Maharana Pratap Singh

Also known as	Pratap Singh
Reign	1568-1597
Born	9 May 1540
Birthplace	Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
Died	19 January 1597 (aged 56)
Predecessor	Udai Singh II
Successor	Amar Singh I
Consort	Maharani Ajbade Punwar
Son	Amar Singh
Royal House	Sisodia
Father	Udai Singh II
Mother	Maharani Jaivantabai
Religion	Hinduism
Accession	Pratap was not the first choice of his father to succeed him. Rana Udai Singh wanted Jagmal, his another son, to be the King after him.
Battle of Haldighati	On 21 June 1576 the Mughal forces and Pratap's army fought at Haldighati, Gogunda (presently in Rajasthan). His army was outnumbered and thus had to flee.
Pratap's Escape	Legend says that one of Pratap's lieutenants disguised as Pratap, wearing his clothes, fought in his place in the battle, thus enabling his escape.
Guerrilla warfare	Being in the hills of the Aravallis during his exile, Pratap attempted several raids using the technique of guerrilla warfare.
Assistance from Bhamashah	Bhamashah, his general, was a great assisstance to Pratap as he offered his loot at Malwa to Pratap so that he could continue his fight against the Mughals.
Battle of Dewar	The Battle of Dewar was fought between the army of Mewar and Pratap. Pratap won and claimed back many Mewar territories but failed to get control over Chittor.
Children	17 sons, 5 daughters
Final days	Maharana Pratap died on 19 January 1597 at Chavand.

Maharana Pratap is a synonym to Rajput valor, chivalry and perseverance. He was a stand alone fighter against Mughal aggression and never bent down to any temptation. He was loved by his men and they stood by him in his fight for independence. He lost the Battle of Haldighat to Akbar but did not surrender and continued his combats till the end of his life.

Gallantry and a love for freedom was in Rana's blood as he was the grandson of Rana Sangha and the son of Udai Singh. At a time when all the Rajput states were making ally with Akbar, Mewar remained independent and this made Akbar furious. He attacked Mewar in Rajasthan and captured the fort of Chittor. Udai Singh fled to the hills but chose to stay independent even without his kingdom. After his death Pratap took up the responsibility and the people found a true leader in him.

With the neighboring states allying with Akbar, Pratap had a difficult time resisting the Mugahls as he had no capital. Akbar sent Man Singh as his emissary to invite Pratap in a dinner but the main aim was to seek a negotiation to come to a peaceful alliance. Pratap refuse to attend personally and sent his son Amar Singh instead. This incident soured the Mughal-Mewar relations even more and the Battle of Haldighat (1576) soon followed.

Akbar's army led by Man Singh had a numerical advantage over Pratap's army but he fought valiantly to resist them. The Bhil tribes of the surrounding hills came to Pratap's aid. Pratap himself fought valiantly and unfortunately missed Man Singh by a whisker. Finally, a Mughal victory was inevitable and Prata'ps men convinced him to leave the field. One of his noble men-Jhala disguised as Pratap got killed helping Pratap to escape. Injured severely, his loyal horse Chetak rode Pratap to safety before collapsing to death.

Pratap faced extreme hardship living the life of a fugitive but never gave up his struggle for freedom. With the help of his trusted men like Bhamashah he fought back and recovered most of his territories. 

 

 After the famous battle of Haldighati, Maharana Pratap’s own brother, Shakti Singh, who had joined the Mughals helped him escape the battlefield, as his beloved and trusted horse Chetak was wounded in his hind leg and Jhala Man a noble was wearing the Maharana’s crown as decoy. Chetak, Maharana Pratap’s trusted horse, delivered him to safe grounds before breathing his last. Pratap had to take refuge in the Aravalli hills. The Bhil tribals of the Aravallis supported Maharana during times of war, and helped him in living off the forests during times of peace. In exile, Pratap spent considerable time perfecting war tactics like guerilla warfare, harassing the enemy and light horse tactics which helped him win back Mewar.Col. Tod, the famous British antiquarian, gave Pratap the title of ‘Leonidas of Rajasthan’. In one of his writings on Pratap, Tod mentioned that, “There is not a pass in the Alpine Aravalli that is not sanctified by some deed of Maharana Pratap – some brilliant victory, or oftener, more glorious defeat.” It is believed that during his exile, Maharana Pratap, was at breaking point. A Rajput poet and warrior, Prithiraj of Bikaner who was at Akbar’s court sent a letter to the Maharana giving him strength, and steered him to carry on his war efforts.Maharana Pratap died at the age of 57, after sustaining a injury while hunting.