Battle of Haldighati
Haldighati pass, near Gogunda and Khamnor, Rajasthan, India
What happened
Maharana Pratap, ruler of the kingdom of Mewar, with commanders including Hakim Khan Sur, fought the army of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, led by Raja Man Singh I. The Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted Maharana Pratap to accept him as overlord, but Pratap refused, and talks failed. The armies met at a narrow mountain pass in Rajasthan, and Mewar's forces did well at first. But Mughal reinforcements and musket fire turned the battle, and the wounded Pratap withdrew to the hills.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Mughals won the battle, but Pratap escaped and kept resisting from the hills. He is remembered in Rajasthan and across India as a hero of independence.
What came next
Pratap continued a guerrilla war and won back much of Mewar before he died in 1597.
Did you know?
The name Haldighati means 'yellow valley', because the rocks there crush into yellow sand that looks like turmeric (haldi).
Timeline
- 1572Maharana Pratap becomes ruler of Mewar.
- 18 June 1576The Mughals defeat Pratap at Haldighati.
- After 1576Pratap wins back much of Mewar through guerrilla war.
- 1597Maharana Pratap dies.