महाराणा प्रताप (9 मई, 1540 - 19 जनवरी, 1597) उदयपुर, मेवाड में शिशोदिया राजवंश के राजा थे। उनका नाम इतिहास में वीरता और दृढ प्रण के लिये अमर है। उन्होंने कई सालों तक मुगल सम्राट अकबर के साथ संघर्ष किया। इनका जन्म राजस्थान के कुम्भलगढ में महाराणा उदयसिंह एवं माता राणी जीवत कँवर के घर हुआ था।
1576 के हल्दीघाटी युद्ध में 20,000 राजपूतों को साथ लेकर राणा प्रताप ने मुगल सरदार राजा मानसिंह के 80,000 सैनिको की सेना का सामना किया। शत्रु सेना से घिर चुके महाराणा प्रताप को शक्ति सिंह ने बचाया। इस युद्ध में उनके प्रिय अश्व चेतक को भी वीरगति प्राप्त हुई।
यह युद्ध चला तो केवल एक ही दिन परन्तु इसमें लगभग 17,000 लोग मारे गए। मेवाड़ को जीतने के लिये अकबर ने सभी प्रयास किये। महाराणा प्रताप की हालत दिन-प्रतिदिन चिंता जनक होती चली जा रही थी। तब 25,000 राजपूतों का जीवन यापन 12 साल तक चले उतना अनुदान देकर भामा शा ने महाराणा प्रताप की मदद की और इतिहास के पन्नो में खुद भी अमर हो गया।
लोक में रहेंगे परलोक हुल्हेंगे तोहू,
पत्ता भूली हेंगे कहा चेतक की चाकरी ।।
में तो अधीन सब भांति सो तुम्हारे सदा एकलिंग,
तापे कहा फेर जयमत हवे नागारो दे ।।
करनो तू चाहे कछु और नुकसान कर,
धर्मराज ! मेरे घर एतो मत धारो दे ।।
दीन होई बोलत हूँ पीछो जीयदान देहूं,
करुना निधान नाथ! अबके तो टारो दे ।।
बार बार कहत प्रताप मेरे चेतक को,
एरे करतार! एक बार तो उधारो ।।
महाराणा प्रताप का जन्म कुम्भलगढ दुर्ग में हुआ था। महाराणा प्रताप की माता का नाम जैवन्ताबाई था, जो पाली के सोनगरा अखैराज की बेटी थी। महाराणा प्रताप को बचपन में कीका के नाम से पुकारा जाता था। महाराणा प्रताप का राज्याभिषेक गोगुन्दा में हुआ। महाराणा प्रताप ने कभी भी अकबर की अधीनता को स्वीकार नहीं किया था। अकबर ने महाराणा प्रताप को समझाने के लिये क्रमश: चार शान्ति दूतों को भेजा।
- जलाल सिंह
- मानसिंह
- भगवान दास
- टोडरमल
हल्दीघाटी का युद्ध
यह युद्ध जून 1576 ईस्वी में मेवाड तथा मुगलों के मध्य हुआ था। इस युद्ध में मेवाड की सेना का नेतृत्व महाराणा प्रताप ने किया था। इस युद्ध में महाराणा प्रताप की तरफ से लडने वाले एकमात्र मुस्लिम सरदार थे - हकीम खाँ सूरी।
इस युद्ध में मुगल सेना का नेतृत्व मानसिंह तथा आसफ खाँ ने किया। इस युद्ध का आँखों देखा वर्णन अब्दुल कादिर बदायूनीं ने किया। इस युद्ध को आसफ खाँ ने अप्रत्यक्ष रूप से जेहाद की संज्ञा दी। इस युद्ध में बींदा के झालामान ने अपने प्राणों का बलिदान करके महाराणा प्रताप के जीवन की रक्षा की।
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Maharana Pratap About this sound pronunciation or Pratap Singh (May 9, 1540 – January 19, 1597) was a Hindu Rajput ruler of Mewar, a region in north-western India in the present day state of Rajasthan.
