Maharana Pratap

13th Maharana of Mewar
Portrait of Pratap by Raja Ravi Varma
Reign 1572 - 1597[1]
Predecessor Udai Singh II
Successor Amar Singh I
Ministers Bhamashah
Born 9 May 1540
Kumbhalgarh, Mewar[1][2]
(present day: Kumbhal Fort, Rajsamand District, 
Rajasthan, India)

Died 19 January 1597 (aged 56)[1]

Chavand, Mewar[1]
(Present day:Chavand, Udaipur District, Rajasthan,
India)

Spouse 11 (including Maharani Ajabde)[3][4]

Issue 22 (including Amar Singh I and Bhagwan Das)[3]
Dynasty Sisodias of Mewar
Father Udai Singh II
Mother Maharani Jaiwanta Bai
Religion Hinduism
Early life and accession
Maharana Pratap was born in Hindu Rajput family to Udai
Singh II of Mewar and Jaiwanta Bai.[5][6][7] His younger
brothers were Shakti Singh, Vikram Singh and Jagmal
Singh. Pratap also had 2 stepsisters: Chand Kanwar and
Man Kanwar. He was married to Ajabde Punwar of Bijolia[8]
 and he had married 10 other women and was survived by
17 sons and 5 daughters including Amar Singh I.[9] He
belonged to the Royal Family of Mewar.[10] After the death
of Udai Singh in 1572, Rani Dheer Bai wanted her son 
Jagmal to succeed him[11] but senior courtiers preferred
Pratap, as the eldest son, to be their king. The desire of
the nobles prevailed. Udai Singh died in 1572, and Prince
Pratap ascended the throne as Maharana Pratap, the 54th
ruler of Mewar in the line of the Sisodia Rajputs.[12] Jagmal
swore revenge and left for Ajmer, to join the armies of 
Akbar, and obtained the town of Jahazpur as a Jagir as a
gift in return for his help.[13]
Military career
Battle of Haldighati
Main article: Battle of Haldighati
The bloody Siege of Chittorgarh in 1567-1568 had led to
the loss of the fertile eastern belt of Mewar to the Mughals
. However, the rest of the wooded and hilly kingdom in the 
Aravalli range was still under the control of Maharana
Pratap. Mughal Emperor Akbar 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 entreating him to become a vassal like
many other Rajput leaders in the region. When the Pratap
refused to personally submit to Akbar, war became
inevitable.[14][15]