Mewar's Maharana Pratap is among the greatest warriors of the country. Maharana Pratap's story of sacrifice and honor continues to be the pride of all Rajputs till date. Maharana Pratap was a Hindu Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Mewar. Pratap and Mughal ruler Akbar's rivalry is one of the greatest rivalries in Indian History. With the tales of the fierce and menacing war and the warriors, the tale of Pratap's beloved horse Chetak cannot be overlooked. The Rajput king's true companion who also saved his life on the battlefield was beyond just a loyal horse, he was treated like his own by Maharana Pratap which is why his might and devotion towards Pratap made him yet another legend in the pages of history. Despite Rana Pratap's loss in the iconic battle of Haldighat, the Rajput king had successfully escaped the clutches of the Mughals and continued to fight for his motherland till his last breath.
1. The daring Pratap, titled "Mewari Rana" was born on 9 May 1540 to father Udai Singh II and mother Maharani Jaiwanta Bai in Mewar. Pratap had witnessed the tyranny of the Mughal empire from a young age and also fought alongside his father in the battles from an early age. He was born in the city of Udaipur and was a potent warrior of Rajasthan known for his spirit and resilience.
2. Rana Pratap had seen the oppression of Mughals on Indians as a young boy who emerged to be among the first Indian rulers who stood against the fiery Mughal empire and their brutality. It was a huge challenge for Maharana and nearly all Rajput rulers were under the Mughals and Pratap's rebellion angered them.
3. As per the historians, Rana Pratap was a well-built person with a height of nearly seven feet and five inches and weighed around 110 kilograms. In addition to this, the books of history also mention that the warrior carried around 104 kilograms of weapons on him.
4. The most notable war fought by the Rajput ruler was the battle of Haldighati. The Battle of Haldighat was fought for nearly two decades and the Mughal emperor Akbar emerged victorious after the 20-year war. Despite the victory, the Mughal empire had failed to capture Rana Pratap, the mighty warrior would have rather embraced death than be surrendered to the Mughals.
5. The Battle of Haldighati was a legendary battle fought on 18 June 1576 between Maharana Pratap Singh and Mughal Emperor Akbar's troop led by Raja Man Singh l of Amer.
6. Rana Pratap's troop which was nearly less than half of the strength of the Mughal troops in numbers but the strategic war skills of Pratap made his troops held out the war for nearly 20 years. The Rajput warriors put out a great deal of Challenge for Akbar's troops. Despite the outcome, Pratap managed to escape and continued fighting for the sake of his motherland.
7. Rana Pratap and his beloved Chetak shared an unparalleled bond of love and loyalty. Rana loved his horse chetak immensely and in the terrorizing battle of Haldighat, Chetak saved his master even after being heavily injured on the battlefield. Chetak had marched straight towards the enemy’s elephant with commendable courage never witnessed in history again. The sword on the trunk of the elephant had cut through Chetak's leg and yet the wounded horse ran as hard as he could to save Rana. Chetak immediately collapsed after leaping over a huge canal.
8. Chetak had managed to safely bring Rana across the canal but his selfless service came to an end there. The sight of an injured horse jumping over a canal is said to be a sight that left the whole Mughal troop amazed. It is said that Maharana wept like a young child over the death of his faithful horse.
9. It is said that Maharana Pratap had 11 wives, 17 sons, and five daughters. Out of the 17 sons, Rawat Krishnadasji Chundawat, Maan Singhji Jhala, and Chandrasenji Rathore were the ones who fought alongside Rana Pratap in his battles against the Mughals.
10. As per historians, Maharana Pratap succumbed to the injuries inflicted on him during a hunting event. He died on ith January 1597 at the age of 56 in Chavand. His eldest son Amar Singh I succeeded him. Even on his death bed, Pratap had uttered that his son shall never submit to the Mughals.
