Pratirodh: The Resistance

“Cast in the backdrop of the Mughal era during the reigns of Aurangzeb and his successors, Pratirodh is a saga of the relentless resistance by a few brave men against a seemingly invincible Empire to protect their honour and way of life. In response to the rather partisan policies of Mughal emperors, a number of personalities came forward in different parts of Hindustan, to lead people in resisting the tyranny.

Though the geographical dispersion precluded any visible unified approach, they were indirectly benefitted by each other. When Aurangzeb got cowed down in Rajputana against the unified resistance of Marwar and Mewar, it provided much needed succour to the great Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh to regroup and consolidate forces in their respective areas. The credit for tying down the Mughals for the longest period in history goes to the Marathas; this also acted as a lifeline to the Sikhs, Rajputs, Bundelas and Jats. Rajputs and Sikhs repaid their debt to Marathas by keeping the Mughals, post Aurangzeb, completely embroiled in Punjab and Rajputana, and indirectly paving the way for an almost unchallenged rise of the Marathas.

The prolonged resistance witnessed the supreme sacrifices of numerous unsung heroes of medieval history. Through unmatched grit and determination, they succeeded in bringing down the mighty Empire to its knees, eventually leading to its demise.