Suheldev & the Battle of Bahraich (Indic Chronicles #1)

by Amish Tripathi

But the aim of fighting a battle is to win, not to become a martyr.’

Peshawar, or Purushpura, as it had once been called.

A mob is usually made up of cowards. They have no grit. Courage enters their souls quickly, when they think they are in control. But it departs their souls equally quickly. A few telling blows are enough. They scurried away in haste.

The strength of the Islam of the Turks is that it is socially inclusive, but its weakness is that it is theologically intolerant. On the other hand, the Hinduism of us Indians is theologically inclusive and liberal, while socially we are intolerant.’

‘The biggest fear in fighting a monster is not that one will lose to him. The biggest fear, in fact, is that in fighting the monster, we ourselves will become like the monster.

‘A land does not die because there are some who hate it. For has there ever been a time when hatred has not existed in the world? A motherland dies when her own children stop loving it! A nation is not built by those who hate it, it is built on the shoulders of those who love it!’