Maharana Pratap of Mewar

[LETHALFORCE]

Maharana Pratap Singh (1540 - 1597) - Genealogy

 

[Simple_Guy]

MANDOR FORT | ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA JAIPUR CIRCLE

The old names of Mandore, the ancient capital of Marwar, were Maddodara, Mandowar and Mandavyapura-durga, believed to be derived from the rishi Mandavya. This town was in existence in the fourth century A.D. as revealed by early Gupta period inscriptions near the cave of Mahadarao.

Local traditions hold that Mandore was first held by the Nagas, followed by the Pratiharas, the Chahamanas and the Muslim Sultans of Delhi from whom it was wrested by the Rathores.

Shows the antiquity of state formation in Rajasthan, and the continuity of human habitation. Not as the British theorized that Rajputs appeared out of thin air!

 

[Eesh]

Nehruvian/Marxist historians are schizophrenic about the Rana. As a school I do not remember any chapter on him. In fact even today they hold that he was a rebel against "unification" by Akbar.

 

[Simple_Guy]

Royals families are serving as custodians of Rajasthan's rich legacy, art and culture. The erstwhile rulers believe in the custodianship rather than kingship, where the ownership rests with the king. This view emerged during a talk show with erstwhile Royals during the inaugural day of the two-day programme 'Jaipur by Night' at City Palace on Friday.

The panelist were erstwhile rulers of Udaipur Arvind Singh Mewar, Jodhpur royal Gaj Singh and Karauli's royal Rohini Kumar moderated by cine star Kabir Bedi. The event was organized by CII Rajasthanss. The panelists shared the importance of preserving both tangible and intangible legacy by living it. Arvind Singh said they celebrate all occasions from fairs, festivals and weddings to carry on the legacy so that it is not forgotten. "We live in a real world today. I don't know if royal is the right word but nobody can take away our legacy," said Singh, who is serving the longest dynasty in the world starting from 734 AD.

When asked how he finds the role of royalty in the modern world, Gaj Singh replied saying he looks at himself as an ambassador of Jodhpur and conveyer between past, present and future. Royals are bridges between tradition and modernity, he added. On the question about if he supports government initiatives and vice versa, Gaj Singh admitted that for long Royals didn't receive the recognition which they deserved. "Regardless, we went ahead and did our duty to our heritage. Our legacy is a common pride of people and no state," said Gaj Singh.

Sharing his vision for Udaipur, Arvind Singh said he is not satisfied to see Udaipur as only a tourist destination. "Udaipur needs to be a placed where future is discussed and debated. I am glad to share that Chandrayan was coined in a conference held in Udaipur. I am trying very hard to develop a multidimensional image of Udaipur," said Singh.

Not kings, but custodians of legacy: Royals of state - The Times of India

 

[Simple_Guy]

Looking at Udaipur, one gets to know how much the Mewar rulers loved art, design and architecture. From the time the foundation of this city was laid by Maharana Udai Singh in 1567, Udaipur has seen changes, yet every change appears to be in unison and seems only to have embellished the beauty of the city. The city is as interesting as the palaces, though in a different way.

The city gates are called pols and divide the old city in different sections. The confusion of growing modernity is evident, veneered with allure of tradition.

A statue of Chetak in the city narrates the heroic tale of Chetak, the horse of Maharana Pratap, who galloped to safety in the battle of Haldighati to save the Maharana. Chetak died after the giant leap but landed Maharana to safety. The inspiring legend still lives.

Where history lives on and on - The Hindu

 

[Simple_Guy]

सिटी पैलेस में आन-बान-शान से पूजे गए अश्व | UdaipurTimes.com

 

[Hari Sud]

Which Fort did Maharana Partap grow up? It could not be Chitorgarh. This stronghold had been abondoned by his father. He was born at Kumbalgarh, but that Fort did not belong to his family. The palace at Udaipur had not been fully built. Hence where did he grow up.

 

[Simple_Guy]

Great Wall of India

Not all forts in India are so grand as Kumbhalgarh Fort and only few of them provide an opportunity to walk on the outer walls. Kumbhalgarh Fort is mightiest and grandest and you can also walk on its 15 feets thick outer walls. Every evening the Kumbhalgarh Fort is illuminated with flood lights and a special Sound and Light show starts at 6.45 PM on the story of Rajput Royals.

