YE DEKHO SURAJMAL JAAT By Guest Contributorin History Those who have no record of what their forefathers accomplished lose the sense of national pride, which comes from the teaching of history. The pages of our history are filled with the tales of a lot of unsung heroes. I would like to tell the story of the life and times of Raja Surajmal, king of the Jat rebels from Bharatpur, lest he should be forgotten. Judging by what I came to know about Surajmal in the course of writing this article, he was an important figure in the late medieval India. He had a great role in ending the tyranny of the Mughals. It is surprising how little information I could glean on him from our medieval history books which are trite with the stories and accomplishments of the tyrannous Mughals. In the early 18th century, the farmers of Bharatpur were being terrorized and ill-treated by the Mughals. Harshness by a local faujdar, Abdun Nabi, provided the necessary spark of rebellion to the Jats. At this point of time, Churaman, a powerful Jat village headman, rose against this tyranny but was defeated harshly by the Mughals. This did not remain for long, since the Jats once again came together under the leadership of Badan Singh, and controlled a vast expanse of territory. The failure of the Rajputs to effectively subjugate the Jats, and the growing feebleness of the Mughal central government enabled the Jats under Badan Singh to carve out a separate state. In the year 1707, when the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb passed away, a child was born- a child who was to play a pivotal role in the political fortunes of Hindustan, for the child was to become the ruler of the Jat state of Bharatpur. The child was Surajmal. Surajmal was born in February, 1707 in Bharatpur, India. He was the eldest son of the Jat emperor of Bharatpur, Maharaja Badan Singh. Surajmal_cover1_1 Surajmal and his brother Pratap Singh were popular and competent for the throne of Bharatpur. To avoid any future family feud Badan Singh constructed two separate forts and palaces, at Kumher for Surajmal, and at Weir for Pratap Singh. Due to his deteriorating health, Badan Singh handed over the state of Weir to Pratap Singh around 1738-40, and declared Surajmal as successor for the rest of the state and handed over the administration to him. Due to the untimely death of his son Pratap Singh on 2 November, 1745 and the severity of his eye problem, he decided to retire from active royal affairs. Surajmal had virtually exercised the sole management of the affairs of the state of Bharatpur for over twenty years before and after the death of Badan Singh. On November 1745 Surajmal ascended to the throne of Bharatpur. Raja Surajmal was the most famous of the Bharatpur rulers, ruling at a time of constant political turmoil around him. Using unmatched diplomatic vision, statesmanship and military tact, he led his state towards greatness. Raja Surajmal used all his power and wealth to a good cause, and built numerous forts and palaces across his kingdom, one of them being the Lohagarh Fort (Iron fort), which was one of the strongest ever built in Indian history. The inaccessible Lohagarh fort could withstand repeated attacks of British forces led by Lord Lake in 1805 when they laid siege for over six weeks. Having lost over 3000 soldiers, the British forces had to retreat. The Deeg palace is one of finest examples of architectural grandeur under Surajmal. In 1750, Surajmal defeated a Mughal army and forced the signing of a treaty whereby the Mughals agreed to pay a handsome fee as war compensation, plus promising not to desecrate Hindu temples in Jat territory. Thus he proved his mettle against the mighty Mughals. In 1753, Surajmal’s forces also sacked Delhi. On 14 May, Jats sacked Charbag, Bag-e-kultat and Hakim Munim Bridge. They sacked Jaisinghpura and burnt many areas. On 16 May, Jats attacked Delhi ferociously and defeated Sadil Khan and Raja Devidatta in a severe war. On 17 May, their army captured Ferozshah Kotla. (Some of his soldiers, of the Sinsinwar Jat clan, who had taken to Delhi, decided to stay behind and established villages like Katwarya Sarai). The Mughals had to seek help from the Marathas. The joint forces of the Mughals and the Marathas lay siege over the Jat fort of Kumher and were on the verge of capturing it when Surajmal, displaying diplomatic tact, requested the intermediation of Diwan Roop Ram Katara, who was on good terms with Jayappa Sindhia. The Sindhia ruler of Gwalior used his influence over Raghunathrao, brother of the Peshwa, to pressure the commander of the Maratha forces, Malharrao Holkar, into accepting a treaty with the Jats, which he did in 1754. India held her breath in painful suspense for the last six months of the year 1760. A struggle between the foreign Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Durrani (also known as Ahmed Shah Abdali) and the Marathas for ascendancy in Northern India was given the appearance of a great communal and religious war by the Durrani. Surajmal’s kingdom lay between the two warring factions, i.e., the Marathas in the south and the Afghans to the north. Thus his kingdom, on account of its man power and its