pradaksina, (Hindi) in Hinduism and Buddhism, the rite of walking around an image, relic, shrine, or other sacred object, in a clockwise direction.

Pradhan, in olden days, the Chief Noble (Chief Minister in the government). Today, he is a member of the Panchayet Saminti, a committee of village-elected people.

pradhana, Indian philosophy.

Pradyumna, son of the Hindu god Krishna and his wife Rukmini.

praja, (Hindi) the public; subjects of the King or ruler.

Pramars: see PARAMARAS.

Prasad (Sisodia clan), a town 65 km. from Udaipur near Chavand; the jagir of the descendants of Maharana Pratap Singh I. Maharana Raj Singh II (1754-1761) gave Prasad to Kalyan Singh, son of Chandrasen.

Genealogy: Kalyan Singh; Jaswant Singh; Mohkam Singh; Prithvi Singh; Naval Singh; Deep Singh; Rai Singh; Shiv Singh.

prashasti, (Hindi) a stone inscription, usually in a temple. See JAGDISH TEMPLE.

Pratap Nagar, an eastern suburb of Udaipur on the way to Maharana Pratap Airport.

Pratap Singh. Apart from Maharanas Pratap Singh I and II, there were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Amet (Choondawat); Bambora (Choondawat); Bawlas (Bavlas) (Sisodia), a son of Maharana JAI SINGH (1680-1698) and brother of Maharana AMAR SINGH II (1698-1710); Bedla (Chauhan Rajput); Begun (Choondawat); Bhainsrorgarh (Choondawat); Dharyavad (Sisodia); Hinta (Saktawat); Kaladwas (Chavda); Kanor (Choondawat); Moie (Bhati); Sangramgarh (Choondawat); Satola (Choondawat); Tal (Choondawat); Thana (Choondawat), and Vijaipur (Saktawat). There was also Rawat Pratap Singh of Banswara, who fought for Maharana Pratap Singh I; defeated in one of the ongoing battles against the Mughal army after the Battle of HALDIGHATI (1576). Another was Kunwar Pratap Singh, originally of Shivrati, then of Bhupalgarh; son of Himmat Singh; granted the estate (jagir) of Bhupalgarh by the Mewar State. His sons were BHAGWAT SINGH who was adopted by Maharana Bhupal Singh and succeeded to the throne of Mewar; Narendra Singh, and Arjun Singh.

Pratap Singh I to quit Mewar. Following the Battle of HALDIGHATI (June, 1576) during the many stressful battles that followed, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I spent years with his family and small band of guerilla warriors, fighting the Mughals from the wilderness of the Aravallis. It was a Spartan existence of great hardship and hunger. They were helped sometimes by the BHILS, but often went without food and the money to continue financing their battles. It is written that, his spirit broken finally, Pratap decided it was time to abandon Mewar and his dream of recovering "the blood-soaked Chittor". He began a long journey to the Indus River in the western reaches of Rajputana, there to wait out the remainder of his life in the isolated capital of Sogdoi. With his family and a handful of loyal chiefs and vassals who preferred exile to degradation, he descended the Aravallis and headed west. He had reached the edge of the Thar Desert when an incident occurred which renewed not only his fortunes but also his spirit. BHAMA SHAH, Pratap's Prime Minister, approached the Maharana and placed at his prince's disposal the accumulated wealth of the country (some reports say that it included the entire savings of the minister's family) to carry on his patriotic struggle. The amount was said to have been equivalent to the maintenance of 25,000 men for twelve years. This single act gave Pratap the spiritual strength to change his plans and remain in the land of his forefathers. The Maharana returned to Mewar, and for the next ten years or so recaptured most of the Mughal-held fortresses. Unfortunately, at the time of his death in 1597, he had not realised his greatest dream, that of recapturing Chittor, his family's ancient capital. Note: This tale is possibly more myth than legend. For a different perspective on Pratap Singh's change of heart, see PRATAP'S LETTER FROM PRITHIRAJ, and for the boosting of his waning finances, see BHAMA SHAH.

