Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c26.s1: § 1. Rajput-Maratha relations during 1751-1753

Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c26.s1

Language: English

§ 1. Rajput-Maratha relations during 1751-1753

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By the middle of the year 1751 the three dynastic wars in Rajputana had ended in the victory of the claimants, as we have seen in Chapter 7. In Jaipur and Bundi the Maratha nominees had been installed, while in Marwar alone the new Rajah Bakht Singh had gained the throne unaided by any Deccani mercenary.

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These wars had left the Rajput States under a heavy load of debt due to the Marathas as the price of their armed support. It is possible to form an exact estimate of the monetary claims of the Marathas in Rajputana at this time. The fine of ten lakhs imposed on Kota by Baji Rao in January 1738 seems to have been paid in full. Leaving aside the absurd sums of one *kror* or even half a *kror* so recklessly offered to the Marathas by Maharana Jagat Singh II in his frantic desire to win for his nephew Madho Singh the Jaipur throne or at least half of that kingdom, we find that in 1748 Madho Singh promised them a *nazar* of ten lakhs. To this sum must be added the indemnity of two lakhs imposed on him for the massacre of the Maratha visitors to his capital in January 1751. So, the dues from Madho Singh were twelve lakhs in all. It was laid down by the Maratha king that out of the actual collection made here every year, half a lakh was to be paid to him, and the balance to be shared equally between his two generals Holkar and Sindhia posted there. At Bundi, Ummed Singh during his contest for the throne had bound himself to pay his Maratha allies ten lakhs, out of which two lakhs were paid in 1749 and the remaining eight lakhs were yet to be realized. In Marwar, Bakht Singh was under no obligation to the Marathas; but his defeated rival Rām Singh, immediately after the loss of his realm (July 1751), sent his priest Jago to hire a Maratha army and thereafter became entirely a creature of the Deccanis.

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No part of these contributions was paid * by the Rajput princes during 1751 and 1752, for it was long before the Marathas were in a position to enforce their claims by arms, and without the threat of war nothing could be collected. Throughout 1751 and the first four months of 1752 the Maratha forces in Northern India were entangled in Safdar Jang’s war with the Afghans, and no troops could be spared for Rajputana. When that war ended, their main army under Malhar Rao Holkar started for the South to instal Ghazi-ud-din II in the seat of the Nizam of Haidarabad, as we have seen (Chap. 8, § 10.) This plan ended abruptly in the death of the Maratha nominee by poison on 16th October, 1752. Thus, Rajputana remained denuded of Maratha forces from February 1751 till the end of May 1752, when a body of 5,000 horse under Jayapa Sindhia, detached by Malhar from Delhi with Ram Singh’s envoys, reached Ajmir for attacking Bakht Singh. This force was quite inadequate for defeating the flower of Rathor chivalry under a most gallant and capable chief. The invaders, after reaching Ajmir, sacked that city, burnt many of its houses, slew all who resisted, and then took to plundering the neighbourhood. Bakht Singh, on hearing of the invasion, had arrived with his full tribal levy and encamped about eight miles from Ajmir, guarding his frontier, but not advancing to the defence of Ajmir. He at first bided his time, and then in July struck his blow. Mounting guns on a hillock and planting strong block-houses (nakas) to hold the paths, he bombarded the Maratha position. His fire slew many of the raiders, including one captain; the Deccanis were checked and fled away to the South, accompanied by the discomfited Ram Singh. [TALS. 38b, 101a (regnal year corrected to fifth.)]

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∗ Bundi,—in 1754 five lakhs remained unpaid, but Rs. 60,000 was actually paid in that year. SPD. xxvii. 86. Marwar,—Vad, iii. 143 and 129. Udaipur,—the Mahārānā in 1747 repudiated his promise to Baji Rao I (made in 1737) to pay Rs. 1,60,000 annually, and he required to be coerced. In 1753 the Marathas planned to take from him bonds for 5 lakhs. SPD. ii. 34. Nathji, an aspirant to his brother's throne, offered to pay 15 lakhs after his installation. xxi. 58.

