Raja Man Singh I: Akbar’s General, Amber’s King

He commanded the army that fought Maharana Pratap at Haldighati. He was a Rajput, and one of Akbar’s most trusted generals. He also built temples to Krishna at Vrindavan, and never converted.

Man Singh I of Amber, c. 1590. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, Wikimedia Commons.

Akbar’s General, Amber’s King

MedHist0082

21 Dec 1550

Born at Amber

Kachwaha Rajput clan

1576

Battle of Haldighati

Commands Akbar’s army vs Maharana Pratap

1590-1592

Conquers Orissa

Defeats Qatlu Khan Lohani

1592

Builds Amber Fort

Including the Shila Devi temple

1594-95

Viceroy of Bengal

Founds the city of Akbarnagar

6 Jul 1614

Dies at Ellichpur

Natural death, aged 63

Same year, opposite sides. In 1576, Man Singh led Akbar’s army at Haldighati. Maharana Pratap, who he fought that day, refused every Mughal offer of peace.

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📑 Contents

1Timeline
2Early Life and Rise at Akbar’s Court
3The Battle of Haldighati, 1576
4Conquests: Bihar, Orissa, and Bengal
5Test Yourself
6Legacy: Temple Builder and Governor

Timeline

21 December 1550: Man Singh is born at Amber, into the Kachwaha Rajput clan.
1576: He commands Akbar’s army at the Battle of Haldighati, against Maharana Pratap.
1590-1592: He conquers Orissa, defeating the Afghan ruler Qatlu Khan Lohani.
1592: He builds Amber Fort, including the Shila Devi temple.
1594-95: He becomes Mughal viceroy of Bengal, and founds the city of Akbarnagar.
6 July 1614: He dies of natural causes at Ellichpur, aged 63.

Early Life and Rise at Akbar’s Court Need to Know

He was born on 21 December 1550, at Amber, the son of Raja Bhagwant Das.
He belonged to the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs, rulers of Amber, near present-day Jaipur.
His family had already allied with the Mughals. Akbar had married Bhagwant Das’s sister.
Man Singh became one of Akbar’s Navaratnas, the “nine gems” of trusted courtiers.
He rose to command up to 7,000 cavalry, among the highest ranks in the Mughal army.
He became Raja of Amber himself in 1589, after his father’s death.

The Battle of Haldighati, 1576 Need to Know

Akbar first sent Man Singh to Maharana Pratap, to negotiate Mewar’s submission to Mughal rule.
Pratap refused every offer, which led directly to the Battle of Haldighati.
Man Singh commanded roughly 10,000 troops, including 4,000 of his own Kachwaha Rajputs.
Pratap’s much smaller force included Rajput cavalry, Bhil archers, and a small artillery unit.
The Mughal army won the field, but failed in its real goal: capturing Pratap.
Pratap escaped into the Aravalli hills, and continued resisting Mughal rule for the rest of his life.

Conquests: Bihar, Orissa, and Bengal Good to Know

Man Singh served as Mughal governor of Bihar from 1587 to 1594.
There, he defeated several regional rulers, including Raja Puranmal of Gidhaur.
From 1590, he led the conquest of Orissa, defeating the Afghan ruler Qatlu Khan Lohani and his successors.
In 1594, Akbar made him guardian of Prince Salim, who later ruled as Emperor Jahangir.
That same year, Man Singh became Mughal viceroy of Bengal, governing on Akbar’s behalf.
In Bengal, he founded a new capital city, Akbarnagar, in 1595.

Test Yourself

Legacy: Temple Builder and Governor Great to Know

Despite serving the Mughals, Man Singh remained a devout Hindu, and a major temple patron.
He built the Govind Dev Temple at Vrindavan, for a disciple of the saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
He also funded work on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, and rebuilt the Jagannath Temple at Puri.
At Amber Fort, he built the Shila Devi temple, still part of the fort complex today.
He died a natural death on 6 July 1614, at Ellichpur, aged 63.
His son, Bhau Singh, succeeded him as Raja of Amber.
His descendants, the Rajawats, went on to rule Amber and later Jaipur.