Mewar warrior Maharana Pratap is known as the symbol of heroism, freedom, pride and valour. To commemorate his birth anniversary, June 13 is celebrated as Maharana Pratap Jayanti.

So, on this day, here are some interesting facts about the Rajput king:

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  1. Maharana Pratap had 11 wives with whom he had 17 sons and 5 daughters. Maharani Ajabde Punwar was supposedly his favourite wife. 
  2. He stood at a whopping height of seven feet and five inches. 
  3. He was titled the ‘Mewari Rana’ for his successful military resistance against the Mughals.
  4. His look on the battlefield featured 360 kg of weight that included a spear, two swords and his armour. He himself used to weigh 110 kg only.
  5. Maharana Pratap’s stepmother actually wanted Kunwar Jagmal Singh to succeed Udai Singh, the father of Pratap. However, the courts found him unfit for the position and hence Maharana was made the ruler. Kunwar later joined the Mughal emperor and fought along with Akbar. 
  6. Kunwar Amar Singh had once attacked the camps of Abdur Rahim Khankhana, the general of the Mughal army at the time. Kunwar decided to take away the women of the camp as hostages. As the news reached Pratap, the women were ordered to be released immediately. From that point on, Rahim out of gratitude pledged never to raise a single weapon against Mewar. Rahim, later on, became the poet whose poems are still taught in schools. 
  7. Maharana died on January 19, 1957, at the age of 56 after sustaining injuries while he was hunting at Chavand. On his deathbed, he asked his son to win back Chittor and to never bow down to the Mughals.