Pratap Singh I, Maharana (b. May 9, 1540, Kumbhalgarh-d. January 29, 1597, Chavand), fifty-fourth ruler of the Mewar dynasty (r. 1572-1597); eldest son and successor of Maharana UDAI SINGH II, ascending the throne on February 28, 1572 at the age of 32. He ruled for twenty-five years. Pratap's mother was Rani Jeevant Kanwar, daughter of Akhey Raj Songara Chauhan of Jalore. Pratap Singh is revered in history and legend as the Hero of Haldighati, Mewar's greatest warrior, and the country's first freedom fighter. However, Mewar's history might have been quite different (see PRATAP'S CORONATION DILEMMA). During his childhood, Pratap learned the lessons of warfare, as did all Rajput princes. This instruction helped him in battles when, as a youthful commander, he led Mewar's forces to reclaim the kingdom's territories of Chappan and Bhomat. During the third siege of Chittor (1567) Maharana Udai Singh, his family, and certain of the nobility retired to Gogunda for safety. Crown Prince Pratap, then aged 27, offered to lead a force against the Mughals but the elders with the royal entourage were adamant that he should not go: considering that the Mughal strength could annihilate Chittor, Pratap would be Mewar's only hope for the future. During his early years, Pratap was fond of his life in the Aravalli Hills and was accustomed to roughing it in the wilds where he gained the confidence of the forest dwellers, the BHILS. Although he could not realise it at the time, this friendship with the local native tribesmen would be invaluable in the Spartan times that lay ahead.

Pratap's own sons were numerous: Crown Prince Amar Singh, Bhagwan Das, Sahasa (Sahasmal), Gopal, Kachra, Sanwal Dass, Durjan Singh, Kalyan Dass, Chanda (Chandra Singh), Sekha, Pooran Mal (Pura or Puranmal), Hathi, Ram Singh, Jaswant Singh, Mara, Natha, and Rai Bhan. His brother, Sakta, had an altercation with Pratap when they were teenagers, the outcome of which proved fatal for a priest who intervened, and led Sakta to quit Mewar and join the forces of AKBAR (see SAKTA SINGH, KUNWAR also UDAI SINGH II, MAHARANA).

At the time of Pratap's accession, many important areas of Mewar, including the ancient capital of Chittor, were under Akbar's control. Pratap vowed to free Mewar and regain the ancient capital. Akbar had Chittor but not Mewar, and he needed to subjugate this defiant kingdom to achieve his own dream of bringing all of India under Mughal rule. By 1573, Akbar accepted the fact that Pratap would never acknowledge the Empire's superiority; and the Emperor was loath to venture into the treacherous hilly territory of the Aravallis. The only course left to him was to negotiate a peace treaty with the stubborn Maharana. During the year, he sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Mewar trying to negotiate a peace treaty. All attempts were unsuccessful, the Maharana repeatedly enforcing his view that he was prepared only to sign a treaty with the Mughals without sacrificing his sovereignty and Mewar's independence. Indeed, on the third visit of Man Singh of Amber, Pratap and his nobles even insulted the Rajput general now in the employ of the Imperial army (see MAN SINGH, KUNWAR). Humiliated by this diplomatic defeat, Akbar decided to annihilate Pratap, but was unable to move in this direction for another two and a half years. Meanwhile Akbar addressed a quandary: by the end of 1570, although he had won over all major Rajput rulers (except Pratap), many of them secretly admired Pratap's spirit. Having promised their loyalty to the Emperor in any future battle, they knew they would be in a predicament should Akbar decide to attack Mewar. Akbar was aware they might not take arms against Pratap, who was fast becoming a local hero.

With the failure of efforts to negotiate a peace treaty in 1573, Akbar blockaded Mewar from the rest of the world and alienated Mewar's traditional allies, some of them Pratap's own kith and kin. The Emperor then tried to turn the people of the all-important Chittor district against their king so they would not help Pratap. He appointed Kunwar Sagar Singh, a younger brother of Pratap, to rule the conquered territory, However, Sagar, regretting his own treachery, soon returned Chittor, and committed suicide with a dagger in the Mughal Court. Sakta Singh, Pratap's younger brother now with the Mughal army, is said to have fled the Mughal court temporarily and warned his brother of Akbar's actions. Pratap prepared for the inevitable showdown with the Mughals.

