Hemu - Aftermath

Aftermath

After Hemu's death, a massacre of Hemu's community and followers was ordered by Bairam Khan. Thousands were beheaded and towers of skulls built with their heads, to instil terror among the Hindus. At least one painting of such minarets is displayed in the "Panipat Wars Museum" at Panipat in Haryana. These towers were still in existence about 60 years later as described by Peter Mundy, a British traveler who visited India during the time of Jahangir.

His attempts to drive the Mughals out of Hindustan and establish the Hindu Raj was a continuation of various Hindu efforts to regain control from Muslim invaders. As most of the Muslims were intolerantto their religion, they never reconciled to their rule. Romilla Thapar says that "although the Muslims ruled the infidels, the infidels called them barbarians."

Nirod Bhushan Roy considers Hemu to be "the harbinger of a new era in which the Hindus were to share equally with the Muhammadans the burdens of the state".