Rajput Quotes
This page shares powerful quotes from historians, scholars, and even the invaders like the Mughals, Turks, and Arabs who fought against the Rajputs. Despite being their enemies, these invaders admired the Rajputs’ courage, honor, and strength. Their respect shows how the Rajputs were fearless warriors who protected their land and stood for justice. These words help us understand the proud and lasting legacy of the Rajput people, who earned respect even from those who tried to defeat them.
Quotes by Historians and Invaders
"When we speak about Maharana Pratap, his equestrian prototype figure, clad in armour, catches our attention. He is one of our national heroes, whose unflinching devotion to his country together with unparalleled patriotism inspired the freedom fighters!" — Historian RV Somani
"Rajputs were born warriors, bravest of the brave, urged to fury by a keenly sensitive feeling of honour & always ready to conquer or die for honour. Had they combined their forces, it’s doubtful whether any Mughal army could have stood long against them!" — Sir William Hunter
"One still finds among the Rajputs those brilliant qualities, proud loyalty & urbanity which excited to such a pitch the enthusiasm. They have not allowed themselves to be influenced by the contact of invading races, either Mogul or English, nearly as much as the other tribes. Their name means "Sons of Kings"; & each one of them can trace his genealogy back into the olden times, to the sovereigns of the country." — French traveller & writer Louis-Théophile Marie Rousselet (1845–1929) describing Rajputs & their legacy.
"In many ways the Rajput bears a Strong Resemblance to the Highlanders of Scotland that one might seem to be reading Walter Scotts Stories, They both had the Same Reckless Daring, Same Loyalty to the Chief, The Same Love of Sport & Same Readiness to take Offence." — William Wilson
"In the lands of the Great Mogul,I met with Warriors of Noble bearing, The Rājpūts whose courage in Battle & Pride in their lineage rival the Knights of our own history.Their devotion to Honor is such that they would rather Perish than Yield." — Heinrich von Poser und Groß-Naedlitz
"Better Blood than that of Rajputs certainly never flowed in the Veins of any Human Being." — Major General Sir William Henry Sleeman
"Who are these Rajputs who arose at this Time & for 500 years at the least beat back the Mahomedan onslaughts & whence did they come ? We have already said that they were Indo-Aryans, The most Chivalrous representatives of the Vedic Aryans of India." — CV Vaidya
"Brave & warlike, Rajputs were like the knights of King Arthur's Round Table, ever devoted to the championship of noble causes. They had a high sense of honour & strict regard for truth. Unlike the Muslims, they never committed any atrocities even when victorious! They never employed deceit or treachery in war & abstained from causing misery to the innocent. They honoured their women, showed wonderful courage & determination and performed deeds of valour which are unparalleled in the world’s history." — Historian Ishwari Prasad
"The Rajputs are powerful & brave; preserve all ancient customs & do not refrain from observing the rules of their ancestors. If they were united among themselves, they could easily expel the Mughals from Hindustan." — Niccolao Manucci, Italian Writer & Traveller (1638 – 1717)
"These Rajputs are more robust than the rest (Indians), have a great share of courage & a nice sense of military honour, which consists among them, in fidelity to those they serve. Fighting is their profession." — Luke Scrafton, British Army Official, (1770 CE)
"The Rajputs are ancient Princes of India. Their heroism recalls the valour of the first Indians & war is their only profession. They are descendants of the ancient military caste & so renowned for gallantry that even the great Mughal & most of the other Princes are accustomed to having a large number of them at their command!" — Pierre-Joseph-André Roubaud (1731 - 1791 AD)
"The Rajputs, descendants of those ancient Indians whom Alexander fought, driven from their possessions by the Mughals, took refuge in the mountains located in the centre of India. Their perpetual differences prevent them from undertaking conquests; but in the short intervals of rest which these domestic troubles leave them, they make incursions which regularly exhausts the (Mughal) Empire." — French writer & former Catholic priest Guillaume-Thomas-François (1713 - 1796 AD) describing Rajputs & their struggle against Mughals.
"These are Marwadi Rajputs, incredible valorous; their bodies dance around even if they are beheaded. They also have a lot of firepower! Our people are faint of heart to begin with, with steel weapons; tied to a tree, they will uproot it to try to flee We were unsuccessful at one point but didn't let that get us down. But what if we face failure again?" – Jayappa Rao Shinde's Letter Back Home. Source: Bhausahebanchi Bakhar page
"They [Rajputs of Mirza Raja Jai Singh] prefer death to retreat from battle. On the other hand the soldiers of Sewa [Shiva Bhonsle] take to their heels when they have to face a very hard contest." – Ahom [Assamese] Historical Work "Padshah Buranji" (c.a.1719-1731)
Draws parallels between the Viking Shield-maidens (Norse: skjaldmær) and Rajput Maharanis of India. – Ian G. Peirce in his book, Swords of the Viking Age
I'm not sure of any promise of a Southern (Dakshini ; word omitted in this print) Raja as they are not Rajputs. A Rajput would rather die than break his promise. – Swami Vivekananda, in a letter to one of his friends, says that he cannot
The Rajput race is the noblest and proudest in India, they are of highest antiquity and purest descent, they have a military autocracy of a feudal type, and “brave and chivalrous, keenly sensitive to an affront, and especially jealous of the honour of their women”. – Lt.Col. James Tod in Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan
The intense pride in their origin and ancestry, intense loyalty to the clan, and intense belief in righteousness of their cause, made the Rajputs the bravest of the brave. – M. S. Naravane in The Rajputs of Rajputana: A Glimpse of Medieval Rajasthan
In the ancient days the Rajput principalities were India's stoutest bulwarks against foreign invasion. Kshatriya armies fought not only Alexander and his Greeks, but also the hordes of Scythians and Bactrians which poured into India up to the end of the 1st century. – A. H. Bingley in Handbook on Rajputs
The Rajputs, true to their descent, are born warriors, and no family of the human race ever possessed so liberal a portion of that essence of reckless daring, called chivalry by poets and romancers, as the Rajputs. – Thakur Shri Jessraj Singhji Sisodia in Rajputs: A Fighting Race
The Maharajas of India were undoubtedly one of the great anachronisms of the twentieth century. Among them were enlightened rulers and profligate princes, saints and scoundrels, heroes and cowards, sadists and boors, charmers and eccentrics. Yet whatever they were, in the eyes of the people they ruled they had the divine right to do so. – E. Jaiwant Paul and Pramod Kapoor in The Unforgettable Maharajas
"I had given away the country of Delhi for a handful of millets" is a tribute to the gallantry of Jaita and Kumpa and the willingness of the Rajputs to face death even in the face of impossible odds. (मैं मुट्ठी भर बाजरे के लिए हिंदुस्तान की सल्तनत खो देता।) – Sher Shah after the Battle of Sammel
"It was the finest thing I ever saw, 8000 Afghans could not stand against 1200 Rajputs for an 1 hours." [During first Anglo Afghan war] – General Nott