Maharana Pratap was the ruler of Mewar, a region, in the present day state of Rajasthan. He is widely regarded as a fearless warrior and ingenious strategist, who successfully fought the tyrannic Mughals and safeguarded his people until his death. He is hailed as an inspirational figure for exemplifying gallantry and resourcefulness, and for being one of the earliest proponents of Indian patriotism. In 1568 during the reign of Udai Singh, Maharana Pratap's father Chittorgarh Fort was conquered by the Mughal emperor Akbar. However, Udai Singh and the royal family of Mewar had left before the fort was captured and moved to the foothills of the Aravalli Range where Singh had already founded the city of Udaipur in 1559. In the year 1572, Pratap Singh become the Maharana of Mewar. Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, served Akbar.Many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber served as army commanders in Akbar's armies and as members of his council. Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. Each time, however, Pratap refused to accept Akbar's suzerainty, arguing that the Rajputs had never accepted any foreign ruler as their overlord, nor will he. Battle of Haldighati : On 21 June 1576, the armies of Pratap and Akbar (led by Sayyed Hashim Barha son of Sayyed Mahmud Khan) met at Haldighati, near the town of Gogunda. Pratap's army was defeated, but Pratap organised another attack, known as the Battle of Dewar, in which the Mewar army was victorious. Pratap was able to claim back much of the lost territories of Mewar and freed much of Rajasthan from the Mughal rule. Maharana Pratap became an icon for freedom fighters because his name evoked a strong feeling of love and sacrifice for motherland. As per a statement by Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, this year, India will be celebrating Maharana Pratap's 475th birth anniversary in a big way all over the country. source: shanknad
