The Institutes of Akbar 251: 30. Rājāh Mān Singh, son of Bhagwān Dās.
The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 251
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30. Rājāh Mān Singh, son of Bhagwān Dās.
251.130
He was born at Ambīr, and is the son of Rājāh Bhagwān Dās (No. 27). European historians say that he was the adopted son of Rājāh Bh. D., but Muhammadan Historians do not allude to this circumstance, perhaps because Hindūs make absolutely no difference between a real and an adopted son. He is also known under the title of Mirzā Rājāh, and Akbar bestowed upon him the title of Farzand (son).
He joined Akbar with Bihārī Mall (p. 329). In 984, he was appointed against Rānā Kīkā, and gained, in 985, the great battle near Gōgandah. Rājāh Rāmsāh of , Gwáliar was killed with his sons, whilst the Ráná himself in the mélée was wounded by Mán Singh. Akbar, however, felt annoyed, because M. S. did not follow up his victory, and recalled him.
When Bhagwán Dás was appointed governor of the Panjáb, M. S. commanded the districts along the Indus. In the year 993, Prince M. Muhammad Hakím died, and M. S. was sent to Kábul to keep the country in order. He rejoined Akbar near the Indus with M. Muhammad Hakím’s sons (M. Afrásyáb and M. Kaiqubád); but was soon after sent back to Kábul, where he chastised the Raushánís who, like other Afghán tribes, were given to predatory incursions. After the death of Rajah Bír Bar, in the war with the Yúsufzais, M. S. was appointed to the command of the army in Kábul, in supersession of Zain Khán Kokah (No. 34) and Hakím Abul Fath. He was also put in charge of Zábulistán, as Bhagwán Dás had a fit of madness (p. 333). In the 32nd year, M. S. was recalled in consequence of loud complaints of the people against the Rájpúts and M. S.’s indifference to the Kábulís, and was appointed Governor of Bihár, to which province the tuyúls of the Kachhwáhas had been transferred.
After the death of Bhagwán Dás in 998, M. S., who hitherto had the title of Kunwar, received from Akbar the title of Rajah and a Command of Five Thousand. In Bihár he punished several refractory Zamíndárs, as Púran Mall and Rajah Sang Rám, and received their tribute.
The principal events of Mán Singh’s life from 997 to 1015 are given in Stewart's History of Bengal, (pp. 114 to 121). In the 35th year, M. S. invaded Orissa by way of Jhárkand (Chutiá Nágpúr). The result of this expedition was the cession of Púrí. In the 37th year, when the Afgháns under Khwájah Sulaimán and Khwájah ’Usmán attacked Púrí, M. S. again invaded Orissa, and re-annexed, in 1000, that province to the Dihlí empire. In the 39th year, M. S. continued his conquests in Bhátí (the eastern portions of the Sundarban), and built, in the following year, Akbarnagar, or Rájmahall, at a place which Sher Sháh, before him, had selected as a convenient spot, as also Salímnagar, the Fort of Sherpúr Murchah (Mymensing). The whole of Eastern Bengal on the right side of the Brahmaputra was likewise annexed. In the 41st year, M. S. married the sister of Lachmí Naráin, Rajah of Kúch Bihár, who had declared himself a vassal of the Mughul empire. In the same year, M. S. took dangerously ill at G’horág’hát, when the Afgháns attacked him. They were soon after driven back by Himmat Singh, one of M. S.’s sons, into the Sundarban. In the 42nd year, M. S. had to send a detachment under Hijáz Khán into Kúch Bihár for the protection of Lachmí Naráin. In the 44th year, M. S., at Akbar’s request, joined the Dak’hin war. Thinking that the Afgháns, in consequence of the death of their leader, the rich ’Ísá of Ghorág’hát, would remain quiet, M. S. appointed his son Jagat Singh (No. 160) his deputy, and joined Prince Salím at Ajmír. Jagat Singh died after a short time, and was succeeded by Mahá Singh, a younger son, or grandson, of M. S. The Afgháns under ’Usmán used this opportunity, defeated, in the 45th year, the imperials near Bhadrak in Orissa, and occupied a great portion of Bengal. M. S. then hastened back over Rohtás, and defeated the Afghans near Sherpúr ’Atáí, a town of the Sirkár of Sharífábád, which extended from Bardwán to Fath Singh, S. of Murshidábád. After this victory, which obliged ’Usmán to retreat to Orissa, M. S. paid a visit to the Emperor who promoted him to a (full) command of Seven Thousand. Hitherto Five Thousand had been the limit of promotion. It is noticeable that Akbar in raising M. S. to a command of Seven Thousand, placed a Hindú above every Muhammadan officer, though, soon after, M. Sháhrukh (vide p. 312) and M. ’Azíz Kokah (No. 21) were raised to the same dignity.
M. S. remained in Bengal till 1013, when the sickness of the emperor induced him to resign his appointment, in order to be in the capital. The part which he played at the time of Akbar’s death is known from the Histories. Jahángír thought it prudent to overlook the conspiracy which the Rájah had made, and sent him to Bengal. But soon after (1015), he was recalled and ordered to quell disturbances in Rohtás (Bihár), after which he joined the emperor. In the 3rd year of Jahángír’s reign, he was permitted to go to his home, where he raised levies, in order to serve with M. ’Abdurrahím (No. 29) in the Dak’hin war.
M. S. died a natural death in the 9th year of J.’s reign whilst in the Dak’hin. Sixty of his fifteen hundred wives burned themselves on the funeral pile. At the time of his death, only one of his numerous sons was alive, Bháo Singh, regarding whose succession to the title vide Tuzuk i Jahángírí, p. 130.
251.p2
The ground on which the Táj at A’grah stands, belonged to Mán Singh.