"Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery -- the British war hero who defeated Field Marshal Erwin Rommel at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 -- was a keen student of military history. Field Marshal Montgomery observed that Bajirao was possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India. Thanks to the Bollywood film, Bajirao Mastani, and the controversy surrounding it, this forgotten hero of Indian history has had a public resurrection of sorts.
Bajirao, an unorthodox leader, faced much opposition during his lifetime from the Brahmins of Pune (he ate meat and wanted a thread ceremony performed for his son Shamsher Bahadur born to his Muslim wife).
In the last hundred years or so, he has been ignored (and even vilified with a nasty outfit organising a 'spitting agitation' against him) due to the caste politics in Maharashtra where he has become a 'non person' for having been born a Brahmin. Never mind, the historical fact that he promoted talented Maratha and Dalit soldiers in his army purely on merit.
Some have used these controversies to further their warped views by equating the Marathas with the Mongols! One commentator wants Indians to believe that the Gaekwads of Baroda, the Scindias of Gwalior and the Holkars of Indore ruled central and western India without any popular support. Relying mainly on either hostile British or Mughal sources, this individual has rubbished Bajirao and the Marathas…"
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Amicalement
Armand
's motivation to paint Napoleonic ships returns!