=Ajīt Singh produced to the Rāthors, A.D. 1686.=—“In the year 1743, the
Champawats, Kumpawats, Udawats, Mertias, Jodhas, Karamsots, and all the
assembled clans of Maru, became impatient to see their sovereign. They
sent for the Khichi Mukund, and prayed that they might but [73] behold
him; but the faithful to his trust replied: ‘He,[5.8.1] who confided him
to me, is yet in the Deccan.’—‘Without the sight of our Lord, bread and
water have no flavour.’ Mukund could not withstand their suit. The Hara
prince Durjan Sal, having come to their aid with one thousand horse from
Kotah,[5.8.2] they repaired to the hill of Abu, when on the last day of
Chait 1743 they saw their prince. As the lotus expands at the sunbeam,
so did the heart of each Rathor at the sight of their infant sovereign;
they drank his looks, even as the papiha in the month Asoj sips drops of
amrita (ambrosia) from the Champa.[5.8.3] There were present, Udai
Singh, Sangram Singh, Bijaipal, Tej Singh, Mukund Singh, and Nahar son
of Hari, all Champawats; Raj Singh, Jagat Singh, Jeth Singh, Samant
Singh, of the Udawats; Ram Singh, Fateh Singh, and Kesari, Kumpawats.
There was also the Uhar chief of pure descent,[5.8.4] besides the Khichi
Mukund, the Purohit, the Parihar, and the Jain priest, Yati Gyan, Bijai.
In a fortunate hour, Ajit became known to the world. The Hara Rao first
made his salutation; he was followed by all Marwar with offerings of
gold, pearls, and horses.
“Inayat conveyed the tidings to Aurang Shah; the Asur chief said to the
king, ‘If without a head so long they had combated him, what could now
be expected?’ He demanded reinforcements.
=Ajīt Singh installed.=—“In triumph they conveyed the young Raja to Awa,
whose chief made the _badhava_[5.8.5] with pearls, and presented him
with horses; here he was entertained, and here they prepared the _tika
daur_.[5.8.6] Thence, taking Raepur, Bilara, and Barunda in his way, and
receiving the homage and nazars of their chiefs, he repaired to Asop,
where he was entertained by the head of the Kumpawats. From Asop he went
to the Bhatti fief of Lawera; thence to Rian, the chief abode of the
Mertias; thence to Khinwasar, of the Karamsots. Each chief entertained
their young lord, around whom all the clans gathered. Then he repaired
to Kalu, the abode of Pabhu Rao Dhandal,[5.8.7] who came forth with all
his bands; and at length [74] he reached Pokaran, where he was joined by
Durgadas from the Deccan, the 10th of Bhadon 1744.
“Inayat Khan was alarmed. He assembled a numerous array to quell this
fresh tumult, but death pounced upon him. The king was afflicted
thereat. He tried another stratagem, and set up a pretended son of
Jaswant, styled Muhammad Shah, and offered Ajit the mansab of five
thousand to submit to his authority.[5.8.8] The pretender also died as
he set out for Jodhpur, and Shujaat Khan[5.8.9] was made the governor of
Marwar in place of Inayat. Now the Rathors and Haras united, having
cleared Maru of their foes, attacked them in a foreign land. The
garrisons of Malpura and Pur Mandal were put to the sword, and here the
Hara prince was killed by a cannon shot in leading the storm. Here they
levied eight thousand mohurs in contribution and returned to Marwar,
while the civil officers and Purohits made collections in his country;
and thus passed 1744.
“The year 1745 commenced with proposals from Shujaat Khan to hold Marwar
in farm; he promised one-fourth of all transit duties if the Rathors
would respect foreign commerce: to this they agreed. The son of Inayat
left Jodhpur for Delhi; he had reached Renwal, but was overtaken by the
Jodha Harnath, who released him both of wives and wealth. The Khan fled
to the Kachhwahas for shelter. Suja Beg, who left Ajmer to release him,
fared no better: he was attacked, defeated, and plundered by Mukunddas
Champawat.