He moved the seat of government from Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh where he had been born thirty-two years earlier. Advised by his experienced chieftains, he remodelled his government, adapting it to the necessities of the time and to his slender resources. He strengthened Kumbhalgarh and other mountain fortresses. His most controversial dictum affected all of his people: he commanded his subjects on pain of death to retire into the mountains, employing a drastic scorched earth policy behind them, rendering the garden of Rajasthan of no value to the conqueror. He posted soldiers to guard Haldighati Pass, a main artery between Udaipur and the north. Needing every warrior he could find, he also developed his earlier friendship with the Bhils. As an example to all, Pratap made personal sacrifices: until they enjoyed victory over the Mughals, he promised not to eat off gold or silverware but off pattras (plates) of leaves; not to sleep on a bed but on a straw-filled palliasse; and not to shave his beard. Without giving thought to the absolute power that they were up against, Pratap's band of mountain warriors began attacking Mughal strongholds. They raided goods caravans, the commerce already established between the Mughal court and Europe, which was conveyed through Mewar from Surat and other southern ports.

On February 17, 1576, Akbar left his new capital of Fatehpur Sikri on an annual pilgrimage to the mosque of Muslim saint, CHISTI, at Ajmer. While there, he planned his onslaught of Mewar. First, he marshalled a massive army that now included many of the Rajputs who had gone over to the Mughals, and inducted more Rajput royalty. With such examples, other minor chiefs of Rajputana also yielded to the financial temptation and became satraps of Delhi. Cunningly, he chose Pratap's bete noir, Man Singh of Amber, aged only 26, to command the Imperial army, telling him to march towards Gogunda and Kumbhalgarh. Akbar then returned to Fatehpur Sikri.

The odds against Pratap were awesome. Records show that Pratap had only twenty thousand soldiers in comparison with the Mughals' eighty thousand. Finally, on April 3, 1576, Man Singh left Ajmer at the head of most of the Imperial Army. He arrived at Mandalgarh in eastern Mewar (40 km. northeast of Chittor) where he encamped for about two months, possibly hoping PrÄatap would attack, thus leaving the protection of the hills for the plains where he would be vulnerable. When intelligence of Man Singh's movements reached Pratap he left Kumbhalgarh for Gogunda. There he held a meeting to plan war strategy. His nobles and chieftains pledged to fight to the finish and offered their lives for the freedom of their beloved Mewar. It was decided not to fight the enemy on the plains but to lure them into the rugged hills where the Mughal army would be encumbered. Dawn broke on the morning of June 18, 1576. The pitched battle that followed lasted only four hours but it was Pratap-and Mewar's-greatest moment (see HALDIGHATI, BATTLE OF). Although Pratap was forced to retire wounded, and although the outcome was indecisive with neither side able to claim victory, some chroniclers consider it was "a glorious defeat" for the Maharana (Tod in his Annals) and a massive disappointment for Akbar, as it did not win him Mewar. However, the battle did produce several noteworthy moments. Among them: Pratap's estranged brother SAKTA appeared and saved Pratap's life from Mughal pursuers; and, to his great distress, the Maharana lost his beloved horse, CHETAK.

A valiant survivor, Pratap retreated into the Aravalli wilderness and vowed to continue his fight against the Mughals. Secure inakeshift mountain encampments, Pratap realised that, if utilised properly, a small army could win out against the might of the Imperial force. He changed his tactics from frontal assault, as at Haldighati, to guerilla warfare, attacking the enemy where and when they least expected it, using the rugged hills as cover. He soon proved his point: when Akbar waged three more campaigns against Pratap, they all failed. With the spring of 1577 the foe returned and Pratap was again defeated. He retreated to his capital at Kumbhalgarh. In 1578-79, Akbar's foster-brother, Shahbaj Khan invested the fort. Pratap made a gallant and protracted resistance, and did not retire till insects polluted the water of the fort's main well. He retired to Chavand in the mountainous area of Chappan, southeast of Mewar, making it his new capital. Still harassed by Mughal attacks, Pratap and his kinsmen subsisted on fruit and berries in the ravines for many years. He never lost heart; he collected his bands with the help of money donated by his generous minister BHAMA SHAH. In one short campaign, he recovered all of Mewar, except Chittor, Ajmer and Mandalgarh. Mughal commander, Shabaj Khan, stationed at Ajmer, was sent for the last time into Mewar to suppress the activities of Pratap. In 1582, the final battle was fought and won by Mewar under the command of Pratap's son and heir, Prince Amar Singh at the strategic town of Diwer near Haldighati, which the Mughals had captured in their push south after the famous battle.

