PM releases commemorative stamp on Maharaja Suheldev

PM Narendra Modi released a commemorative stamp on Maharaja Suheldev. He described Maharaja Suheldev as a brave warrior and a hero who inspires the people and said that the Union Government is determined to preserve the legacy of all those who contributed to the cause of India’s defence and security, and to its social life.

Legacy of Maharaja Suheldev

Maharaja Suheldev is a semi-legendary king whose references are found somewhere between the boundary of fiction and history. There is no consensus about his name and is alternating between Sakardev, Suhirdadhwaj, Suhridil, Suhridal-dhaj, Rai Suhrid Dev, Susaj, Suhardal etc. There is also no much clarity on his caste and religious identity. Of late various Hindu nationalist groups have characterized him as a Hindu king who defeated a Muslim invader.
The only surviving historical account of him can be traced to Mirat-i-Masudi, a 17th-century Persian-language historical romance. Maharaja Suheldev is said to have defeated and killed the Ghaznavid general Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud at Bahraich, in the early 11th century.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2018