U.I.T. (Urban Improvement Trust), Udaipur, which looks after development of the city.

Uda Singh: see UDAI SINGH I, MAHARANA.

Udabai, a cousin of Crown Prince BHOJRAJ (d. 1521), the late husband of mystic poetess, MIRA BAI. Maharana VIKRAMADITYA II, Mira's brother-in-law, urged Udabai to reform the rebellious writer to change her unorthodox lifestyle. Instead, she was overwhelmed by Mira's religious passion and became a convert to her way of thinking. See MIRA BAI.

udai, (Hindi) the point of sunrise (the east). Opposite to this is asta, the point of sunset (the west).

Udai Niwas Road, in the eastern sector of Udaipur; leads to the Jhama Kotra Mines.

Udai Pol, a gateway in Udaipur. See also GATES (POLS) IN UDAIPUR.

Udai Sagar, a picturesque lake about the same size as Rajsamand Lake, 15 km. east of Udaipur on the Berach river. Maharana UDAI SINGH II (1537-1572), expecting the threat of war, ordered and laid the foundation stone of the massive dam (bund) in February, 1559, mainly to give the city a secure water supply and, later, for agricultural and leisure purposes. The lake was completed by 1565. Its greatest depth is 9 m.; it is 4 km. long, and 2.5 km. wide, and covers an area of 10.5 sq. km. It has a storage capacity of 23.4 mil. cu. m. The 54-m. embankment was built with stones from the bund of other lakes. Although it has withstood heavy rains, if the lake does overflow, the water will be channelled into the Berach River. In 1573, Kunwar MAN SINGH invited Maharana PRATAP SINGH I to meet him on this embankment to discuss terms of surrendering to Mughal Emperor AKBAR; Pratap refused the invitation and insulted the Rajput traitor, which led to the Battle of HALDIGHATI (June, 1576). And it was near Udai Sagar that Maharana Raj Singh (1653-1680) defeated the army of Emperor AURANGZEB. Water from the lake is used in the zinc smelter at nearby Debari. Except in lean years, the lake maintains a sufficient water level.

Udai Singh. Apart from Maharanas Udai Singh I and II, there were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Banera (Sisodia); Begun (Choondawat); Gurlan (Chauhan); Jarkhana (Sisodia); Sihar (Saktawat); and Kunwar Udai Singh of Shivrati, son of Himmat Singh.

Udai (Uda) Singh I, Maharana; forty-eighth (and illegal) ruler of Mewar (1468-1473); a younger son of Maharana KUMBHA. With his older brother, Crown Prince RAIMAL in exile, Udai murdered his father and usurped the throne (1468). Raimal came out of exile and, with a small force, rode towards the capital of Chittorgarh to seek revenge. There are two main accounts of what occurred next. Historically, Prince Raimal mounted a small army, attacked and routed his errant younger brother. Udai and his sons escaped to Sojat in Marwar, then stayed a couple of days at Bikaner, before going to Mandu in Malwa to seek the assistance of the ruler, Ghiyas-ud-Din Khilji, in helping him to regain his (usurped) throne. In legend, Udai Singh fled with his family to Delhi, where he sought protection from the sultan, Bhalol Lodi, and assistance in regaining his throne. Actually, he bribed Bhalol by giving the Delhi monarch his own daughter in marriage. However, before they left Delhi, Udai Singh was killed by lightning. Sultan Bhalol and Udai's sons, Sahasmal and Surajmal, marched on Mewar, but were defeated. The following year (1474), Prince Raimal finally mounted the throne that was rightly his. Udai Singh I went down in history, not as a true ruler of Mewar, but as a villain, with the nickname of Hatyara ('the murderer').

