Early Life

Rana Udai Singh ascended the throne in 1541, amidst great rejoicings. He was the son of Rana Sanga. But state of Mewar was in ruins due to the improper conduct of Rana Ratan and Bikramajit.

Rana Udai Singh lacked qualities of a king and the common heritage of his race—martial aggression. Yet he might have slumbered life away in inglorious repose during the lifetime of Humayun.

But, unfortunately for Rajasthan, in the same year when Rana Udai Singh ascended the throne of Mewar. In an oasis of the Indian desert, an infant(Akbar) destined to be the most powerful monarch that ever swayed scepter of Hindustan was born.

Rise of Akbar

Akbar the Great first saw the light amid scenes of hardship and affliction. His father a fugitive and its recovery more improbable than had been its acquisition by Babar.

Humayun trained his son, as his own father had trained him, in the school of adversity. The greatest of the great Moguls passed the first twelve years of his life surrounded by every trial of fortune.

Humayun no sooner saw the tide of events set counter to his foe, than he crossed the Indus and advanced upon Sirhind, where the Pathan soon met him with a tumultuous array. The impetuosity of young Akbar brought on a general engagement and gained a glorious victory.

In 1556, Akbar seated on the throne of his Father. Soon his enemy Hemu wrested from him Delhi and Agra, and attacked Punjab where Akbar was ready with his Army. Akbar defeated Hemu and became ruler of Delhi.

Chittor and Mewar under Attack

Akbar regained his lost empire with equal rapidity. After conquering Kalpi, Chanderi, Bundelkand and Malwa, Akbar turned his attention towards the Rajputs.

He advanced against the Rathors, and stormed and took the second city in Marwar. Raja Bharmal of Ambar anticipated matters by enrolling himself and his son, Bhagwan Das, among Akbar’s vassals, gave him a daughter to wife, and held his country as a fief of the empire.

The rebellions of the Uzbek nobles checked for a time his designs on Rajasthan; but these were soon quelled, and the imperial army was free to advance to the subjugation of the prince of Chittor.

The absence of the kingly virtues in the Rana of Mewar changed of her destiny. The guardian goddess of the Sisodias had promised never to abandon the rock of her pride while a descendant of Bappa Rawal devoted himself to her service.

But in this, the third and greatest struggle, no regal victim was forthcoming. The mysterious tie which united the Gehlote to the throne of Chittor was severed forever.

Rana Udai Singh regarded chittor, the abode of regality, which for a thousand years reared her head above all the cities of Hindustan, as indefensible. It became a refuge to the wild beasts which sought cover in her temples.

Soon Akbar started the siege of Chittor. As soon as Akbar started the seige Rana left fort of Chittor. It lacked not, however, brave defenders.

But the names which shine brightest in this gloomy page of the annals of Mewar are those of Jaimal of Bednor and Patta of Kailwara, both of the sixteen superior vassals of Chittor.

The first was a from house of Rathor , the bravest of the brave clans of Marwar ; the other was head of the Jugawats, another grand shoot from Chonda. Their names, “Jaimal and Patta,” always inseparable, are as household words in Mewar. It will be honoured while the Rajput retains a shred of his inheritance or a spark of his ancient recollections.

Third Sack of Chittor and Johur

The defenders of Chitor saw patta descend the rock and fall fighting by the side of her brave mother. Mughal killed Patta and grievously wounded next commander Jaimal. Seeing there was no hope of salvation he resolved to signalize the end of his career.

Jaimal ordered the fatal johur. About 8,000 Rajputs ate the last bira together, and put on their saffron robes. The gates were thrown open, the work of destruction commenced. Only few survived to “stain the yellow mantle” by inglorious surrender.

Nine queens, five princesses, with two infant sons, and the families of all the chieftains who took part in the defence perished in the flames. Their divinity had, indeed, forsaken them ! The rock of Rajput strength was despoiled ; their temples and palaces dilapidated; and, to complete the humiliation and his own triumph.

Akbar bereft the city of all the symbols of sovereignty. He carried away the nakara or grand kettle-drums s to adorn his projected capital, Akbarabad.

Akbar claimed the honour of the death of Jaimal by his own hand. Abu Fazil and Jahagir recorded this fact.

But the conqueror of Chittor evinced a more exalted sense of the merits of his foes in erecting statues in honour of Jaimal and Patta at the most conspicuous entrance of his palace at Delhi.

Final days of Rana Udai Singh

When Rana Udai Singh abandoned Chittor, he found refuge in the valley of the Girwoh in the Aravalli. It close to the retreat of his great ancestor, Bappa, as he conquered Chittor.

At the entrance to this valley, several years previously, he had formed the lake still called after him, Udai Sagar. He now raised a dyke between the hills which dammed up another stream.

On the cluster of hills adjoining, he built the small palace called Nauchoki. Around this structure soon arose to which Rana Udai Singh gave his own name, Udaipur, henceforth the capital of Mewar.

Four years had Rana Udai Singh survived the loss of his capital when he expired, at the early age of forty-two. His last act was to entail contention upon his sons, of whom he left twenty five; for, setting aside the established law of primogeniture, he proclaimed his favourite son Jagmal his successor. In Mewar there is no interregnum.