT:History of India as told by its own Historians
References
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