Jaswant Singh of Marwar

Jaswant Singh Rathore (26 December 1626[1] – 28 December 1678) was a Maharaja of Marwar in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. He was a distinguished man of letters and author of "Siddhant-bodh", "Anand Vilas" and "Bhasa-bhusan".

Jaswant Singh Rathore
Maharaja of Marwar
Jaswant Singh Rathore of Marwar
Ruler of Marwar
Tenure6 May 1638 – 28 December 1678
Coronation25 May 1638
PredecessorMaharaja Gaj Singh
SuccessorMaharaja Ajit Singh
Born(1626-12-26)26 December 1626
Burhanpur, Deccan, Mughal Empire
Died28 December 1678(1678-12-28) (aged 52)
Jamrud, Khyber Pass, Mughal Empire
ConsortMaharani Hadi Jasvant Deviji
Wives
  • among others
  • Maharani Kachwahi Atrang Deviji
  • Maharani Candravat Jaisukh Deviji
  • Maharani Jadav Jaivant Deviji
  • Maharani Kachwahi Jasma Deviji
  • Maharani Jadav Jaskumvarji
  • Maharani Kachwahi Narukiji
Issue
Detail
  • Mahakumvar
  • Pratapkumvar
  • Prithviraj Singh
  • Ratnavati
  • Jagat Singh
  • Udaikumvarbai
  • Ajit Singh
  • Daltambhan
HouseRathore
FatherMaharaja Gaj Singh
MotherMaharani Pratap Devi
ReligionHinduism

Early life

Born on 26 December 1626 at Burhanpur, Jaswant Singh was the youngest son of Maharaja Gaj Singh of Marwar. His mother, Sisodini Pratap Deviji, was the favorite wife of his father and was the daughter Bhan Sisodiya, eldest son of Shakti Singh Sisodiya.[2]


Reign

Jaswant Singh succeeded his father on his death by special decree of the Emperor Shah Jahan, in accordance with his father's wishes, on 6 May 1638.[3] He was invested by Imperial authority and inherited the parganas of Jodhpur, Siwana, Merta, Sojat, Phalodi and Pokharan (Satalmer) in jagir.

He was installed on the gaddi at Sringar Chowki, Mehrangarh, Jodhpur, on 25 May 1638. He was granted the personal title of Maharaja by the Emperor Shah Jahan, on 6 January 1654.

Battle of Dharmatpur
Main article: Battle of Dharmat

Jaswant Singh was appointed by Shah Jahan to stop the advance of the rebel prince Aurangzeb and prince Murad. Army of Jaswant Singh and combined army of both the princes met at Dharmatpur, fifteen miles from Ujjain. The battle was fought on 15 April 1658. Jaswant Singh's advisers suggested a night raid to destroy Aurangzeb's artillery and gunpowder as the Rajput army was almost entirely made up of light cavalry, while Aurangzeb had a well equipped army of heavy cavalry, Artillery and Muskets. However Jaswant Singh replied by saying "It is inconsistent with the manliness of the Rajputs or usage, to employ stratagems or make a night attack".[4] Jaswant Singh was defeated and lost 6,000 of his soldiers.[5] Ratan Singh Rathore, Maharaja of Ratlam, Roop Singh Rathore, Maharaja of Kishangarh and Mokand Das Hada, Rao of Kota were amongst those slain in the battle.[6][7]

Death and succession

Prithviraj Singh was Jaswant Singh's son. It is chronicled in Marwar 'khyats' that Aurangzeb presented Prithviraj Singh a dress which was poisoned. On wearing the dress Prithviraj died on 8 May 1667 in great pain at Delhi. Prithviraj was a good leader and a brave prince. Jaswant could not get over the shock of his son's death. He was very saddened because he had no male heir who could seek revenge.

Jaswant's reign lasted until his death at Jamrud, near Peshawar, on the Vikram Samvat calendar date of 10 Pausha of 1735, equivalent to 28 December 1678 on the Gregorian calendar. [8] However, another scholar lists 10 Pausha 1735 V.S. as having been on 28 November 1678. [9]

At the time of his death two of his wives were pregnant, and both would later bear sons. This led to a war in which there were attempts to install Jaswant Singh's elder surviving son Ajit Singh Rathore as ruler of Marwar.[10]

Family

Consort

Several:[11]