Udai Singh II, Maharana (b. August 4, 1522, Kunwa Pada Palace, Chittor-d. February 28, 1572, Gogunda), fifty-third ruler of the Mewar Dynasty (r. 1537-1572); succeeded his elder brother Maharana VIKRAMADITYA II; fourth son of Maharana SANGRAM SINGH I and Rani KARMAVATI who was formerly of BUNDI, daughter of Hada Rao Narbad. (The year listed as the beginning of his reign, 1537, is nominal, though legitimate, as explained below; he was not crowned until 1540.) Being fourth in line of succession, Udai was never really considered a contender for the Mewar throne, but these were disturbed times in the history of Mewar. Udai was only 5 years old when his father died and his eldest-surviving brother succeeded to the throne as Maharana RATAN SINGH II. Two years later, Ratan was murdered (a 'hunting accident' at Bundi in 1531) and Udai's remaining brother, the troubled Vikramaditya became Maharana. Unfortunately Vikramaditya's uncontrollable temper and his wild carousing with wrestlers and low-rank soldiers gave the nobles of Chittor great concern. Taking advantage of this discord, the sultan of Gujarat, BAHADUR SHAH marched on Chittor (1534) to settle an old debt. Vikramaditya took a small force of nobles and their retinues into the hills beyond the fort to provide guerilla attacks upon the Muslims. To preserve the family line, the 12-year-old Udai was sent north to an uncle in Bundi, Prince Chakasen Dhundera. Bahadur Shah sacked Chittor (see CHITTOR, 2^ND SACK) and retreated to Gujarat, leaving the Mewar capital in ruins. Udai returned to the fort, as did Maharana Vikramaditya to continue his reign. Unfortunately, defeat had not humbled the young ruler, and his aggressiveness towards his nobles continued. One day in 1536, at Court, he struck the face of an old and respected Chief, Karamchand. The nobles refused to have any more to do with him. Left to his own devices, the teenage Maharana continued his unsavoury and, as it turned out, unwise ways. Although, theoretically but not technically, Udai Singh was the new Maharana, the nobles considered that, at 14-and not trained for the role-he was too young to take over the throne in his own right. Without authoritative leadership, Mewar would again be a target for enemy opportunists beyond its borders. Still reeling from the sack of Chittor two years earlier, and how Vikramaditya's behaviour had shattered the State's political climate, they decided to appoint a Regent until Udai Singh attained his majority. A cousin at Court, BANBIR was the son (some historians claim he was illegitimate) of the young ruler's uncle, Crown Prince PRITHVI RAJ, who had once tried to kill their father, Sangram Singh and was sent into exile where he died. Although Prithvi Raj never succeeded to the throne, his son quite obviously considered he had also been cheated out of inheriting the crown. Perhaps there were some nobles who agreed with him for he was given the position of Regent. However, Banbir's ambition was overpowering and, one evening in 1537, he went, sword in hand, to the rawala (harem) where the deposed Vikramaditya was carousing with his concubines, and murdered him. Next, he turned his attention to the only obstruction to achieving his objective - Udai Singh. What followed has become one of Mewar's great episodes of bravery and courage: his nurse, PANNA DHAI sacrificed her own child to save her young charge, smuggled him out of the fort, and took him on a long and arduous walk to KUMBHALGARH. There she put the royal child in charge of the local governor (see PANNA DHAI). By then, Udai had either turned 15 or was close to doing so. Thinking he had killed both Vikramaditya and Udai Singh, Banbir took the Mewar throne.

