Origin
Rana Pratap Singh I, popularly
known as Maharana Pratap, was the 13th king of Mewar, a region in north-western
India in the present-day state of Rajasthan. He was titled as "Mewari Rana"
and was notable for his military resistance against the expansionism of the
Mughal Empire.
Early Life
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 Pratap Singh. The Mughal emperor Akbarwas
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.
Reportedly, Pratap died of
injuries sustained in a hunting accident, at Chavand on 19 January 1597, aged
56.
Legecy
There are a lot of places and destinations named after his name and he has been noted many a times as a portrait of bravery and velegiance. He was known to develop the Guerrilla warfare techniques and was known to be the only Rajput ruler who refused to bow in front of Akbar and Mughal armies.