Suraj Mal

Suraj Mal
Maharaja of Bharatpur
Bahadur Jung

Suraj Mal

Suraj Mal
Reign r.1755 1763 AD
Coronation Deeg, 22 May 1755
Predecessor Badan Singh
Successor Jawahar Singh
Born February 1707
Died 25 December 1763(1763-12-25) (aged 56)
near Delhi
Spouse Maharani Kishori
Issue Jawahar Singh
Nahar Singh
Ratan Singh
Nihal Singh
Ranjit Singh
House Sinsinwar Jat Dynasty
Father Rup Singh
Mother Devki (Deoki)
Religion Hinduism

Maharaja Suraj Mal (February 1707 – 25 December 1763) or Sujan Singh was ruler of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India. A contemporary historian has described him as "the Plato of the Jat people" and by a modern writer as the "Jat Odysseus", because of his political sagacity, steady intellect and clear vision.[1] The Jats, under Suraj Mal, overran the Mughal garrison at Agra and plundered the city taking with them the two great silver doors of the entrance of the famous Taj Mahal which were then melted down by Suraj Mal in 1763. Mughal commanders such as Sayyad Muhammad Khan Baloch vowed to avenge the ruins done on the Mughal Empire by the Jats, and during an ingenious counterattack, Suraj Mal was defeated and executed by the Mughal Army.

Suraj Mal's Cenotaph at Govardhan, a photo by William Henry Baker, c.1860

His large cenotaph is at Kusum Sarovar, Govardhan, Uttar Pradesh.[2][3]

Battle of Kumher

Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and his rebellious courtier Siraj ud-Daulah were having a factional feud. Suraj Mal had sided with Siraj. Alamgir sought the help of Holkar Marathas of Indore. Khanderao Holkar, son of Maharaja of Indore Malhar Rao Holkar, laid a siege of Kumher fort of Suraj Mal in 1754. While inspecting the troops on an open palanquin in the battle of Kumher, Khanderao was hit and killed by a cannonball from the Bharatpur army. The siege was lifted and a treaty was signed between Jats and Marathas, which later proved helpful for Suraj Mal in consolidating his rule.[4][5][6][7]

Commemoration

Notable institutes named after him include Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology and Maharaja Surajmal Brij University, Bharatpur.

References

Suraj Mal
Sinsiniwar Jat Dynasty
Born: 1707 Died: 1763
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Badan Singh
Maharaja of Bharatpur
17551763 AD
Succeeded by
Maharaja Jawahar Singh


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