In popular Indian culture, Pratap is considered to exemplify the qualities like bravery and chivalry to which Rajputs aspire, especially in context of his opposition to the Mughal emperor Akbar. The struggle between Rajput confederacy led by Pratap Singh, and the Mughal Empire under Akbar, has often been characterised as a struggle between Hindus and the invading hordes of Muslims, much on the same lines as the struggle between Shivaji and Aurangzeb a little less than a century later.
Maharana Pratap was a staunch patriot. He saw Mughals as foreigners who had invaded India and that is why he refused to surrender. His own father Udai Singh had condemned the house of Man Singh for their marriage with unclean foreigners and Pratap Singh himself said that he would call Akbar only a 'Turk' and not an emperor.
Also Pratap Singh's dogged resistance, even when he had to wander in the jungles of Aravallis and his persistent refusal to surrender even after being reduced to starvation while pursuing Haldighati, are indicative of an individual with a sacred mission rather than one who fought for power politics.
His vow giving up all comforts of palace life till he recaptured his entire kingdom from the Mughals and his lifelong observance of that vow, speak to his steadfast patriotism and determination rather than a lust for power. Further proof of his beliefs is found in his repeated refusal to accept lucrative offers from Akbar in the shape of jagirs and suberdaris.
In 1568, during the reign of Udai Singh II, Chittor was conquered by the Mughal Emperor Akbar after the third Jauhar at Chittor. However, Udai Singh and the royal family of Mewar escaped before the capture of the fort and moved to the foothills of the Aravalli Range where Udai Singh founded the city of Udaipur.
Rana Udai Singh had wished Jagmal, his son, from her favorite - the Bhatiyani queen to succeed him. But after his death the senior nobles wanted Pratap, the eldest son, to be their king as was customary. During the coronation ceremony, Jagmal was physically moved out of the palace by the Chundawat Chief and Tomar chief Ramshah and prevailed upon Pratap, who was crowned as the next Rana of Mewar.
Folklore has it that Pratap did not want to go against the wishes of his father but Rajput nobles convinced him that Jagmal was not fit to rule in the troubled times of the day; but it is quite possible that what occurred was a bitterly contested struggle for succession: something characteristic of most South Asian kingdoms of the age.
Though the chief reasons for resentment between Pratap Singh and Akbar, two very visionary rulers is unclear, it is now largely agreed that it had to do with disagreements over the status of Mewar within the Mughal Empire, were it to at all accept Mughal suzerainty.
The tensions were further characterised by the fact that Babur and Rana Sanga, grandfathers to Akbar and Pratap respectively, had earlier bitterly contested the control over the Gangetic plains and the Doab. It is evident that there had been some measures of reconciliation, such as acceptance of ambassadors and representatives between the two courts. However, none of these could ever be taken to any logical end.
Conflict
Chittorgarh Fort which Rana wanted to reclaim. Also seen is Vijay Stambha along with Gaumukh Reservoir.
Chittorgarh (Chittor fort), Pratap's ancestral home, was under Mughal occupation. Living a life on the run, the dream of reconquering Chittor (and thus reclaiming the glory of Mewar) was greatly cherished by Pratap, and his future efforts were bent towards this goal. In essence Pratap remained king of the whole of Rajputana (now Rajasthan) and the lands surrounding it except Chittor.
Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber (later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council.
Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. This is clearly evidential of the ends sought by each of the two rulers: for Akbar, having an independent or semi independent kingdom, within his otherwise consolidated empire was politically unsound and militarily dangerous; for Pratap Singh, on the other hand, to accept vassalage with little in return was a political suicide, and a steep fall for Mewar in the region's power structure.
Battle of Haldighati :
On June 21, 1576 (June 18 by other calculations), the two armies met at Haldighati, near the town of Gogunda in present-day Rajasthan. While accounts vary as to the exact strength of the two armies, all sources concur that the Mughal forces outnumbered Pratap's men. Statue of Maharana Pratap of Mewar on his Chetak horse, commemorating the Battle of Haldighati, City Palace, Udaipur.
