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Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c12.s3: § 11. Salabat makes peace with Rajputs

Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c12.s3

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§ 11. Salabat makes peace with Rajputs

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On the 16th, the terms were settled, as both sides were at heart bent on peace. As the Maratha agent in the Jaipur camp noticed, "In fact, Ishwari Singh recognises that on the one side there is the Mir Bakhshi, a great man, and on the other side Rām Singh, a newly crowned Rajah. If there is a severe reverse to either party, it would be a cause of disgrace. Therefore, he has resolved to bring about a reconciliation between them somehow or other and thus become famous himself. He has now 25,000 horsemen, 400 light pieces (rahkala) and other kinds of artillery, besides excellent war material. On the side of Bakht Singh are the Mir Bakhshi, the Bīkānir Rajah, the Rupnagar chief's younger brother, and many other Rājputs, totalling 20 to 25 thousand troops and good artillery. Neither side desires war. We expect a contribution more or less to be agreed upon as payable to the Bakhshi and then peace will be made and all will retire to their respective places.'' [S. P. D., xxi. 27, 35.]

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Ishwari Singh paid a visit to Salābat and was presented by Bakht Singh. He promised a tribute of 27 *lakhs* on condition of the imperial army withdrawing from Rajputana and the Bakhshi transferring the actual government (*nāib-nāzimi*) of Agra to him. Ram Singh paid three *lakhs* in cash and promised four *lakhs* more by instalments. Bakht Singh gained absolutely nothing; his objections and claims alike were disregarded in the eagerness to make peace, and he left the Bakhshi's army and went back to Nāgor in anger. The Jat contingent returned to its home and Ishwari Singh to his capital, while Ram Singh took post on his frontier at Merta. On the return march, the Bakhshi parted from Ishwari Singh at Sambhar and proceeded to Ajmir, where he encamped outside the city for five months, trying to collect the promised contributions from the Rajput States, but met with nothing but evasion and delay.

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During Salābat Khan's halt in Ajmir a serious situation had developed in the Gangetic doab, where the Afghans killed the wazir's agent Naval Rai (2 August) and utterly routed the wazir himself (13 September.) Rumour spread the news of the wazir's death and the expected collapse of the Delhi Government through want of a supreme administrative chief. At the beginning of September the Emperor wrote to Salābat to hasten back with his troops at the sight of the letter and reinforce the wazir in face of the Afghans; and when three weeks later news came of the disaster to Safdar Jang, the Bakhshi was eager to go to Delhi and attempt to secure the vacant wazirship. But he was compelled to linger in Ajmir by his utter lack of money and a dying hope of realising some portion of the promised subsidy from the Rajputs. The Jaipur Rajah repeatedly invited the Bakhshi to visit his beautiful new capital, but the latter declined as he was in a hurry to return to Court. Ishwari Singh sent a parting gift of one lakh of Rupees to Salābat Khan, who was glad to receive what money he could get and to accept bonds for the balance. [S. P. D., xxi. 34.] Towards the end of October he set out for Delhi, giving the Nārnol district to the Jaipur Rajah, who sent his diwān Hara-govind Nātāni, with 2000 horse to control it. But all Mewāt was up as soon as the imperial army vacated it. "Mewātis and Jats are causing disturbances. The administration has broken down." [Ibid.]

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This expedition, in which Salābat Khan kept 17 or 18 thousand men engaged for a full year (Nov. 1750—Oct. 1751) and gained neither victory nor money, uttely ruined his finances. This was the last attempt of the imperial Government to impose its authority on Rajputana. Thereafter it made no further effort to realise its dues and rights, but left that vast country to its rulers and the Marathas. Rantambhor was taken by the Rajah of Jaipur in 1754 and Ajmir by the ruler of Jodhpur in 1752, and then the last vestige of imperial suzerainty disappeared from Rajputana as completely as it did from Bengal Bihar and Orissa after 1765.

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§ 12. Bakht Singh gains the throne of Jodhpur.

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Bakht Singh, though scornfully cast aside by his ally the Mir Bakhshi, got his chance a few months later, when Khush-hal Singh Champawat, the premier noble of Mārwār, was insulted by Ram Singh and came to Bakht Singh in search of revenge. Their combined army met Ram Singh near Luniāwās, 11 miles s.s.w. of Merta, on 27th November 1750, when 1,500 to 2,000 men fell on the field, the most notable of them being Sher Singh Mertia and one or two other leaders on the side of the Jodhpur Rajah. The havoc was specially severe among Bakht Singh’s allies from Bikānir, who lost 6 or 7 captains. Bakht himself was wounded by spear and bullet and at the first onset had to fall back four miles; but in the end Ram Singh lost the day and fled away to his capital. Unable to hold it, he took refuge in Jaipur, while Jodhpur opened its gates (8th July 1751) to Bakht Singh, who crowned himself there. Bakht Singh also took possession of the city of Ajmir and raised a large army to keep the Marathas out of his realm. But when encamped at Sindholiyā he died of cholera (c. 23 Sep. 1752), though the popular belief in Rajputana was that he had been done to death by his niece, the Rāthor queen of Mādho Singh, by means of a poisoned robe,—the familiar device of popular legend.* His son Bijay Singh succeeded to a realm that was greatly divided and weakened by Maratha rapacity, and harried by Ram Singh for years afterwards. Unable to recover his father's throne even with Maratha help, Ram Singh was at last glad to accept the Sambhar district for his maintenance and died a refugee at Jaipur in 1773.

