Man Singh Jhala
| Man Singh Jhala | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajrana of Bari Sadri | |||||
Stamp portraying Jhala Manna, published by Government of India | |||||
| Reign | 1568–1576 | ||||
| Coronation | 1568 | ||||
| Predecessor | Rajrana Surtan Singh | ||||
| Successor | Rajrana Deda Singh | ||||
| Born | 15 May 1542 Bari Sadri, Kingdom of Mewar | ||||
| Died | 18 June 1576 † Haldighati, Kingdom of Mewar | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Jhala (clan) | ||||
| Father | Rajrana Surtan Singh | ||||
| Mother | Rani Sem Kunwar | ||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||
| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Mewar | ||||
| Battles / wars | Battle of Haldighati | ||||
Jhala Man Singh (commonly known as Jhala Manna) was a prominent Rajput warrior of the 16th century, belonging to the Jhala clan. He was the Raj Rana (chieftain) of Bari Sadri and was one of the principal commanders of Maharana Pratap. He is best remembered for his exemplary courage during the Battle of Haldighati, fought on 18 June 1576.[1][2]
Early life
Jhala Manna was born on 15 May 1542 into a Jhala Rajput family of Bari Sadri. He was the son of Rajrana Surtan Singh Jhala and Rani Sem Kanwar.[3] He received his early education in battle tactics at the same gurukul where Maharana Pratap also studied. Following the death of his father, Surtan Singh, who was martyred during Akbar's siege of Chittorgarh in 1568, Jhala Manna was formally installed as the Rajrana (chieftain) of Bari Sadri.[4][5]
The jagir (feudal estate) of Bari Sadri was granted by Maharana Raimal of Mewar to Jhala Man Singh’s ancestors, Ajja and Sajja,[6][7] sons of Raja Rai Singh Jhala of Halwad (Gujarat), who had obtained shelter in Mewar, following the sacrifice of Raja Ajja while defending Rana Sanga during the Battle of Khanwa in 1527.[2]
Role in the Battle of Haldighati (1576)
During the Battle of Haldighati on 18 June 1576, Jhala Man Singh, also known as Jhala Manna or Bida Jhala, played a crucial role in aiding the escape of Maharana Pratap and sacrificing his own life in the process.
Jhala Man Singh was a senior noble of the Jhala Rajput clan and the ruler of Bari Sadri, a prominent thikana under the kingdom of Mewar.[8] He led the left wing of the Mewar army during the battle, held in the narrow Haldighati pass in the Aravalli Hills near Gogunda.[9]
As the battle turned in favor of the Mughals and Maharana Pratap sustained injuries, Jhala Man Singh made a bold decision. To safeguard the Rana, he seized the royal standard and insignia, including the chhatri (umbrella) that marked the Maharana’s position. He donned them himself, thereby impersonating Pratap and drawing Mughal fire toward himself.[10] This act of substitution misled the Mughal forces into believing that Pratap had stayed behind, allowing the wounded Rana to retreat into the Aravalli hills.
The Mughal chronicler Abul Fazl indirectly acknowledged this incident in the Akbarnama, expressing the imperial court’s disappointment that Pratap had evaded capture despite near victory.[11] Badayuni, who was present at the battle, explicitly records the role of a Jhala noble in facilitating Pratap’s escape.[10]
Jhala Man Singh was killed in the fighting shortly thereafter. His sacrifice was commemorated in Mewar as an act of supreme loyalty. According to James Tod, his valor was such that subsequent rulers of Mewar granted the Jhala family the rare privilege of bearing the royal insignia in courtly durbars, a mark of deep gratitude.[12]
Modern historian Rima Hooja affirms the traditional account, stating that “Jhala Bida of Bari Sadri took the royal flag and standard upon himself,” and that this allowed Maharana Pratap to retreat and regroup.[8] She characterizes the outcome of the battle as inconclusive, with neither side achieving full strategic control.
Legacy
- In recognition of his bravery, the Government of India issued a commemorative postal stamp in his honor on 28 September 2017 as part of the "Rajput Warriors" series.[13]
See also
References
- ^ Tod, James; Crooke, William (1920). Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan, or The central and western Rajput states of India. University of California Libraries. London, New York : H. Milford, Oxford University Press. p. 394.
- ^ a b Rima Hooja. A History Of Rajasthan. pp. 661 & 842.
- ^ Mahiyāriyā, Nāthūsiṃha (1976). Jhālā Māna (in Hindi). Pratāpa Śodha Pratishṭhāna.
- ^ Paliwal, D. L. (2004). Jhālā rājavaṃsa: Baṛīsādaṛī Ṭhikāne kā itihāsa (in Hindi). Rājasthānī Granthāgāra.
- ^ Somani, Ram Vallabh (1976). History of Mewar: from earliest times to 1751 A.D. C.L. Ranka, Jaipur.
- ^ admin (18 June 2017). "Jhala Manna". iStampGallery. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ Shastri, Dr Miss R. P. (1961). Jhala Zalim Singh (1730-1823). p. 39.
- ^ a b Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa & Co. p. 680. ISBN 9788129115010.
- ^ Tod, James (1829). Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Vol. I. Smith, Elder & Co. p. 394.
- ^ a b Badayuni, Abd al-Qadir (1884). Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, Vol. II. Translated by G.S.A. Ranking. Asiatic Society. pp. 177–179.
- ^ Abu’l-Fazl (1907). Akbarnama, Vol. III. Translated by H. Beveridge. Asiatic Society. p. 112.
- ^ Tod, James (1829). Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Vol. I. Smith, Elder & Co. p. 394.
- ^ admin (18 June 2017). "Jhala Manna". iStampGallery. Retrieved 26 July 2025.