Maharana Pratap, or Pratap Singh I, was a Mewar king who belonged to the Sisodia dynasty.
Updated: Jan 20

Maharana Pratap, or Pratap Singh I, was a Mewar king who belonged to the Sisodia dynasty. Through his guerrilla warfare-based military resistance to Akbar's expansionism of the Mughal Empire, Pratap became a folk hero and served as an inspiration to later rebels against the Mughals, including Shivaji.
The 13th Maharana of Mewar, Pratap Singh, more commonly referred to as the Maharana Pratap, was renowned for his brave and ferocious defense against the Mughal Empire. He ruled Mewar in Rajasthan for 35 years and was one of the bravest Rajput rulers of India. Akbar was one of the few rulers in Indian history who stood firm against the formidable Mughal Empire, whereas other Rajput rulers accepted Akbar's supremacy.
The 482nd birthday of Maharana Pratap is this year. Maharana Pratap Jayanti falls on May 9 in the English calendar, but the warrior king's birthday is celebrated in India on June 2 on the Tritiya tithi of Jyeshtha's Shukla Paksha, according to the Hindu calendar. In some states, such as Rajasthan, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, the day is a public holiday.

The early life of Maharana Pratap The Rajputs of Mewar's Sisodia clan belonged to Maharana Pratap. He was born on May 9, 1540, to Jaiwanta Bai and Udai Singh II. Shakti Singh, Vikram Singh, and Jagmal Singh were his younger brothers. Ajabde Punwar of Bijolia was the woman who Maharana Pratap married.
After Udai Singh's death in 1572, there was a brief dispute over who would take Mewar's throne. Other stepbrothers of Maharana Pratap were also vying for the Mewar throne. However, Maharana Pratap took over the throne of Mewar's royal family at the age of 32 on March 1, 1572 because the senior nobles in his father's court wanted Pratap Singh to succeed because he was the eldest son of Udai Singh II.
Battle of Haldighati During the time of Udai Singh II, the Mughal Empire's expansion led to the loss of the fertile eastern half of Mewar. The Sisodia Rajputs, on the other hand, had complete control over the hilly and wooded western half of Mewar near the Aravalli range.

Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, wanted to control the rest of Mewar so that there would be a safe way to get to Gujarat, the economic powerhouse. Maharana Pratap's ascension in 1572 prompted Mughal Emperor Akbar to send numerous diplomatic missions to persuade him to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire, as the other Rajput rulers in the area had done. However, Maharana Pratap refused to submit personally to Akbar, thereby guaranteeing war.
In Rajasthan, the Mughal Empire and Mewar's forces met at the Haldighati mountain passes, which are close to where Rajsamand is today. Contemporary historians claim that the Mughal Army, which included elephants and musketeers, was defeated by the Army of Mewar, which consisted of 3000 cavalry and 400 Bhil archers. Maharana Pratap was defeated following the six-hour Battle of Haldighati. But thanks to the sacrifices of his commanders, he overcame a tactical retreat and survived to fight another day.

The Mughals' victory at Haldighati was pointless because they were unable to capture Maharana Pratap or members of his immediate family. Maharana Pratap launched a campaign to reclaim Mewar's western regions when the Mughal Army turned its attention to India's North-Western regions.

Reconquest of Mewar The Mughal Army had turned its attention to Bengal and Punjab in response to rebellions there. Maharana Pratap attacked and seized the Mughal position at Dawer in 1582. As a result, a frenzied campaign ensued, resulting in the destruction of all 36 Mughal outposts in Mewar. Because of this, Emperor Akbar decided to put a temporary halt to any further campaigns against Mewar because he thought that the Mughal Army could be better used elsewhere. In order to maintain the situation along the northwestern borders of his empire, the Emperor relocated to Lahore and remained there for the subsequent 12 years.

Maharana Pratap launched additional reconquest campaigns, retaking Kumbalgarh, Udaipur, and Gogunda, after the Mughals had completed their Mewar expeditions. He established Chavand, a new capital, close to Dungarpur today.

Legacy of Maharana Pratap On January 19, 1597, at the age of 56, Maharana Pratap passed away. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Amar Singh I. Famous historians like Satish Chandra have said that Maharana Pratap's fight against the Mughal empire almost entirely on his own and without the help of other Rajput states represents the best of Rajput bravery and self-sacrifice. In addition, Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Birth of Shivaji Maharaji on February 19, 1630) would further refine and model his guerrilla warfare strategy.
Questions Frequently Asked About Maharana Pratap What is Maharana Pratap Known For?
Maharana Pratap was well-known for his determined resistance to Mughal expansionism, which he remained until his death.

How did Maharana Pratap endow the Chavand School of Art with its existence?
Numerous poets, writers, artists, and artisans had been housed in the Chanvand court of Maharana Pratap. During the time that Maharana Pratap was in power, the Chavand school of art was created.
The faithful horse of Marana Pratap bore what name?
Chetak was Maharana Pratap's horse's name. With his horse, Maharana Pratap had a very close relationship.

Who prevailed in the Haldighati Battle?
Maharana Pratap and the Mughals engaged in combat at Haldighati. Despite the fact that the Mughals won the Battle of Haldighati, their victory was pointless because they were unable to capture Maharana Pratap or members of his immediate family.
Marana Pratap was born when?
Maharana Pratap was born in 1540 on the Tritiya tithi of Jyeshtha's Shukla Paksha, according to the Hindu calendar. His birthday is celebrated on May 9 in the English calendar.
