This article is about the kingdom in Rajputana called the Kingdom of Mewar. For the natural and historical region, see Mewar. For the state with its capital in Dharamjaigarh, see Udaipur State, Chhattisgarh.
Kingdom of Mewar
566 CE–present
Flag
Coat of arms of Udaipur State
Motto: "The Almighty protects the one who upholds righteousness"
Greatest extent of the Kingdom of Mewar, 15th Century
Later, Maharana Hammir, a scion of the cadet Sisodiya dynasty (junior branch of Guhilas) re-occupied Mewar in 1326 [20] However, a firm hold was established when an invading army of the Delhi Sultanate was repulsed at the Battle of Singoli (1336).[21] In the coming years, the kingdom became the most powerful state in the Northern India most notably under Maharana Kumbha and his grandson Maharana Sanga.[11] At its peak, it controlled parts of Sindh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. Mewar achieved this by gaining a streak of success against its neighboring Hindu Kingdoms and Islamic Sultanates, particularly in Mewar- Malwa Conflict and Mewar-Delhi Conflicts.[22] The kingdom declined after the Battle of Khanwa with the Mughals.[23] Despite this, it continued to resist Mughal Expansion under Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharana Pratap. Maharana Pratap decisively defeated the Mughals in Battle of Dewair (1582) compelling the surrender of 36,000 Mughal soldiers.[24][25] Following this great triumph, he conquered most of Mewar in his later reign.[26] After Pratap's death, a constant struggle ensued between Mughals and Pratap's son Rana Amar Singh I which eventually led to a peace treaty through which Mewar became a vassal to the Mughals.[27] Even during this brief period of vassalization, Rana Raj Singh I and his successors revolted and led numerous successful campaigns including the Rathore revolt and Rajput - Mughal war of 1708-1710 against the Mughal empire, ultimately resulting in a victory for Mewar along with its independence.[28] The kingdom afterward came under the Maratha influence and started paying Chauth.[29] The kingdom accepted British suzerainty in 1818 and it continued till 1947, after which Bhupal Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India and joined the Union of India.[30]
^Hooja, Rima (2006). A history of Rajasthan. Rupa and Company. p. 452. ISBN9788129115010. As a consequence of Sanga's exploits, the borders of Mewar by this period extended from near Mandu (the capital of Malwa), in the south to Peela Khal (Pilya Khal), a small rivulet near Bayana and Agra, in the north-east, and deep into the desert country (stretching towards the river Indus) west and north-west of Mewar. In addition, numerous fellow-princes had accepted the pre-eminence or token leadership of Sanga. The princes of Marwar and Amber did him homage, and the Raos of Gwalior, Ajmer, Sikri, Raesen [sic], Kalpee [sic], Chanderi, Boondi [sic], Gagrown [sic], Rampoora, and Aboo [sic], served him as tributaries or held of him in chief
^Mankekar, D.r (1976). Mewar Saga. Vikas Publishing House. p. 39. ISBN978-0-7069-0416-1. These exploits in the field of battle established Sanga as the most outstanding personality in northern India and raised him to the status of the overlord of the whole of Rajasthan. The princes of Marwar and Amber accepted Sanga as their leader and the Raos of Gwalior, Ajmer, Sikri, Kalpi, Chanderi, Bundi, Gagron, Rampura and Abu served him as feudatories
^Somani, Ram Vallabh (1995). Maharana Kumbha and His Times. Jaipur Publishing House. pp. 1 "It is believed that the word Mewar is derived from Mewa or Meda tribe, who had resided in this region for a petty long time. In Sanskrit, the word Mewar is also used as "Medapat" The Earliest references of these words-- Mewar and Medapata- are found in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabransha works of the 10th century A.D".
^ abBhatnagar, V.S (1974). Life and Times of Sawai Jai Singh, 1688-1743. Impex India. pp. 6. Mewar's grand recovery commended under Lakha and later under Kumbha and most notably under Sanga it became one of the greatest powers in the northern India in first quarter of 16th century.
^Somani, Ram Vallabh (1995). Maharana Kumbha and His TImes. Jaipur Publishing House. pp. 4 "Early Guhilots ruled over western Mewar. We find their inscriptions regularly from the 6th century A.D. It seems that the date of Guhadatta, the progenitor of the family, falls under the first quarter of sixth century A.D. ".
^Majumdar, R.C (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 326 "While the siege of Chitor was in progress the ruling prince Ratnasimha, who belonged to the elder branch of the Guhila family, was dethron¬ ed and another member of a junior or Sisodiya branch of the same family was proclaimed as the ruler".
