Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v3.c43.83.1

v3.c43.83.1

this, however, only gave additional eagerness to his defence, as he assigned strong personal reasons for the neglect. But the son of ‘the tiger’ (Nahar Singh) shall speak for himself. Let the reader imagine a young man of twenty-five, above six feet high, of an athletic figure and chivalrous demeanour, his expression at once modest and independent, with those indispensable appendages to a Rajput warrior’s visage, well-trimmed *favoris* and moustache, and armed at all points : such was the lord-marcher (Simiswar), Man Singh. Having presented his patent for my perusal, he continued : “ Had I failed in my obligations to my brother, he would have been justified in this step ; but since you took Banwal from me, my retainers, at his beck, equalled his own in numbers ; what right therefore had he to resume Jethpura ? When Sangram Singh died, Lawa was in my hands : who could have prevented my keeping it, had it been my pleasure ? The son of Nahar Singh would have been preferred by the vassals of Sangram to one they had never even seen ; but I respected his rights, though even now he could not forcibly dispossess me. When the Thakur of Amet, on his way to court, beat his drums on the bounds of Lawa, did I not assemble my retainers and avenge the insult to my chief ? My head was Jai Singh’s—that is, with the kunguras (battlements) of Lawa ; but he never could have dared to take Jethpura, had not respect for the chief of Lawa, respect for the Rana, and for you, made me passive.