Udaipur revels in reputation of being once the capital of the Mewar principality. It takes pride in being one of the few Rajput states, which did not owe their allegiance to the Muslim power in the name of realpolitik. Mewar was the seat of the famous Sisodia Rajputs suzerains, which makes the Mewar household the longest lasting of all ruling powers in Rajasthan, and perhaps the oldest surviving dynasty in the world. When Udai Singh II ascended the throne of Mewar in 1537, it was clear that the splendid for of Chittor was destined to be doomed. Udai Singh looked for a suitable place for his new capital and settled for the area around Lake Pichola, protected on all sides by outcrops of the Aravalli Range. He laid the foundation stones of the city in 1559. When Chittor fell to the marauding armies of the Mughals, he shifted to the new capital of Udaipur. After his death in 1572 Udai was succeeded by his son Pratap, a legendary hero whose refusal to submit to the Mughal suzerainty led to the battle of Haldighati, which, though indecisive, resulted in the great misery for Maharana Pratap.