History

Rulers of Bharatpur

1. Khanu Chand

2. Gokula Singh

He was a Jat zamindar of Tilpat, in what is now the state of Haryana, India. The second of four sons born to Madu, his birth name was Ola singh. Gokula provided leadership to the Jat peasants who challenged the power of the Mughal Empire. The first serious outbreak of anti-imperial reaction took place among the Jats of Mathura district, which had been oppressed by the imperial faujdar, Abdun-Nabi. In 1669, the Jat peasantry rose under the leadership of Gokula, resulting in the death of the faujdar. The freedom of the district could not be maintained for more than a year, and they were suppressed by Hasan Ali Khan, the new faujdar, who was aided by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb marched on November 28, 1669 from Delhi to curb the Jat threat. The Mughals under Hasan Ali khan and Brahmadeva Sisodia attacked Gokula Jat (Battle of Tilpat). Gokula and his two associates were captured alive through the efforts of Shaikh Razi-ud-Din, the peshkar of Hassan Ali. They and other prisoners were presented to the Emperor. Being furious, Aurangzeb ordered Gokula and Uday Singh to be hacked to death at Agra Kotwali on 01 January 1670.

3. Raja Ram, 1670–1688

Raja Ram was a Jat leader and organizer of rebellion for freedom against Aurangzeb. He was chieftain of Sinsini in princely state of Bharatpur in India. Raja Ram was son of Bhajja Singh of Sinsini. After the death of Gokula on 1st January 1670, Raja Ram kept alive the rebellion against the Mughals. He was also a organizer of Jat groups of different clans. 

Bhajja Singh along with his colleague Brajraj of Sinsini and their relatives prepared a small army of Sinsinwar and Kuntal gotra Jats. Raja Ram organized Jat groups of different clans and united them under his control. Sogaria was a powerful Janpada of Bharatpur and its chieftain was Ramki Chahar. Sogaria Jats already had a castle at Sogar near Bharatpur. Raja Ram took Ramki Chahar with him, he fraternized with the Jats of Sidgiri region (Bayana, Rupbasaia). He also befriended the Jats of Ranthambhor against the Amber ruler Ram Singh. On the basis of the contemporary dispatches it can unmistakably be deduced that Raja Ram proved a great rallying point and a great number of the Jats were united under his leadership. This way he completed an important work of bringing together the scattered and unorganized Jat power.

He planned to construct kuchha mud forts all around in the Jat-belt. He trained the young farmers as skilled soldiers and also educated the rebels to strictly obey the instructions of their chief.

• He began to organize his followers from the military point of view. He gave those military training and equipped them with firearms.
• He trained them in horse riding and weapons.
• He collected guns and other weapons and organized them into regiments placed under different captains. Simultaneously, he impressed upon Jats, the necessity of remaining disciplined and obeying their captains.
•  He imparted to them the semblance of a regular army.

What was the defense strategy of Raja Ram?

Raja Ram gave similar attention to the strengthening of his defenses, for he must have seen how Tilpat was easily stormed for lack of proper defense and thus sealing the fate of the Jat rising under Gokula. Raja Ram therefore built his forts in dense deep Jungles and surrounded them with mud ramparts. The forest-infested environs and the mud walls rendered them stronger than was the chief stronghold of Gokula. These forts served as bases for operations and refuge as also places for dumping the booty. As is apparent from his tactics, Raja Ram stuck to the traditional mode of the Jat warfare, popularly known as “Dhar” (guerrilla) system. All through he avoided positional warfare with the Mughals and confined himself to sudden and intrepid attacks. This ensured him maximum benefit with minimum loss. These changes proved beneficial and gradually contributed to the success of the Jat rebellion.

Raja Ram began to organize raids in the countryside of the Suba of Agra. The Jats hovered on the roads and plundered the caravans and the travelers. Safi Khan, the Subedar of Agra was virtually besieged in the Agra fort. Along with the other rebels the Narukas, the Panwars, the Gujars and the Mev’s – they practically closed the roads for normal traffic between Dholpur and Delhi, Agra and Ajmer via Hindaun and Bayana. How deep was the consternation created by the insurgents would be clear by one instance that in an important place like Mathura, no place except Jama Mosque was deemed Safe. Raja Ram also tried to ransack Akbar’s mausoleum at Sikandara but his attempt was foiled by the local faujdar Mir Abul Fazl. He confronted the rebels at a place, 10 miles from Sikandara. The faujdar succeeded in repulsing them, though in the process he was seriously wounded and a number of his troops also perished. Raja Ram also suffered heavy casualties. Aurangzeb rewarded the faujdar with the title of Iltitifat Khan and increasing his Mansab by 200 sawars.

