Later Mughals v2.c14.s4: Sec. 28.—Revolt of Rajah Ajit Singh Rathor.
Later Mughals v2.c14.s4
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Sec. 28.—Revolt of Rajah Ajit Singh Rathor.
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During the reign of Farrukh-siyar and afterwards, so long as their predominance was maintained, Rajah Ajit Singh remained faithful to the Sayyids' cause. Two years before he had been appointed by them governor of Ahmadabad, and now declined to acknowledge the new arrangement or send in the usual congratulations and presents. He entered the province of Ajmer, assumed possession of it, and forbade the slaughter of cows within the two provinces. Under these circumstances his speedy suppression was considered urgent. Saadat Khan, governor of Akbarabad, Samsam-ud-daulah, Qamar-ud-din Khan, Haidar Quli Khan, each in succession was offered the command of an army with the Government of the province. Each of them after accepting found excuses for withdrawing from the undertaking. Some had gone as far as sending out their tents one stage upon the road. Samsam-ud-daulah in particular was frightened by the possible cost of the expedition, only part of which would be obtained from the royal treasury. Samsam-ud-daulah's idea was that Ajit Singh might have been left in possession of Gujarat on condition of relinquishing Ajmer. Haidar Quli Khan objecting to this course, Saadat Khan was called upon to undertake the duty. Being a new man, he could not persuade a sufficient number of nobles to take service under him. Qamar-ud-din Khan would not stir unless Abdullah Khan, Nijabat Ali Khan and the other Barha Sayyids were pardoned and placed under his orders. As the Sayyids were distrusted by the Emperor's friends, the request was refused. At length on the 12th October 1721, Haidar Quli Khan was appointed to Ahmadabad and Sayyid Muzaffar Ali Khan Daipuri to Ajmer. The latter was a protégé of Samsam-ud-daulah. Haidar Quli Khan sent a deputy to his province. [K. K. 937, Ghulam Ali 43a, Shiu Das 76b.]
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Muzaffar Ali Khan was willing to take charge in person of his new Government, but was a man without means. Six lakhs of Rupees were granted to him; but as the money was not forthcoming from the treasury, he was forced to content himself for the time being with two lakhs. He took up his station outside the city and began to enlist recklessly, offering absurdly high rates of pay. By the time he had reached Manoharpur* and had collected 20,000 men under his standard, all his money was spent. With Jai Singh the Kachhwaha Rajah there was no trouble. In July 1721 he arrived at Court and professed abounding loyalty. He had gone in person to all the mosques in Amber and directed that the public call to worship should be made and the Friday prayer recited. The prohibition of the slaughter of kine was formally set aside, and the Rajah proclaimed himself a submissive subject of the Muhammadan Empire. He produced the convention entered into by Jahan Shah (the Emperor's father), conferring on him, Jai Singh, the perpetual governorship of Ajmer and Gujarat. This document bore an impress in sandalwood dye of Jahan Shah's open hand (panja). The Rajah further called attention to his friendly acts towards the new Emperor in previous reigns. His guarantors in these representations were Samsam-ud-daulah and Roshan-ud-daulah, and by their influence his overtures met with acceptance. [Ghulam Ali 43b.]
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Ajit Singh, on the contrary, showed no intention of evacuating Ajmer; but had sent on his eldest son, Abhai Singh, to resist the approaching governor. Thereupon orders (2nd Oct., 1721) came from Dihli for Muzaffar Ali Khan not to advance beyond Manoharpur. Here he remained for three months. The demands for pay increased and multiplied; no portion of the balance of the six lakhs promised to him made its appearance. The soldiers in their distress began to sell their arms, their clothes and all that they had. After this they had to starve or plunder: preferring the second alternative, they spread over the country far and wide, bringing in twenty thousand head of cattle. A few villages near Narnol were also plundered. [Shiu Das 77a, Ghulam Ali 44a.]
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As Muzaffar Ali Khan could not pay his men, the reins of authority and discipline fell from his hands. The troopers quarrelled over the division of the plundered cattle and even went the length of fighting among themselves. Night came on, the impounded cattle by a desperate rush made good their escape, and returned to their villages. Convinced that the game was now up, the soldiers recited a fatiha for good luck, left the place, and returned to their homes. Muzaffar Ali Khan felt his powerlessness and made no attempt to attack the Rathors; after a time the general of Rajah Jai Singh arrived to his succour, and escorted him to the Kachhwaha capital of Amber, with his few remaining horsemen and infantry. He gave up all he possessed, sent back the robes of honour and the letter of appointment, and assuming the garb of a mendicant retired into private life. [Ibid.]