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§ 2. Jayapa Sindhia invades Marwar on the side of Ram Singh, 1754.

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After this, Marwar enjoyed respite for a year and a half. But the hope of preserving that country from Maratha aggression vanished with the sudden death of Bakht Singh only two months after his victory at Ajmir. He had planned to go to Delhi in company with the Jaipur Rajah and there concert measures with the imperial Government for keeping the Marathas confined to the Deccan, when he died of cholera. His son, Bijay Singh, was quite unable to cope with the Deccanis.

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Not a farthing having been realized from Rajputana, the Peshwa sent a vast army under his brother Raghunath Rao with Malhar Holkar to that country. This chief crossed the Mukundara pass and entered Kota territory on 30th October 1753. Thence he proceeded through Jaipur to the Kumbher district of the Jat country (arriving there on 20th January 1754.) He was nowhere opposed; Kota and Bundi were old allies, while Madho Singh averted the desolation of his kingdom by sending his diwan Haragovind Natani (16 Dec. 1753) and agreeing to a contribution of 16½ lakhs of Rupees, *—15¼ lakhs being the outstanding tribute, and 1¼ lakhs a present to Raghunath for the honour of his visit! On 17th December, Ram Singh, the ex-Rajah of Marwar, waited on Raghunath and begged his help in recovering his paternal throne. But Raghunath could not be diverted from his main purpose, which was to go to Delhi and support Imād-ud-mulk in getting control of the Emperor. After losing four months on the way in a vain attempt to subdue Imād’s enemy Suraj Mal Jat, the Maratha army arrived opposite Delhi on 1st June 1754. Next day Imād made himself wazir and set up an Emperor of his own creation, and Raghunath had nothing more to do than realize the subsidy promised by Imād and establish Maratha revenue collectors in the districts ceded in the Gangetic Doab and elsewhere.

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∗ Out of this sum, Jago Pandit, the Jaipur minister, paid to Jayapa Sindhia (April 1755) Rs. 7,35,074 in cash and three lakhs in orders on bankers, leaving a balance of Rs. 6,14,926 still due. SPD. xxvii. 108. Interviews,—xxvii. 79.

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So, on 23rd June, Raghunath detached Jayapa Sindhia from his side to Marwar, with orders to restore Ram Singh to the throne. The Gujrat division of the Maratha army, 10,000 strong, was told off for this task. On the way, Jayapa brushed aside the Rathor opposition at Kishangarh, 18 miles north-east of Ajmir. Bijay Singh wisely decided to fall back from the far advanced post of Ajmir to his old frontier fort of Merta, which he held in full strength with a large park of artillery. Here Jayapa arrived on 6th August and was joined by Ram Singh’s adherents. That prince set himself vigorously to enlist his clansmen and soon assembled 12 to 15 thousand Rathors, besides tempting numbers of Bijay Singh’s followers to desert.

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Bijay Singh now issued from Merta and entrenched himself opposite the invader's camp and engaged in daily skirmishes and cannonading. At last on 15th September a battle at close quarters took place. Rajputs of the same clan and even of the same family were ranged on the opposite sides and fought with the blind fury of civil war. "Father slew son, brother killed brother." This unnatural contest raged from 9 o'clock in the morning till sunset. By nightfall Bijay Singh had been completely defeated. The vanquished king spent that night and the next day in Merta, loading what property he could for removal, and then fled away to Nagor. On the 17th Jayapa and Ram Singh entered Merta, looted the city for three hours, and then proclaimed safety to the unhappy citizens. The victors immediately pushed on to Nagor and laid siege to it ; but the siege was destined to last for a year and to cost the Marathas dear. *

Linked texts (1)

Selections from the Peshwa Daftar — Marathi