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∗ Battle near Luniāwās: *Vam. Bh.* 3626-3630 (500 slain and 800 wounded on the two sides together.) *S.P.D.*, ii. 15, gives the first incorrect rumour of the result, but correct date. Diyālji Chāran's *Kiyant* places the battle at Dudāsar tank, near Merta, and on 11 Nov. 1750, and adds, "In conjunction with Gaj. S. of Bikanir, Bakht took Jodhpur, which was given over to plunder for four *prahars*, on 21 June 1751." But *Vir. Vin.* gives 8 July as the date of this capture. Death of Bakht S: *Vam. Bh.* 3634 (silent as to cause.) Shākir 65 ascribes it to cholera. *TAh.* 43b says that he was seized with vomiting on 21 Sep. 1752 and died after a few days. *Vir Vinod* gives 21 Sep. as the date and records the tradition that he was poisoned by Mādho S. Diyalji's *Kiyant* gives the date as 26 Aug., but is silent about the cause of his death. [*Bikanir Gaz.* 1874, p. 54.]

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§ 13. Ummed Singh's struggles for Bundi.

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We shall now turn to the ever fluctuating tides of the contest for Bundi between Dalil Singh (supported by his father-in-law the Rajah of Jaipur, on whom fell the entire brunt of the contest) and Budh Singh and his heir Ummed Singh who secured Marātha allies besides being joined (after 1743) by Ishwari Singh's rival Mādho Singh (whose cause was championed by his maternal uncle, the Mahārānā of Udaipur.) Budh Singh had been deprived of his capital and throne in 1729. The Marāthas had conquered Bundi back for Budh Singh in April 1734, but immediately after their departure, Jai Singh had wrested it from Budh Singh's agent and restored it to his protege. When Jai Singh died (21 Sep. 1743), the dispossessed heir of Bundi, then in his 15th year, rose to recover his patrimony. Durjan Sāl, the Maharao of Kotā (r. 1723-1757), very generously befriended the fugitive Ummed.

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On 10th July 1744, a Hādā army well provided with artillery, laid siege to Bundi, which was held by a qiladār from Jaipur. Fakhruddaulah, the newly appointed *subahdār* of Gujrat, was then making a pilgrimage at Ajmir on his way to his viceroyalty. He was hired by Durjan Sal’s *senāpati* Govindrām Nāgar for a *lakh* of Rupees to lend the support of his own troops in the attack on Bundi. Bundi was stormed by the besiegers on 28th July. The defeated Dalil Singh fell back on Tārāgarh, but continued to offer a stubborn resistance from that fort. Ishwari Singh had hurriedly sent an army to his support. But though Govindrām was killed, Fakhr-ud-daulah routed, and Ummed himself wounded, the campaign went against the Jaipur party; Dalil Singh had to remove with his family to Nenvé and Ummed occupied all the Bundi territory. [*Vam. Bh. 3354-3361.*]

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Ishwari Singh was soon afterwards summoned to Delhi by the Emperor and had to put off the recovery of Bundi. For the projected campaign he sent his agent (Rajah Ayā Mal Khatri) and secured Marātha aid. Ummed Singh also beat about for allies; he went to Ajmir and there met Abhay Singh. He found another friend in Mahārānā Jagat Singh, whose aim was to secure the Jaipur throne for his nephew Mādho Singh, for which object he promised 20 *lakhs* of Rupees to Malhar Rao Holkar. The Mewār envoy exchanged turbans with Jayāppā Sindhia and made a treaty for concerted action with him. But Ishwari Singh’s clever agent Ayā Mal, dissolved this alliance, evidently by bidding higher, and secured for his master the aid of all the Maratha generals except Malhar.