=War with the Mughals.=—“In 1747, Safi Khan was Hakim of Ajmer: Durga
determined to attack him. The Hakim took post in the pass which defends
the road; there Durga assailed him, and made him fly to Ajmer. The
tidings reached the king; he wrote to the Khan, if he discomfited
Durgadas, he would raise him over all the Khans of the empire; if he
failed, he should send him bracelets,[5.8.10] and order Shujaat from
Jodhpur to supersede him. Safi, before abandoning his trust, tried to
retain his honours by the circumvention of Ajit. He addressed a letter
to him, saying he held the imperial sanad for the restoration of his
paternal domains, but that, as the king’s representative, he must come
and receive it. Ajit marched at the head of twenty thousand Rathors,
sending in advance Mukund Champawat to observe whether any treachery was
contemplated. The snare was discovered and reported to Ajit, as he
arrived at the foot of the pass beyond the mountains. ‘Let us, however,
have [75] a sight of Ajaidurg as we are so near,’ said the young prince,
‘and receive the compliments of the Khan.’ They moved on towards the
city, and Safi Khan had no alternative but to pay his obeisance to Ajit.
To enjoy his distress, one said, ‘Let us fire the city.’ The Hakim sat
trembling for its safety and his own; he brought forth jewels and horses
which he presented to Ajit.
“In 1748, the troubles recommenced in Mewar. Prince Amra rebelled
against his father, Rana Jai Singh, and was joined by all his chiefs.
The Rana fled to Godwar, and at Ghanerao collected a force, which Amra
prepared to attack. The Rana demanded succour of the Rathors, and all
the Mertias hastened to relieve him; and soon after Ajit sent Durgadas
and Bhagwan, with Ranmall Jodha, and ‘the eight ranks of Rathors,’ to
espouse the father’s cause. But the Chondawats and Saktawats, the Jhalas
and Chauhans, rather than admit foreign interference in their quarrel,
thought it better to effect a reconciliation between father and son; and
thus the Rana was indebted to Marwar for the support of his throne.
=Aurangzeb negotiates about Akbar’s Daughter.=—“The year 1749 passed in
negotiation to obtain the daughter of prince Akbar, left in charge of
Durgadas, for whose honour Aurangzeb was alarmed, as Ajit was reaching
manhood; Narayandas Kulumbi was the medium of negotiation, and Safi Khan
caused all hostilities to cease while it lasted.
“In 1750, the Muslim governors of Jodhpur, Jalor, and Siwana combined
their forces against Ajit, who was again compelled to retreat to the
mountains. Akha, the Bala, received their attack, but was defeated in
the month of Magh. Another combat was hastened by the wanton slaughter
of a _sand_,[5.8.11] when the Hakim of Chank, with all his train, were
made prisoners at Mokalsar by the Champawat Mukanddas.
“To such straits were the Muslims put in 1751, that many districts paid
chauth, others tribute, and many, tired of this incessant warfare, and
unable to conquer their bread, took service with the Rathors. This year,
Kasim Khan and Lashkar Khan marched against Ajit, who took post at
Bijaipur. Durga’s son led the onset, and the Khan was defeated. With
each year of Ajit grew the hopes of the Rathors; while Aurangzeb was
afflicted at each month’s growth of his granddaughter. He wrote to
Shujaat, the Hakim of Jodhpur, to secure his honour at whatever cost;
his applications for Akbar’s daughter were unwearied [76].
=Ajīt Singh marries a Princess of Mewar.=—“This year the coco-nut
studded with gems,[5.8.12] two elephants and ten steeds, all richly
caparisoned, were sent by the Rana to affiance the daughter of his
younger brother, Gaj Singh, to Ajit. The present was accepted, and in
the month of Jeth, the prince of the Rathors repaired to Udaipur, where
the nuptials were solemnized. In Asarh he again married at
Deolia.[5.8.13]
“In 1753, negotiations were renewed through Durgadas, and the protracted
restoration of the Sultani obtained the seat of his ancestors for the
Jodhani. Durga was offered for himself the mansab of five thousand,
which he refused; he preferred that Jalor, Siwanchi, Sanchor, and
Tharad[5.8.14] should revert to his country. Even Aurang admired the
honourable and distinguished treatment of his granddaughter.