Built by Rana Kumbha in 15th century, its unique location and its grandeur makes it a must visit place in that part of Rajasthan. It is believed that Rana Kumbha built about 32 forts during his reign, of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate. This fort is inducted in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

After entering through the main entrance, you come across the group of temples at both sides of the main entrance. At the left hand side there is a Ganesha Temple and a Swami Narayan Temple. At the right hand side, there is a Vedi Complex, Neelkanth Mahadeva Temple, Parsvanath Temple etc. Many of these temples were built during the reign of Rana Kumbha. Palaces that include Kumbha Palace, Badal Mahal and the Birthplace of Maharana Pratap

Riding from Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh through the continuously changing landscapes was one of the most pleasant experience of the whole trip. I passed through the battlefield of Haldighati, where I roamed in the green fields of Chaitri Roses with a local shopkeeper, saw the whole process of making world famous perfume and nectar and clicked many pictures. After Haldighati, lush green fields converted into a landscape surrounded by thorny bushes and barren lands, where I found many abandoned bucket wheels on the wells.

The area is part of the Wildlife Sanctuary of Kubhalgarh. This wildlife sanctuary is the home of a rich wild life that includes wolf, leopards, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, jungle cat, sambhar, nilgai, chausingha (the four horned antelope), chunkara etc.

 

[Simple_Guy]

Riding horse without reins is new fad - Hindustan Times

 

[Virendra]

Which Fort did Maharana Partap grow up? It could not be Chitorgarh. This stronghold had been abondoned by his father. He was born at Kumbalgarh, but that Fort did not belong to his family. The palace at Udaipur had not been fully built. Hence where did he grow up.

Till 1545 when Sher Shah Suri died, Pratap's childhood was spent in Kumbhalgarh.
After 1545 when Udai Singh recovered Chittor, Pratap and his mother were called up in Chittor. Though he is said to have lived with his mother at a village just outside the fort. Anyway, thus his teenage was spent in and around Chittor.
When Akbar's Chittor campaign was to start in 1567, Udai Singh and part of the royal family (including Pratap) were evacuated to Udaipur/Gogunda, that the Rana had been building since 1559. Part of his youth (immediately after 1567) was hence spent in Udaipur, Gogunda.

Please clarify what you mean by Kumbhalgarh not belonging to Udai Singh's house.
Being the Maharana and the sovereign of Mewar, he would obviously be the lord of all forts including Kumbhalgarh.
The fort was built by Kumbha who was a Sisodia like Udai Singh.

Regards,
Virendra

 

[Peter]

Nehruvian/Marxist historians are schizophrenic about the Rana. As a school I do not remember any chapter on him. In fact even today they hold that he was a rebel against "unification" by Akbar.

This is true. However I would add there was a part about Maharana Pratap during my eight standard. The sad thing is over hyped men like Gandhiji and Nehru occupy a large portion of our textbooks while the real heroes like Netaji,Bagha Jotin,Khudiram Bose etc are hardly mentioned.

 

[Pak-sarzameen]

Hakim Khan Sur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Simple_Guy]

When Akbar's Chittor campaign was to start in 1567, Udai Singh and part of the royal family (including Pratap) were evacuated to Udaipur/Gogunda, that the Rana had been building since 1559.

The walls that never fell - The Hindu

In 1557, Uday Singh realized that Chittor was not a smart choice for a capital and started establishing Udaipur as capital. While Udaipur was under development, he resided at Kumbalgarh, leaving Chittor in the charge of two generals. Akbar promptly attacked, but found an abandoned capital. He then shifted his gaze to Kumbalgarh and Udaipur, but Uday Singh has chosen his location wisely and the narrow gorges and steep ravines made it impossible for the Mughal army to use all their strength and it was at the famous battle of Haldighati under Rana Pratap of Mewar that Mewar attained its unconquerable status.

