Akbar and His Allies

Akbar took the field against the Rajput prince, establishing his headquarters at Ajmer. This celebrated fortress, destined ultimately to be one of the twenty-two subahs of the Mogul empire, had admitted for some time a royal garrison.

Maldeo of Marwar, who had so ably opposed the usurper Sher Shah Suri. Akbar compelled Maldeo to join his alliance. So Maldeo followed the example of his brother prince, Bhagwan Das of Ambar, and to place himself at the footstool of Akbar.

With such examples as Marwar and Ambar, and with less power to resist the temptation, Akbar transformed the minor chiefs of Rajasthan, with a brave and numerous vassalage, into satraps of Delhi. Akbar and his vassal were fearful odds against Maharana Pratap.

Raja Man was returning from the conquest of Sholapur to Hindustan when he invited himself to an interview with Partap, then at Komulmir, who advanced to the Udai Sagar to receive him.

On the mound which embanks this lake, Maharana Pratap prepared a feast for the prince of Ambar. The Servant  spread the board, the Raja summoned, and prince Amar Singh appointed to wait upon him but no Maharana Pratap appeared.

Soon, the Maharana Pratap appeared and expressed his regret; but added: “I cannot eat with a Rajput who has given his daughter to a Turk, and who has probably eaten with him.” Raja Man was unwise to have risked this disgrace.

He left the feast untouched, save for the few grains of rice he offered to Andeva, the god of food. He mounted his horse, he turned to the Maharana Pratap and said: ” If I do not humble your pride, my name is not Man. To which Maharana Pratap replied, ” he should always be happy to meet him “.

Battle of Haldighati

Every act was reported to the emperor, who was exasperated at the insult thus offered to himself; and the incident hastened the first of those sanguinary battles which have immortalized the name of Maharana Pratap.

Prince Salim, the heir of Delhi, led the war, guided by the counsels of Raja Man and the distinguished apostate son of Sagarji and Muhabbat Khan. Maharana Pratap trusted to his native hills, and the valour of 22,000 Rajputs to withstand the son of Akbar.

The scene of this bloody encounter was the plain of Haldighati, , at the base of a neck of mountain, which rendered it almost inaccessible.

Maharana Pratap posted the Rajputs above and below the cliff. He posted Bhils on the cliffs pinnacles overlooking the field of battle. Bhil armed themselves with their natural weapon, the bow and arrow, and with huge stones ready to roll down on the enemy.

Maharana Pratap, with the flower of Mewar, defended the head of the pass, and glorious was the struggle for its maintenance.

Clan after clan followed one another with desperate intrepidity, emulating the daring of their prince, who led the crimson banner into the hottest part of the field. In vain he strained every nerve to encounter Raja Man ; but though denied the luxury of revenge on his Rajput foe, he made good a passage to where Salim commanded.

The prince’s guards fell before Maharana Pratap.  But for the steel plates which defended his howdah. The lance of the Rajput would have deprived Akbar of his heir.

His steed, the gallant Chetak represented in all the historical drawings of this battle, nobly served his master. Chetak one foot raised upon the elephant of the Mogul, while his rider has his lance propelled against his foe.

Defeat in the Battle

Maharana Pratap killed the mahout, whereupon the angry animal, now without control, ran away with his rider.

Rajput soldiers rescued Pratap thrice from amidst the enemy. Mughal army completely overwhelmed Maharana Pratap.

Manah seized upon the insignia of Mewar, and, raised the gold sun over his own head. So, Mughal army concentrated there attack on Mannah. While remaining Rajput soldier forced Maharana Pratap from the field.

The noble Jhala fell with all his brave vassals. In remembrance of the deed, his descendants have, since the day of Haldighat, borne the regal ensigns of Mewar, and enjoyed ” the right hand of her princes”.

Of Maharana Pratap’s 22,000 warriors, only 8,000 quitted the field alive.

Rana and His Horse Chetak

Unattended, the Maharana Pratap fled on the gallant Chetak, who had borne him through the day, and who saved him now by leaping a mountain stream when closely pursued by two Mogul chiefs, whom this impediment momentarily checked.

But Chetak, like his master, was wounded. Maharana Pratap’s pursuers were gaining, looking back, he beheld but a single horseman— that horseman his brother.

Sukta, whose personal enmity to Maharana Pratap had made him a traitor to Mewar, beheld from the ranks of Akbar the ” blue horse “flying unattended. Resentment was extinguished, and a feeling of affection mingling with sad and humiliating recollections, took possession of his heart.

He joined in the pursuit, but only to slay the pursuers, who fell beneath his lance; and now, for the first time in their lives, the two brothers embraced in friendship.

Here, too, Chetak fell, and as the Maharana Pratap unbuckled his caparison to place it upon new horse, presented to him by his brother, the noble steed expired. An altar was raised, and yet marks the spot where Chetak died.

The greeting between the princes was necessarily short. But Sukta left his brother with the assurance of reunion at the first safe opportunity. On rejoining Salim, Sukta told him the lies that Pratap had not only slain his pursuers, but his horse as well.

Salim pledged his word to spare him if he related the truth. Sukta replied: “The burden of a kingdom is on my brother’s shoulders, and I could not witness his danger without defending him.”

Salim kept his word, but dismissed the future head of the Suktawats from his service. Sukta joined Maharana Pratap at Udaipur. His brother made him a grant of the conquest, and it long remained the chief abode of his descendants.

Maharana Pratap Hunted by Mughals

Of the Maharana Pratap’s kin, 500 were slain in the battle of Haldighat. The ex-prince of Gwalior, with his son and 150 Tomar retainers paid the debt of gratitude with their lives. Manah lost 150 of his vassals, and every house of Mewar mourned its chief support.

Elate with victory, Salim left the hills. The rainy season had set in, which impeded operations, and obtained for Partap a few months of repose. But Mughal returned in  the spring, and again defeated Maharana Pratap. He then took post in Kumbhalgarh, which was at once invested by Shabaz Khan.

Here he made a gallant and protracted resistance, and did not retire till insects rendered the water of the impure. This circumstance is imputed to the treachery of the Deora chief of Abu, who had gone over to Akbar.

Pratap withdrew to the heart of the mountainous tract on the south – west of Mewar; while the his chief defended the Kumbhalgarh to the last. He was slain in the final assault.

Thus surrounded on every side, dislodged from his most secret retreats. Akbar hunted him from place to place, there appeared no hope for Pratap.