“In Pus 1757,[5.8.15] Ajit regained possession of his ancestral abode:
on his reaching Jodhpur he slew a buffalo at each of its five
gates.[5.8.16] The Shahzada Sultan led the way, Shujaat being
dead.[5.8.17]
“In 1759, Azam Shah again seized on Jodhpur, and Ajit made Jalor his
abode. Some of his chiefs now served the foe, some the Rana whose hopes
were on Eklinga alone; while the lord of Amber served the king in the
Deccan. The enormities of the Asurs had reached their height; the sacred
kine were sacrificed even at Mathura, Prayag, and Okhamandal; the Jogis
and Bairagis invoked heaven for protection, but iniquity prevailed as
the Hindu strength decayed. Prayers were everywhere offered up to heaven
to cleanse the land from the iniquities of the barbarians.[5.8.18] In
this year, the month of Magh 1759, the Mithun Lagan (the ‘sun in
Gemini’), a son was born of the Chauhani, who was called Abhai Singh.
(See end of this chapter, p. 1019, for the Horoscope of Abhai Singh.)
“In 1761, Yusuf was superseded by Murshid Kuli as Hakim of Jodhpur. On
his arrival he presented the royal sanad for the restoration of Merta to
Ajit. Kusal Singh, the Mertia Sarmor, with the Dhandhal Govinddas, were
ordered to [77] take the charge, which incensed the son of Indar (Mohkam
Singh), who deemed his faithful service during his minority overlooked
by this preference. He wrote to the king to nominate him to the command
of Marwar, and that he would fulfil his charge to the satisfaction both
of Hindu and Muslim.
“In 1761 the star of the foe began to decline. Murshid Kuli, the Mogul,
was relieved by Jaafar Khan. Mohkam’s letter was intercepted. He had
turned traitor to his prince, and joined the king’s troops. Ajit marched
against them; he fought them at Dunara; the king’s troops were defeated,
and the rebel Indhawat was slain. This was in 1762.
=Death of Aurangzeb, March 3, 1707.=—“In 1763, Ibrahim Khan, the king’s
lieutenant[5.8.19] at Lahore, passed through Marwar to relieve Azam in
the vice-royalty of Gujarat. On the second day of Chait, the obscure
half of the moon, the joyful tidings arrived of the death of the
king.[5.8.20] On the fifth, Ajit took to horse; he reached the town of
Jodha, and sacrificed to the gates, but the Asurs feared to face him.
Some hid their faces in fear, while others fled. The Mirza came down,
and Ajit ascended to the halls of his ancestors. The wretched Yavans,
now abandoned to the infuriated Rajputs smarting under twenty-six years
of misery, found no mercy. In hopeless despair they fled, and the wealth
which they had amassed by extortion and oppression returned to enrich
the proprietor. The barbarians, in turn, were made captive; they fought,
were slaughtered and dispersed. Some sought _saran_ (sanctuary), and
found it; even the barbarian leader himself threw fear to the winds in
the unconcealed sanctuary of the Kumpawat. But the triumph of the Hindu
was complete, when, to escape from perdition, their flying foes invoked
Sitaram and Hargovind, begging their bread in the day, and taking to
their heels at night. The chaplet of the Mulla served to count the name
of Rama, and a handful of gold was given to have their beards
removed.[5.8.21] Nothing but the despair and flight of the Mlechchha was
heard throughout Murdhar. Merta was evacuated, and the wounded Mohkam
fled to Nagor. Sojat and Pali were regained, and the land returned to
the Jodhani. Jodhgarh was purified from the contaminations of the
barbarian with the water of the Ganges and the sacred Tulasi, and Ajit
received the tilak of sovereignty.
“Then Azam marched from the south and Muazzam from the north. At Agra a
[78] mighty battle for empire took place between the two Asurs, but
Alam[5.8.22] prevailed and got the throne. The tidings soon reached the
king, that Ajit had plundered his armies in Maru and taken possession of
the ‘cushion’ of his fathers.
