From Fighting Thousands Of Mughals To Sharing Deep Bond With His Horse, Revisiting Maharana Pratap's Legacy

Pratap Singh I, popularly known as Maharana Pratap, was a king of Mewar from the Sisodia dynasty. He was born in a Hindu Rajput family on May 9, 1540, and is popularly known for participating in the Battle of Haldighati and the Battle of Dewair.

Pratap became a folk hero for his military resistance against the expansionism of the Mughal Empire under Akbar through Guerrilla warfare which proved inspirational for later rebels against Mughals, including Shivaji.

On the occasion of his birth anniversary, here's revisiting the legacy of the great Rajput warrior:

Refused To Accept Mughal Suzerainty

Mughal Emperor Akbar sent many diplomatic missions to convince Pratap to accept Mughal suzerainty, but the latter refused to bow down to him. As a result, the Battle of Haldighati took place in 1576.

Even with an army of 22,000 against 80,000 Mughals, Maharana Pratap bravely fought the Haldighati Battle. While he lost the war due to his brother's betrayal but fought till the end. After sensing the Rajput army's defeat, Jhala Maan, who had a close resemblance to Pratap, wore his crown to give disillusion to the Mughal army. He was later killed.

Carried 360 Kgs Of Weight

Maharana Pratap was one of the strongest warriors in the country, with a height of 7 feet 5 inches. He carried 360 kg of weight, including a spear weighing around 80 kg, two swords weighing 208 kg and armour of nearly 72 kg. His own weight was over 110 kg.

The Double Swords Of Mewar

The Rajput king Maharana Pratap used to carry two swords which weighed nearly 25 kilos each. He would offer one sword to his enemy before a fight if he was unarmed. Currently, the swords are placed in the Maharana Pratap museum in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Bond With His Horse

Chetak was the loyal horse of Maharana Pratap with whom he shared a close bond. During the Battle of Haldighati, Pratap, riding on his horse, attacked Mughal army leader Man Singh I of Amber, who was on an elephant. One of the elephant's tusks went through one of Chetak's rear legs, causing a grave injury, according to News18.

Despite this, Chetak galloped away from the battlefield with his wounded master on back, to save his life. The horse crossed two miles and after jumping across a stream that was approximately 22 feet wide, collapsed and passed away.

Owned A Loyal Elephant

Maharana Pratap also owned an elephant, Ramprasad, who killed two war elephants of the Mughals. When Akbar imprisoned Ramprasad, it did not eat or drink anything and died on the 18th day.

Died Of A Hunting Accident

While Maharana Pratap survived many battles in his lifetime, he died of an injury from a hunting accident while tightening the string of a bow with an arrow.

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