Maharaja Rana Pratap Singh of the Rajput confederacy of Mewar, now located in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan, was a Hindu maharaja (1572–97) of Mewar. In Rajasthan, he is revered as a hero for thwarting the Mughal emperor Akbar’s attempts to conquer his land.
Pratap, the son of the weak Rana Udai Singh, was determined to avenge the 1567 pillage of Chitor and the subsequent raids by Akbar; this was in stark contrast to his fellow Hindu princes, who had surrendered to the Mughals. He improved fortifications and directed his subjects to flee to mountainous regions when the Mughals invaded. He was defeated by Mughal forces at Haldighat in June 1576 after insulting one of Akbar’s emissaries and refusing an alliance. The Mughals continued to be harassed even after the loss of many of their strongholds to Akbar’s tax collectors, and he encouraged noncooperation and passive resistance.
Rana Pratap once again rebuffed emissaries from the Mughal emperor in 1584. Rana Pratap was able to recover most of his strongholds and became a hero to his people, as Akbar was busy in Punjab. Rana Pratap’s eldest son Amar Singh succeeded him, and submitted to Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1614.
Table of Contents
Early years
Maharana Pratap was born to Udai Singh of Mewar and Jaiwanta Bai, a Rajput Hindu family. Shakti Singh, Vikram Singh, and Jagmal Singh were his three younger brothers. His two stepsisters, Chand Kanwar and Man Kanwar, were also named after him. Among his 17 sons and 5 daughters, Amar Singh was married to Ajabde Punwar of Bijolia and had 10 other wives. He was a member of the Mewar royal family. Rajput king Pratap was preferred by senior courtiers after the death of his elder brother Udai Singh in 1572; Rani Dheer Bai wanted Jagmal to succeed him. The nobles’ desire won out. After the death of Udai Singh in 1572, Prince Pratap became Maharana Pratap, the 54th ruler of Mewar in the line of the Sisodia Rajputs.
Battle of Haldighati
Mughals had taken control of Mewar’s fertile eastern belt as a result of the bloody Siege of Chittorgarh in 1567-1568. However, Maharana Pratap remained in control of the rest of the Aravalli range’s forested and hilly kingdom. During the reign of Pratap Singh, the Mughal Emperor Akbar sent a number of ambassadors, including one from Raja Man Singh of Amer, to persuade Pratap to become a vassal like many other Rajputana rulers. War was inevitable when Pratap refused to personally submit to Akbar.
On June 18, 1576, Pratap Singh and the Mughal army under Man Singh of Amer engaged in combat at Haldighati. The Mughals were victorious, but they were unable to capture the Pratap despite inflicting significant damage on the Mewaris. At a narrow mountain pass near Gogunda, modern-day Rajsamand in Rajasthan, the battle was fought. Maharana Pratap had a force of about 3000 cavalry and 400 Bhil archers, which he used in the battle. Approximately 10,000 men served under Man Singh of Amber’s command as the Mughals’ commander. Wounded and helpless, Pratap was forced to surrender after a three-hour battle that had claimed the lives of many. He escaped into the hills and made it out of the battle unscathed.
With no way to kill or capture Pratap or any of his close family members in Udaipur, the Mughals’ victory at Haldighati was pointless. Despite reports that Pratap was able to escape, Mansingh took control of Gogunda just a week after Haldighati called it quits on his campaign there. Later, in September 1576, Akbar himself led a sustained campaign against the Rana, and in no time at all, Gogunda, Udaipur, and Kumbhalgarh were all under Mughal rule.
Reconquest of Mewar
After the rebellions in Bengal and Bihar and Mirza Hakim’s incursion into the Punjab in 1579, Mughal pressure on Mewar decreased.
Akbar sent Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan to invade Mewar after this, but he stopped at Ajmer. The Battle of Dewair was fought in 1582 between Pratap Singh and the Mughals. Thus, all 36 Mughal outposts in Mewar were automatically decommissioned. Jagannath Kachhwaha invaded Mewar in 1584 after this. While in Lahore in 1585, Akbar kept an eye on events in the north-west of Pakistan. During this time, no major Mughal expeditions were sent to Mewar. This was an excellent opportunity for Pratap to defeat the Mughal forces and retake most of Mewar (apart from Chittor and the former capital of Mandalgarh and Vagad. His new capital, Chavand, was also built during this time period near the modern city of Dungarpur.