=Campaign of Bahādur Shāh.=—“The rainy season of 1764 had vanished, the
king had no repose; he formed an army and came to Ajmer. Then Haridas,
the son of Bhagwan, with the Uhar and Mangalia chiefs,[5.8.23] and Ratna
the leader of the Udawats, with eight hundred of their clan, entered the
castle and swore to Ajit, that whatever might be his intentions, they
were resolved to maintain the castle to the death. The royal army
encamped at Bhavi Bilara, and Ajit prepared for the storm; but the king
was advised to try peaceful arts, and an overture was made, and the
messenger was sent back to the king accompanied by Nahar Khan. The
embassy returned bearing the royal farman to Ajit; but before he would
accept it, he said he would view the royal army, and on the first day of
Phalgun he left the hill of Jodha and reached Bisalpur. Here he was
received by a deputation from the king, headed by Shujaat Khan, son of
the Khankhanan accompanied by the Raja of the Bhadaurias and Rao Budh
Singh of Bundi—the place of meeting was Pipar. That night passed in
adjusting the terms of the treaty.[5.8.24] The ensuing morn he marched
forward at the head of all the men of Maru; and at Anandpur the eyes of
the king of the barbarians (Mlechchha) fell on those of the lord of the
earth. He gave him the title of Tegh Bahadur.[5.8.25] But fate decreed
that the city of Jodha was coveted by the king; by stealth he sent
Mahrab Khan to take possession, accompanied by the traitor Mohkam. Ajit
burned with rage when he heard of this treachery, but he was compelled
to dissimulate and accompany Alam to the Deccan, and to serve under
Kambakhsh. Jai Singh of Amber[5.8.26] was also with the king, and had a
like cause for discontent, a royal garrison being placed in Amber, and
the _gaddi_ of the Raja bestowed on his younger brother, Bijai Singh.
Now the army rolled on like a sea overflowing its bounds. As soon as the
king crossed the Nerbudda,[5.8.27] the Rajas executed their designs,
and, without saying a word, at the head of their vassals retrograded to
Rajwara. They repaired to Udaipur, and were received by Rana Amra with
rejoicing and distinction [79], who advanced to conduct them to his
capital. Seated together, the _chaunri_ waving over their heads, they
appeared like the Trianga,[5.8.28] Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesa. From this
hour the fortunes of the Asurs sunk, and virtue again began to show
herself.[5.8.29] From Udaipur the two Rajas passed to Marwar. They
reached Awa, and here the Champawat Sangram, son of Udaibhan, spread the
foot-carpet (_pagmanda_) for his lord.
“The month of Sawan 1765 set in, and the hopes of the Asur expired.
Mahrab was in consternation when he heard that Ajit had returned to his
native land. On the 7th the hall of Jodha was surrounded by thirty
thousand Rathors. On the 12th the gate of honour was thrown open to
Mahrab; he had to thank the son of Askaran[5.8.30] for his life. He was
allowed an honourable retreat, and Ajit once more entered the capital of
Maru.
“Jai Singh encamped upon the banks of the Sur Sagar; but a prince
without a country, he was unhappy. But as soon as the rains were passed,
Ajmall, the sanctuary of the Kachhwaha, proposed to reinstate him in
Amber. When conjoined they had reached Merta, Agra and Delhi trembled.
When they arrived at Ajmer its governor sought _saran_ with the
saint,[5.8.31] and paid the contributions demanded. Then, like the
falcon, Ajit darted upon Sambhar; and here the vassals of Amber repaired
from all quarters to the standard of their lord. With twelve thousand
men, the Sayyid advanced along the edge of the salt lake, to encounter
Ajmall. The Kumpawat led the charge; a desperate battle ensued; Husain,
with six thousand men, lay on the field, while the rest took to flight
and sought refuge in the castle.[5.8.32] His lieutenant, the Parihar,
chief Pandu,[5.8.33] here fell into the hands of Ajit; he then felt he
had recovered Mandor. On intelligence of this history, the Asurs
abandoned Amber, and having placed a garrison in Sambhar, in the month
of Margsir, Ajit restored Jai Singh to Amber, and prepared to attack
Bikaner. Ajit committed the administration of all civil affairs to the
faithful Raghunath Bhandari, with the [80] title of Diwan. He was well
qualified, both from his experience in civil affairs and from his valour
as a soldier.
