Historical Figures

4. Aurangzeb and Sawai Jai Singh

Jaisingh's Mansab

When King Bharmal accepted Akbar's suzerainty, he was initially given a mansab of five thousand. Raja Mansingh and Mirza Raja Jai ​​Singh were given mansabs up to seven thousand, but Aurangjab let Ram Singh, Bishan Singh and Jai Singh down for life by giving them very less mansab. Aurangzeb gave Jai Singh the mansab of 2000 zat and rider.

call from the south

A few days after the coronation of Jai Singh, Aurangzeb started sending orders to reach him in the south, but Jai Singh remained in Amber for about one and a half years under the guise of army recruitment so that he could fix the internal system of his state. There was tremendous unrest in some areas due to the activities of Naruka feudatories of Amer state. Therefore, Jai Singh suppressed the Naruka feudatories and established peace and order in those areas. After this he made necessary reforms in the military system and the administration of the state. On 17 November 1700, Aurangzeb sent his spearmen to Amber to bring Jai Singh to the south front. Jai Singh also got him stuck in Amber. In March 1701 he married the daughter of Udit Singh, the nephew of Gaur Raja Uttam Ram of Sheopur.

On the South Front

Finally Jai Singh left from Amber to go to Burhanpur but could not proceed beyond Khandesh due to heavy rains on the way. At that time Aurangzeb was engaged in a fierce struggle against the Marathas. He had put all the resources of the Mughal Sultanate in this struggle. He wanted Jai Singh to reach the front immediately, but Jai Singh was continuously delaying. Therefore, on 13 September 1701, Aurangzeb lost his patience and reduced the mansab of Raja Jai ​​Singh (II) by 500. On this, Jaisingh fled and reached the army of Prince Bedarbakht in the month of October itself. When Aurangzeb saw that Jai Singh had come with his Kachhwahas, Aurangzeb appointed him to protect the Panhala fort along with Shahzade Bedarbakht and himself proceeded to play in the Konkan region towards the fort.

Victory to Play

After a few days Aurangzeb called Prince Bedarbakht and Raja Jai ​​Singh to him and entrusted the task of conquest of Khena fort. The rocky fort of Khela stood invincible in front of the Mughal fire. The Marathas used to rain heavy stones on the Mughals from the walls of this fort, due to which the Mughal soldiers could not dare to go near the fort. Bedarbakht was entrusted with the task of guarding the moats in front of the Konkani gate. Bedar Bakht and Jai Singh took the front from the hill in front of the fort. On 14 February 1702, Jaisingh sent one of his deputy generals to capture the Maratha post near the window of the Konkani gate. This contingent of Kachhwaha soldiers made their way through dangerous rocks and thorny bushes and reached the Maratha post. Many soldiers of Jai Singh were killed in this effort, but the Kachhwahas got the right over the post. Now from here the Konkani gate was left with only 15 jaribs. On 11 May 1702, the Kachhwahas attacked the Konkani fort and hoisted the flag of Amber kingdom by capturing Barli Burj. This was a great victory for Aurangzeb. He was pleased and restored the mansab of 2000 to Jai Singh again on 13 May 1702, in which one thousand two Aspa were riders.

Aurangzeb's deceit

After the Khela victory, in September 1702, Aurangzeb appointed Prince Bedar Bakht as Subedar of Aurangabad and Naib Subedar of Khandesh. These people reached Aurangabad on 23 November 1702. Bedarbakht entrusted the task of protecting Khandesh to Raja Jai ​​Singh. In February 1703, Neema Scindia Khan entered the country and looted Khargaon. At that time, Jai Singh had very little army and the Marathas had suddenly attacked like locusts. Therefore Jai Singh could not do anything against them. Aurangzeb got angry and reduced Jaisingh's mansab by 500.

Kuchak Khan was appointed as the Thanedar on behalf of the Mughals in Awa village near Devalghat. He was attacked by Neema Scindia in May 1703. Bedar Bakht sent Raja Jai ​​Singh to help the Thanedar Kuchak Khan. Jai Singh made a fierce attack on the Marathas and killed many Maratha soldiers. After dealing with the Marathas, Raja Jai ​​Singh came to Aurangabad, but he got information that the Marathas surrounded the prince Bedar Bakht in the valley of Fardapur. Jai Singh immediately left for Fardapur and brought out the prince safely. As soon as winter started, Neema Scindia entered Berar and started looting. On this Bedar Bakht again sent Raja Jai ​​Singh after Neema. This time Jaisingh got good success. Due to this, his mansab was again changed to 2000 on 28 January 1704.

In 1705, Prince Bedar Bakht was made the Subedar of Malwa. Bedar Bakht sent Raja Jai ​​Singh to arrange Malwa. Jai Singh made elaborate arrangements to secure the revenue collected from Bengal to the southern front. Pleased with this, the prince recommended to the emperor that Jai Singh should be appointed as the Naib Subedar of Malwa. Aurangzeb rejected this as a 'justified nest'. Aurangzeb did not want to make a Hindu king a subedar, even a faujdar. He had personal enmity with Jai Singh. He issued a decree that Jai Singh should not sit on the Masnad and sit on the floor by spreading swelling. When the Rajmata of Amer requested Aurangzeb to allow Jai Singh to keep the drums, Aurangzeb refused that request as well. Even when Prince Bedar Bakht requested Jai Singh to accept the recommendation to keep the drums, Aurangzeb remained firm on his decision.

Bedarbakht sent a recommendation twice to Aurangzeb that Jai Singh should be given the parganas of Chatsu, Dausa, Moazzamabad and Rewari to run the expenditure of the army, but Aurangzeb sent a reply to the prince that when his (Jaisingh's) father was in the Sansani campaign ten- If an army of twelve thousand could peep, then why could not Jai Singh, being the master of the treasure and the area, do this! When this recommendation was sent again, Aurangzeb rejected it by calling it 'Kham Kham Ast'. Seeing such indifference of Aurangzeb, Jai Singh did not lose his courage. He snatched the fort of Jhilai from Khushal Singh. In those days the Mughal officials could not recover the revenue from Malarna. On this Aurangzeb also gave the pargana of Malarna to Jai Singh on the issue.

Even after not getting the permission of the emperor, Bedarbakht handed over the responsibility of managing Malwa to Jai Singh. Jai Singh successfully ran the administration of Malwa province. He made a special place in the Mughal system by showing his administrative ability and military ability. During this time he got an opportunity to understand the war methods of Mughals and Marathas and to increase contact with them. On some occasions he mediated between the Mughals and the Marathas, which enabled him to establish friendly relations with Shahu and other Maratha chieftains. These friendly relations later proved beneficial for him. During this period, Jai Singh also got an opportunity to study the weakness of the Mughals. These experiences gave him political maturity.