Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s12.57

v2.c28.s12.57

Soon afterwards Jawahir sought his doom by arrogantly provoking a war with the Rajah of Jaipur, once the overlord of his house. Mādho Singh, alienated by Suraj Mal’s discourtesy and suspicions during his last years and genuinely alarmed by Jawahir Singh’s manifest design to wrest the Narnol district from him, was further outraged by the incursions of the new Jat Rajah and his Sikh allies into Jaipur territory in 1765. He had intrigued, with his usual futility, with every enemy of Jawahir, and harboured Nāhar Singh, a claimant to the Jat throne, though under the strong recommendation of Malhar Holkar. And now Jawahir, intoxicated with his recent sweeping victory over the Marathas in Bundelkhand, planned to organize a grand coalition with the Rajputs for excluding the Marathas totally from the north of the Narmada. The plan broke down from his pride, recklessness and utter want of diplomacy. He demanded from Mādho Singh the surrender of Nāhar Singh’s widow and children (with their hoarded treasures.) The lady refused, justly fearing Jawahir’s notorious character, and the Jaipur Rajah could not forcibly expel a suppliant for asylum. Jawahir taxed him with the design of adding this beautiful widow to his harem,—the very step he himself had been contemplating. Mādho Singh gave an angry reply. Then the Jat Rajah marched with his army and a full supply of artillery (including Sombre’s and René Madec’s battalions) to Pushkar, through Jaipur territory, inviting Bijay Singh of Marwar to meet him there and form the coalition. Madho Singh had warned the Jat Rajah though in vain to come slenderly attended as befitted a pilgrim and a friendly visitor. On 6th November (Kartik full moon day), Bijay Singh welcomed Jawahir on the bank of the sacred lake. The two Rajahs exchanged turbans and sat down side by side on the same carpet like full brothers, and sent an invitation to Madho Singh to come and join them. The proud Kachhwa Rajah, long the foremost Rajput vassal of the Delhi empire, was provoked beyond control by this insult. He sharply reprimanded Bijay Singh for having degraded his Rathor ancestry by admitting a peasant’s son and a mere servant of Jaipur as his brother and political equal. This roused Jawahir to fury. In his march through Jaipur territory, his soldiery had looted the villages on the way and molested the people. The Kachhwa tribe could no longer restrain themselves. The long halt of Jawahir at Pushkar gave them time to assemble their tribal levy of 16,000 horse besides infantry.