However, the numerical superiority of the Mughal army and their artillery began to tell. Seeing that the battle was favouring Akbar and with the huge amount of death of soldiers on both sides, Pratap's generals prevailed upon him to flee the field so as to be able to fight another day.
Myths indicate that to facilitate Pratap's escape, one of his lieutenants, a member of the Jhala clan, donned Pratap's distinctive garments and took his place in the battlefield. He was soon killed. Meanwhile, riding his trusty steed Chetak, Pratap was able to successfully evade captivity and escape to the hills. However, Chetak was critically wounded on his left thigh by a mardana (Elephant Trunk Sword), with spear of weight 263 kg.
while Pratap had attempted to nail down Man Singh. Chetak was bleeding heavily and he collapsed after jumping over a small brook a few kilometres away from the battle field. A famous couplet narrates this incident of the battle:
"Aage nadiya padi apaar, ghoda kaise utare paar Rana ne socha is paar, tab tak chetak tha us paar"
English Translation :
Lies the boundless river ahead, How will the horse cross it? While Rana was thinking still on this side (of river), Chetak was that side!
It is said that Shakti Singh, Pratap's brother, who was fighting from side of Mughals, came to Pratap's side at this time and gave him his horse Unkar to escape, who also killed two Afghan horse riders, who had followed Pratap to the spot.
The battle of Haldighati has commanded a lasting presence in Rajasthani folklore, and the persona of Pratap Singh is celebrated in a famous folk song “O Neele Ghode re Aswar” (O Rider of the Blue Horse).
There is a famous folksong written on his life in Hills. "Are ghaas ri roti hi jad ban bilawdo le bhagyo".
Aftermath Pratap retreated into the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis and continued his struggle. His one attempt at open confrontation having thus failed, Pratap resumed the tactics of guerrilla warfare.
Using the hills as his base, Pratap continued small raids and skirmishes against the outlying check-posts, fortresses and encampments of his adversaries; some of whom included the Hindu vassals appointed by the Mughals in the wake of Pratap Singh's defeat.
During Pratap's exile, he received much assistance from Bhamashah, a trusted general and aide of Pratap, who along with his brother Tarachand looted Mughal territory of Malwa and offered this large booty to Pratap to carry on his fight against Mughal.
Bhamashah was promoted to post of Prime Minister after this by Pratap. The Bhil tribals of the Aravalli hills provided Pratap with their support during times of war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace.
With the large booty at his disposal, Pratap organized another attack and Battle of Dewar followed in which army of Mewar was victorious and Pratap was able to claim back much of the lost territories of Mewar, except Chittor.
Personal life of Maharana Partap :
Rana Pratap had 11 Ranis and 17 sons and 5 daughters of which Amar Singh was eldest followed by Chanda Singh, Sahas Mal, Shekha Singh and others.
Death of Maharana Partap :
Maharana Pratap died of injuries sustained in a hunting accident. He died at Chavand, on January 19, 1597, aged fifty-seven. Maharana Pratap's son, Amar Singh, succeeded him to throne of Mewar.
Legacy of Maharana Partap :
Most important of Pratap Singh's legacy was in the military field – after Haldighati, he increasingly experimented and perfected guerrilla warfare and light horse tactics. His innovative military strategy- use of scorched earth, evacuation of entire populations along potential routes of enemy march, poisoning of wells, use of mountain forts in Aravallis, repeated plunder and devastation of enemy territories along with harassing raids on enemy baggage, communications and supply lines- helped him recapture most of Mewar (except Chittor) by time of his death and enabled him to successfully tackled vastly stronger armies of Akbar.
Harassing warfare perfected by Pratap Singh would in due course was adopted by Malik Ambar of Ahmednagar who taught and deployed local Marathas to fight invading Mughal armies, thus preparing them for future warfare against Mughals. Though Pratap Singh failed to overcome Mughals in his lifetime, indirectly and in long run, his military techniques paved way for downfall of Mughal empire.