Raja Ram’s mischief and disturbances went increasing and this worried the Emperor. On 3rd May 1686 he appointed Khan-i-Jahan Bahadur Zafarjang Kokaltash in order to punish the rebels. Despite his strenuous efforts, Khan-i-Jahan failed to capture any of the Jat strongholds or to punish the people. Therefore, he ordered his son Muhammad Azam to proceed against the Jats. But he had only reached Burhanpur (July, 1687) when more pressing needs of Golconda compelled Aurangzeb to recall the Prince. Thereafter Bidar Bakht was sent (December, 1687) to assume supreme command in the Jat war, while Khan-i-Jahan was to act as his deputy. Meanwhile Raja Ram showed greater audacity. He fell upon the Mughal commander Aghar Khan. The Khan with his retinue was enroute from Kabul to Bijapur when the Jats attacked him near Dholpur and fled away capturing many bullocks, carts, horses and women. The general gave them a hot chase but was killed in the ensuing skirmish along with his son-in-law and 80 other men. Two hundred Jats were killed in the action. The psychological gain from this audacious act was much more than the material one. Their success in killing and routing the reputed suppressor of the frontier Afghans must have whetted the audacity of the Jats. They carried their depredations further. Early in 1688, Raja Ram attacked Mahabat Khan, who on his way to Lahore was encamped near Sikandara. A fierce fight ensued in which Raja Ram was finally overpowered and driven back after losing 400 men. The casualties on the other side included 150 dead and 40 wounded.

Raja Ram attacked Sikandara

After a short while, Raja Ram reappeared at Sikandara and taking advantage of the delay in coming of Shaista Khan, the governor- designate of Agra, he attacked and plundered Akbar’s mausoleum. The Jat leader carried away the precious articles of gold and silver, carpets, lamps etc. and destroyed what he could not carry. According to Manucci the Jats dragged out the bones of Akbar, threw them angrily into fire and burnt them to avenge the death of Gokula. The Jats also ransacked the villages, set aside for the support of Taj Mahal. Some Jats ravaged the environs of Khurja, while others captured the local Mughal officers at Palwal. One noteworthy fact is that the local Mughal officials and soldiers in general, winked at the disobedience of the Jats and even secretly entered into collusion with them to share the booty grabbed by them. It is also to be noted that Muhammad Baqa, the deputy of Khan-i-Jahan at Agra, had remained inactive while Raja Ram robbed Akbar’s tomb.

This incident exasperated Aurangzeb and he reduced the deputy’s Mansab by 500 and that of Khan-i- Jahan by 1,000 sawars. Meanwhile, the daring and audacity of the Jats alarmed Aurangzeb and he ordered Raja Ram Singh (who was at Kabul) to chastise Raja Ram. But due to his sudden death the Raja could not resume his charge.

The battle of Bijal

Raja Ram, on the other hand persisted with his refractory activities. His strength and resources now began to attract the attention of others. During these days the existing feud between the Chauhans and the Shekhawat Rajputs over disputed land in Bagtharia (north-east of Alwar) and some other parganas had erupted into an open war. The Chauhans appealed to Raja Ram for help, while the Shekhawats implored the help of Murtaza Khan, the Mughal faujdar of Mewat. Bilar Bakht, Rao Raja Anirudh Singh of Bundi and Maharao Kishor Singh Hada joined the faujdar and the Shekhawats. A severe battle was fought near Bijal. Opposite Raja Ram was the Hada Chief upon whom he inflicted a crushing defeat. Anirudh Singh himself could not stand before the Jat onset. He became nervous and fled along with his troops. When the battle was in its full fury the gallant Raja Ram led a fierce charge against the centre, consisting of the Mughals. Meanwhile, a Mughal musketeer, who had hidden himself in a tree, fired Raja Ram at his chest. He fell down from his horse and died immediately on Wednesday 4th July 1688. His fall signaled not only due the defeat of the Chauhans but separates his head from the body and later on presented to Aurangzeb in the Deccan. Ramki Chahar was captured alive in the battle and was publicly executed at Agra.