Thus the years rolled away, each ending with a diminution of his means. His family was his chief source of anxiety: he dreaded their captivity, an apprehension often on the point of being realised. On one occasion faithful Bhils saved the women and children by carrying them in wicker baskets and concealing them in the mines of ZAWAR, where they guarded and fed them. Often he had cause to reflect upon his misfortunes, having witnessed sons and relatives, his bravest nobles, and many of his faithful subjects die on the battlefield. He tried to justify this with the epithet, "For this the Rajput was born." But it was the starvation of his family that finally made him curse the name of royalty and send a note to Akbar demanding "a mitigation of his hardship". Hearing of the pitiful note, a prince of Bikaner, the Rathore Prithiraj sent a return note to his old ally, Pratap Singh. The message had a decided effect upon the despondent Maharana. It weighed heavily upon him to be told that every Rajput now looked to him for salvation and gave Pratap the courage to renew his struggle for his homeland (see PRATAP'S LETTER FROM PRITHIRAJ). Around this period in the Pratap Singh story, yet another legend was born-about a dispirited Pratap deciding to actually quit Mewar and take up residence in the Indus Valley (see PRATAP TO QUIT MEWAR). However, this may be more myth than legend.

After 1587, Akbar relinquished his obsessive pursuit of Maharana Pratap and took his battles into the Punjab and India's Northwest Frontier. Thus for the last ten years of his life, Pratap ruled in relative peace and eventually freed most of Mewar, including Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh, but not Chittor. Bhagwat Singh Mewar: "Maharana Pratap Singh (was) called the light and life of the Hindu community. There were times when he and his family and children ate bread made of grass." Pratap became a patron of the Arts. During his reign Padmavat Charita and the poems of Dursa Ahada were written. Palaces at Ubheshwar, Kamal Nath and Chavand bear testimony to Pratap's love of architecture. These buildings, built in the dense hilly forest have walls adorned with military-style architecture. But Pratap's broken spirit overpowered him in the twilight of his years. His last moments were an appropriate commentary on his life, when he swore his successor, Crown Prince Amar Singh to eternal conflict against the foes of his country's independence, although he secretly feared otherwise (see PRATAP'S CONCERN ABOUT AMAR). However, though all other Rajput kingdoms fell victim to Akbar, because of Maharana Pratap Singh's valiant and undaunted efforts, most of Mewar remained free. Maharana Pratap Singh I, Mewar's greatest hero, was seriously injured in a hunting accident. He died at Chavand, aged 56, on January 29, 1597. Almost penniless, many of his dreams went unfulfilled. His son and heir, Amar Singh, succeeded him.

James Tod in his Annals:

There is not a pass in the alpine Aravalli that is not sanctified by some deed of the great freedom fighter, Maharana Pratap Singh, some brilliant victory or, more often, more glorious defeat.

Pratap Singh II, Maharana (b. July 27, 1724-d. January 10, 1753), sixty-third ruler of the Mewar dynasty (r. 1751-1753); eldest son and successor, at age 27, of Maharana JAGAT SINGH II; ruled for only two years from Udaipur. Pratap was not the model of an obedient son: when, without his father's permission, he granted the jagir of Lakhola to Deep Singh, younger son of Umaid Singh of Bundi, Maharana Jagat Singh decided to arrest him and called upon his brother, NATH SINGH of BAGORE for assistance. Pratap was summoned to the Krishna Vilas in the City Palace where, on a prearranged signal, was grabbed from behind by the Maharaj of Bagore and thrown into the Palace prison. Fearing reprisal from Pratap if and when the aberrant Prince succeeded to the throne, Nath Singh made an unsuccessful attempt to poison him. However, obviously Pratap did not take his revenge on Nath Singh for his part in either Pratap's arrest and imprisonment or on the Maharaj's assassination attempt. Nath Singh continued as chief of the Bagore clan through Pratap's brief reign and that of his successors, Maharanas Raj Singh II and Ari Singh II, when he finally paid for his sins: by then unpopular at Court, Nath Singh was murdered while saying his prayers at a temple on the orders of Maharana Ari Singh.

