| Maharana Pratap | |||||
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| Maharana Mewari Rana | |||||
 Portrait of Maharana Pratap byRaja Ravi Varma | |||||
 13thRana ofMewar | |||||
| Reign | 28 February 1572 – 19 January 1597[1] | ||||
| Coronation | 28 February 1572 | ||||
| Predecessor | Udai Singh II | ||||
| Successor | Amar Singh I | ||||
| Ministers | Bhamashah Jhala Man Singh | ||||
| Born | 18 May 1540 (1540-05-18) Kumbhalgarh,Kingdom of Mewar[1][2] (present day:Kumbhalgarh Fort,Rajsamand District,Rajasthan,India) | ||||
| Died | 19 January 1597(1597-01-19) (aged 56)[1] Chavand,Kingdom of Mewar[1] (Present day: Chavand,Udaipur District, Rajasthan, India) | ||||
| Consort | Ajabde | ||||
| Spouse | 10[3][4]
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| Issue | 22 (includingAmar Singh I and Bhagwan Das) and 5 daughters[3] | ||||
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| Dynasty | Sisodia | ||||
| Father | Udai Singh II | ||||
| Mother | Jaiwanta Bai Songara | ||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||
| SisodiaRajputs ofMewar II (1326–1971) |
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Pratap Singh I (18 May 1540 – 19 January 1597), popularly known asMaharana Pratap (IPA:[məɦaːˈɾaːɳaːpɾəˈtaːp]ⓘ), was king of theKingdom of Mewar, in north-western India in the present-day state ofRajasthan, from 1572 until his death in 1597. He is notable for leading theRajput resistance against the expansionist policy of theMughal EmperorAkbar including thebattle of Haldighati.
Maharana Pratap was born toUdai Singh II ofMewar andJaiwanta Bai in 1540, the year in which Udai Singh ascended to the throne after defeatingVanvir Singh.[5][6][7] His younger brothers wereShakti Singh, Vikram Singh and Jagmal Singh. Pratap also had two stepsisters: Chand Kanwar and Man Kanwar. His chief consort wasAjabde Bai Punwar ofBijolia.[8] Their eldest son wasAmar Singh I.[9] He belonged to the royal family ofMewar.[10] After the death of Udai Singh in 1572, Rani Dheer Bai Bhatiyani wanted her sonJagmal to succeed him[11] but senior courtiers preferred Pratap,as the eldest son, to be their king. The desire of the nobles prevailed and Pratap ascended the throne as Maharana Pratap, the 54th ruler ofMewar in the line of theSisodia Rajputs.[12] He was crowned inGogunda on the auspicious day ofHoli. Jagmal swore revenge and left forAjmer, to join the armies of EmperorAkbar who later gave him a portion ofSirohi.[13]
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Akbar initially favored diplomacy over direct conflict in his dealings with Maharana Pratap. Although Jagmal, Pratap's rival, sought Akbar’s support and had been named successor by his father, the emperor refrained from military intervention—largely due to ongoing unrest inGujarat. Instead, Akbar dispatched several emissaries to negotiate with Pratap, including Jalal Khan,Man Singh, Raja Bhagwant das, andTodar Mal. However, all these attempts ended in failure. Pratap consistently resisted submission, either by making ambiguous promises or by declining to meet the envoys altogether. Rajput sources claim that Pratap even insultedMan Singh by avoiding a feast held in his honor, an account many modern historians consider exaggerated. The breakdown of negotiations likely stemmed from Akbar’s demands—such as personal attendance at the Mughal court, payment of tribute, political allegiance, or a matrimonial alliance—all of which were unacceptable to Pratap. By late 1573 A.D., it had become evident that a peaceful resolution was unlikely, and a military confrontation appeared inevitable.[14][15][16][17]
Some scholars suggest that a key but often overlooked point of contention between Akbar and Maharana Pratap was an elephant named Ram Prasad. Historical sources such asʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni andAbul Fazl mention that Akbar had repeatedly requested this elephant from the Rana, but Pratap refused to surrender it. The elephant was eventually captured by the Mughal army during the Battle of Haldighati and brought to Akbar. Badauni even describes Ram Prasad as a subject of dispute. This incident has been interpreted by some historians as further evidence of Pratap’s unwillingness to submit to Mughal authority, casting doubt on claims that he ever sent his son Amar Singh or any proposal to Akbar’s court, as suggested by Abu'l-Fazl.[18]
The conflicts between Pratap Singh and Akbar led to the Battle ofHaldighati.[19][20]
According to Indian Journal of Secularism, in his campaign to extend his empire,Akbar presented Rana Pratap with the rank of Panj Hazari (commander of an army of 5,000). Rana Pratap refused, demanding instead the rank of Dah Hazari (commander of an army of 10,000).leading to battle of haldighati.[21][dubious –discuss][self-published source?]