=Death of Prince Kāmbakhsh.=—“In Bhadon of the year 1766, Aurangzeb put
to death Kambakhsh,[5.8.34] and Jai Singh entered into negotiations with
the king. Ajit now went against Nagor; but Indar Singh being without
resource, came forth and embraced Ajit’s feet, who bestowed Ladnun upon
him as a heritage. But this satisfied not him who had been the lord of
Nagor, and Indar carried his complaints to Delhi.[5.8.35] The king was
enraged—his threats reached the Rajas, who deemed it safe again to
reunite. They met at Kolia near Didwana, and the king soon after reached
Ajmer. Thence he sent his firmans and the panja as terms of friendship
to the Rajas: Nahar Khan, Chela of the king, was the bearer. They were
accepted, and on the 1st Asarh both the Rajas repaired to Ajmer. Here
the king received them graciously, in the face of the world; to Ajit he
presented the sanad of the Nine Castles of Maru, and to Jai Singh that
of Amber. Having taken leave of the king, the two Rajas went on the
_parab_[5.8.36] to the sacred lake of Pushkar. Here they separated for
their respective domains, and Ajit reached Jodhpur in Sawan 1767. In
this year he married a Gaur Rani, and thus quenched the feud caused by
Arjun, who slew Amra Singh in the Ammkhass.[5.8.37] Then he went on a
pilgrimage to Kurukshetra, the field of battle of the Mahabharata, and
made his ablutions in the fountain of Bhishma.[5.8.38] Thus 1767 passed
away” [81].
=Eulogy of Durgadās.=—Here let us, for a while, suspend the narrative of
the chronicler, and take a retrospective glance at the transactions of
the Rathors, from the year 1737 [A.D. 1680], the period of Raja
Jaswant’s death at Kabul, to the restoration of Ajit, presenting a
continuous conflict of thirty years’ duration. In vain might we search
the annals of any other nation for such inflexible devotion as marked
the Rathor character through this period of strife, during which, to use
their own phrase, “hardly a chieftain died on his pallet.” Let those who
deem the Hindu warrior void of patriotism read the rude chronicle of
this thirty years’ war; let them compare it with that of any other
country, and do justice to the magnanimous Rajput. This narrative, the
simplicity of which is the best voucher for its authenticity, presents
an uninterrupted record of patriotism and disinterested loyalty. It was
a period when the sacrifice of these principles was rewarded by the
tyrant king with the highest honours of the state; nor are we without
instances of the temptation being too strong to be withstood; but they
are rare, and serve only to exhibit, in more pleasing colours, the
virtues of the tribe which spurned the attempts at seduction. What a
splendid example is the heroic Durgadas of all that constitutes the
glory of the Rajput! Valour, loyalty, integrity, combined with prudence
in all the difficulties which surrounded him, are qualities which
entitle him to the admiration which his memory continues to enjoy. The
temptations held out to him were almost irresistible: not merely the
gold, which he and thousands of his brethren would alike have spurned,
but the splendid offer of power in the proffered mansab of five
thousand, which would at once have lifted him from his vassal condition
to an equality with the [82] princes and chief nobles of the land. Durga
had, indeed, but to name his reward; but, as the bard justly says, he
was _amol_, beyond all price, _anokha_, unique. Not even revenge, so
dear to the Rajput, turned him aside from the dictates of true honour.
