The legend of Udaipur has it that the city was built by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1568, after being advised by a sage to do so. Years later, when he was defeated by the Mughal Emperor Akbar at Chittor, he set up his new kingdom in Udaipur.
After his death, Pratap Singh took over the reins of the kingdom while Udaipur continued to be besieged by Mughal invaders and later, the Marathas. With the advent of the British, a treaty to protect Udaipur was signed between the ruler and the British. The history of Udaipur took another important turn when it was merged with the Indian Territory after independence.