Maharana Pratap Singh, the king of Mewar, is one of the important personalities in the history of India. He ruled Mewar in Rajasthan in 16th century Indian history. He was born on 9 May 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, Mewar.
Maharana Pratap fought against Akbar which however he was defeated. He had stopped the Mughal emperor Akbar by fighting. After this battle, he left Udaipur and lived in hiding in the jungles till his death in Kumbhalgarh, Gujarat. Maharana Pratap is remembered as a heroic and lofty personality of Indian history.
Maharana Pratap’s parents
Maharana Pratap’s mother’s name was Jaywanta and his father’s name was Maharana Udai Singh. He was the Maharana of Mewar and Maharana Pratap was his eldest son.
Maharana Pratap’s mother Maharani Jaywantabai
Maharana was Udai Singh’s first wife, and their son’s name was Maharana Pratap. She was the daughter of Akhe Raj Songra Chauhan of a princely state of Jalore in Rajasthan. Jaywanta Bai used to give advice to Udai Singh in political matters
Siblings of Maharana Pratap
Maharana Pratap had two brothers – Shakti Singh and Uday Singh. Shakti Singh was born after Maharana Udai Singh. Udai Singh had participated in many battles with his brother and was also involved in Maharana Pratap’s army.
Maharana Pratap had a sister named Jagmati. Jagmati was also active in fighting alongside her brother and took part in the battle independently leading her army.
Both Shakti Singh and Udai Singh along with their brother were involved in the Battle of Chittorgarh which is significant in history. Shakti Singh later joined the army of Maharana Pratap, helping his brother Udai Singh. Historians also say that Maharana Udai Singh had 25 sons and 20 daughters, of whom Pratap was one. His mother Jaywanta Bai was the daughter of Raja Akheraj Singh Songara of Jalore
Battle of Haldighati
The Battle of Haldighati is one of the important battles in Indian history. This war took place in 1576 AD between Mughal Emperor Akbar and Rajput King Maharana Pratap.
The Battle of Haldighati was fought between Emperor Akbar and Rajput King Maharana Pratap. Maharana Pratap’s army was led by Hakim Hakim Khan and Akbar’s army was led by Man Singh. In 1526, there was a war between Maharana Pratap and Akbar in the Aravalli hill near Gogunda. In which Akbar had more than 80 thousand soldiers and Rajput had only 20 thousand soldiers compared to them. One specialty of this war was that not only the Rajputs, but also the forest dwellers, Brahmins, Vaishyas etc. sacrificed their lives in this great war
This war was started by the Mughal army, which wanted to establish its power by entering the kingdom of Maharana Pratap. The Rajput sepoys led by the Mughal army tried to persuade even after violently resisting, but the Mughal army fought them and clashed with Maharana Pratap’s army with a large number of sepoys.
A large part of the Mughal army was defeated during the battle due to Indian weapons and guerrilla warfare techniques. Many officers and soldiers of the Mughal army were also killed.
However, the outcome of the battle was questionable, as neither side completely defeated the other. However, this war proved to be a big loss for the Mughal emperor Akbar.
Ajabde, wife of Maharana Pratap
The name of Maharana Pratap’s wife was Ajabde . She was a member of the Sisodia dynasty of Rajputana. Ajab Devi’s husband Maharana Pratap’s second wife was Fulvati Devi, from whom he had five children.
Princess Ajabdeh became the first wife of great Pratapi Maharana Pratap, a symbol of indomitable bravery and might. At the time of marriage of Maharana Pratap and Ajabdeh, both were 17 and 15 years old respectively. Pratap’s son Amar Singh was born from Ajbadeh.
The marriage of Ajab Devi and Maharana Pratap was postponed due to various political and social reasons, but later they married each other. Description of Ajab Devi Some details are found in the biography of Maharana Pratap, from which we get some information about him.
The relation between Maharana Pratap and Ajab Devi was very sensible. Ajab Devi also supported him in helping the poor people. He also helped fight alongside Maharana Pratap in the war.
Chief historian of Mewar Dr. JK Ojha said that the condition of the queens, bachelors and virgins of the kings of Mewar has also been done by the writer Badwa Devi Lal in his book. It also mentions that the second of the 14 queens of Maharana Pratap was Panwarji Purvani Rao Mamrakh’s Bai Ajbde Rao and Jaka Kunwar Amar Singh, granddaughter of Asrwan. Similarly, HS Bhati, author of the book Yugpurush Maharana Pratap, has also described in his book ‘Ajbde Panwar Asrwan’s granddaughter and Mamrakh’s daughter Amar Singh Hua from their womb’
Little is known of Ajab Devi’s life history, but her contribution is remembered. He had contributed to the political and social life of Rajputana.