The foul assassination of his brother, the brave Soning, effected
through his enemies, made no alteration in his humanity whenever the
chance of war placed his foe in his power; and in this, his policy
seconded his virtue. His chivalrous conduct, in the extrication of
prince Akbar from inevitable destruction had he fallen into his father’s
hands, was only surpassed by his generous and delicate behaviour towards
the prince’s family, which was left in his care, forming a marked
contrast to that of the enemies of his faith on similar occasions. The
virtue of the granddaughter of Aurangzeb, in the sanctuary (_saran_) of
Dunara,[5.8.39] was in far better keeping than in the trebly-walled
harem of Agra. Of his energetic mind, and the control he exerted over
those of his confiding brethren, what a proof is given, in his
preserving the secret of the abode of his prince throughout the six
first years of his infancy! But, to conclude our eulogy in the words of
their bard: he has reaped the immortality destined for good deeds; his
memory is cherished, his actions are the theme of constant praise, and
his picture on his white horse, old, yet in vigour, is familiar amongst
the collections of portraits of Rajputana.[5.8.40]
But there was not a clan, or family, that did not produce men of worth
in this protracted warfare, which incited constant emulation; and the
bards of each had abundant materials to emblazon the pages of their
chronicles. To the recollection of these, their expatriated descendants
allude in the memorial[5.8.41] of their hardships from the cruel policy
of the reigning chief, the last lineal descendant of the prince, whose
history has just been narrated. We now resume the narrative in the
language of the chronicle [83].
HOROSCOPE OF RAJA ABHAI SINGH
In the Janampatri, or horoscope of Abhai Singh (referred to in p. 1011),
the 4th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, and 12th houses denote the destinies of
the heir of Ajit. In the 4th we have the monster Rahu, the author of
eclipses. Of the 7th, or house of heirs, the Moon and Venus have taken
possession; of the 8th, or house of strife, the Sun and Mercury. In the
10th is Ketu, brother of Rahu, both signs of evil portent. Mars rides in
the house of fate, while Saturn and Jupiter are together in the abode of
sovereignty. Like that of every man living, the horoscope of the heir of
Maru is filled with good and evil: could the Jotishi or astrological
seer have put the parricidal sign in the house of destiny, he might have
claimed some merit for superior intelligence. Those who have ever
consulted any works on this foolish pursuit will observe that the
diagrams of the European astrologers are exact copies of the Hindu, in
proof of which I have inserted this; to trace darkness as well as light
from the East!
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│╲ ╱╲ ╱│
│ ╲ 4 ╱ ╲ 2 ╱ │
│ ╲ RĀHU. ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ (ascending node) ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ 5 ╳ 3 ╳ 1 │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ 12 ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ RĀJ-BHAWAN ╲ │
│╱ ╲╱ Abode of Sovereignty. ╲│
│╲ 6 ╱╲ ╱│
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ♃ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ♄ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ │
│ 7 ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ 11 │
│ House of ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ House of │
│ Heirs ╳ ╳ Destiny │
│ ╱ ╲ 9 ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ☿ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ♂ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ │
│☽ ╱ 8 ╲ ╱ 10 ╲ │
│ ╱ House of Enmity. ╲ ╱ KETU. ╲ │
│ ╱ ╲ ╱ (descending node) ╲ │
│╱ ☉ ȣ ╲╱ \│
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
[84].
-----
Footnote 5.8.1:
Meaning Durgadas.
Footnote 5.8.2:
His principal object was to marry the daughter of Shujāwan Singh
Champawat, the sister of the brave Mukund Singh, often mentioned in
the chronicle. The Kotah prince dared not, according to every Rajput
maxim of gallantry, refuse his aid on such occasion; but the natural
bravery and high mind of Durjan Sal required no stimulus.
Footnote 5.8.3:
The Hindu poet says the Papiha bird [the cuckoo] becomes intoxicated
with the flowers [of the Champa (_Michelia champaka_)].
Footnote 5.8.4:
A name now lost.
Footnote 5.8.5:
Waving a brass vessel, filled with pearls, round his head.
Footnote 5.8.6:
[The inauguration foray. See Vol. I. p. 315.]
Footnote 5.8.7:
Pabhu Rao Rathor is immortalized by the aid of his lance on this
occasion; he was of the ancient chivalry of Maru, and still held his
allodial domain.
Footnote 5.8.8:
[See p. 997 above.]
