Maharaja Suraj Mal Jat 1707 - 1763
Lohgarh Fort Bharatpur
While researching about the Maratha Era, I came across Maharaja Suraj Mal, who played an important part before and after Panipat.
My footfalls took me all the way to Braj, Mathura, and Deeg. Far away from the Maratha stronghold. This was then, Jat territory. I would like to introduce to you, Maharaja Suraj Mal.
At the time of his birth, the Jats were making their presence felt under his father Badan Singh, in and around the Jamuna.
Who then was Suraj Mal and what role did he play to make him so powerful in 1757.
The Jats were known as tillers of their land and also as warriors. Badan Singh (Suraj Mal's father), had consolidated the Jat faction to a certain extent and prepared an army to defend his land. The tribe was lawless and it was Suraj Mal who turned this to his advantage into an army of warriors, so feared that it shook the Mughals, Marathas and Rajputs into noticing and respecting them. He ruled his kingdom from Bharatpur.
Suraj Mal was an astute, shrewd and powerful warrior. His war strategies and the desire to keep his land safe from all intruders from within and foreigners was his foremost priority.
There are many incidences in his life which give credence to this.
I will take you through some of them.
With Safdar Jung:
Safdar Jung was named the Wazir of Delhi by Prince Ahmed after Muhammad Shah died in 1748. There was constant strife amongst the Turrani and Irani factions and Safdar Jung who was a Shia, had many enemies in court. The Rohillas of Rohilkhand opened a new front against him. Knowing how powerful the Jat ruler was, the Wazir did not want to alienate him. Suraj Mal on the other hand, had an expanding kingdom to rule but no Imperial recognition. Hence both parties needing each other extended a hand of friendship towards each other.
In the Wazir's time of need, Suraj Mal fought by his side. Before Malhar Rao Holkar came to the aid of the warring factions, an astute diplomatic move by Suraj Mal, assured the Wazir of his office and the viceroyalties of Oudh and Allahabad.
Suraj Mal saved his ally from ruin but made an enemy in Imad who had proposed to be the emperor of Hindustan.
Suraj Mal and Ahmad Shah Abdali:
With tact and diplomacy he averted an open war with Abdali. The message he sent says it all.
In Qudratullah's - "Jam - i - Jahan Nama", a passage summarises his negotiation with Abdali.
" You have not conquered India yet. If you have taken hold of an inexperienced child ( Imad-Ul-Mulk Ghazi-ud-din ), who held Delhi, what is their to be proud of? Why this delay in attacking me? I have spent large sums of money on these forts. The Shah can fight with me and the world will remember that a Badshah came from Vilayat and conquered Delhi, but was helpless against an insignificant Zamindar."
The forts were so strong that Abdali returned back to Delhi and could never defeat Suraj Mal. Not only his arrogance but also his supreme confidence in his ability shines through in this message.
Seige of Kumher Jan - May -1754:
It was here that Suraj Mal defied a combined army of about 80,000 troops of the Mughals and Marathas. Again through negotiation and still not losing any territory, Suraj Mal acquired further greatness and achieved the glory of being able to bargain with 2 chiefs, ( Raghunath Rao and Malhar Rao Holkar with Imad), who in their own armies were equal in rank with him, and could impose on them his conditions for a treaty. The combined forces had laid seige on Kumher for 4 months and although the fort was stocked with provisions, there was shortage of water. Credit should also be given to his wife Rani Hansia whose bold initiative brought about the break of the siege and helped Suraj Mal emerge unscathed.
Panipat:
2 severe blows were dealt to the Marathas while they prepared for war with Abdali. One was the defection of Shuja-ud-daula to the Abdali camp and second was the sudden desertion and departure of Suraj Mal from Delhi.
There are four main reasons for this desertion given by historians:
1) The families of the Marathas were not sent to Gwalior. Suraj Mal had insisted that a light army with no burdens would be able to move quickly.
2) The Wazirship was not offered to Ghaziuddin-Imad-Ul-Mulk
3) The removal of the Gilt and silver ceiling at the Diwan-E-Khas.( Suraj Mal was completely against this).
4) The management of Delhi was not given to Suraj Mal. (This was not possible at the time as rightfully the throne belonged to Shah Alam the Emperor).
There are conflicting theories about his reasons for the desertion, as is bound to happen amongst historians, but the fact is, he left the Marathas to fight the battle against Abdali, without his backing.
To his credit, unlike Shuja-ud-Daula of Oudh, he did not join Abdali and secured his kingdom from the marauders. After Panipat, all the battle weary who came into his territory, were given food, clothing and shelter.
He also built beautiful forts and palaces in Bharatpur, Deegh, Kumher and Weir. Aside of these gardens, lakes, palaces and temples were also built by him, each structure more aesthetically beautiful than the other. The poet Somnath in his poetry "Sujan Vilas' has described it extensively.
In his death, as in his life, Suraj Mal has attained glory. He died in a fierce battle against Najib-ud-daulah at just 56 years of age depriving the Jats of a great Statesman, and Military leader.
Maharaja Suraj Mal's great and unrivalled achievement was to create a kingdom bringing together all the Jat factions and gaining them respect, as a formidable force, in the uncertain times of the 18th Century.
Courtesy: Maharaja Suraj Mal. K. Natwar Singh
Courtesy: History of the Marathas. G.S.Sardesai
Photographs: Google Images and the book Maharaja Suraj Mal