Raja Ram as a leader of men and as a soldier, organizer and tactician, was certainly more capable than any other preceding Jat chief.

4. Churaman (1695–1721)

The Jat power in Bharatpur strengthened in the 18th century under the leadership of Badan Singh and Churaman and around 1707, Churaman built the fort of Thoon and established his kingdom.

• Farukhsiyar titled Churaman as Rao Bahadur.
• However, the Mughals got Jat Churaman killed in 1721.

Churaman (1695 – 1721) was Zamindar of Sinsini and the real founder of Jat state of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India. He was son of Bhajja Singh and younger brother of Raja Ram. He was the first unanimously elected leader of Jats in 1695. He made Jats a political power in India. After the untimely death of Raja Ram in the war of Bijal between Shekhawats and Chauhans on 4th July 1688, old father of Raja Ram, Bhajja Singh became the leader of Jats. Aurangzeb played a trick and he appointed Raja Bishan Singh of Amber as Faujdar of Mathura. Kachhawas were bent upon to subjugate the Jats, who were fighting for freedom from Mughal rule. Bishan Singh gave a written promise to destroy the fort of Sinsini. Mughal and Rajput armies jointly attacked Sinsini and captured it after a struggle of five months, in the month of January 1690.

In 1702 after the death of Bhajja Singh, Churaman came on front. Within a short period Churaman gathered 500 horse riders and thousands of soldiers. Nand Ram, the Zamindar of Hathras also joined him along with 100 horse riders. Churaman recruited the famous brigand of Mendoo and Mursan in his army. He constructed a fort at place known as ‘Thoon’ in west of Agra. Within a short span there were 80 villages under the Thoon state. There was an army of 14 – 15 thousands. Such a big army needed a lot of money. Churaman decided to gather booty from rich states of Kota and Bundi. He acquired Sinsini from the Mughals in 1704. In 1705 there was a war with Mughal subedar Mukhtar khan of Agra and with Rajabahadur in 1707 at Sinsini. In the second war at Sinsini 1000 Jats were lost but they got the victory.

The battle of Jajau and rise of Churaman

Aurangzeb died in 1707and taking advantage of the weakness of Mughals, Churaman planned to expand his state. His rise started from the battle of Jajau in 1707. After the war was over he looted both armies of Azam as well as Muazzam. Churaman showed wisdom and decided to be honest to the New Mughal ruler with a view to protect huge wealth of booty. He appeared before Bahadurshah on 15 September 1707 and presented gifts in his honour. In January 1709 Churaman entered into an agreement with Jay Singh, looking to the possibilities of victory of Rajputs in wars of Sambhar and Kaman and Bahadurshah’s intention to compromise with them. Under the garb of agreement Churaman intensified his campaign to abolish Rajput Zamindars and capturing back the Jat areas occupied by Kachhawas. He succeeded in getting back Sogar, Bhusawar, Kaman, Khohari, Kot, Khunthare, Ithera, Jadila and Chaugdara.

 In 1710, Churaman joined Bahadurshah in his Sikh campaign. He took part in Sadhaura and Lohagarh wars and went up to Lahore with Bahadurshah. Churaman was excused unconditionally and returned his old Mansab. After the death of Bahadurshah his son Jahandarshah became the successor. In 1713 when there was a war between Jahandar and Farrukhsiyar, Churaman looted both after the war. This way he got a lot of wealth in booty. Similarly he captured elephants of the Royal army in Hasanpur war.

Farrukhsiyar appointed Raja Chhabilaram Nagar and later Khan-a-Duran as Subedar of Agra with orders to punish Churaman. Khan-a-Duran and Amir-ul-Umra, who had acquired Faujdar of Mathura wanted to maintain peace in their areas and prepared Churaman to appear before the Royal Darbar. On 27 September 1713 Churaman appeared before the Mughal ruler as a result of which his status was raised, he was awarded with the title of Rao and Rahdari of Royal highways from Barapula to Sikandara. In 1715 Farrukhsiyar gave Ikram, Aghapur, Malah, Badhagaon, Bharatpur and Roopwas parganas in Jagir. With such allurement also Farrukhsiyar could not curb the activities of Churaman so he sent Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur for subjugation in 1716. Churaman won the war. Rajput and Mughal armies returned back. In 1719 when there was a war between Nikosiyar and Shamsherkhan, Churaman helped Shamsherkhan under the leadership of Govind Singh, the son of Nand Ram of Hathras. On 13 November 1720 he looted Abdulla khan and got 20 lakh gold coins in the booty. This way Churaman had become the real ruler from Delhi to Chambal on the land west of Yamuna. Churaman had organized his state with great labour, tact and struggle. He was not having the formal title of Raja but the real undisputed ruler of area under his occupancy. Badan Singh, the nephew of Churaman was always with Churaman in every campaign. Badan Singh wanted the Jagir of Sinsini to support his increasing family. But Mohkam Singh, the ambitious son of Churaman was not in favour of giving the Jagir of Sinsini to Badan Singh. The conflict between the ambitions of Mohkam Singh and Badan Singh became the cause of death of Churaman, who consumed poison and died on 20 September 1721.