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Ayā Mal, with a large force of Marātha allies, returned to Jaipur. On the way, he bombarded Kotā and plundered much of its territory for being his enemy’s chief supporter (end of January, 1745.) Meantime, the Mewār army had marched into Jaipur territory and halted at Todā, waiting for Holkar. Here Ayā Mal’s Marātha associates surprised the Mahārānā’s camp at midnight, fired into it, and put the Mewār troops to flight at the return of daylight. The Mahārānā could escape only by promising to pay 22 lakhs. The victorious Ishwari Singh marched on Bundi, which was surrendered by its Kotā qiladār. A large Marātha army, guided by a Jaipur baron, then attacked Kotā and bombarded it for two months, during which Jayāppā received a bullet wound in his arm. At last Durjan Sāl saved his capital by ceding the fort and district of Kāprāni to the Marathas, to be divided into three shares and held for Holkar Sindhia and the Peshwā (early April 1745.) [Vam. Bh. 3374-3384.]

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The Marātha generals having left the ring clear, Ummed Singh with a gift of 16 lakhs from Durjan Sāl raised a fresh army and again advanced upon Bundi, defended by Nandrām Khatri, a Jaipur officer. On 20th July 1745, Nandrām opposed him at Bichodi, but after a severe contest was forced to retire, when Ummed gained Bundi. But the victor held the city for 16 days only, because on 6th August, a superior Jaipur army defeated him at Devpur and the Jaipur general re-entered Bundi. Ummed wandered for some time after as a homeless refugee. His patron Durjan Sāl met the Mahārānā and Mādho Singh at Nāthdwārā on 4th October 1746; the three confederates sent *wakils* to hire a Marātha army against Jaipur; but the attempt of the allies failed at Rājmahal (1 March 1747), where Ummed shared the defeat of his friends. The second half of that year saw a drawn battle between Jaipur and the Hādās, after which Ishwari Singh went to Bundi (17th August) and passed some months there. Towards the end of the year he had to leave for Delhi at the Emperor's call to meet the Abdāli invasion* and did not return to his State before the end of March 1748.

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§ 14. Ummed Singh as Rajah of Bundi.

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In the battle of Bagru (1-7 August 1748), Ummed Singh was present on the side of Mādho Singh and shared the fruits of his patron's victory. From Bagru the victors went to Pushkar, where Malhar and Abhay Singh exchanged turbans in sign of brotherhood and cemented their friendship by many a deep carousal together. Thence they went to Bundi which was given up by its Jaipur qiladār on 18th October 1748, and Ummed was formally enthroned five days later. [*Vam. Bh.*, 3534-42.]

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∗ *Vam. Bh.*, 3384-3414, 3455-3475.

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The long struggle being over at last, the lord of Bundi set himself to settling its long disturbed administration and restoring its economic prosperity. But the outlook before him was most dismal. "Ummed [had] regained his patrimony after 14 years of exile. . . . But this contest deprived it of many of its ornaments, and, combined with other causes, at length reduced it to its intrinsic worth,—'a heap of cotton'. . . Malhar Holkar had the title of māmu• or [maternal] uncle to young Ummed. But . . . he did not take his buckler to protect the oppressed at the impulse of chivalrous notions. . . He demanded and obtained by regular deed of surrender the town and district of Patan on the left bank of the Chambal . . . Ummed felt his spirit cramped and his energies contracted by the dominant influence and avarice of the insatiable Marathas through whose means he [had]

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recovered his capital." [Tod, ii. Haravati, ch. 4.]

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So in August 1749, Ummed Singh set out for the Deccan, evidently to plead his cause in person at the Maratha Court and attempt to get some relief from their harsh exactions. At Bāfgāon in Khāndesh, the old home of the Holkars, he was welcomed (second half of October) by Khande Rao in the absence of his father Malhar, then at Punā. Malhar returned shortly after and celebrated his daughter's marriage, at which Ummed as a "nephew" by adoption made costly presents. Then on hearing of Rājah Shāhu's death (15 Dec.), both Malhar and Ummed hastened to Satara, where the Rajput prince witnessed the coronation of the new king Rāmrājah and the contest and subsequent reconciliation between the Peshwā and Raghuji Bhonslé. He finally returned to his own capital on 12th July, 1750. Five months later, when Malhar was at the gate of Jaipur, Ummed Singh joined him there and acted as a mediator between him and the Kachhwās. [Vam. Bh., 3587-'88, 3603, 3613-'22.]

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Ummed Singh had promised the Marathas ten lakhs of Rupees as the price of their support. Out of this, two lakhs were paid in 1749, another instalment of three lakhs was assigned by the Maratha Rajah on 18 June 1751 to Malhar and Jayappa in equal parts on realisation, while the balance of five *lakhs* was ordered to be paid into the Satara treasury. [Vad, iii. p. 143.] In addition, the *chauth* of Bundi, Nenvé, and other places was farmed to Malhar and Jayappa from June 1751 onwards, for a fixed sum of Rs. 75,000 payable annually to the Rajah of Satara. [Ibid., p. 129.]

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