Rana Pratap (1572-86)
Although the power of Mewar was now diminished, her story survived in bardic tradition. Many Rajputs had by now accepted the suverainty of the Moghuls. Pratap, son of Udai Singh, kept up a valiant if fruitless struggle against the Moghul forces of Akbar for fourteen years. Most of his time was spent as a fugitive in the forests and ravines around Udaipur and Kumbalgarh. He became a legend during his lifetime-the Battle of Haldighati (1576) being celebrated more as a glorious defeat than a victory for the Moghuls.
At one time during his long exile in the forests fighting the Moghul forces, Rana Pratap was distressed by the sufferings of his family. His queen slept on the bare ground, ate off leaves and his children often wept through sheer hunger. In despair, the proud Rajput wrote to the Emperor Akbar suing for an honourable peace. Akbar was triumphant. He showed the letter to Prithviraj Rathore of Jodhpur. The Rathore was thunder-struck. He refused to believe Pratap was about to surrender. He insisted the letter was forged and obtained permission to write to Pratap himself to confirm the matter.