Pratap Singh married a daughter of Raja Jai Singh of Amber. Pratap's father, Jagat Singh, went down in history as an ineffective ruler, a victim of circumstances far beyond his control. Pratap also turned his back on adversity, continuing to pay out vast sums of money to the MARATHAS in return for a quiet life. Mewar continued to decay. He died in 1753, aged 29; his son, RAJ SINGH (II), succeeded him.

Pratap Singh I's concern about Amar. It was January, 1597. Having endured a life of great hardship and sacrifice fighting to drive the Mughals from Mewar, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I lay dying while at Gogunda, northwest of Udaipur. His son and successor, Amar Singh, had already sworn to carry on the fight against the Mughals; nevertheless the father was concerned. A groan of mental anguish from Pratap caused the Salumbar chief to ask of the others, "What has afflicted his soul that it will not depart in peace?" Overhearing, Pratap quietly related his worry about Amar, who had fought beside his father for many years. He related an incident, which had, he considered, shown his son's true disposition and which now tortured his final minutes. Near the start of Pratap's reign, the Maharana and his chiefs had constructed a few huts to protect them during the rains. They were built upon the banks of Pichola Lake, quite possibly near the already existing City Palace built by his father, UDAI SINGH II. Indeed, the area was perhaps the site for Amar Mahal, an addition to the Palace, built by the Crown Prince after he had ascended the throne ... thus giving strength to Pratap's misgivings in the story he related. Retiring to one of the huts one evening, Prince Amar forgot the low height of the dwelling and caught the folds of his turban on the projecting bamboo roof. The seemingly unimportant error of judgment caused the prince a moment of annoyance, as the turban fell to the ground. Pratap Singh, who had witnessed the slight (but, to him, significant) accident, immediately regretted what he had seen. At that moment, he formed the opinion that his son would never be able to withstand the hardships necessary to be endured in such a cause. "I fear," said the dying Pratap, "those huts will give way to sumptuous dwellings, thus generating the love of ease. I am fearful that luxury with its accompanying vices will ensue, to which the independence of Mewar, and which we have bled to maintain, will be sacrificed. And you, my chiefs, will follow the pernicious example." Earnestly, the chiefs pledged themselves "by the throne of Bappa" to keep the flag of independence flying over his country and that Mewar would never be sacrificed. The soul of Pratap was satisfied, and with ease he expired. Sadly, Pratap Singh's prediction turned out to be correct (see AMAR SINGH, MAHARANA).

Pratap Singh I's Coronation Dilemma. Maharana UDAI SINGH II (1537-1572) had sired twenty-five sons, of which Pratap Singh was the rightful heir to the throne. Despite this, Udai had fallen under the influence of his favourite queen, Rani Bhatiyani and had willed that her son, Jagmal should succeed him. Pratap did not dare object to his father's wishes and dutifully accompanied the funeral procession which took place at Gogunda where the Maharana had died. Jaimal remained at the palace, as was the tradition: in Mewar, the heir apparent does not participate in the funeral ceremony of the departed Maharana but readied himself for his imminent coronation. Mewar's nobles and chiefs, particularly the CHOONDAWATS, who always played a decisive role in the kingdom's destiny in times of crisis, considered this to be such a time. The nobles held a meeting, Akhey Raj Songara demanding that the two leading Choondawats, Rawat Krishna Das of Salumbar and Rawat Sanga of Deogarh intervene on Pratap's behalf. Akhey noted that Emperor Akbar, who had conquered Chittor four years earlier still had a political need to take Mewar. The kingdom required a strong ruler, an able administrator, and Pratap (the rightful heir) was the only person for the job. Krishna Das made their views known to other chieftains, who agreed with the decision. Following the cremation, they hurried to the palace where Jagmal's coronation had begun. Krishna Das diplomatically requested Jagmal to step down from the throne and take his rightful place (as the younger brother) opposite the throne. Jagmal refused and the nobles took him by the arms and literally put him in his place. Pratap was carried to the throne amid the cheers of the gathered assembly. Unable to go against the nobles, Jagmal decided upon revenge. He left Mewar and joined the Mughal forces stationed at Ajmer. (Akbar bestowed the jagir of Jahazpur upon the young prince and later appointed him ruler of Sirohi in place of the emperor's late father-in-law, Rao Man Singh who had died without an heir.) The rightful heir was then crowned Maharana PRATAP SINGH I.