Footnote 5.8.9:
[His original name was Kārtalab Khān, and he served as viceroy of
Surat and Gujarāt (Manucci ii. 259, iv. 247).]
Footnote 5.8.10:
A mark of contempt.
Footnote 5.8.11:
One of those pampered bulls, allowed to wander at liberty and fed by
every one.
Footnote 5.8.12:
The coco, the symbol of a marriage offer.
Footnote 5.8.13:
Partabgarh Deolia, a small principality grown out of Mewar [_IGI_, xx.
14].
Footnote 5.8.14:
[In the Pālanpur Agency, Bombay Presidency (_IGI_, xix. 346).]
Footnote 5.8.15:
I cannot now call to mind whether this break of four years in the
chronicle of the bard Karnidhan occurs in the original, or that in
translating I left the hiatus from there being nothing interesting
therein. The tyrant was now fully occupied in the Deccan wars, and the
Rajputs had time to breathe.
Footnote 5.8.16:
[To propitiate the gate spirit.]
Footnote 5.8.17:
This Shahzada must have been prince Azam, who was nominated viceroy of
Gujarat and Marwar.
Footnote 5.8.18:
This record of the manifold injuries, civil and religious, under which
the Hindu nation groaned is quite akin to the sentiments of the letter
of remonstrance addressed by Rana Raj Singh to Aurangzeb. See Vol. I.
p. 442.
Footnote 5.8.19:
He is called the samdhi, or ‘son-in-law of the king.’ [There is no
record of his marriage to a daughter of Aurangzeb (_IA_, xl. 83). It
is the fathers of a bride and bridegroom who stand in the relation of
_samdhi_ to each other.]
Footnote 5.8.20:
5th Chait S. 1763. The 28th Zu-lqa’ada [March 3, 1707].
Footnote 5.8.21:
The Rajputs gave up beards the better to distinguish them from the
Muslims.
Footnote 5.8.22:
Shah Alam, who assumed the title of Bahadur Shah on mounting the
throne. [The battle in which Azam was defeated was fought on June 7,
1707.]
Footnote 5.8.23:
The Mangalia is a branch of the Guhilots, severed from the original
stem in the reign of Bappa Rawal eleven centuries ago.
Footnote 5.8.24:
[According to Khāfi Khān, the submission of Ajīt Singh was complete;
he even asked that the mosque at Jodhpur should be rebuilt, temples
destroyed, and the law about the summons to prayer and the killing of
cows enforced—concessions he would not have been likely to make unless
he was reduced to extremities (Elliot-Dowson vii. 405).]
Footnote 5.8.25:
‘The warrior’s sword.’
Footnote 5.8.26:
This is the Mirza Raja, Jai Singh—the posterior Jai Singh had the
epithet _Sawai_ [see Vol. II. p. 969].
Footnote 5.8.27:
The Muslim historian mentions in Vol. I. p. 464, that Bahadur was
then _en route_ to Lahore.
Footnote 5.8.28:
Trianga, the triple-bodied, or _trimurti_.
Footnote 5.8.29:
The bard of Maru passes over the important fact of the intermarriage
which took place on this occasion of the Rajput triple alliance. See
Vol. I. p. 465.
Footnote 5.8.30:
Durgadas, who recommended the acceptance of the proffered
capitulation.
Footnote 5.8.31:
The shrine of Khwaja Kutb.
Footnote 5.8.32:
Although the Marwar chronicler takes all the credit of this action, it
was fought by the combined Rajputs of the alliance. Vol. I. p.
466.
Footnote 5.8.33:
Pandu is the squire, the shield-bearer, of the Rajputs.
Footnote 5.8.34:
Kambakhsh was the child of the old age of the tyrant Aurangzeb, by a
Rajput princess. He appears to have held him in more affection than
any of his other sons, as his letter on his death-bed to him
testifies. See Vol. I. p. 439. [Kāmbakhsh was son of Bāi
Udaipuri, who was probably a dancing girl, but one account states that
she was a Georgian Christian, formerly in Dāra Shukoh’s harem; she
died in June 1707. Kāmbakhsh, born March 6, 1667, died from wounds
received in battle with his brother Muazzam, fought near Haidarābād,
Deccan, January 13, 1709.]
