Later Mughals v2.c15.s12: Sec. 81.—Government of Malwa by Bhawani Ram.

Later Mughals v2.c15.s12

Language: English

Sec. 81.—Government of Malwa by Bhawani Ram.

On the death of Girdhar Bahadur (8th December 1728), the Emperor wrote in his own hand to his son Bhawani Ram condoling with him and requesting him to defend the province against ''the infidels.'' Bhawani Ram was created a Rajah with the title of Chimna Bahadur, two lakhs of Rupees were granted to him, and Sayyid Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, the Maharana (through Sawai Jai Singh), Durjan Sal and Md. Umar Khan were ordered to march to his aid.

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Chimnaji Apa and Udaji Puar, after their great victory at Sarangpur, went about plundering the country round Ujjain. Bhawani Ram hurriedly recruited more men and threw up earthworks round the town. On the 20th December the Mahratta army laid siege to Ujjain and daily fights took place. Bhawani Ram's difficulties were aggravated by his lack of money. He owed a large sum to the troops of Girdhar Bahadur who had raised nearly 8,000 men in addition to the regular contingent of his office and also artillery. The men in arrears were ready to break out into mutiny, and the news of this crisis tempted the Mahrattas to prolong their stay in his neighbourhood. On the 23rd January 1729, when the siege of Ujjain had lasted 35 days, Bhawani Ram made a sally. There was a fight at close quarters with losses on both sides, after which the Mahrattas retreated.

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Months passed away, but no money nor the promised reinforcement from the Court reached Bhawani Ram. He owed 5 lakhs of Rupees to his troops. The Mahrattas, after trying to take Sarangpur, went on towards Sironj where Najm-ud-din Ali was resting, having entrenched himself and placed obstacles round the town.

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New difficulties now arose. Najm-ud-din Ali Khan wrote to announce that he had been appointed to the governorship of the province and that the revenue collected was to be held in trust until his arrival. He also wrote for the miscellaneous revenue (cesses) to be collected and sent to him. The Court wrote to the Khan to desist from such acts and to return to his own faujdari of Dhamuni. When Najm-ud-din Ali reached Kaliyada, 3 miles from Ujjain, he began to raise all sorts of trouble. (April 1729). The Court’s orders were shown to him, but he went on as before. Finding persuasion useless, Bhawani Ram had no course open but to resist force by force. He brought his tents out of Ujjain and encamped opposite Najm-ud-din. From morn to night the men on both sides stood armed and ready. Durjan Sal and Umar Khan, failing to persuade Najm-ud-din to refrain, finally left him. The strong attitude of Bhawani Ram, however, had the desired effect, and the baffled Sayyid at last marched away.

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Meantime, the rumour of Bhawani Ram’s supersession had thrown his affairs into confusion. The zamindars refused to pay the revenue. His soldiers mutinied and demanded their arrears ; in concert with the neighbouring zamindars and men from the city of Ujjain, they surrounded Bhawani Ram at Kaliyada, but he fought and put them to flight.

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Next year (1729—1730) his troubles were renewed. Kanthaji (about June 1729) had invested Khargun [south of the Narmada, 25 m.s. of Mandleshwar] for four days and levied a blackmail of Rs. 50,000, and had then crossed the Narmada [at Barwana] into Malwa and was raiding the country round Dhar,—while Malhar and Udaji had assembled their troops and were waiting at Chikalda for the arrival of Baji Rao and other leaders from Burhanpur. This year the Mahrattas took up their quarters for the rainy season within the province of Malwa. But Jai Singh had not yet moved out of his capital Amber, and his general Zorawar Singh (then at Rampura) had sent to Ujjain only 700 horsemen as aid. Bhawani Ram had by this time exhausted his money and his credit and had no means to pay new recruits.

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The Emperor assured him that Rao Ram Chand (of Kota?)

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and Rajah Udwat Singh of Orchha had been ordered to go to his aid, while Jai Singh was on the march with 30,000 men. Meantime, a second Mahratta force of 5,000 (under Udaji) had burst into Malwa and was plundering Dhar Dharampur and Malori in the Mandu district. Finally a letter came from the Emperor informing Bhawani Ram that the governorship of Malwa had been made over to Jai Singh, under whom he was to serve. [Ajaib-ul-afaq, B.M. Or. 1776, ff. 11b, 74b—78b, 80b—86a, and Nos. 195, 197, 180, 189.]