For almost two years, Udai lived in secret at Kumbhalgarh, passed off as Governor Asha Shah's nephew until, one day in 1539, the Chief of Songara, in neighbouring Marwar, visited the fortress. The 17-year-old Udai was sent to receive him, but the dignified manner and noble bearing of the teenager convinced the chief that "he was no nephew to the Shah". Rumour quickly spread that the heir to the throne, Udai Singh, was still alive. This revelation brought not only the nobles of Mewar, but adjacent chiefs, to hail the only surviving son of Maharana Sangram Singh. It was quite an impressive party that repaired to Kumbhalgarh to confirm the rumour: Saidas of Salumbar and other chiefs of the Choondawat clan; Jagga of Kelwa; Sanga of Bagore; the Chauhans of Kotharia and Bedla; Akheyraj (Songara); the Paramaras of Bijolia; Prithiraj of Sanchor, and Lunkaran Jetawat. They interviewed the young man, and all doubt was removed by the testimony of the nurse, Panna Dai, and of her helper, the vari, in saving the child. Displeased by Banbir (who, incidentally, is not listed officially among Mewar's rulers), the nobles who had assembled at Kumbhalgarh proclaimed Udai Singh their Maharana. After the coronation the following year, Udai Singh, supported by Akheyraj Songara and other Marwar chieftains and their forces, marched on Chittor. Informed by intelligence of these events, Banbir also assembled an army and rode out to meet them. They met at Mavli, a town southwest of Chittor, where Banbir was soundly defeated. Some reports say Banbir was killed; others, that he fled the battlefield and was never heard of again; yet another report suggests that he went to the Deccan, in Central India and founded the Bhonsla clan of Nagpur. Thus in 1540, at age 18, Maharana Udai Singh II returned in triumph to his capital, his induction as the proper ruler being celebrated by the populace. It seems that, while at Kumbhalgarh, the teenage king had married, as records show that his first son, Pratap Singh, was born there that same year Udai Singh returned to Chittor.

The beginning of Udai Singh's reign was a stable period for Mewar mainly because political events beyond its borders were in turmoil. Not long after he reclaimed the throne, Mughal domination in the north was interrupted. An Afghan warrior, Sher Khan (who would later change his name to SHER SHAH), who held power in the eastern kingdom of Bihar, defeated Emperor HUMAYUN at Kanauj (May 17, 1540). He re-established the Delhi Sultanate with the Sur dynasty (Sur being the name of his tribe). Humayun fled to Persia; along the way, at Umarkot, his son, AKBAR, was born (October 15, 1542). Akbar's destiny would be to open up India and its trade wealth to the world ... and to bring the mighty State of Mewar to its knees. Meanwhile, Sher Shah introduced many land and fiscal reforms, including originating the Rupee as the nation's currency, and gradually regained administrative control over the substantial regions on the Indian subcontinent. By 1555, Humayun had returned and conquered the Sur dynasty; the Mughals were back in power. One year later, he tripped on the steps of his palace library in Delhi, and tumbled to his death. The accident was concealed for a fortnight to enable the peaceful accession of his son, Akbar. The new Emperor was to earn himself the epithet 'The Great' through his modern and wide-ranging reforms and his new approach to government. He abolished the Jizya, an insulting, suffocating tax imposed on Hindus by earlier Islamic rulers; he appointed Hindus to high posts in civil and military administration; and encouraged both Hindu and Islamic culture. Akbar's most urgent plan was to conciliate all of Hindustan under the one monarch, namely himself.

Udai Singh fathered twenty-five sons; among them were Pratap Singh; Sakta (Shakti) Singh who later founded the Saktawat clan of the family; Jagmal (his favourite); and Viramdeo. While they were teenagers, Udai Singh's eldest sons, Pratap and his younger brother Sakta had a violent confrontation, which eventually led to Sakta quitting Mewar (see SAKTA SINGH, KUNWAR) and joining the forces of Emperor Akbar. On March 16, 1559, Udai Singh was blessed with a grandson, Amar, son of Crown Prince Pratap Singh. After celebrations at Chittor, the Maharana, his family, generals and chiefs, travelled to the temple of Eklingji. After paying homage to the dynasty's god, they proceeded to Nagda, the ancient capital of his family's predecessors, the Guhilots, then on to the second ancient capital, Ahar. He was astonished and thrilled to see the natural beauty of the forests and the local river. When he moved a little further west he found a wonderful place for a new capital. Whereas Chittor was situated on a hill surrounded by plains it was prone to capture by enemies-all they had to do was stop the food supply. Tall hills surrounded this valley paradise, possibly making it safe from invasion. After consultation with his nobles, he decided to build his city in the vicinity of a small hillock, Moti Magri, and construction began on what was virtually a summer palace, Moti Mahal. However, a legendary chance encounter prompted Udai Singh to change his mind and locate the new city a kilometre or so to the south (see UDAIPUR, LEGENDARY FOUNDING OF). Plans were drawn up and Udai Singh returned to Chittor, while excavations began for a smaller lake, UDAI SAGAR, a little to the southeast, as a reservoir for the overflow from Pichola. The first constructions in Udaipur, Nauchauki Rajyangan and Neka-ki-Chapaud, are still to be seen.