strategic location, inadvertently played a crucial role in the battle of Panipat. Agents of Peshwa visited the court of every Hindu prince of Rajputana, but received a cold reception and evasive replies. Right from the start the Maratha commander attempted to win over allies. He wrote, though in vain, to the various Hindu and Muslim chiefs, seeking their help in banishing the invader and protecting India. After setting camp on the bank of the Chambal, SadashivraoBhau wrote to Raja Surajmal, requesting his alliance and asking him to come without delay to the Maratha camp and unite. Raja Surajmal, however, suspected treachery, because of his previous face off with the Marathas in 1754 and hence hesitated to visit the Maratha camp till Malhar Rao Holkar and Sindhia furnished personal oaths and solemn assurances concerning his safety. They persuaded him to meet the Bhau at Agra. Surajmal went to the Maratha camp and was honorably received by the Bhau and other Maratha generals. Bhau, in person, advanced two miles to welcome his only as well as an important ally Surajmal. The renewed pledge followed, Bhau taking the Yamuna’s water in his hands as a solemn proof of his alliance with the Jat Raja. Everything went well for a few days and it was all love and cordiality between the Jats and the Marathas. But coolness soon sprang up owing to difference of opinion as to the plan of campaign against Abdali. Surajmal provided many a useful advice for the benefit of the Marathas. The Jat chief emphasized caution and reflection in conducting the war against a mighty and clever enemy like Abdali. He proposed that the womenfolk and the children, the heavy equipage, big guns, and such other things, which were of little use in the present struggle, should be dispatched to Jhansi, Gwalior or any of his forts. The line of supplies should be kept safe and open. The provisions, he ensured, could be produced from his kingdom. He further advised Bhau to destroy the supply lines of Abdali’s army. Surajmal insisted on keeping a firm base at Delhi. Impliedly it meant that the line of communication should not be lengthened and that continuous supplies be vigilantly ensured. But it was all ignored by the Marathas. The real implications of ignoring it were seen later on. Had the advice of Surajmal been followed the resistance to Abdali would have been more successful and the whole history of Hindustan far different, than what it has since been. Differences over power sharing in Delhi also arose between Surajmal and the Maratha commander, Bhausaheb. Bhausaheb and Balwant Rao started conspiring against Surajmal. They had planned on arresting Surajmal. In order to keep their words regarding the safety of Surajmal, Holkar and Sindhia alerted Surajmal’s waqil, Rupram Katara. Rupram Katara came back to the Jat camp and explained the whole situation to his master, Raja Surajmal. When three hours of night remained, the Jats silently struck their tents, packed their baggage, and marched off, in the direction of Ballabhgarh, the nearest Jat stronghold, 22 miles to the south of Delhi. Surajmal safely reached Ballabhgarh, despite of being chased by Maratha troups. The shrewd Abdali took advantage of the discord between the Jats and the Marathas, and made an attempt to win over Surajmal. The reputation of Surajmal wasn’t unknown to him. He had several times tried without success to detach the Jat Raja from the Marathas. He now opened a fresh round of negotiations with Surajmal. Surajmal agreed to it, wore the khilat sent by Shuja-ad-Dawlah and Ahmed Shah Abdali, and exchanged oaths. The practical result of this treaty was to ensure only the neutrality of Raja Surajmal, but not his active assistance on the Afghan side. He entered into this alliance with Abdali only to provide against an emergency, and because complete isolation was too dangerous for any state in the prevailing political conditions of India. The Maratha army, after losing an invaluable ally, were starved of supplies and deprived of much needed man power. Surajmal_illustration1 Maharaja Surajmal Illustrated by: Akshit Singh Digitised by: Ruchika Jain The Marathas, ignoring Surajmal’s advice, moved their camp to Panipat, whereas the afghans had set camp to the east of the river Yamuna in the territory of their ally Shuja. In the few initial skirmishes, the Marathas gained the upper hand. Abdali daringly crossed the river Yamuna on 25 October, 1760 at Baghpat, cutting off the Maratha camp from their base in Delhi. This eventually turned into a two-month-long siege led by Abdali against the Marathas in the town of Panipat. During the siege both sides tried to cut off the other’s supplies. By the end of November 1760 the Afghans had cut off almost all food supplies into the besieged Maratha camp. Before dawn on 14 January 1761, the Maratha troops broke their fast with the last remaining grain in camp and prepared for combat, coming from their lines with turbans disheveled and turmeric-smeared faces. They emerged from the trenches, pushing the artillery into position on their prearranged lines, some 2 km from the Afghans. And thus a fierce battle ensued, in which the Maratha army was eventually massacred by the Afghan