Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
What is jauhar and why did Hindu women use to perform it?
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Queens and females of royalty practiced Jauhar in ancient India, particularly during the era of the Rajput kingdom. When under attack from external forces, these Rajput women would commit self-immolation, a suicidal sacrifice. This practice has been recorded since Muslim invasions during the middle ages and throughout northern regions, Deccan, and Gujarat.
Women and children, those belonging to the Rajput clan, would kill themselves to avoid being raped, becoming slaves or being killed. The vast majority of these Jauhar practices were performed in large groups as an act of protest against the invasions and as a way to conserve their cultural pride and honor. Records indicate that Jauhar took place at night.
Brahmin priests attended this practice, chanting Vedic texts. These texts are the oldest sacred scriptures of Hinduism. As the Brahmin priests chanted, women threw themselves and their children into a fire while wearing their wedding dresses.
The next morning, men performed the Saka ritual. They bathed, put on saffron, placed a tulsi leaf in their mouths, and marked their foreheads with the ashes of their wives and children.
The men then rode off into battle with the enemy. The men did not allow themselves to be taken alive either.
By practicing Jauhar, the Rajput robbed their enemies of a glorious victory. One of the most notable instances of Jauhar occurred in 1303 at the Chittorgarh Fort, as mentioned in the epic poem Padmavat.
This fort is located in the northwestern region of the country and was one of the largest of its era. King Rawal Ratan Singh controlled this fort when Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, invaded. According to Padmavati the Sultan wanted Queen Rani Padmini for his harem. He sent a message to King Singh, offering to spare the fort for one look at the Queen.
The King agreed, and the Sultan was permitted to see the Queen through mirror reflections. As the Sultan was leaving, his army invaded the gates and captured the King.
Hearing the news, the Queen agreed to join the Sultan’s harem on the condition that she could bring 700 women with her. These women were carried in palanquins, a type of wheelless carriage.
The Queen hid warriors in these palanquins and invaded the Sultan’s camp in order to recapture her husband. The practice of Jauhar is closely related to Sati, the Hindu practice in which a widow throws herself upon her husband’s funeral pyre to commit suicide. Because Sati is criticized and closely related to Jauhar, Jauhar has also been heavily criticized.
These criticisms are particularly common from people of non-Asian cultures and religions other than Hinduism. It is seen as dehumanizing to women because the act of suicide plays such an important role in the wife demonstrating her devotion to her husband. Jauhar has also been related to the Japanese act of honor suicide, the act of killing oneself to avoid defeat (as well as shame from certain actions).
In India, both Muslim and British invaders attempted to stop the practices of both Jauhar and Sati.
