भारतीय इतिहास के ६ स्वर्णिम पृष्ठ (वीर सावरकर - विदेशी आक्रान्ताओं पर विजय गाथा)

359A. At last in A.D. 732, the valiant King of France, Charles Martel, gave a mortal blow to the Muslim aggression and repelled them for ever. It is this monumental triumph of Charles Martel, that saved the whole of Europe! In their triumphant march, the Muslims not only subdued the kingdoms in Western Asia and Northern Africa politically, but with the sharp edge of their sword, they also forced them all to embrace Islam. Even Portugal and Spain were forcibly converted to Islamic faith. Their womenfolk, too, were abducted and violently defiled. But both these nations freed themselves from the Muslim yoke some centuries afterwards. How they did so will be described a little later. Still the fact remains that the nations on the north coast of Africa are even today Muslims. 360. Well, it is not that during the years A.D. 700 to 1000 the Muslims did not try to march out of Sindh and attack the neighbouring Hindu States with the same devilish bigotry. They did try to force themselves on through Sourashtra and Gandhar many times. But every time, they were routed by the Hindus. 361. At that time from the eastern boundary of Sindh to the northern most boundary of north India, there was an unbroken chain of valiant Rajput Rajas which, like a mountain range, very difficult, though not quite impossible to cross, kept on resisting stoutly the Muslim onslaught. Consequently, in Sourashtra and in the north-west provinces, the attacking Muslim armies were put to rout again and again, by the staunch resistance of the Hindus. On the other hand, the mighty Bapa Raval of Chittod once attacked Sindh and after driving the Muslims clean out, annexed it to his own Kingdom. The Arabs did, no doubt, capture it once again, but ultimately, the Sumra Rajputs firmly established their rule over Sindh. 362. If the fanatic Arabs could trample under the horses’ hoofs, the whole northern coast of Africa and two major nations of Europe, why could they not force their way out of Sindh? Thus, put in sharp contrast with contemporary history of the west, the heroism of the Hindus shines out all the more clearly and brightly. 363. Why couldn’t another Chandragupta Maurya or a Vikramaditya channel out the whole of the Indian might, and drive the Arabian Muslims back right into the heart of Arabia, is a fact that disturbs us not a little. ❑