Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v3.c32: Chapter 1

Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v3.c32

Language: English

Chapter 1 v3.c32.1

Haravati defined—Fabulous origin of the Agnikula races—Mount Abu—The Chauhans obtain Mahishvati, Golkonda, and the Konkan—Found Ajmer—Ajaipal—Manika Rae—First Islamite invasion—Ajmer taken—Sambhar founded; its salt lake—Offspring of Manik Rae—Establishments in Rajputana—Contests with the Muhammadans—Bilandeo of Ajmer; Guga Chauhan of Mahra; both slain by Mahmud—Bisaldeo Generalissimo of the Rajput nations; his period fixed; his column at Delhi; his alliances—Origin of the Hara tribe—Anuraj obtains Asi—Dispossessed—Ishtpal obtains Asir—Rao Hamir—Rao Chand slain—Asir, Alau-d-din—Prince Rainsi escapes to Chitor; settles at Bhainsror, in Mewar—His son Kolan declared lord of the Pathar . . . . . . 1441

v3.c32.3

Recapitulation of the Hara princes from the founder Anuraj to Rae Dewa—He erects Bundi—Massacre of the Usaras—Dewa abdicates—Ceremony of Yugaraj, or abdication—Succeeded by Samarsi—Extends his sway east of the Chambal—Massacre of the Kotia Bhils—Origin of Kotah—Napuji succeeds—Feud with the Solanki of Toda—Assassination of Napuji—Singular Sati—Hamu succeeds—The Rana asserts his right over the Patar—Hamu demurs, defies, and attacks him—Anecdote—Birsingh—Biru—Rao Banda—Famine—Anecdote—Banda expelled by his brothers; converts to Muhammadanism—Narayandas puts his uncles to death, and recovers his patrimony—Anecdotes of Narayandas—Aids the Rana of Chitor—Gains a victory—Espouses the niece of Rana Raemall—His passion for opium—Death—Rao Surajmall—Marries a princess of Chitor—Fatal result—Aheria or Spring-hunt—Assassination of the Rao—His revenge—Twofold sati—Rao Surthan—His cruelty, deposal, and banishment—Rao Arjun elected—Romantic death—Rao Surjan succeeds . . . . . . . . . . 1466

v3.c32.4

Rao Surjan obtains Ranthambhor—Is besieged by Akbar—The Bundi prince surrenders the castle—Becomes a vassal of the empire—Magnanimous sacrifice of Sawant Hara—Akbar bestows the title of Rao Raja on the Hara prince—He is sent to reduce Gondwana—His success and honours—Rao Bhoj succeeds—Akbar reduces Gujarat—Gallant conduct of the Haras at Surat and Ahmadnagar—Amazonian band—Disgrace of Rao Bhoj—Cause of Akbar’s death—Rao Ratan—Rebellion against the emperor Jahangir—The Hara prince defeats the rebels—Partition of Haraoti—Madho Singh obtains Kotah—Rao Ratan slain—His heir Gopinath killed—Partition of fiefs in Haraoti—Rao Chhattarsal succeeds—Appointed governor of Agra—Services in the Deccan—Escalades Daulatabad—Kalburga—Damauni—Civil war amongst the sons of Shah Jahan—Character of Aurangzeb by the Bundi prince—Fidelity of the Hara princes—Battles of Ujjain and Dholpur—Heroic valour of Chhattarsal—Is slain, with twelve princes of Hara blood—Rao Bhao succeeds—Bundi invaded—Imperialists defeated—Rao Bhao restored to favour—Appointed to Aurangabad—Succeeded by Rao Aniruddh—Appointed to Lahore—His death—Rao Budh—Battle of Jajau—The Hara princes of Kotah and Bundi opposed to each other—Kotah prince slain—Gallantry of Rao Budh—Obtains the victory for Bahadur Shah—Fidelity of the Bundi prince—Compelled to fly—Feud with the prince of Amber—Its cause—Ambitious views of Amber—Its political condition—Treachery of Amber—Desperate conflict—Rao Budh driven from Bundi—Bundi territory curtailed—Rao Budh dies in exile—His sons . . . . . . . . . . 1480

v3.c32.5

Rao Ummeda defeats the troops of Amber—Conflict at Dablana—Ummeda defeated and obliged to fly—Death of Hanja, his steed—Takes refuge amidst the ravines of the Chambal—Redeems his capital—Is again expelled from it—Interview with the widow of his father; she solicits aid from Holkar to reinstate Ummeda—The Amber prince forced to acknowledge the claims of Ummeda—He recovers Bundi—Suicide of the Amber prince—First alienation of land to the Mahrattas—Madho Singh of Amber asserts supremacy over Haraoti—Origin of tributary demands thereon—Zalim Singh—Mahratta encroachments—Ummeda’s revenge on the chief of Indargarh; its cause and consequences—Ummeda abdicates—Ceremony of Yugaraj, or abdication—Installation of Ajit—Ummeda becomes a pilgrim; his wanderings; cause of their interruption—Ajit assassinates the Rana of Mewar—Memorable Sati imprecation—Awful death of Ajit—Fulfilment of ancient prophecy—Rao Bishan Singh succeeds—Ummeda’s distrust of his grandson; their reconciliation—Ummeda’s death—British army retreats through Haraoti, aided by Bundi—Alliance with the English—Benefits conferred on Bundi—Bishan Singh dies of the cholera morbus; forbids the rite of Sati—His character; constitutes the Author guardian of his son, the Rao Raja Ram Singh . . . . . 1499

v3.c32.6

KOTAH

v3.c32.7

Separation of Kotah from Bundi—The Kotah Bhils—Madho Singh, first prince of Kotah—Its division into fiefs—The Madhani—Raja Mukund—Instance of devotion—He is slain with four brothers—Jagat Singh—Pem Singh—Is deposed—Kishor Singh—Is slain at Arcot—Law of primogeniture set aside—Ram Singh—Is slain at Jajau—Bhim Singh—Chakarsen, king of the Bhils—His power is annihilated by Raja Bhim—Umat tribe—Origin of the claims of Kotah thereon—Raja Bhim attacks the Nizam-u-l-mulk, and is slain—Character of Raja Bhim—His enmity to Bundi—Anecdote—Title of Maharao bestowed on Raja Bhim—Rao Arjun—Civil contest for succession—Shyam Singh slain—Maharao Durjansal—First irruption of the Mahrattas—League against Kotah, which is besieged—Defended by Himmat Singh Jhala—Zalim Singh born—Siege raised—Kotah becomes tributary to the Mahrattas—Death of Durjansal—His character—His hunting expeditions—His queens—Bravery of the Jhala chief—Order of succession restored—Maharao Ajit—Rao Chhattarsal—Madho Singh of Amber claims supremacy over the Hara princes, and invades Haraoti—Battle of Bhatwara—Zalim Singh Jhala—The Haras gain a victory—Flight of the Amber army, and capture of the ‘five-coloured banner’—Tributary claims on Kotah renounced—Death of Chhattarsal . . . . . 1521