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∗ 35 m. north of Jaipur town and about 130 m. n. e. of Ajmer.
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Muzaffar Ali Khan was now superseded by Sayyid Nusrat Yar Khan Barha. Ajit Singh was at Ajmer, and had been reinforced by a Jat contingent sent by Churaman Jat under the command of his son Muhkam Singh. Before the new governor could take the field, Ajit Singh sent his eldest son northwards to attack Narnol and other places in the Agra and Dihli provinces. Abhai Singh had under him twelve thousand camel-riders, armed with matchlocks and bows, two men on each camel. After a rapid march of 140 miles, Narnol was reached. The officer in charge on behalf of Bayazid Khan Mewati, faujdar of the district, fought as well as he was able, but in the end retreated and made his way to his master in Mewat. Narnol was given up to plunder; Alwar, Tijara, and Shahjahanpur were harried; and plunderers appeared even as far north as Sarai Allahwirdi Khan, within sixteen miles of Dihli. [Shiu Das 78.]
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At Dihli the usual confusion prevailed. First, Samsam-ud-daulah having uttered many oaths about the sanguinary vengeance he would take, received orders to march; his tents were sent out and elaborate preparations began; but he made no further move. Even the Emperor was disgusted with him and showed displeasure, and in consequence Samsam-ud-daulah withdrew from attendance at darbar. Haidar Quli Khan was next called upon; he submitted numerous demands, and the whole of the imperial artillery was placed at his disposal; his tents were then erected outside the city; but he thought better of it and declined to start. Qamar-ud-din Khan treated an application to him with similar disrespect. At last Nusrat Yar Khan marched, but had not gone far in the direction of Ajmer when news came that Rajah Ajit Singh had evacuated that city and had retired to his own country. [Shiu Das 78b, Ghulam Ali 44a.]
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Apparently the cause of this withdrawal on the part of the Rathors was the knowledge that Nizam-ul-mulk had accepted the office of chief minister, had left the Dakhin and was now not far from Dihli. As we have stated, he was formally placed in charge of his office on the 20th Feb. 1722. A month afterwards (21st March) an emissary from the Rathor Rajah, one Khemsi Bhandari (steward), appeared at Court in the company of Nahar Khan, late faujdar of Sambhar. [Shiu Das 83a, Kamwar 251.]
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Ajit Singh stated his case in a petition to the Emperor, of which the following is the substance. He begins by reciting his humble submission to the former Emperor Farrukh-siyar at the time when Sayyid Husain Ali Khan was sent against him. Before the Sayyids were deposed from power, he had been appointed governor of Ahmadabad and Ajmer. In the interests of the Empire it was well for someone to take charge; and while he ruled, he upheld the law and practices of Islam. Then, when victory had crowned the imperial standards, he was dismissed and the province of Ahmadabad given to Haidar Quli Khan. He said nothing but relinquished it. As to Ajmer he was ready to do the same; but Muzaffar Ali Khan never appeared. Then those who were ill-disposed towards him (Ajit Singh) made use of the attacks at Narnol and other towns as proof of his disloyalty. This was an entire mistake; those attacks were due to a quarrel with the Mewatis. He leaves the case in the Emperor's hands, confident in his justice and being fully convinced that not by one hair-breadth had he departed from the right way. He would either appear at Court or remain in his own country, as might be desired. [Shiu Das 83a.]
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In answer to this tardy submission the Emperor's farman, after a vague compliment to his loyalty and an equally vague excuse for having taken away the two provinces, proceeded to state that the Government of Ajmer was for the time being again confided to him; and, please God, the province of Ahmadabad would also in a short time be restored to him. Presents were forwarded, consisting of special robes, a jewelled turban ornament, a horse and an elephant. The rescript concluded:—"What fear can there be that any single person's petitions or representations would be accepted in respect of his (Ajit Singh's) acts? Let his mind be at rest, recognizing that this well-wisher to God's people (i.e., Muhammad Shah) is occupied with his welfare." [Shiu Das 84b, Kamwar 255.]
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The next stage in Ajmer affairs is the appointment on the 8th Dec. 1722 of Nahar Khan to be diwan of that province coupled with the faujdarship of Sambhar. As diwan or chief revenue officer, Nahar Khan was put alongside and almost on an equality with the nazim or military governor. His position was further strengthened by the conferment of the faujdari of Garh Patili* on his brother, Ruhullah Khan. With these men Khemsi Bhandari, Ajit Singh's agent, set out from Dihli on his return to Ajmer. [Kamwar 257.]