forces. Due to the Marathas’ defeat at the third battle of Panipat, and their subsequent ten-year hiatus from North Indian affairs, the British were able to establish a foothold in North Indian affairs. One can’t help but wonder about the course that Indian history could have taken, had the Marathas treated Surajmal with the respect that he deserved and valued his advice. After the fearful wreck of the magnificent Maratha army in the third Battle of Panipat (14 January, 1761), the survivors fled southwards. In their hour of misfortune, the very peasants stripped them of their arms, property and clothes. Naked and destitute, the Maratha soldiers entered the country of the Jats, who welcomed them to their hospitable doors and provided medicine, clothes and food for their relief. If Surajmal had not befriended the Marathas in their hour of adversity, very few of them would have crossed the Narmada to tell the woeful tale of Panipat to the Peshwa. And this he did at the imminent risk of incurring the wrath of Abdali, staking his life and fortune at the impulse of a pious and noble sentiment which would have done the stoutest heart of Rajputana proud in her heroic days. The treatment given to the Marathas by Bharatpur state angered Abdali. Abdali demanded one crore rupees from Surajmal as a penalty for helping his enemies. Unflinching in the face of adversity, Surajmal refused to pay such a huge amount to Abdali and make him all the more powerful. So he decided to go to war against Abdali. Surajmal emerged victorious in this particular battle. The third battle of Panipat was followed by a comparative calm – a quiet of exhaustion; Northern India at least ceased for some time to be the battle-field of the Afghan and the Maratha. Surajmal quickly took advantage of these few moments of his enemies’ war-weariness and expanded his own territory. Maharaja Surajmal decided to capture the Agra fort to re-establish his influence in the doab region. After laying siege to the fort for a month, Maharaja Surajmal captured the Agra fort on 12 June, 1761 (and it remained in the possession of Bharatpur rulers till 1774). Surajmal was active in annexations in the following two years, 1762 and 1763. He went to capture Farrukhnagar, Rewari and Rohtak in various conquests. By the end of 1763, Bharatpur state reached the zenith of its power under Surajmal. As the Administrator of Delhi and the imperial heartlands including Agra, Najib ad-Dawlah, failed to quell the Jat peasant uprisings led by Raja Surajmal. During one massive assault, the Jats and their leaders overran the Mughal garrison at Agra. They plundered the city and the two great silver doors to the entrance of the famous Taj Mahal were looted and melted down by Raja Surajmal. Surajmal now turned his arms against Bahadurgarh, on the western periphery of Delhi, the stronghold of another powerful Baloch chief Bahadur Khan. The Baloch chief appealed for help to Najib-Ad-dawlah. The Baloch incident precipitated a clash between Surajmal and Najib-ad-Dawlah. Najib, dreading the tremendous strength of his foe, attempted to placate him more than once. But Surajmal was so much annoyed with his conduct that all his efforts proved to be of no avail. On 25 December 1763, Najib-ad-dawlah, taking all his troops, less than 10000 in number, crossed the Yamuna two hours before dawn and took post on the west bank of the Hindan, 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Delhi. Surajmal with his army of at least 25000 men and heavy artillery lay in wait for them. Several small engagements occurred in which the Jats displayed their superiority. Cannonading was also resorted to between the two sides which lasted till 3 pm. Later, on the same day, Surajmal got news that a large body of the enemy was coming to pounce upon Nahar Singh (his son and heir apparent). He marched in haste with a few hundred horsemen, to his aid. Unfortunately, in passing through a ditch which the river Hindan had left there, he was surprised on both sides by a party of Ruhela infantry (Najib’s men) – who had been placed there to ambush Surajmal. Taking the Jats by surprise, they attacked them with their muskets and brought down Surajmal with all his retinue who lay there on the plain either slain or wounded. As usually happens in such cases, the leaderless Jats, overwhelmed with shock, decamped the same night (25–26 December 1763), thereby conceding to Najib-ad-dawlah “a victory which no one had expected.” Sayyad Muhammad Khan Baloch, a leading Mughal commander, cut off the head and hand from the body of Surajmal, and kept them with himself for two days. After that, these were taken to the presence of Najib-ad-Dawlah. Then only could he believe that Surajmal was dead. It is said that no great man lives in vain, the history of the world is but the biography of great men. So long as he was alive Surajmal commanded the love, respect and admiration of people. Now even though more than two centuries have elapsed since his death, his memory is still alive and green in the heart of his people. Cover Illustration by: Gopica Dhawan
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 13:40:59 +0000
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