Maharana Pratap Singh was a proud and very fierce Rajput ruler of the kingdom of Mewar, now in Rajasthan.
Rana Pratap inherited a kingdom, when he ascended the throne, minus the region of Chittaurgarh. Chittor was lost to the Mughals during three successive battles, the first being the historic battle against Alauddin Khilji. Defeat at this battle led Padmini, Chittor's queen and her noble ladies to commit jauhar, suicide by fire, after their men were lost on the battlefield.
It was a dream of subsequent Mewar kings to win this area back, which they did, twice more, till it was taken back by Akbar.
This dream was cherished by Maharana Pratap too. Most of his family and their states were already vassals of the Mughals. But Pratap repelled any diplomatic efforts on Akbar's parts to form an alliance. A dispute between Pratap and one of Akbar's Rajput vassals led to a battle on the fields of Haldigahti, with the Mughals, where Pratap and his men were clearly outnumbered.
According to legend, when Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar was injured during the battle of Haldighati, Chetak, his loyal horse, carried his master to safety before succumbing to his wounds. This action saved Rana Pratap Singh and he lived on to fight the Mughals another day.
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