The boy on the horse

He galloped on his horse. A light wind blew on his face. This was his land. But why were we not rulers of our own land, he wondered. It was a thought that was playing on his mind for many years.

He was 16 years old...

“Aaee”, he asked, “Why is it that we dont rule our land? Why do we have others ruling over us? Why cant we rule ourselves? Arent we capable? Are we lazy?"

“Beta, you are right. Our people are capable - we are the wins winning their wars, but our people are also lazy - why bother with fighting and creating a kingdom when the money is coming working for them?"

"So, why are they not doing it?"

“I dont know"

He put the same question to Dadaji in the middle of a lesson. “Why are you teaching me all this? So that I go and serve the Sultan” he asked
Dadaji smiled, he had been waiting for this question for years. “Maybe you will serve the Sultan"
“No, I wont. I will set up Swaraj"
“Well, then I am with  you” he told not so cryptically to the lad.

Such it was a few months into his 16th year, he and his friends (among them Dadaji) took an oath of Swarajya at the Bhavani temple. It was an oath of blood. He proudly showed them to his mother. 

She did not chide, admonish or scare him. She said, “You have chosen a difficult path - but the right path. Mahadev will be with you, I am sure"

That was the easy part. Now how does one establish a kingdom where no new kingdom was established in the last 200 years? All kingdoms were established. All land belonged to someone or other. It usually belonged to a mansabdar and then to the king. How does one actually go about establishing a kingdom. He had to start somewhere. 

This thought occupied him day in and day out as he galloped along the Sahyadris. As he played with his pals. As he trained with his mentor. As he prayed. As he ate.



And then one day, as he always did, while meditating, he got the answer…

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