History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c82.s3: § 4. Rise of Churaman Jat.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c82.s3
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§ 4. Rise of Churaman Jat.
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The result of these operations was that the new Jat leader went into hiding in 'nooks and corners' unknown to the imperialists. The tribesmen returned to the peaceful work of cultivation and the district enjoyed peace for some years after. But in 1695, when Prince Shah Alam reached Agra, the Jats were again causing trouble. [*M. U.*, i. 542.] Their next leader was Churaman, the son of Bhajja, a brother of Rajaram. This Churaman had a genius for organisation and using opportunities, and succeeded in founding a dynasty which still rules over Bharatpur. "He soon built other...places for retreat and the safe-keeping of booty......Most likely he was aided in this work by the wealth secreted by Rajaram and others of his ancestors. Being more enterprising than those who had preceded him, he not only increased the number of his soldiers, but also strengthened them by the addition of fusiliers (musketeers) and a troop of cavalry, whom he shortly afterwards set on foot...and having robbed many of the ministers of the Court on the road, he attacked the royal wardrobe and the revenue sent from the provinces." (Fr. MS., 41.) But this full development of Churaman's power was witnessed after the death of Aurangzib. The wars of succession among that Emperor's sons and then among Bahadur Shah's descendants were to be golden opportunities to the Jat leader.
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About 1704 he recovered Sinsani from Mughal possession. It was, however, wrested from the Jats a second time, on 9th October 1705 by Mukhtar Khan, the governor of Agra.*
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§ 5. Pahar Singh Gaur disturbs Malwa, 1685.
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During the Emperor's prolonged absence in the Deccan, while the Jats were raiding the great royal road from Delhi to Bijapur at its northern end, another body of rebels disturbed its middle portion, which passed through Malwa. Private feuds very often ended in outbreaks which went beyond their original subjects of dispute and developed into revolts against the imperial Government and public peace.
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Pahar Singh Gaur, a Rajput zamindar of Indrakhi in western Bundelkhand, was serving the Emperor as faujdar of Shahabad Dhamdhera† in Malwa. He was a man of matchless bravery and as chivalrous as he was brave. A zamindar of the neighbourhood named Lal Singh (of the Khichi Chauhan clan) was driven to despair by the exactions and oppression of his overlord, Anurudh Singh Hada (the Rajah of Bundi), and bought the alliance of Pahar Singh by offering him the hand of his daughter. Pahar Singh, who ranked low in Rajput society on account of his being a *Chamar Gaur*,* jumped at the proposal of such an ennobling match, and immediately rode out with his 5000 expert troopers to the villages of Lal Singh and sent word to Anurudh Singh to spare his vassal. The Hada Rajah replied scornfully, "You presume to make a display of your force to prevent me from taking my tribute! When an ant puts forth wings, it is a sign of its approaching death." The Gaur leader, on getting this reply, sent a challenge to Anurudh to prepare for battle, but the latter arrogantly said that such a foe was unworthy of his sword and that a few of his armed vassals would be sufficient to drive him away. But the Hada vanguard was defeated and driven back on their Rajah's camp by the heroic charges of Pahar Singh, and the boastful Anurudh fled on horseback without having time to tie his turban on his head. Pahar Singh refused to pursue him, replying to his counsellors in these noble words: "It is against the rules of chivalry and heroism to strike a man who has turned his back." But the Bundi Rajah's camp and baggage, worth lakhs of Rupees, fell into the victor's hands, who then returned home (early in 1685).
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∗ M. A., 498; Inayetullah's Ahkam, 7b. Churaman's history after the death of Aurangzib is given in full in Irvine's Later Mughals, i. 322-326; ii. 120-124.
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† Indrakhi, 43 m. east of Gwalior. It should not be confounded with Indragarh, which is 35 m. south-west of it and 30 m. n. of Jhansi. Shahabad is 90 m. n. of Sironj and nearly the same distance s. s. w. of Gwalior.
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∗ Beames's *Memoirs on...Races*, i. 105: "They are ashamed of their name, as it presumes a connexion with Chamars." A Lal Singh Khichi is reported as in rebellion in Itawa, in *Akhbarat*, 6 Nov. 1695.