Founder of Jat state Bharatpur

Churaman had extra ordinary organizational capacities, wonderful political vision and cunningness of a great Raja. With these qualities he could convert the Jat rebellion started by Gokula into a form of the powerful state. Churaman was in real sense the founder of Jat state Bharatpur.

5. Badan Singh (1722–1756)

• Churaman’s brother Badan Singh became a very powerful Jat leader following the death of Churaman and in 1725; he constructed Jal Mahal of Deeg, Kumher fort & Vair fort.

Badan Singh was nephew of Churaman. After the death of Churaman on September 22, 1721 there were family disputes between Badan Singh and Mohkam, son of Churaman. Badan Singh aligned with Jai Singh II of Jaipur to avoid the anger of Mohkam Singh. In this family feud Jai Singh supported Badan Singh. Badan Singh became Brijraj on November 18, 1722 the Rajput Mughal combined army besieged the Thoon fort of Mohkam Singh, took it and got it ploughed by Asses. Thus the Jat state of Badan Singh rose from the assess of Thoon, Jatauli and other forts. After the fall of Thoon and Jatauli, Badan Singh became formally a Samanta of Jaipur Darbar on November 23, 1722. Jai Singh in exchange honoured Badan Singh with the title of ‘Brijraj’ i.e. the king of Brij. He was permitted the use of Nagara, Nishan and Pachrang flag and gave the Kotwali of Agra. Besides, he was also given the Jagirs of Mathura, Vrindavan, Mahavan, Hisar, Chhata and Kosi and Hodal parganas for revenue of Rs. 50-60 lakh.

Badan Singh was not given the entire area in occupation of his uncle Churaman and his sons. He was only Thakur of Deeg. Even then he maintained patience, political balance and loyalty to Jai Singh. He was clever enough to understand the circumstances of those times. Badan Singh planned to win over the confidence of his own Jat community and at the same time maintaining a balance with Rajputs and Mughals. With this vision he established his permanent residence and office near Deeg. After this he planned to make friendly relations with the influential zamindars and sardars of the Jat state. To implement his plan he married his most competent son Suraj Mal to Hansia, the beautiful daughter of most influential Chaudhary of Jatwara Ratiram.

• He recruited all the people in the army of Mohkam Singh in his own army.
• Badan Singh himself established marital relations with chiefs of various groups.
• He had 25 Queens.
• This helped him to increase his influence.
• He took in his side not only Jats and Rajput groups but also Brahmans.
• He awarded titles like Faujdar, Bakshi and Sardar to many powerful people to take them into his side.
• He also allured the Gujars of Deeg and Nagar parganas by awarding them with the title of ‘Dhau’. This way he became an undisputed leader of mass over vast areas.
• Khemkaran Sogaria who was a close associate of Churaman was still against him. This problem was solved by his young son Suraj Mal.
• Suraj Mal eliminated Khemkaran and acquired Sogaria parganas from Khemkaran. Badan Singh also acquired 31 villages of Agra and the Jat dominated Kagaraul Pargana on lease. With such a tact and vision Badan Singh could expand his state bigger than that of Churaman within a decade.

In this success there was a great contribution of Jai Singh-II. Jai Singh was governor of Agra Suba. Badan Singh often visited Jaipur darbar as per Royal customs on the occasion of Dusshera by presenting gifts. He also constructed a palace in Jaipur for his residence. That area is known as Badanpura even today. Badan Singh never visited the Mughal Darbar even after inviting many times. He called himself a Thakur and never treated himself as Raja. It was with a view to respect the feelings of people and protects his own self-respect.