Jehangir made truce with Mewar, in which Chittor was returned under the terms that it wouldn't be fortified and the Rana's son would visit the durbar in Delhi. This is where the young prince Karan Singh became friends with Prince Khurram. Aurangzeb believed in total subjugation and tried once again to bring Mewar to heel. And though his army, under Shabat Khan, pounded Kumbalgarh with their French cannons, the mighty fort with its massive wall did not fall.

 

[Eesh]

Hakim Khan Sur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marxist historians have ignored Hakim Khan completely.

 

[Virendra]

Hakim Khan would have known easily that Pratap would be outnumbered against the Mughal Empire, with or without his help.
Yet he decided to help Pratap which tells a lot about his perception and character. He wasn't just another opportunist chieftain.
But to say that Haldighati wasn't fought on religious lines is false.
How much communal Haldighati and its build up were, can easily be gauged by what Badayuni, an eye witness of the battle records.
Extracts from that have time and again been quoted here.

 

[Pak-sarzameen]

Hakim Khan would have known easily that Pratap would be outnumbered against the Mughal Empire, with or without his help.
Yet he decided to help Pratap which tells a lot about his perception and character. He wasn't just another opportunist chieftain.
But to say that Haldighati wasn't fought on religious lines is false.
How much communal Haldighati and its build up were, can easily be gauged by what Badayuni, an eye witness of the battle records.
Extracts from that have time and again been quoted here.

That was politics, mughals had issued fatwas against Afghans declaring them kafirs and mulhids for siding with rajputs. Interestingly these central asian turko-mongols were nominally muslims compared to Afghans who were very religously conservative in general.

 

[Hari Sud]

We have talked enough about Rana Partap, brave son of Rajasthan. He lost to a superior army but kept fighting. Akbar was the king he lost to.

Let us talk in this thread or in another thread of Hemchandra (Hemu), a brave son of Haryana or UP who fought Akbar and came very close to inflicting a defeat on Akbar at Panipat -2. Alas! at the last hour he lost, an arrow found its mark and knocked him unconscious. Hemu lost the battle and his life to Akbar.

Let us talk about Hemu and his battlefield strategies which won him so many battles and made him master of Delhi, until Panipat -2.

 

[Eesh]

Easy to see why marxists blacked out Hakim Khan. They cannot digest the notion that 'secular' commander would help the Rana a communal rebel.

Also blacked out is post Haldighati massacre and destruction of Chittor.

Where did the Rana retreated after Haldighati?

 

[Simple_Guy]

Udai SIngh, the father of Maharana Pratap had a close shave with death as a child:

Rani Karnavati, Vikramaditya's mother entrusted her maidservant- Panna "dhai"(nanny)- for upbringing of her sons- Vikramaditya and Uday Singh.

Invited by nobles to be the guardian of Vikramaditya, Banvir, exploited the situation to fulfill his own ambitions. He felt that there were only two obstacles between him and the throne-Vikramaditya and his brother, Uday Singh. He secretly conspired to kill both. After he had assassinated Vikramaditya, Banvir was spotted by a maidservant and seeing his crimson sword, she promptly informed Panna of the cruel deed and said that Banvir was now coming for Uday Singh.

Panna's mind began racing. She had to save the only living heir to the throne of Mewar. She concealed Uday Singh in the basket and covered him with fruits and the future Maharana of the Mewar was smuggled out of the reach of Banvir. Panna placed her own sleeping son Chandan, on the bed of Uday Singh. When Banvir came, he unknowingly slew Chandan, thinking that it was Uday Singh sleeping in his bed.

Panna then contacted the Rajput chieftains and revealed to them the story of Uday Singh's escape. The Rajput chieftain, on coming to know the truth, considered their duty to restore the throne to the rightful owner. They joined Uday Singh in the revolt against Banvir and in a battle fought near Maholi; Banvir's entire army was routed.

At last Uday Singh returned to Chittor and was later crowned as the Maharana of Mewar. He was much indebted to Panna for her great sacrifice, yet Panna in the same Rajput tradition felt that it was her duty and all her sorrow was washed away on seeing Uday Singh on the throne.

A Great Sacrifice: Story of Panna Dhai | Royal Heritage Haveli

 

[Simple_Guy]

Udaipur took time to develop as a city, so Maharana Pratap ran his government from Chavand.