Man: see MANU.

Man Singh. There were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Amet (Choondawat); Bansi (Saktawat); Bhadesar (Choondawat); Bhainsrorgarh (Choondawat); Bhindar (Saktawat); Delwara (Jhala Rajput); Gogunda (Jhala Rajputs); Kanor (Choondawat); Kotharia (Chauhan); Salumbar (Choondawat); Sardargarh (Dodia Rajput), and Singoli (Poorawat). There was also Man Singh, son of Nahar Singh of LAWA, and chief of the Saktawat clan during the reign of Maharana JAI SINGH (1680-1698).

Man Singh, Kunwar (b. May 9, 1540─d. January 19, 1579), of Amber (later Jaipur), son of Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber whom Mughal Emperor AKBAR had subjugated. Although a Rajput, Man Singh had risen to the post of commander of one of the Emperor's armies. He was everything Maharana PRATAP SINGH I abhorred: a warrior who rode against fellow Rajputs; governor of Mughal provinces; and an honoured figure at the Mughal court, wooed by the Empire to maintain his loyalty. Through a marriage between Man Singh's aunt (his father Bhagwan Das's sister) and Akbar, he became the Emperor's nephew-in-law (his aunt becoming the mother of Prince Salim, later Emperor JAHANGIR). The abhorrence of the kings of Mewar for such marriages with the enemy (and a Muslim) was intense. Unable to subjugate Mewar, Akbar sent a series of envoys throughout 1573 to try and get the Maharana to sign a peace treaty. The first emissary he sent was Jalal Khan Korchi who was unsuccessful. What the Emperor could not, or would not accept was that Pratap, although willing to negotiate peace, was emphatic about his not becoming a vassal to another king, and not signing away Mewar's independence. Halfway through the year, Akbar sent Man Singh of Amber to Gujarat, commanding him to meet with Pratap Singh on the way, and secure a peace treaty. Pratap sent two of his nobles, Songara Man Singh and Dodia Bhim Singh Sandawat to meet Man Singh; again, the negotiations were unsuccessful. On his return from his southern campaign, Man Singh again arranged to meet Pratap. Rather foolishly, en route the Mughal commander attacked the small State of Dungarpur, ruled by Rawal Askaran, a staunch supporter of Pratap, and two of Askaran's sons were killed. He then continued on to Udaipur where, in June, he met Pratap but, as would be expected, the negotiations failed once more.

A few months later, Akbar sent Man Singh a third time to Udaipur. The Amber general requested a dinner with the Maharana to discuss Pratap joining Akbar's legion and to impress upon the Mewar ruler the benefits of doing so. Diplomatic to the core, Pratap prepared a splendid feast beside UDAI SAGAR for his self-invited guest. However, the Maharana refused to attend, instead sending his son, Amar Singh, as his representative with the apology that he was suffering a headache. Man Singh was offended and was about to depart when one of Pratap's nobles, Bhim Singh, acting on behalf of the Maharana, arrived and further insulted his guest by calling him a traitor to everything that embodied Rajput pride and honour. Bhim Singh concluded that the Maharana would never eat with a Rajput whose father had shamelessly given his sister to a Turk (Muslim) and who probably ate with the Emperor. An irate Man Singh abruptly left the feast. As he mounted his horse, he seethed his Parthian shot, "If I do not humble your pride, my name is not Man." To this one of Pratap's nobles retorted, "Do not forget to bring your 'Phoopha' (his father's brother-in-law, Akbar) with you!"

Akbar was enraged by Man Singh's detailed report, and by the insult which reflected upon the Emperor himself. Realising Pratap had delivered a diplomatic coup and, no doubt with his triumphant destruction of Chittor five years earlier still fresh in his mind, he began to consider the physical conquest of all Mewar. However, in September, he made another effort at securing a treaty, sending Man Singh's father, Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber to Pratap. Again the attempt failed. In December it was the turn of another Rajput from the Mughal court, Raja Todarmal who led the diplomatic expedition to woo Pratap; Todarmal also returned to the Mughal capital empty-handed. Unable to act for three years because of other battle commitments, in the spring of 1576 Akbar declared all-out war on Mewar. He appointed General Kunwar Man Singh to lead his army, who threw the might of the Imperial forces against Mewar at the famous Battle of HALDIGHATI (June, 1576), Mewar's most legendary combat. The outcome of the battle was indecisive for both sides. Greatly wounded, Pratap retired to the safety of the Aravalli Hills to continue his fight against Man Singh and Mughal oppression for the next twenty years. During that bloody period, despite great hardship and loss of life, Mewar managed to remain free of total Mughal domination. Man Singh led several raids against Mewar, some of them successful, for three years after Haldighati, prior to his death in 1779.

Manak Chowk (City Palace): see BADA CHOWK.

Manak Mahal (Ruby Palace), City Palace, Udaipur; one of the later additions to the City Palace complex. It displays a collection of fine porcelain and glassware.

Manav Dharma, the Religion of Man (universal peace and brotherhood).