The king of Mewad – ferociously fought with the Mughal emperors and protected his kingdom for decades, even when fellow Rajput kings made an alliance with Mughal Kings.
Portrait of Maharana Pratap Singh (1572-97) based on miniature made available to artist from palace; Image Source: Raja Ravi
Varma
EARLY LIFE
Pratap Singh Sisodia – later known as Maharana Pratap – is one of the most inspiring kings from Indian history whose tales of bravery are known across India. He was a king from the Sisodia clan of rulers of the Mewad region – today’s Rajasthan. He was the son of Maharana Udai Singh II, who had established the city of Udaipur. He was born on 9 May 1540 in Kumbhalgadh, and his mother’s name was Rani Jayvanta Bai. Because of the constant threat by Mughal kings, Pratap Singh lived most of his childhood in the Aravalli forests, along with tribal communities. This was the time when Maharana Udai Singh II ordered the creation of a new city – Udaipur and declared it the capital city.
LIFE EVENTS AND CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY
After the death of Maharana Udai Singh, there was a competition between Pratap Singh and his half-brother Jagmal to be the king. But the council of ministers chose Pratap Singh as the king, and thus he became Maharana Pratap in the year 1572. Soon after that, Mughal King Akbar started sending diplomats to him to agree upon an alliance, but Maharana Pratap refused every time. Eventually, Akbar launched an attack on Mewad in the year 1576. It was ironic as many of the fellow Rajput kings had already been in an alliance with Akbar, and the attack was launched by King Man Singh of Amer.
MAJOR LIFE EVENTS
This was when the famous battle of Haldi Ghati took place. Maharana Pratap had a relatively small army and the support of a few tribal communities. King Man Singh, on the other hand, was marching with a well-equipped 10,000-strong army. In the battle, Maharana Pratap’s army suffered heavy casualties, and ultimately, they had to retreat. However, King Man Singh couldn’t capture Maharana Pratap.
Even today, folklores are very popular in India about Chetak – the trusted horse of Maharana Pratap – who skillfully took the wounded king away from the battlefield. They say that the horse jumped across a wide trench and saved Maharana Pratap but eventually died of its wounds.
LIFE AFTER MAJOR EVENTS
Maharana Pratap soon reassembled his army, launched guerrilla warfare against the occupying forces, and started liberating parts of their kingdom. Soon enough, Maharana Pratap recaptured most of his original territory. Meanwhile, King Akbar kept on sending troops to attack Mewad, and Maharana Pratap fought numerous battles to defend his kingdom. He also created a new capital for his Kingdom at Chavand. The people who had fled the region because of never-ending wars also started coming back with Maharana Pratap at the helm.
He died on 19 January 1597 because of injuries sustained on a hunting trip. Maharana Pratap captured most of his territory, but he could never recapture Chittod – which was their original capital city. Later, his eldest son Amar Singh became the king of Mewad. And he subsequently came into an alliance with the son of King Akbar – Jahangir, in the year 1614.
LIFE LESSONS
Maharana Pratap’s life is the supreme example of selfless service to the nation, supreme valor, unbreakable courage, and extremely sharp intelligence – all the qualities that a king must have. His life teaches us to never quit and keep on fighting until victory.
The Story of Maharana Pratap of Mewad – has been an inspiration to millions of people in the last 5 centuries. If you wish to know more about the beauty of the Mewad region, click here to read more about Pushkar.
