Later Mughals v1.c6.s13: Section 13.—The Second Rajput Rising.
Later Mughals v1.c6.s13
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Section 13.—The Second Rajput Rising.
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When Bahadur Shah left Ajmer on his march for the Dakhin, he took with him Rajah Jai Singh Kachhwaha and Maharajah Ajit Singh Rathor. Their acquiescence in this semi-captivity was apparently nothing but a mask for further plans. As already stated they escaped from the Emperor's camp on the 30th April 1708, when it was near Mandeshwar in Malwa. A month afterwards (30th May) it was ascertained that they had gone to Rana Amar Singh at Udaipur. In a few days information was received that a daughter of Jai Singh had been promised to the Rana, and that the three chiefs had entered into an agreement for joint resistance. This was in spite of the fact that the Rana had sent in letters professing submission. [Bahadur, 110.]
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In July 1708* Jodhpur was surrounded by thirty thousand Rathor horse; and after five days Mihrab Khan the *faujdar*, through the intervention of Durgadas Rathor, capitulated and was allowed to retreat with honour. The Jodhpur bard, who is Tod's authority, places Jai Singh Kachhwaha in the background and leaves him encamped through the rainy season of 1708 at Sur Sagar, apparently an artificial lake close to Jodhpur town. But the Muhammadan writers tell us that on the 19th June it was announced to the Emperor that the combined Rajahs had made an attack on Amber. Seven days afterwards a further report was received that they had defeated the faujdar of Hindaun and Biana, places 70 and 50 miles south-west of Agra. As they were then parganas of the Agra subah, the governor of that province, Amir Khan, was directed by the Emperor to assemble troops and march to suppress the outbreak. [Bahadur 116, Kamwar 25.]
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∗ All Tod's dates are out by one year, as he deducts 56 instead of 57 years from the Sambat year to find the Christian era,—following the Southern instead of the Northern mode of calculating the commencement of the Sambat year.
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In a few days a letter came from Shujat Khan Barha, subahdar of Ajmer, informing His Majesty that the Rajahs, having collected 2000 horsemen and 15,000 infantry, had sent this force against Amber, under the leadership of Ram Chand and Sanwaldas. Sayyid Husain Khan, Ahmad Said Khan, and Mahmud Khan, reinforced by 2000 horse and 1000 foot sent by the subahdar, had come out to meet the enemy, of whom seven hundred were slain. Shujat Khan said he had rewarded Husain Khan, and hoped that his own good service would be appreciated. This lying report being accepted as true, there was much rejoicing in the imperial camp, with a distribution of gifts and liberal promotions. (Bahadur 122.)
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Meanwhile Asad Khan, the Wakil-i-mutlaq, was ordered to move from Dihli to Agra and to take the necessary steps to reduce that part of the country to order. Khan Dauran (formerly Chin Qilich Khan) subahdar of Oudh, Khan Jahan (son of Khan Jahan Kokaltash) subahdar of Allahabad, and Muhammad Amin Khan, faujdar of Muradabad, were directed to move with half of their troops to reinforce Asad Khan. Sayyid Husain Khan, faujdar of Mewat, wrote to the subahdar of Dihli for reinforcements. He had only one hundred petty officers and their troops with him, and he required two or three lakhs of Rupees to enlist more men. Mhd. Yar Khan passed the letter on to Asad Khan on the ground that Amber and the other places threatened were not in the province of Dihli. Asad Khan granted one lakh of Rupees in cash and said his own troops should be sent as a reinforcement. [Khush-hal, 377a.] It was only on the 21st August 1708 that the full truth was known at the Emperor's camp. Rajah Jai Singh at the head of nearly 20,000 men, horse and foot, had made a night attack on the fort at Amber and had ejected Sayyid Husain Khan the imperial faujdar.
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After the rainy season was over the Rajputs marched by way of Mairtha to Ajmer, then northwards towards Sambhar, which was a garrison town of the Muhammadans. To meet this inroad Sayyid Husain Khan Barha*, faujdar of Mewat, accompanied by his younger brothers, Ahmad Said Khan faujdar of Mairtha Sangalhana and Ghairat Khan, faujdar of Narnol, marched in all haste at the head of such troops as he could collect. As the result of his first onset, the Rajputs beat a retreat, leaving their tents standing, with all their baggage. Everything fell into the hands of the Sayyid. But the Rajahs had not gone more than four or five miles when word was brought to them that the Muhammadan leader, with his two brothers and other relations and many of his clansmen had been slain. [Warid, ii. 156—9; Tod ii. 79; K. K. 651; Dil. 173a.]