Pratap Singh I's letter from Prithiraj. Desperate and dejected after years of hardship endured while fighting the Mughals, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I (1572-1597) sent a note to his arch enemy, Emperor AKBAR demanding alleviation of his ordeal. Overjoyed at this indication of his valiant foe's submission, the Emperor commanded public rejoicing, and showed the letter to a literate Rajput at his Court, Prince Prithiraj. He was the younger brother of Rai Singh, the ruler of Bikaner, a State established some eighty years earlier by the Rathores of Marwar. He had been compelled to serve Akbar because of his kingdom's submission to the Mughals. An award-winning poet, Prithiraj was also a gallant warrior and a longtime admirer of the brave Pratap Singh. He was astonished and grieved by Pratap's decision, and told Akbar the note was the forgery of some foe to defame the Mewar king. "I know him well," he explained, "and he would never submit to your terms." He requested and obtained Akbar's permission to send a letter to Pratap, ostensibly to ascertain the fact of his submission, but really with a view to prevent it. He composed the couplets that have become famous in the annals of Rajput patriotism.

The hopes of the Hindu rest on the Hindu; yet the Rana forsakes them. But for Pratap, all would be placed on the same level by Akbar; for our chiefs have lost their valour and our females their honour. Akbar is the broker in the market of our race: he has purchased all but the son of Udai (Singh II of Mewar); he is beyond his price. What true Rajput would part with honour for nine days (nauroza); yet how many have bartered it away? Will Chittor come to this market ...? Though Patta (an affectionate name for Pratap Singh) has squandered away wealth (on warfare), yet he has preserved this treasure. Despair has driven man to this market, to witness their dishonour: from such infamy the descendant of Hamir alone has been preserved. The world asks, from where does the concealed aid of Pratap emanate? None but the soul of manliness and his sword ... The broker in the market of men (Akbar) will one day be surpassed; he cannot live forever. Then will our race come to Pratap, for the seed of the Rajput to sow in our desolate lands. To him all look for its preservation, that its purity may again become resplendent.

The now-famous letter led to Pratap reversing his decision and not submitting to the Mughals, as was his initial but reluctant intention.

Pratap Smarak (sometimes incorrectly spelled Smark), Udaipur; a bronze memorial statue of Mewar's great hero, Maharana PRATAP SINGH I (1572-1597) on his faithful horse, CHETAK. It stands atop Moti Magri (Pearl Hill) overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake. A path to the summit leads through elegant gardens, including a Japanese rock garden.

Pratapgarh (Partabgadh), a small State of the Sisodia clan on the border of Mewar and Madhya Pradesh, 104 km. from Banswara. The Maharawat of Pratapgargh is descended from Khim Singh, second son of Maharana Mokal, and younger brother of Maharana Kumbha. Khim Singh's second son, Surajmal, took over the Sadri and Dhariawad districts. Bikaji, the great grandson of Surajmal is said to have left Mewar in 1553 with a few Rajput followers and, defeating the local Bhil chieftain, carved out for himself an independent state on the border of Sadri with his capital at Deolia. Maharawat Pratap Singh founded the town of Pratapgarh at the beginning of the 18^th century. With the establishment of Maratha power in Malwa, the ruler of Pratapgarh paid tribute to Holkar. In 1818, Pratapgarh was taken under the protection of the British Government.

Pratapnath. There were a couple of leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Falichra (Chauhan), and Jamoli (Baba).

preta, (Hindi) in Indian mythology the spirit of a dead person for whom funeral rites have not yet been performed. If denied the final obsequies, a preta may become a bhut, or wandering ghost.

Pretender, The: see RATAN SINGH, KUNWAR.