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On the 9th February 1723, the report was received at Court that on the 6th January Nahar Khan and his brother, Ruhullah Khan, had been assassinated by Ajit Singh. Under the supposition that the Rajputs were friendly, they had encamped close to them. At dawn their tents were attacked and they were both slain. Hafiz Mahmud Khan, nephew of the faujdar, and his other relations were captured; twenty-five persons were beheaded; and in a few moments the whole of the camp and baggage had been plundered and carried off. The few men who had escaped took refuge in the territories of Rajah Jai Singh of Amber, where they were assisted and thence escorted into the imperial territory. [Kamwar 260-261, Tod ii. 87.]
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∗ Mr. Irvine suggests that Patli 94 miles s. w. of Dihli, and Kot, one mile north-east of the former, probably stand for Garh Patili of the Persian text. Tod speaks of the siege and capture of the fort on Bithli hill (modern Taragarh) overlooking Ajmer. [J. Sarkar.]
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Forthwith, Sharf-ud-daulah Iradatmand Khan* was selected to head an army against the Rajah. He was promoted to the rank of 7000 (6000 horse), and the *Bakhshis* were directed to place a force of 50,000 horse at his disposal. On the 26th February he received his audience of leave-taking, and four days afterwards he was granted two lakhs of Rupees from the imperial treasury for the pay of his troops. On the 10th March a number of nobles were detailed to accompany him; and on the 4th April express messengers were sent to Rajah Jai Singh, Muhammad Khan Bangash, Rajah Girdhar Bahadur and other great nobles who had been engaged in the Jat campaign, (to which we shall come presently), directing them to place themselves under the orders of Sharf-ud-daulah. A further expedient for the injury of Ajit Singh was the grant on the 5th June 1723 to Rajah Indar Singh Rathor of his former appanage of Nagor. At this time he was in the Dakhin with Nizam-ul-mulk, but his grandson, Man Singh, carried out the ordinary homage done on such occasions. [Kamwar 261-264, Rustam Ali 251*b*.]
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About this time Haidar Quli Khan was on his way back to Dihli from Ahmadabad in disgrace, as will be more fully mentioned in a future section. His presence at Rewari was announced on the 6th April 1723; Roshan-ud-daulah interceded for him, and his misdeeds were pardoned. Khwaja Sad-ud-din, superintendent of escheats, was sent to him with a rescript appointing him to the Government of Ajmer and the faujdarship of Sambhar. In obedience to these orders Haidar Quli Khan turned back and joined the imperial army at Narnol. Thence they marched on towards Ajmer. [Kamwar 263.]
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On the 30th May the news was received that before that date Rajah Ajit Singh, who had been posted at the village of Bhanhra, had retired before the imperial forces without offering battle and had gone in the direction of Sambhar. This was followed five days afterwards (4th June) by the report that Haidar Quli Khan and the other nobles and rajahs had entered Sambhar, while Rajah Ajit Singh, taking with him his famliy, had quitted Ajmer and moved off in the direction of Jodhpur. The garrison he had left in Garh Patili was making ready to defend that place. The new imperial governor entered Ajmer on the 8th June 1723, having left as his deputies Agha Qasim at Sambhar and Salabat Afghan at Mahrut. On the 17th June, Garh Patili was invested and one-and-a-half months afterwards (4th Aug. 1723) Haidar Quli Khan sent to Court the keys of that fortress with a report that it had been taken.*
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∗ Khwaja Abdullah, entitled Sharf-ud-daulah Iradatmand Kh. Sadiq Tahavvar Jang Bahadur, died 3rd Zul Qada 1143 H. (9th May 1731) aged over 70. He was brother's son and son-in-law of Mulla Iwaz Wajih, who died in 1088 H.
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Ajit Singh now thought it time to make terms and sent in to the imperial commander his eldest son, Abhai Singh, with several elephants and a large sum of money. He desired that his own appearance at the Dihli Court might be postponed for the period of one year. Haidar Quli Khan forwarded the Rajah's son and the presents to Court and obtained a favourable reception for his prayer. Abhai Singh was received with all honour, and gifts were conferred upon him; but he was detained at Court. Upon Nizam-ul-mulk's flight to the Dakhin, Haidar Quli Khan was restored to favour and recalled to Court on the 30th Dec., 1724, to fill his former office of Mir Atash, being replaced at Ajmer by Sayyid Husain Khan Barha (April 1725). [Kamwar, Rustam Ali 252a.]