Shakti Singh (16th century Indian noble)
Shakti Singh Sisodia, also referred to as Shakta, Sakta or Sagat, was the son of Maharana Udai Singh II Sisodia and Sajja Bai Solanki. He was a Kshatriya Rajput and was brother of famous Maharana Pratap,[1] He started the Shaktawat clan of Sisodia Rajputs.
| Shakti Singh | |
|---|---|
| Kunwar of Mewar | |
| Born | Kumbhalgarh, Mewar[2] |
| Died | c. 1594 Bhainsrorgarh[3] |
| Issue | 17 sons - Bhan Singh Bhinder, Achal Singh Baansi, Ballu ji, Manorathdeji (wife of Sur Singh), Princess married to Bikaner
Bhan |
| Dynasty | Sisodia |
| Father | Rana Udai Singh |
| Mother | Sajja Bai Solanki |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Shakti Singh was fierce warrior. It is a very famous belief that at some point during his lifetime, due to hostile relations with his father, he was expelled from Mewar and spent some time at Dungarpur royal palace where he got angry on a cunning brahmin and killed him. However this is a folk lore and historical evidences are not clear in this regard.
Alliance with Akbar
Later in his life he was invited by Emperor Akbar for meeting, he accepted the proposal but when Akbar explained his plan to capture Chittaurgarh and offered him throne of Mewar against his own family in a hope that people of Mewar will not resist akbar if Shakti Singh will be crowned. But at midnight he ran away from Dhaulpur where Akbar was encamped to inform his father about Akbar's plan to capture Chittor, this angered Akbar resulting immediate change of Akbar's plan to attack Malwa and he marched his army towards Chittaurgarh . [4][5] In 1576 the Battle of Haldighati, he returned to his brother Maharana Pratap's side giving his own horse after the famous Chetak collapsed to Maharana Pratap to retreat in the hills.
After Pratap
Later under the rule of Maharana Amar Singh I (son of maharana pratap) Shakti Singhji ruled from Bhainsrorgarh, later on Shakti Singh's 11 out of 17 sons were martyred fighting against Mughal invaders for their motherland Mewar. Rawat Achaldas of Kannauj(Mewar) and later Baansi, was the leader of Mewar Forces during his times. Battle of Untala is a famous incident of self sacrifice for Maharan's cause in these tough times for Mewar.
This couplet is very famous among Mewari people which praises Shakti - शक्ता थारी शक्ति नु हरि जाने ना कोई, शुरा थारी हुँकार सु महाकाल निकट ना आए| [6] His descendants are known as the Shaktawats.
Portrayal in adaptions
In Indian historical serial Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap, adult Shakti Singh is portrayed by Vineet Kumar.
References
- ^ Singh Rana, Bhawan (2014). Maharana Pratap. Diamond Pocket Books. ISBN 9789350838693.
- ^ Maharaj Shakti Singh and the Shaktawats of Boheda: A History of Boheda Thikana. p. 22.
- ^ Maharaj Shakti Singh and the Shaktawats of Boheda: A History of Boheda Thikana. p. 53.
- ^ Akbarnama by Abu'l Fazl
- ^ Rana 2004, p. 38
- ^ Bhaskar Majumder (2011). Rethinking Villages. Concept Publishing Company. p. 45. ISBN 978-81-8069-764-7.