Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s10.20

v2.c28.s10.20

Advancing higher still, Suraj Mal was enlisted by Safdar Jang, the imperial wazir, to assist him in his war on the rebellious Bangash clan of Farrukhābād and their Ruhela allies from beyond the Ganges. The brunt of the fighting at Ram Chatauni (September 1750) was borne by the Jats with conspicuous success, and if Safdar Jang failed it was due simply to his folly and lack of generalship. The same service was repeated in Safdar's victorious invasion of Rohilkhand in 1751-52. On 20 October 1752, the grateful wazir induced the Emperor to create Badan Singh a Rajah with the title of Mahendra, and Suraj Mal a Kumar Bahadur with the title of Rājendra * and a few days later to confer the office of faujdar of Mathura on Suraj Mal. This gave him the governorship of most of the territory on the two sides of the Jamuna, in the province of Agra and the environs of that city, for an annual tribute. "This was the first step in the ascendency of the Jats, because though they had before this acquired enough of goods and riches, they had not obtained rank among the potentates of Hindustan for want of title and [officially conferred] authority; but now their head was created a Rajah by the Great Mughal himself, as Jai Singh was." [Wendel.] Safdar Jang now expedited the issue of patents from the imperial Chancellory for the fiefs that had been ordered to be granted to Suraj Mal before.