Udai Singh II

Udai Singh II (4 August 1522 – 28 February 1572) was the Maharana of Mewar and the founder of the city of Udaipur in the present day Rajasthan state of India. He was the 53rd ruler of the Mewar dynasty. He was the fourth son of Maharana Sangram Singh (Rana Sanga) and Rani Karnavati, a princess of Bundi.

Early life, marriage and parenthood

Udai Singh was born in Chittor. In August 1522, after the death of his father, Rana Sanga, Ratan Singh II was corronated as the new king. Ratan Singh II was assassinated in 1531. He was succeeded by his brother Maharana Vikramaditya Singh. During the reign of Vikramaditya, when the Turkic Sultan of Gujarat Bahadur Shah sacked Chittor in 1534, Udai Singh was sent to Bundi for safety. In 1537, Banbir killed Vikramaditya and usurped the throne. He tried to kill Udai Singh also, but Udai's nurse Panna Dai sacrificed her own son Chandan to save him from his uncle Banbir and took him to Kumbhalgarh. She did not ask for anything in return either. She started living in Bundi and did not allow Udai Singh to come and meet her. He lived in secret in Kumbhalgarh for two years, disguised as a nephew of the governor Asha Shah Depura (Maheshwari).

In 1540, he was crowned in Kumbhalgarh by the nobles of Mewar. His eldest son Maharana Pratap from his first wife, Maharani Jaivantabai Songara (daughter of Akhey Raj Songara of Jalore), was born in the same year. He had twenty two wives and over 56 sons and 22 daughters. His second wife, Sajjabai Solankini gave birth to his son Shakti, Sagar Singh and Vikram Dev. Dheerbai Bhattiyani was his favourite wife and was the mother of his son Jagmal Singh and daughters Chand Kanwar and Maan Kanwar. His fourth wife was Rani Veerbai Jhaala daughter of Rana Jaith Singh of Kherwa.

The reign

In 1562, he gave refuge to Baz Bahadur of Malwa. Using this as a pretext, Akbar attacked Mewar in October 1563. On 23 October 1567 Akbar formed his camp near Chittor. According to Kaviraj Shyamaldas, Udai Singh called a council of war. The nobles advised him to take refuge along with the princes in the hills, leaving a garrison at Chittor. Udai Singh retired to Gogunda (which later became his temporary capital) leaving Chittor in the hands of his loyal chieftains Rao Jaimal and Patta. Akbar captured Chittor after a year-long siege on 25 February 1568. He later shifted his capital to Udaipur. He died in 1572 in Gogunda. Before his death, Jagmal tried to seize the throne but the nobles of Mewar prevented Jagmal from succeeding and placed Maharana Pratap Singh on the throne on 1 March 1572.

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