Jawahar Singh
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Maharaja Jawahar Singh (reigned 1763-1768) (Hindi: महाराजा जवाहर सिंह) was ruler of Bharatpur state . He succeeded to the throne when his father Maharaja Suraj Mal died in 1763. He was extravagant, willful, ambitious and energetic. He could never get on well with his father Maharaja Suraj Mal, who always felt that he would be responsible for bringing about the end of the Jat Kingdom. That is why he wanted his younger son Nahar Singh to be his successor. This created a big problem for all his nobles. At the time of Raja Suraj Mal's death in 1763 Jawahar Singh was in Farrukhnagar.
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[edit] Jawahar Singh ascended the throne
Maharaja Suraj Mal's nobles placed Nahar Singh on the throne. On hearing this news Jawahar Singh lost his temper and sent a letter to Bharatpur expressing how painful it was that while the dead body of his father Suraj Mal was restless for his head, his sons were quarrelling among themselves for the throne. Jawahar Singh announced that he would soon return to Bharatpur and would contend for the throne only after taking revenge for his father’s head.
By the time he reached Bharatpur, the news had spread that Jawahar Singh took shelter with the Raja of Karauli. Bal Ram brother-in-law of Maharaja Suraj Mal the commander of Bharatpur forces closed the gates of Bharatpur fort and prepared for war against Jawahar Singh. Ultimately, however, he accepted Jawahar Singh's claim to the throne. Maharaja Sawai Jawahar Singh ascended the throne of Bharatpur with the title of Bharat Indra.
[edit] Jawahar Singh’s revenge
Maharaja Jawahar Singh punished all those courtiers who had opposed his succession to the throne. Nahar Singh fought a war against him with the help of Karauli and the Marathas, but was defeated. Jawahar Singh helped the Raja of Dholpur to be independent of the Marathas. He also made alliances with the East India Company against the Maratha Leader, Raghunath Rao. He had his maternal uncle Balram murdered. Raja Suraj Mal had been maintaining superficially friendly relations with Raja Madho Singh of Jaipur, in spite of his having a born foe of the Bharatpur 'Raj'. Jawahar Singh did not approve of it. After the death of Nahar Singh, Jawahar Singh called his wife and his children back from Jaipur to Bharatpur, but Madho Singh refused to send them. In reply, Jawahar Singh gave shelter to Pratap Singh, a rebel Sardar of Jaipur, and demanded Pargana Kama of Jaipur, which was adjacent to Bharatpur. He further annoyed Madho Singh by adopting the title of Sawai, which was the title adopted by Madho Singh's father, Raja Jai Singh only
[edit] Jawahar Singh’s march against Delhi
In October 1764, Jawahar Singh had marched against Delhi with 100 guns, 60,000 soldiers of his own, 25,000 Maratha soldiers of Holkar and 15,000 Sikh soldiers.
After a siege of several months Najibuddin appealed for peace. But Jawahar Singh was determined to take revenge for his father, by severing his head. After several days, some Rohilla leaders came to the camp of Jawahar Singh with Zubita Khan who sought the intervention of Maharaja Holkar.
Holkar tried to persuade Jawahar Singh to make peace on the condition that a Mughal princess would be given to him in marriage, and Najibuddaulah would pay the whole expenditure for the war. Jawahar Singh accepted this offer and returned to Bharatpur. In February 1765 a treaty was signed on payment of Rs. 600,000 as war indemnity and the offer of the hand of a Mughal princess, who was later married to a Frenchman, Captain Samru. In making this treaty, Holkar had accepted a bribe from Najibuddaulah and acted treacherously towards Jawahar Singh. When Jawahar Singh knew these things, relations between him and Holkar became strained.
[edit] The Pushkar bath by Maharani Kishori
Maharani Kishori, wife of Maharaja Suraj Mal, who had adopted Jawahar Singh, was adept at political intrigues. She was pained to see that Jawahar Singh was not adopting a favourable policy towards the members of the family and the nobles. She knew that only keeping him engaged in warfare could control him. She also knew that the Rajputs could never tolerate this abrupt rise of Jat rule and would always resist the latter's efforts to gain power. The solution for both the problems lay in war.