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It seems that as their enemy disappeared from the field, the Sayyids' drums began to beat in honour of the victory. But Husain Khan espied one corner where a Rajput commander, with two thousand matchlockmen, was still busy in hastily loading his baggage camels. Enraged at this sight, Husain Khan hurried his elephant in that direction and was followed by a small group of horsemen. The Rajputs stood on an elevation; the Sayyid drew up on the low land beneath it. As they approached, their enemy delivered a musket volley and turned to flee. But this first discharge had unexpectedly deadly in its effects. The faujdar, his two brothers, and some fifty followers, before they had even time to draw their swords, were laid low. The death of the leaders was fatal to the Muhammadans' cause. Their men, already scattered and looking for plunder in the Rajput encampment or in the town of Sambhar, dispersed in every direction and sought for shelter wherever they could find it.
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∗ Called by Khafi Khan "the subahdar of Ajmer"; but Warid more correctly says he was faujdar of Mewat. Shujat Khan Barha was the subahdar of Ajmer.
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For some time the Rajahs refused to believe the reports of Husain Khan's death, but at length they retraced their footsteps. Husain Khan's body was found still seated in the howda on his elephant, which had taken up its position beside a tank. He and the men around him were buried where they were found. The other slain were placed in common graves or "martyr-heaps" [*ganj-i-shahid*].* Round Husain Khan's tomb a mango orchard was planted and a handsome tomb erected. When Warid wrote, twenty-five years afterwards, the Rajputs round about invoked the name of Husain Khan every morning as they buckled on their swords.
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The attack by Sanwaldas, an officer in the Rana's service, upon Firuz Khan, the *faujdar* of Poorh Mandal, which is placed by Tod in the same year, took place in the following year. Firuz Khan was obliged to retreat with great loss to Ajmer, but Sanwaldas himself was killed. In the same year (4th August 1709) the Malwa news-letter brought a false report of Rana Amar Singh's death.† [Tod i. 400 ; Kamwar 48.]
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∗ According to the *M. U.* ii. 500 (under Sayyid Husain Khan) S. Husain K. was faujdar of Amber. On hearing of the flight of the Rajahs and their intention to attack he made ready at Amber with his three sons, Abu Said Khan, Ghairat Kh., Hasan Kh., his brother-in-law Mahabat Kh. and two sisters' sons Mhd. Zaman Khan and Sayyid Masaud Khan. His newly raised troops on the arrival of the Rajputs lost their heads and fled. The Khan came out of Amber with a small force and opposed Durgadas Rathor in the plain of Kalah Dahra. The Rajputs were defeated but the Khan's camp was plundered and the son left in charge of it was killed. Next day the Khan retreated in great disorder and reached Narnol and there collected fresh troops. Again there was a fight near Sambhar against R. Jai Singh. At the beginning the Khan got the upper hand; but suddenly 2000 to 3000 matchlockmen left in hiding behind a sand hill discharged their guns. The Khan with his small force was surrounded. He and his leaders were killed. Mhd. Zaman Kh. and S. Masaud Kh. were taken prisoners. The first was executed and the second, then about 16, was brought to the Rajah. His tomb is situated in a bagh at Sambhar. Built by the Rajah.
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† Tod's date of 1716 A.D. for Amar Singh's death (i. 404) also seems incorrect. The true date appears to be the 29th Shawwal 1122 (20th Dec.
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Conciliatory measures were for the time being adopted by Bahadur Shah, and Jai Singh seems to have opened negotiations. At any rate on the 6th October 1708, on the intercession of Prince Azim-ush-shan, Jai Singh and Ajit Singh were restored to their rank in the Mughal service. Jai Singh's rank was 2000 zat, (2000 horse, 1000 Duaspah) with 15 lakhs of dam in gift (inam). Another measure was the appointment of a new subahdar in the person of Sayyid Abdullah Khan Barha. On the 17th October 1708 he received the usual presents, the rank of 4000, (2000 horse) and a grant-in-aid of 80 lakhs of dam (two lakhs of Rupees). A few days afterwards he made a number of requests. His assignment (jagir) in the Dakhin must be confirmed, the forts of Jodhpur and Mairtha and the faujdari of Rantambhor must be made over to him with the province of Ajmer, while for two years he must be exempt from repayment of the advances for expenses and from having the horses of his army branded. His personal followers must be admitted to mansabs. All these requests were granted and two of his relations were admitted to the service. There is no further mention of this appointment, and it was never taken up by Abdullah Khan, who, as we know, was shortly after this time sent to govern the province of Allahabad. The former subahdar of Agra was re-admitted to favour and continued in his office. [Bahadur 144, 147.]