^Somani, Ram Vallabh (1976). History of Mewar: from earliest times to 1751 A.D. C.L. Ranka, Jaipur. pp. 1 "the ranges of Aravali hills form its natural boundary in south and west respectively. It is surrounded by the district Ajmer and the sub-division Shahpura in north, the districts Bundi and Kotah, the sub-division Pratabgarh of Rajasthan and the district Mandsaut of Madhya Pradesh in east, the district ‘Tonk in north-east, che districts Dungar= pur and Banswara in south, Idar of Gujarat state in southwest and the districts Pali and Sirohi in west, ".
^Somani, Ram Vallabh (1976). History of Mewar from the Earliest Time to 1751 A.D. pp. 45 "Similarly, Bappa might have also benefitted from the situation. It seems that a coalition was formed by Nagbhat I with Bappa-Rawal and Dhawal of Hadoti.Together they successfully resisted the advancing forces of the Arabs. As the Maurya power of Ghittor was put to an end by the Arabs, Bappa-Rawal took advantage of this situation and extended his sway over eastern Mewar, Tradition believes that he had built up the state on a stronger foundation by the assimilation of the Maurya power of Chittor.".
^Majumdar, R,C (1977). Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 300 "In addition to the main branch of Guhilas rulling in Mewar, there was another ruling in Jaipur. Both these branches acknowledged the suzeranity of Pratihars". ISBN978-81-208-0436-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Hooja, Rima (2005). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa and Co. pp. 308: "Amir Khusrau's works have omitted mention of several episodes unpalatable to the Sultan among them the murder of Jalaluddin Khilji by his nephew, Alauddin, Alauddin's defeat at the hands of the Mongols, and the Mongol siege of Delhi. Srivastava also asserts that it would be wrong to say that Jayasi had concocted the entire story of Padmini. He holds that ‘Jayasi wrote out a romance, the plot of which he derived from Amir Khusrau's Khazain-ul-Futuh’, and while conceding that “most of the romantic details of Jayasi's Padmavat are imaginary”, asserts that “the main plot of the story that Padmini was coveted by Alauddin and was shown in a mirror to the lustful Sultan who had her husband arrested, is most probably based on historical truth. He further suggests that the women performed Jauhar after Ratan Singh's arrest and then the Rajputs fell on the invaders and rescued the Rana, but they were cut down to a man, and the fort and the country passed into Alauddin's hands". ISBN978-81-291-0890-6.
^Majumdar, R.C (1967). History and Culture of the Indian People, Volume 06,The Delhi Sultanate. Bjhartiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 327"He was now in a position to undertake the crowning achievement of his reign, the recovery of Chitor. Although the later in¬ scriptions make no direct mention of this incident, there is no doubt that this reconquest of Chitor also be attributed to him. For, all traditions unanimously ascribe it to Hammir".
^Mankekar, D.R (1976). Mewar Saga. pp. 39. "These exploits in the field of battle established Sanga as the most outstanding personality in northern India and raised him to the status of the overlord of the whole of Rajasthan. The princes of Marwar and Amber accepted Sanga as their leader and the Raos of Gwalior, Ajmer, Sikri, Kalpi, Chanderi, Bundi, Gagron, Rampura and Abu served him as feudatories".
^Mankekar, D.R (1976). Mewar Saga. pp. 42 "The battle of Khanua is a watershed in Indian history. With it, the cup of supremacy in the land, at last, came to the lips of a Hindu monarch only to be dashed to the ground.".
^Bhattacharya, Manoshi (2008). The Royal Rajputs. Rupa and Co. pp. 42–46.
^Sharma, G.N (1954). Mewar and the Mughal Emperors. Shiva Lal Agarwala. pp. No indigenous State in medieval India figured so prominently in the chequered annals of our land and played so valiant a role in resisting the aggressive expansion of the foreign Sultanate of Delhi (1206— 1526) and its successor the Mughal Empire (1526— 2803) as the tiny Me war with a population and revenue hardly as • numerous as those of any two districts in Uttar Pradesh of today.
^Sarda, Har Bilas. Maharana Kumbha: Sovereign, Soldier, Scholar. Scottish Mission Industries Company. p. 2. It has rarely occurred in any country," says Col. Tod, "to have possessed successively so many energetic princes as ruled Mewar through several centuries." Jaitra Singh, Hammir, Kumbha, Sanga, Pratap, Raj Singh are names that will shine bright throughout the ages, and will be revered so long as chivalry is not despised, patriotism not discarded, and valor not condemned.
^Mankekar, D.R (1976). Mewar Saga. pp. VII "Never had such a small clod of earth given birth to such a galaxy of heroes and heroines who distinguished themselves as warriors, statesmen, scholars, saints and martyrs, whose names are blazoned over in the country’s romantic literature. Bapa, Khuman, Harair, Lakha, Kumbha, Sanga, Pratap, Amar Singh, Raj Singh, Fateh Singh— each a star shining in his own right— are names to conjure with.".