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The Emperor, on hearing of it, ordered the victor to send the booty to him. Pahar Singh refused, and then openly broke with the imperial Government, taking to a life of rebellion and plundering in the villages of Malwa. At this time that province was being administered, in the absence of Prince Muhammad Azam, by Rai Muluk Chand, the assistant (peshdast) to his diwan. He carried out the Emperor's order to suppress the rebel, and attacked Pahar Singh at the village of Udaipur, some 28 miles south-east of Sironj.
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After a severe battle the rebel was slain (Nov. or Dec. 1685.) His head was cut off by the victor and sent to the Emperor, who on viewing it remarked, "A sparrow decked in a handful of feathers has struck down a high flying falcon!" Muluk Chand was, however, rewarded with increase of rank (500) and the title of Rai-i-raian, the highest that a Hindu civilian could then hold.*
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§ 6. Rebellion in Malwa by Pahar Singh's sons.
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But the rising continued under Pahar Singh's son Bhagwant, who collected a large body of fierce peasants and began to plunder the country round Gwalior, entirely closing the roads to traffic. Muluk Chand marched to Gwalior with his troops and was reinforced by some officers detached from the Agra province. Bhagwant Singh, who had gone towards Kalpi, now turned back and halted at the village of Bijurra (4 miles south-east of Antri). The imperialists marched out of Gwalior to Antri, 12 m. s. of it. A pitched battle was fought on the spacious plain near the village of Chiruli (6 m. s. e. of Antri.) Bhagwant, who had been encouraging his men from the rear, while the battle was at its hottest, made a sudden charge at the head of 500 fresh men, and cut his way to the elephant of Muluk Chand. The imperialists broke and fled; their general's elephant was driven away, though he continued shooting arrows behind him; the Gaur soldiers plundered all the baggage, horses, etc., of the Mughals, and returned to their base to secure the booty. Bhagwant Singh, though victorious, was thus left almost alone in the field. Some of the Mughal officers who were still maintaining their ground, now joined together and charged Bhagwant in a compact body. After a brief but severe contest the defeat was marvellously turned into a victory; the rebel chief was killed; Muluk Chand turned his elephant back to the lately lost field, cut off Bhagwant's head, and came back to Gwalior (March 1686). But in the very night of his return he died of cholera. [Ishwardas, 94a-97a (full); M. A., 266, 273 (dates only)]. His orphan son visited the Emperor and was given a civil post in recognition of his father's services. [I. O. L., 1344, 20a.]
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∗ The Emperor's letter to Azam reporting this victory and describing Muluk Chand's rewards, in I. O. L. 1344, 15b= Ruqat No. 18.
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But the trouble did not end even then. Devi Singh, another son of Pahar Singh, joined Chhatra Sal Bundela, and took to plundering the imperial territory and molesting the people in Bundelkhand. [Ishwar, 119b.] In 1690, Gopal Singh,* the grandson of Pahar Singh, assembled a large army and captured the fort of Indrakhi, belonging to Bakhtawar of the Bhadauria clan. The dispossessed zamindar appealed for protection to Safdar Khan, the faujdar of Gwalior, who did nothing for him. The Emperor severely reprimanded this officer and compelled him to proceed against the rebels. Safdar Khan, therefore, rode in force against a petty fort near the village of Gujwara† in the pargana of Palwa, to which he laid siege. On the sixteenth day, while he was making preparations for delivering an assault next morning, the rebels made a night-attack on the siege-camp. The Khan, fighting in front of his men, was killed by a musket-shot in his navel (May 1690). [Ishwar, 135b, 138a; M. A. 335.]
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† Goojurra, 15 m. e. of Antri railway station. Palwa, not found.
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But two years later the Gaur rebels submitted.
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∗ Gopal Singh Gaur must not be confounded with Gopal Chaudhuri of Sironj, who rebelled on release from captivity (about 1704), [Inayet's Ahkam, 3b,] nor with Rao Gopal Singh Chandawat.
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Gopal Singh and five other kinsmen of Pahar Singh waited on Shaista Khan, the governor of Agra, paid a tribute of Rs. 85,000 in cash and kind, and were restored to their mansabs and deputed to serve in Kabul. [Ishwar, 149a.] On 6 Nov., 1693, Kirat Singh, a son of Pahar Singh, brought 250 Gaur recruits to the Emperor and was paid Rs. 25 for each. [Akhbarat, year 36.] In August 1695 we find Devi Singh serving the Emperor in the Deccan as qiladar of Machandragarh. [Akhbarat, 39.]