Revival of Mewar
Taking refuge in the Chappan area, Maharana Pratap launched a series of assaults on Mughal forts. Western Mewar was captured by him in 1583, including Dewar, Amet and Madariya as well as the fort of Kumbalgarh. When Chavand became his capital, he also built a temple in honour of his consort, Chamunda Mata, there. For a brief period, the Maharana was able to enjoy peace and order in Mewar. The Rana had retaken a large portion of Mewar by the time he died in 1585. People who had previously fled from Mewar began to return around this time. An excellent monsoon helped revive Mewar’s agricultural sector. The economy began to improve as well, and trade in the area began to rise. The Rana was successful in capturing the areas west of Chittor, but he was unable to take Chittor itself.
Death of Maharana Pratap
Pratap is said to have died on January 19, 1597, at the age of 56, after being injured in a hunting accident. Amar Singh, his eldest son, took over the throne. Pratap told his son as he lay dying not to submit to the Mughals and to reclaim Chittor.
Legacy of Maharana Pratap
Pratap, Maharana of Rajasthan, is revered as a legendary warrior in both Rajasthani folklore and contemporary Indian culture. Pratibha Patil, the former president of India, unveiled a statue of Maharana Pratap in 2007.
Interesting facts about Maharana Pratap
The Birth of Maharana Pratap
He was born on May 9, 1540, at Kumbhalgarh Fort in Mewar to Maharana Pratap and Rani Laxmibai. As Maharana Udai Singh’s oldest son, he was also the heir to the throne. During his reign, Maharana Udai Singh established the city of Udaipur in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, with Chittor as his capital.
Ajabde Punwar, the first wife of Maharana Pratap
Maharana Pratap’s first wife, Maharani Ajabde Punwar, served as his consort. Throughout all the joys and sorrows of his life, she was there for him. The love and respect she has for Pratap has made her a symbol of eternal love. They’d known each other for a long time before falling in love and getting married. In addition to her sharp intellect and simplicity, Pratap’s mother admired her.
At the same time, Maharana married ten more women for political reasons. Despite her displeasure, she stood by Pratap’s side and carried out all of her responsibilities as the monarch’s consort.
The physique and armour of Pratap
Maharana Pratap, one of history’s greatest kings and warriors, defended Mewar until the end of his life. Nearly seven feet tall, he weighed over 100 kilogrammes. On the battlefield, he was armed with two swords, a spear, and heavy armour and a shield.
Mewar was ruled by Maharana Pratap because of meritocracy
Jagmal Singh, the son of Maharana Udai Singh, Pratap’s stepmother and Maharana Udai Singh’s favourite wife, was Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani’s goal. Tradition held that Pratap was the rightful heir to the throne, as he was the oldest of his three sons. In addition, he embodies the traits of a king and a leader. Nevertheless, on his deathbed, Udai Singh named Jagmal as the next Maharana.
Even though Pratap was willing to give up his rights, the chieftains of Mewar were not on board with the king’s plan to do so. They were of the opinion that Jagmal lacked the qualities necessary to serve as a king and a leader, and that only Pratap was deserving of the title. At long last, meritocracy triumphed over personal preference, with Pratap accepting the responsibility to lead the people in his kingdom and thus becoming their new ruler.
Unhappy with this decision, Jagmal Singh departed Mewar. His brothers Shakti and Sagar Singh also served under Akbar’s command at a later time. Maharana Pratap was descended from peasant farmers. He was never one to make distinctions based on who a person belonged to. His army is made up of people from every walk of life.
Respect for Women
Maharana Pratap holds women in the utmost regard. All of Pratap’s female subjects were forbidden from being sent to the Harem of the Mughal Emperor.
Amar Singh arrested all of Rahim Khan-e-Khana’s relatives while he was campaigning against Mewar. Pratap chastised his son for committing such a heinous crime when he learned of the kidnapping of women. He claimed that sexism is not a part of our culture. Pratap had instructed his son to release them and ensure their safety as they travelled to their camp.
Rahim Khan-e-Khana’s heart was melted by this gesture from Maharana Pratap. Pratap’s generosity touched him, and he refused to campaign against such a kind-hearted king and vowed not to raise a single weapon against Mewar in the future.
Bravery in the Haldighati battle displayed by Maharana Pratap
At one time, Akbar sent Raja Man Singh to Mewar to represent him. As the emperor, he wanted Maharana Pratap to recognise him as such and submit to him. A royal dinner was held for Man Singh during his stay in Mewar.
Pratap, on the other hand, decided to send his son Amar Singh instead. Infuriated by Maharana Pratap’s behaviour, Raja Man Singh left. Raja Man Singh advised Akbar to launch an attack against Mewar. Akbar had been waiting for this opportunity. Akbar immediately ordered an attack on Mewar.