TheSiege of Chittorgarh in 1567-1568 had led to the loss of the fertile eastern belt of Mewar to theMughals. However, the rest of the wooded and hilly kingdom in theAravalli range was still under the control of Maharana Pratap. Mughal EmperorAkbar was intent on securing a stable route to Gujarat through Mewar; when Pratap Singh was crowned king (Maharana) in 1572, Akbar sent a number of envoys, including one byRaja Man Singh I ofAmer, entreating him to become a vassal like many other rulers inRajputana. When Pratap refused to personally submit to Akbar and several attempts to diplomatically settle the issue failed, war became inevitable.[22][23]
The forces of Pratap Singh and Mughal and Rajput general Man Singh met on 18 June 1576 beyond a narrow mountain pass atHaldighati nearGogunda, modern dayRajsamand inRajasthan. This came to be known as thebattle of Haldighati. Pratap Singh fielded a force of around 3000 cavalry and 400 Bhil archers. Man Singh commanded an army numbering around 10,000 men.[24][25][26] After a fierce battle lasting more than three hours, Pratap found himself wounded and the day lost. He managed to retreat to the hills and lived to fight another day.[27] The Mughals were victorious and inflicted significant casualties among the forces of Mewar but failed to capture Maharana Pratap.[24][25][26]
Rana Pratap was able to escape due to selfless devotion of chief of Jhala who drew upon himself the attack of armies by declaring himself to be Rana.[28]
Haldighati was a futile victory for the Mughals, as they were unable to kill or capture Pratap, or any of his close family members inUdaipur.[29] While the sources also claim that Pratap was able to make a successful escape, Man Singh managed to conquer Gogunda within a week after Haldighati then ended his campaign. Subsequently,Akbar himself led a sustained campaign against the Rana in September 1576, and soon,Gogunda,Udaipur, andKumbhalgarh were all under Mughal control.[29]
Shahbaz Khan Kamboh led multiple invasions that resulted in the subjugation of key areas inMewar, such asKumbhalgarh,Mandalgarh,Gogunda, and CentralMewar, bringing them permanently underMughal rule. TheMughal Empire established its supremacy inMewar after Shahbaz Khan's invasions. This ultimately led to a significant weakening of Pratap's power, forcing him to seek shelter in his hilly abode.[30]
Maharana Pratap's court at Chavand provided refuge to numerous poets, artists, writers, and artisans. During his reign, the Chavand school of art emerged and developed as a distinctive artistic tradition. His support for cultural activities is evidenced by the presence of notable figures such as the artist Nasiruddin in his court.[31]
Mughal pressure on Mewar relaxed after 1579 following rebellions inBengal andBihar andMirza Hakim's incursion into thePunjab. After this Akbar sent Jagannath Kachhwaha to invade Mewar in 1584. This time too Mewar army defeated Mughals and forced them to retreat. In 1585, Akbar moved toLahore and remained there for the next twelve years watching the situation in the north-west. No major Mughal expedition was sent to Mewar during this period.[32] Taking advantage of the situation, Pratap recovered some of the Mughal occupied areas of Mewar and captured thirty-six Mughal outposts. Udaipur, Mohi, Gogunda, Mandal and Pandwara were some of the important areas that were recaptured during this conflict. According to the 1588 inscription nearJahazpur, the Rana gave the lands of Pander to a trusted follower called Sadulnath Trivedi. G.N. Sharma claims that the Pander inscription is proof that the Rana had occupied north-eastern Mewar and was granting lands to those who had been loyal to him.[32][33] From 1585 till his death, the Rana had recovered a large part of Mewar. The citizens who had migrated out of Mewar started returning during this time. There was good monsoon which helped to revive the agriculture of Mewar. The economy also started getting better and trade in the area started increasing. The Rana was able to capture the territories around Chittor but could not fulfill his dream of capturing Chittor itself.[34]
Maharana Pratap reportedly died from injuries sustained in a hunting accident[35] at Chavand on 19 January 1597, at the age of 56.[32][36] He was succeeded by his eldest son,Amar Singh I. On his deathbed, Pratap is said to have instructed his son never to submit to theMughals and to make efforts to reclaimChittor.[37]
According to some accounts, the Mughal emperorAkbar was deeply affected upon hearing the news of Maharana Pratap's death. The court poetDursa Arha is said to have eulogised Pratap in the Mughal court as a mark of respect.[38]
Maharana Pratap is a prominent figure in both folk and contemporaryRajasthani culture and is viewed as a folk hero and celebrated warrior inthat state, as well as inIndia as a whole.[39]
HistorianSatish Chandra notes –
"Rana Pratap's defiance of the mighty Mughal empire, almost alone and unaided by the other Rajput states, constitute a glorious saga of Rajput valour and the spirit of self sacrifice for cherished principles. Rana Pratap's methods of guerrilla warfare was later elaborated further byMalik Ambar, the Deccani general, and byShivaji".[40][41]
Bandyopadhyay also seconds Satish Chandra's view with the observation that
Pratap's successful defiance of Mughals using guerrilla strategy also proved inspirational to figures ranging from Shivaji to anti-British revolutionaries in Bengal.[42]
In 2007, a statue of Maharana Pratap was unveiled by former PresidentPratibha Patil in theParliament of India.[43]
Uday Singh left twenty wives and twenty-five sons, of whom the eldest was Pratap Singh. Before his death, however, he nominated his ninth son Jagmal as his successor. Jagmal actually ascended the throne while Pratap and the other nobles went to perform the funeral rites of the deceased monarch. On their return, however, the nobles forced Jagmal to abdicate and offered the throne to the rightful successor, Pratap Singh, and he accepted it. Jagmal went to Ajmer, joined Akbar, and received a portion of Sirohi, but later died fighting with its rightful chieftain.
In the process of expanding his empire, Akbar had offered Rana Pratap the status of panj hazari (' head of five thousand soldiers') but the latter refused to accept this, demanding the post of dah hazari or head of ten thousand soldiers.
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Data from WikidataMaharana Pratap Born: 18 May 1540 Died: 19 January 1597 | ||
| Preceded by | Rana of Mewar 1572–1597 | Succeeded by |
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