  • Bari Maharani Bhatiyani Jasrupdeji (née Premkumvarbai) ( b. 15 September 1627; m. 25 April 1637, Jaisalmer; d. 10 April 1650, Delhi) — daughter of Bhati Raval Manohar Das of Jaisalmer
  • Maharani Hadi Jasvantdeji (née Kalyanbai) ( b. 9 August 1627; m. 5 May 1638, Bundi; d. at Bundi) — daughter of Hada Chauhan Rao Chattarsal of Bundi — She was elevated to the rank of Maharani on 22 April 1670, Aurangabad.
  • Maharani Chauhan Jagrupdeji (née Raykumvarbai) ( b. 4 June 1632; m. 2 February 1641, Bilaro village) — daughter of Sacora Chauhan Dayaldas — She was sent in dolo.
  • Maharani Kachwahi Jasmadeji ( b. 20 August 1624; m. 24 February 1641, Khandela) — daughter ot Sekhavat Kachwaha Raja Dvarka Das of Khandela
  • Maharani Jadav Jaivantdeji ( m. 13 May 1644, Jodhpur) — daughter of Jadav Prithiraj — She was sent in dolo from village of Corau near Junagadh.
  • Maharani Gaur Jasrangdeji (née Carmatibai) ( b. 27 June 1635; m. 8 February 1650, Ranthambhore; d. 1 September 1662) — daughter of Gaur Manohardas — The marriage took place under the supervision of Gaur Raja Vithaldas on the orders of Emperor Shah Jahan to end the vair between Rathors of Jodhpur and Gaurs that emerged on death of Jaswant's half-brother, Amar Singh Rathore.
  • Maharani Kachwahi Atrangdeji (née Jankumvarbai) ( b. 19 August 1634; m. 17 May 1651, Khandela) — daughter of Sekhavat Kachwaha Raja Varsingh of Khandela — She was the maternal granddaughter of Hada Chauhan Rao Ratan Singh of Bundi.
  • Maharani Sisodini Jasrupdeji (née Rupkumvarbai) ( b. c. 1643; m. 20 April 1657, Mathura; d. 21 October 1662) — daughter of Sisodia Gahlot Viramdev — She was paternal great granddaughter of Maharana Amar Singh of Mewar.
  • Maharani Devri Atisukhdeji (née Anandkumvarbai) ( b. c. 1643, Mehrangarh; m. 30 March 1659, Sirohi; d. 29 December 1658) — daughter of Devra Chauhan Rav Akhairaj of Sirohi — She was presented in dolo to Jaswant Singh to settle the vair between Devras of Sirohi and Rathors of Jodhpur on the death of Raisingh, son of Rao Chandrasen.
  • Maharani Candravat Jaisukhdeji (née Nabhavatibai) ( b. 21 February 1646; m. 9 April 1665, Rampur; d. November 1678) — daughter of Candravat Sisodia Galhot Rao Amar Singh of Rampur — She became sati on Jaswant Singh's death.
  • Maharani Jadav Jaskumvarji ( m. 15 April 1665, Hibhavan Village, near Karauli) — She was pregnant at the time of Jaswant Singh's death.
  • Maharani Kachwahi Narukiji — daughter of Naruka Kachwaha Phatah Singh of Kankor Village — She was pregnant at time of Jaswant Singh's death.

Sons:[11]
  • Prithviraj ( b. 1 July 1652, Jodhpur; d. 8 May 1667, Delhi) — with Atrangdeji — Eldest son of Jaswant Singh. Apparently Aurangazeb had him killed by sending him a poisonous robe.
  • Jagat Singh ( b. 4 January 1667; d. 4 March 1676) — with Jaisukhdeji — He died young.
  • Ajit Singh ( b. 19 February 1679, Lahore; d. 24 June 1724, Mehrangarh, Jodhpur) — with Jaskumvarji — He was born posthumously and succeeded Jaswant Singh to the throne.
  • Dalthambhan ( b. 19 February 1679, Lahore; d. Lahore) — with Narukiji — He was born posthumously and died soon after.

Daughters:[11]
  • Pratapkumvar ( b. 21 August 1649) — with Jasmadeji — She died a day later.
  • Mahakumvar ( b. 31 May 1645; d 6 January 1647) — with Jaivantdeji
  • Ratanavati ( b. c. 1655) — with Atrangdeji
  • Udaikumvarbai (b. January 1676; d young) — with Jaisukhdeji

Ancestry

See also

References
  1. The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto. Volume II, p. 60.
  2. Chandra, Satish. Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals. p. 303.
  3. John F. Richards. The New Cambridge History of India: The Mughal Empire (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993) p. 180-181
  4. The Rajputs of Rajputana: A Glimpse of Medieval Rajasthan By M. S. Naravane pg.85
  5. War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia, 1740-1849 By Kaushik Roy pg.33
  6. Madhya Pradesh District Gazetter: Ratlam pg.366
  7. Stuart Cary Welch (1987). The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-87099-499-9.
  8. "Jodhpur tradition puts the date of his death as 10 Paush Badi, 1735 on Thrusday which is equivalent to 28 December, 1678", Sri Ram Sharma, Maharana Raj Singh and His Times (Motilal Banarsidass, 1971) p. 56
  9. "The correct date is Thursday, Paush Vidi 10, 1735 V.S., i.e., November 28, 1678", R.K. Gupta, S.R. Bakshi, Rajasthan Through the Ages (Sarup & Sons, 2008) p. 81
  10. John F. Richards. The New Cambridge History of India: The Mughal Empire (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993) p. 180-181
  11. The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto, Rajasthan. Vol. II. pp. 60–63.
  • Rathaurha, Vira Durgadasa (2005). Ved Prakash Publisher: Rajbhasha Pustak Pratishthan, Shivaji Marg, Delhi 110053. First published 2005. ISBN 81-88613-10-X
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