Pratap’s army fought the Mughal army in the Battle of Haldighati in June 1576. Pratap and his warriors put up a good fight, despite a smaller army of around 20,000 warriors compared to the nearly five times larger Mughal army.
When it came to imprisoning Pratap, this battle ended in a stalemate as his horse Chetak helped him safely escape through a 40-mile long pass.
The horse of Maharana Pratap: Chetak
Chetak was horse of Maharana Pratap and his constant companion. Chetak’s agility and strength enabled Pratap to slay his foes and win numerous battles.
Pratap’s life was saved during the Battle of Haldighati when Chetak leapt over a large canal and carried him to safety. Because of his wounds, he was unable to continue. Pratap was devastated by the loss of his best friend.
There are numerous statues and monuments honouring Chetak and Pratap. Chetak Smarak, a memorial in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan, India, honours Chetak. According to folklore, it was built at the spot where Chetak died after rescuing Pratap.
Ramprasad, the elephant of Maharana Pratap
Ramprasad was name of an elephant of Maharana Pratap. Many Mughal soldiers and horses as well as several war elephants were crushed by him during the Battle of Haldighati. As soon as Akbar heard about Ramprasad, he was eager to acquire about him. That’s why he ordered Raja Man Singh, his commander-in-chief, to capture Ramprasad. In order to capture Ramprasad, Man Singh devised a strategy and deployed seven war elephants.
The name of Ramprasad was changed to Pirprasad after being captured by the Mughal army. But the elephant remained steadfast in his allegiance to Pratap, refusing to eat or drink for the 18 days of his captivity.
Maharana Pratap’s refusal to betray enemy
Raja Man Singh, the Mughal army’s commander-in-chief, was on a hunting expedition in the jungle with a few hundred soldiers when Pratap learned of it from his Bhil spy.
Pratap could have easily beaten Raja Man Singh in the jungle if he had desired to do so. This was something he was not willing to do, telling his troops that he would rather face Raja Man Singh on the battlefield than backstab him in the jungle.
The Battle of Dewair was won by Maharana Pratap (1582)
Pratap had 7,000 soldiers left after the Battle of Haldighati, which was a significant loss for him. With the help of his Bhamashah, he raises an army of 40,000 men to retake the land he lost to the Mughals.
Maharana and his army attacked the Mughal outpost in the village of Dewair, located about 40 kilometres northeast of Kumbhalgarh, in 1582 on the day of Vijayadashami (Dussehra), the Battle of Dewair.
Only Chittor, Ajmer and Mandalgarh remained after Pratap’s decisive victory in the Battle of Dewair.
Trivia about Maharana Pratap
- It was on his deathbed that Maharaja Pratap had a last word for his son Amar Singh: “Never, ever, ever, ever surrender to the Mughals.”
- It is customary to commemorate the birthday of Maharana Pratap every year on May 9th as Maharana Pratap Jayanti in honour of his bravery and tenacity.
- Rana Udai Singh, the founder of the city of Udaipur, was Pratap’s father.
- The rumour has it that his stature was quite impressive. Pratap, who stood at a height of 205 cm, weighed 110 kilogrammes.
- Maharana Pratap continued to resist the Mughal superpower led by Akbar, despite the fact that the neighbouring Hindu kingdoms had given in to Akbar’s Mughal superpower.
- It was his life’s ambition to avenge Chittor’s annexation. For the rest of his life, he promised to live off of leaves and straws in order to free Chittor.
- Akbar’s army defeated Maharana Pratap in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576. After that, he took refuge in the hills.
- Pratap had retaken most of his territory by 1584, when Akbar was occupied in Punjab.
- Akbar, despite defeating Pratap on the battlefield, was unable to capture the Rajput king until the last breath of his life.
- During the year 1597, Maharana Pratap was killed by an injury he sustained while tying the string of a bow for hunting.
- He had a wife named Ajabde Punwar, who hailed from Bijolia. Amar Singh was one of 17 children he had with ten other wives.
- When he fought against the Mughal Empire’s expansionism, Maharana Pratap was known as “Mewari Rana.”
- In the Chanvand court of Maharana Pratap, many poets, artists, writers and artisans had sought refuge.
- A celebrated warrior in Rajasthan and India, Maharana Pratap is a prominent figure in Rajasthan’s folklore and contemporary culture.
- One of India’s most revered warriors, Maharana Pratap, was honoured in the Parliament in 2007.