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'Hemachandra Vikramaditya' or 'Hemu' was an Indian military leader during the 1500s. This was one of the crucial periods in Indian history, the Mughals and Afghans were desperately vying to establish control. The son of a food seller, and himself a vendor of saltpetre on the streets of Rewari in his youth, he rose to become a general under the command of Adil Shah Suri of the Suri Dynasty.
Hemu defected and betrayed the Suris to take up command under Muhammad Shah Abdali, the Sultan of Bengal. He was given the position of Prime Minister in Bengal after this defection. As leader of Abdali's army, Hemu was able to take Mughal lands in Northern India, including Delhi. But his successes ended at the Second Battle of Panipat when he was defeated by the adolescent Akbar. The battle seemed to be going Hemu's way, when he was suddenly struck in the eye by a stray arrow and fell unconscious.
Taking him to be dead, his troops started fleeing and Hemu was captured and beheaded by Bairam Khan on November 5, 1556, after Akbar hesitated or refused to execute him himself. His head was sent to Kabul, while his body was placed in a gibbet. His army was chased down and destroyed by Iskander Khan. Hemu had fought 22 battles in his career.

★ Backward-caste Hindu Warriors