Maharani Kishori epressed her desire to her proud son that she wanted to go for a sacred bath at Pushkar. Jawahar Singh pointed out that Pushkar was situated in the territory of his eternal and deadly foe, Raja Madho Singh, who would not tolerate her arrival at Pushkar with a large retinue, and advised her that if at all she were keen to go for Pushkar bath, she would go with only a few followers and Rupa Ram the Purohit.
The Rani retorted by saying that she was the mother of Jawahar Singh, and the Rani of Maharaja Suraj Mal and taking a bath like Marwari women would hurt her pride, and that she would like to take her bath along with the Rajput Ranis there.
She would also like to give away alms surpassing the Rajput Ranis. She said, she did not understand why the Jats should be afraid of the Rajputs any longer. Jawahar Singh knew well that this would lead to warfare and bloodshed.
Jawahar Singh marched to Pushkar with 60,000 Cavalry, 1 lakh Infantry and 200 guns. With fluttering banners and beating drums they entered Jaipur territory and set up an impressive camp in the Sandy plains of Pushkar.
Maharani Kishori was weighed in gold, which was given in charity. The other Ranis who had come on this occasion felt humiliated because they were not in a position to match the charity of Maharani Kishori. The Rajput vanity was hurt.
[edit] War with Madho Singh
Jawahar Singh made the big mistake of leaving Pratap Singh the rebel of Jaipur, for the defence of Bharatpur. He considered Partap Singh to be a reliable man, but in this he was deceived.
When Pratap Singh came to know about the Pushkar bath, He left Bharatpur undefended, and joined the camp of Madho Singh. Pratap Singh instigated Madho Singh against Jawahar Singh. All the Rajput rulers assembled at Pushkar and held a conference in which no Jat rulers were invited. Raja Madho Singh said in this conference that the Jat ruler had injured the vanity of all the Rajputs. It was here that a witty Marwari, Raja Vijay Singh pointed out that after all the Jats were also Hindus and if they donated liberally on this auspicious occasion according to their financial position, it must not be taken as humiliation by Rajputs. Madho Singh, however, rejected this advice and appealed for war. The decision of this conference soon reached Jawahar Singh. He was expecting it.
Madho Singh laid on ambush in a valley to intercept Jawahar Singh on his return. Jawahar Singh had anticipated this and took the alternative route via Tanwarawati, near the present day Neem-ka-Thana, Maonda and Mandholi villages, this area was a bottleneck Surrounded by hills. The column of troops with cavalry and artillery was marching under the leadership of Captain Samru.
The palanquins of the Ranis were escorted by Jawahar Singh in the rear of the column. All of a sudden Rajputs attacked them from three sides. It was a fierce battle, in which the Rajputs suffered great losses. In the battle, it was found that only 11 tender aged members were left in the family of Raja Madho Singh. The rest lost their lives.
It is said that 25,000 casualties occurred in this - Battle of Maonda and Mandholi. Jawahar Singh reached Bharatpur. Both the Jats and Rajputs claimed themselves victorious in this battle, but apparently the loss did not have not much of a repercussion on the strength of Jats, whereas Madho Singh had to suffer such a severe blow that his power never recovered. Rajputs claimed that Jawahir Singh ran from the field and hence they claimed themselves victorious in spite of heavy losses.
Some unknown person ( popular perception holding it that it was none other than one of his own bodyguard who attacked him with stealth)killed later Jawahar Singh in 1768 while he was out on hunting. His successor was Maharaja Ratan Singh.
[edit] References
- Ram Swarup Joon: History of the Jats, Rohtak, India (1938, 1967)
- Dr Natthan Singh: Jat - Itihas (Hindi), Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad Gwalior, 2004
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Maharaja Suraj Mal |
Bharatpur ruler 1767–1768 AD |
Succeeded by Maharaja Ratan Singh |