Maharana Pratap and Bhamashah
The loyal cooperation of Bhamashah proved to be important and decisive in the life of Maharana Pratap. This old minister of Mewar had acquired a lot of wealth in his life. Even after Maharana Pratap’s everything became home to protect the motherland, considering his goal as paramount, Bhamashah offered his entire wealth to him. He appeared in Pratap’s service with all his wealth and requested him for the salvation of Mewar. It is believed that this wealth was so much that it could have met the expenses of 25,000 soldiers for years
Bhamashah (1542 – circa 1598) was a childhood friend, ally and trusted advisor of Maharana Pratap, the king of Mewar. You have always been in the forefront in awakening the consciousness of staying away from the tendency of accumulation by considering non-attachment as the basic mantra of life. He had immense love for the motherland and the name Bhamashah is immortal in history for his charity.
Warlord of Maharana Pratap
The soldiers of Maharana Pratap were brave fighters who provided armed support to his army. Some of these important sepoys were the following:
Hakim Khan Sur: Hakim Khan Sur was a supporter and soldier of Maharana Pratap. He played an important role in their army and fought with them in the Battle of Haldighati.
Bhimsingh Rana: Bhimsingh Rana was the king of Ajmer and was a friend of Maharana Pratap. They supported his army and were also with him in the battle of Haldighati.
Ramdas Rathod: Ramdas Rathod was an experienced soldier and an important leader of Maharana Pratap’s army. He showed his bravery and support in the battle of Haldighati.
Fort of Maharana Pratap
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort example of bravery. Chittorgarh Fort History
Chittorgarh Fort – Chittorgarh Fort (Chittor Durg) is one of the largest forts in India. It is also a World Heritage Site. This fort is specially known as Chittor, Chittod Ka Kila, the capital of Mewar. Earlier it was ruled by Guhilot and later it was ruled by Sisodia.
The Suryavanshi dynasty of Chittauri Rajputs ruled from the 7th century until their abdication in 1568 and the fort was besieged by Akbar in 1567. The fort is built on a hill 180 meters high and is spread over an area of 691.9 acres. There are many historical events associated with this fort. Today this monument has become a center of tourist attraction
Kumbhalgarh Fort
The forts of Maharana Pratap are located in the city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. The most prominent of these forts is the Kumbhalgarh Fort which was the capital of Maharana Pratap.
The foundation of Kumbhalgarh Fort was laid in 1443 and it was built at an altitude of about 1100 feet above sea level. It had two main gates, one of which was the old haveli gate and the other was the new gate.
The Kumbhalgarh fort had many buildings, stylistic objects, temples and umbrellas. Apart from this, this fort also had buildings like Khushkhal Talab, Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas.
Maharana Pratap had spent much of his life living in the Kumbhalgarh Fort and used to manage his kingdom from here. Therefore, Kumbhalgarh Fort is an important repository of the history and culture of Maharana Pratap.
Policy of Maharana Pratap
Maharana Pratap’s policy was very noble and he fought many enemies in his life. They fought on the belief that the first duty of a king is to protect his capital. This was the reason why Maharana Pratap refused to compromise with Akbar, who was the most powerful ruler of India at that time.
Maharana Pratap did not fight in front of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which some see as indecisiveness, but in fact it was the result of his multi-faceted policy. They knew that they would be defeated by fighting Akbar, so they decided to keep their army hidden in the valley.
With this policy, Maharana Pratap saved his army and protected the self-respect and expression of spirituality of the Rajputs during his reign. They fought for freedom and their core values.
Military policy of Maharana Pratap
Pratap fought with guerilla warfare throughout his life. He never lost any battle in his life and till the end the Mughal army had to retreat. It is read on social media that his sword was 25 to 30 kg, his spear was 85 kg, this fact is wrong, the weight of his sword was about three to four kg, his spear was six to seven kg, he Always kept two swords with him
Chetak horse of maharana pratap
Chetak was the legendary horse of Maharana Pratap, who was the ruler of the Mewar region in Rajasthan, India, during the 16th century. Chetak was a Marwari breed horse, which is known for its bravery, loyalty, and stamina.
The story goes that during the Battle of Haldighati in 1576, Maharana Pratap was severely wounded and his horse Chetak was also injured in the battle. Despite his injuries, Chetak continued to run and carried the wounded Maharana Pratap to safety. However, Chetak later succumbed to his injuries and died.
Chetak’s loyalty and bravery have made him a symbol of courage and devotion in Indian folklore. Maharana Pratap is also remembered as a great warrior and a symbol of resistance against the Mughal Empire, which was one of the most powerful empires in India at that time.
A poem written on Maharana Pratap
I am brave, I am brave, what example should I give to those who do not know my bravery? I am a hero, I am a hero, if I save my mother, I will save my mother, if I save my enemy, I will also save my enemy, what example should I give to those who do not know my bravery? I am brave, I am brave.
Don’t worry about your life, don’t worry about your life, if I don’t win then I am not defeated, what example should I give of my bravery who does not know? I am brave, I am brave.
Bravery is given by God, if I lose it then what am I? What have I lost if I don’t win? Who does not know my bravery, what example should I give? I am brave, I am brave.