Meanwhile, Akbar's campaigns were well under way. He annexed Amber (later Jaipur), Merta, Gwalior, and Marwar. When Mandu, the capital of Malwa, was stormed, its sultan, Baz Bahadur, took refuge in Chittor, where he was but one of a number of royal refugees. This fact aggravated the Emperor; though needless to say, the Mewar capital was also on Akbar's extensive list for conquest. He sent a peacemaking mission to Udai Singh, suggesting a matrimonial alliance. In reality, it would be a political alliance, with Mewar becoming the Empire's vassal; the same ploy of peaceful subjugation Akbar had used to annex Marwar. Maharana Udai Singh indignantly-and proudly-refused matrimonial relations with the Mughals; this independent attitude was too much for a man of Akbar's ambition. He resolved to subdue the proud Maharana. In 1567, the ultimate showdown arrived, and the Maharana received the news with a mixture of regret and renewed bravado. Immediately, he sent out a call for all loyal Mewari chieftains to assemble at the capital. Though the Emperor admired Maharana Udai Singh's courage, nothing would stop him now. Before Akbar arrived on the scene, Udai Singh and his family retired to the town GOGUNDA (in the hills northwest of modern Udaipur), leaving control of the capital in the hands of four Rajput chiefs, JAIMAL, PATTA, KALLA and SAIN DASS, all of whom were killed in the subsequent battle. Many historians have labelled Udai Singh II a coward for deserting Chittor in its hour of peril; even James Tod is vehement on this point. Others insist he acted wisely to protect the family line. Had he not, of course, the magnificent city of Udaipur would not exist today. The fortress was conquered and sacked by Akbar in 1568, and remained in Mughal hands for several generations. (see CHITTOR, 3^RD SACK).

Udai Singh lived at Gogunda and Kumbhalgarh, each becoming his makeshift capital until he moved the seat of government to his new capital beside Pichola Lake, which he named after himself-Udaipur. Whilst he and his Court lived in the Moti Magri area, a new palace (now the CITY PALACE) was started on the shore of the lake, and other dwellings for the nobles and his subjects were constructed nearby. The Maharana collected funds, reorganised his army, captured many new areas and recaptured many former Mewar provinces. He also spent time organising land reforms and a revenue collection system, and in constructing ancillaries, such as the SHEETAL NATHJI JAIN TEMPLE. With the founding of the new city, Mewar became known, officially, as the Kingdom of Udaipur, and Udai Singh II as the Maharana of Udaipur. Udaipur flourished to become Rajasthan's most gracious capital; however, Udai Singh was granted enjoyment of his new city for a mere two years. In 1572, Maharana Udai Singh died at the relatively young age of 49, six months before his fiftieth birthday, while visiting Gogunda. He had held the throne of Mewar for thirty-five years. It was the end of a new beginning in Mewar's history, yet the glory that was to come may never have occurred: as Udai Singh lay dying, in deference to his favourite queen, Udai Singh disregarded the tradition of primogeniture. With his last breath, he named her son, Jagmal, as his successor. The Court was shocked. The rightful heir to the throne, Crown Prince Pratap Singh was a man of great courage, foresight, and character, and Mewar's only hope of keeping the Mughals at bay. At the coronation, as Jagmal stepped up to take the throne, two of Mewar's leading nobles approached him. "You have made a mistake, Maharaj," one said. "That place belongs to your brother." Each taking an arm, they escorted Jagmal from the ceremony, and Pratap Singh was crowned the new Maharana of Mewar. One of the annual MAHARANA MEWAR FOUNDATION AWARDS is named for Maharana Udai Singh II to honour work of permanent value in protecting and enriching the environment, hand-in-hand with future development, epitomised by Udai Singh's creation of Udaipur.