Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c47.s2.6

v4.c47.s2.6

The Vaishnav's creed (like the Shākta's) enjoins the duty of having a female companion in practising devotions. She represents Rādhā, while he is the counterpart of Krishna, and these two combined typify the Primeval Parents—called Purusha and Prakriti, whose union, according to Hindu philosophy, has created the Universe. Bijay Singh's mate was a girl of the Oswāl caste, evidently procured by the high priest of Nāthdwārā, and their union may fairly be called a morganatic marriage; it was in no sense an illicit amour, scorned by society and denounced by religion, though the offsprings of such unions are not entitled to the throne nor counted as of pure caste.* The imperious spirit of this female favourite made her take advantage of the Rajah's infatuation and control the government through her faithful man of business Bhairo Sāni, a horse-tamer (chābuk sawār), who acted in concert with Sawāi Singh, the chief of Pokaran. The barons of Marwar resented her domination, as she took away the estates that many of them had transferred to themselves by force or fraud during the long years of anarchy. Worst of all, she was planning to perpetuate her own power after the death of the king, by taking a step which would put a stigma upon the Kshatriya race. She had borne her royal lover a son, named Tej Singh, to whom the king agreed to grant the fief of Mertā and thus make him a baron almost next to the sovereign. But the boy died (late in 1785) and his mother turned to the plan of ruling the State through an adopted son.