New History of the Marathas v2.c27.26

v2.c27.26

4. The Rathor war, murder of Jayappa.— Just as Malharrao Holkar after the death of Sawai Jaysinh obtained an excuse for interfering in the succession dispute of Jaipur, so now came the turn of Jayappa Sindia to interfere in the affairs of Marwar, when its ruler Abhay Sinh died on 10th June 1749, leaving a son Ram Sinh, not a very capable man, who expected to succeed to his father’s throne, but who was set aside by the more valiant and warlike Bakht Sinh, brother of Abhay Sinh. The aggrieved Ram Sinh sought the support of Jayappa Sindia, who had looked for an opening to obtain ascendancy over the Rajput States and levy contributions. Jayappa assured Ram Sinh that he would take up his cause and help him to secure his father’s throne as soon as he became free from other pressing calls. In 1752 Jayappa when on his way to the Deccan escorting Ghazi-ud-din the elder from Delhi (June), made an attempt to help Ram Sinh to the throne; but Jayappa had with him only a small contingent at the time which was easily routed by Bakht Sinh. He was in a hurry to proceed to the south and could not then afford to go to Marwar. During the year 1753 when both Sindia and Holkar accompanied Raghunathrao to the north, Ram Sinh met them near Jaipur and reminded Sindia of his promise to help him to the throne. Raghunathrao agreed to depute Sindia for that purpose as soon as the affair of the war against the Jats at Kumbher would be settled. That affair occupied the Marathas for five months in 1754, and in June of that year Jayappa left for Marwar from Delhi accompanied by Ram Sinh. In the meantime Bakht Sinh had died (21st September 1752) and his young and energetic son Bijay Sinh had succeeded to the rulership of Marwar. Bijay Sinh had stationed himself at Ajmere which Jayappa invested, when the former considering Ajmere unsuited for carrying on prolonged hostilities, fell back upon Merta, about 40 miles northwest. Jayappa immediately followed Bijay Sinh to Merta in August and in a stiff action inflicted a severe defeat on the Rathors on 15th September 1754. Thereupon Bijay Sinh fell back still further north to Nagore another fortified place about 70 miles from Merta. Jayappa pursued him to Nagore and invested that place immediately. This siege of Nagore lasted long for nearly a year and now acquired a unique importance owing to the bitter fighting that raged round it between the Rathors and the Marathas. For a time it became a life and death struggle in that far away corner of sandy desert, where both water and food were scarce. Sindia in the meantime captured Ajmere on 21st February 1755 and expected that Bijay Sinh would submit. But the Rathor King was a man of resources and did not give up the struggle, although he all along kept up the show of negotiating for terms by frequently sending his agents into the Maratha camp. The Marathas got possession of most of the important posts of Marwar, including Jalor in the far south where the accumulated treasures of Bijay Sinh had been secreted, which now fell into Maratha hands. Even Jodhpur was attacked and there remained little hope for the Rathors to continue the struggle.