ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to contextualize Cuckold and highlight its salience in the theoretical reconstruction of Indian military history attempted therein. Cuckold is much more than a narration of the events and experiences in the life of the Maharaj Kumar, the elder son and heir apparent of Rana Sanga the king of Mewar. The experiments in warfare against Gujarat, described in vivid detail in Cuckold, have their limitations considering the historical period in which Nagarkar locates them. Over the 16th century, a “military revolution”, a concept used by Geoffrey Parker, gathered momentum in some states of Europe. This development, which was concurrent with the Renaissance and Reformation, comprised two momentous changes in warfare. In Chinese history, the period between 770 and 221 BC is known as the “Warring States Era.” Out of this era grew the massive armies of up to one million, belonging to the large states. Significant tactical changes also occurred simultaneously.
