Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v2.c28.s3.20

v2.c28.s3.20

The youthful heir of Rupnagar claimed, as he justly might, the victory to himself ; and going up to Apa to congratulate him, said, in the metaphorical language of his country, “ You see I sowed mustard-seed in my hand as I stood ” : comparing the prompt success of his stratagem to the rapid vegetation of the seed. But Sardar was a young man of no ordinary promise ; for when Sindhia, in gratitude, offered immediately to put him in possession of Rupnagar, he answered, “ No ; that would be a retrograde movement,” and told him to act for his master Ram Singh, “ whose success would best insure his own.” But when treachery had done its worst on Jai Apa, suspicion, which fell on every Rajput in the Mahratta camp, spared not Sardar : swords were drawn in every quarter, and even the messengers of peace, the envoys, were everywhere assailed, and amongst those who fell ere the tumult could be appeased, was Rawat Kabir Singh, the premier noble of Mewar, then ambassador from the Rana with the Mahrattas.² With his last breath, Jai Apa protected and exonerated Sardar, and enjoined that his pledge of restoration to his patrimony should be redeemed. The body of this distinguished commander was burned at the Taussar, or ‘Peacock pool,’ where a cenotaph was erected, and in the care which the descendants even of his enemies pay to it, we have a test of the merits of both victor and vanquished.