2016 - Maharana Pratap 475th Birth Anniversary

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The sixth release function saw the release of a coin commemorating 475th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap. It was a low key affair. This is the second time a commemorative coin of Maharana Pratap is being released. The first was released in 2003 although there was no specific occasion.

The coin and the details of the set are;

Release Function

The Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahesh Sharma releasing a Commemorative coin of Rs. 100/- and a Circulation coin of Rs. 10/ on Maharana Pratap, in New Delhi on May 09, 2016. The Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Shri Narendra Kumar Sinha is also seen.

Maharana Pratap or Pratap Singh of Mewar (May 9, 1540 – January 19, 1597) was a Hindu ruler of Mewar, a state in north-western India. In popular Indian culture, Pratap is considered to exemplify the qualities like bravery and chivalry to which Rajputs aspire.

In 1568, during the reign of Udai Singh II, Chittor was conquered by the Mughal Emperor Akbar after the third Jauhar at Chittor. However, Udai Singh and the royal family of Mewar escaped before the capture of the fort and moved to the foothills of the Aravalli Range where Udai Singh founded the city of Udaipur. Rana Udai Singh wanted Jagmal, his favourite son, to succeed him but his senior nobles wanted Pratap, the eldest son, to be their king as was customary. During the coronation ceremony Jagmal was physically moved out of the palace by the Chundawat Chief and Tomar Ramshah and Pratap was made the King, the Rana of Mewar

Maharana Pratap never accepted Akbar as ruler of India, and fought Akbar all his life. Akbar first tried diplomacy to win over Maharana Pratap but nothing worked. Pratap maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar but he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as his suzerain.

Living a life on the run, the dream of reconquering Chittor (and thus reclaiming the glory of Mewar) was greatly cherished by Pratap, and his future efforts were bent towards this goal. In essence Pratap remained king only on paper as he never ruled any land in his lifetime.

Nearly all of Pratap's fellow Rajput chiefs had meanwhile entered into the vassalage of the Mughals. Even Pratap's own brothers, Shakti Singh and Sagar Singh, were serving Akbar. Indeed, many Rajput chiefs, such as Raja Man Singh of Amber (later known as Maharaja of Jaipur) were serving as army commanders in Akbar's armies and members of his council. Akbar sent a total of six diplomatic missions to Pratap, seeking to negotiate the same sort of peaceful alliance that he had concluded with the other Rajput chiefs. Pratap roundly rebuffed every such attempt displaying his self-respect and honour