RESISTANCE OF MAHARANA PRATAP AGAINST AKBAR

When Rana Pratap took over as the Maharana (King) of Mewar, the political scene in India was not stable. Mughal emperor Akbar was in control of Chittor, the ancient capital of Mewar but he wanted to occupy whole of Mewar. His dream of whole of the India under the Mughal dynasty required Mewar to be under him. On the other hand Pratap, as a matter of self respect, wished Chittor to be his capital of ancestors. By 1573 Akbar realised that Pratap would never accept his supremacy over Mewar. The emperor Akbar was therefore keen to strike a peace deal with Pratap singh and historians believe that Akbar sent six delegations for the same. The first three missions were led by Jalal Khan Qurchi, the fourth by Raja Man Singh, the fifth by Raja Bhagwan Das, and the sixth by Raja Todar Mal. The fifth mission of Bhagwan Das was first fruitful in that the Rana Pratap agreed to put on a robe presented by Akbar and he sent his son Amar Singh to the Mughal court, but later on Maharana Pratap rejected all the missions, the principal reason of rejection was that, the Maharana was not prepared to compromise the independence, integrity and sovereignty of Mewar. It is also said that the Mewar Rajputs castigated Man Singh of Amber, who himself was a Rajput general, for being a member of Mughal army, who headed the fourth delegation that the emperor sent to Mewar. All his efforts for a peaceful solution were unfruitful; Akbar decided that he would not be able to waver Pratap from his resolve. Then he contemplated taking on the enemy through an armed conflict. Akbar planned a complete destruction of Mewar and Maharana Pratap. In order to take Mewar, Akbar won all the Rajput rulers barring Pratap Singh. In return of safety and protection of their subjects and the rulers themselves, all the Rajput rulers promised loyalty and support to the Emperor Akbar in case of a war with Pratap. Most of the Rajput rulers were all praise for Pratap , but they did not express their feelings in open for fear of the Emperor Akbar and the Emperor was also aware the same, Akbar also tried to win the hearts of the most important people of Chittor for the balance of power. After a detailed planning and meticulous implementation, Akbar blockaded Mewar from its traditional allies in 1573. He appointed and nominated Kunwar Sagar Singh, a younger brother of Pratap singh to head Mewar after the overthrow of Pratap Singh. This move of Akbar backfired because Sagar committed suicide in the Mughal court, as he didn’t want to be called a traitor. Akbar had to bear with another jolt as another younger brother of Pratap Singh, who was a general with the Mughal army, warned his brother of the dangers posed by Akbar. Maharana Pratap on the other hand himself and his subjects to defend the sovereignty of Mewar.