Footnote 5.8.35:
Indar Singh was the son of Amra, the eldest brother of Jaswant, and
the father of Mohkam, who, being disappointed of the government of
Merta, deserted to the king.
Footnote 5.8.36:
[The day on which the sun enters a new sign of the zodiac.]
Footnote 5.8.37:
This is another of the numerous instances of contradictory feelings in
the Rajput character. Amra, elder brother of Jaswant, was banished
Marwar, lost his birthright, and was afterwards slain at court, as
already related. His son, Indar Singh and grandson Mohkam, from Nagor,
which they held in separate grants from the king, never forgot their
title as elder branch of the family, and eternally contested their
claim against Ajit. Still, as a Rathor, he was bound to avenge the
injuries of a Rathor, even though his personal foe.—Singular
inconsistency!
Footnote 5.8.38:
There is an anecdote regarding the fountain of this classic field of
strife, the Troad of Rajasthan, which well exemplifies the
superstitious belief of the warlike Rajput. The emperor Bahadur Shah
was desirous to visit this scene of the exploits of the heroes of
antiquity, stimulated, no doubt, by his Rajputni queen, or his mother,
also of this race. He was seated under a tree which shaded the sacred
fount, named after the great leader of the Kauravas, his queen by his
side, surrounded by _kanats_ to hide them from profane eyes, when a
vulture perched upon the tree with a bone in its beak, which falling
in the fountain, the bird set up a scream of laughter. The king looked
up in astonishment, which was greatly increased when the vulture
addressed him in human accents, saying “that in a former birth she was
a Jogini, and was in the field of slaughter of the Great War, whence
she flew away with the dissevered arm of one of its mighty warriors,
with which she alighted on that very tree, that the arm was encumbered
with a ponderous golden bracelet, in which, as an amulet, were set
thirteen brilliant symbols of Siva, and that after devouring the
flesh, she dropped the bracelet, which fell into the fountain, and it
was this awakened coincidence which had caused the scream of
laughter.” We must suppose that this, the _palada_ of the field of
slaughter, spoke Sanskrit or its dialect, interpreted by his Rajput
queen. Instantly the pioneers were commanded to clear the fountain,
and behold the relic of the Mahabharata, with the symbolic emblems of
the god all-perfect! and so large were they, that the emperor remarked
they would answer excellently well for “slaves of the
carpet.”[5.8.38.A] The Hindu princes then present, among whom were the
Rajas Ajit and Jai Singh, were shocked at this levity, and each
entreated of the king one of the phallic symbols. The Mirza Raja
obtained two, and both are yet at Jaipur, one in the Temple of Silah
Devi,[5.8.38.B] the other in that of Govinda. Ajit had one, still
preserved and worshipped at the shrine of Girdhari at Jodhpur. My old
tutor and friend, the Yati Gyanchandra, who told the story while he
read the chronicles as I translated them, has often seen and made
homage to all the three relics. There is one, he believed, at Bundi or
Kotah, and the Rana by some means obtained another. They are of pure
rock crystal, and as each weighs some pounds, there must have been
giants in the days of the Bharat, to have supported thirteen in one
armlet. Homer’s heroes were pigmies to the Kauravas, whose bracelet we
may doubt if Ajax could have lifted. My venerable tutor, though
liberal in his opinions, did not choose to dissent from the general
belief, for man, he said, had beyond a doubt greatly degenerated since
the heroic ages, and was rapidly approximating to the period, the
immediate forerunner of a universal renovation, when only dwarfs would
creep over the land.
Footnote 5.8.38.A:
[The weights which keep it down.]
Footnote 5.8.38.B:
The goddess of arms, their Pallas.
Footnote 5.8.39:
Durga’s fief on the Luni.
Footnote 5.8.40:
See Vol. I. p. 451.
Footnote 5.8.41:
See Vol. I. p. 228.
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