Gopal Singh Jat

Gopal Singh Jat was a warrior of the Tewatia gotra orginally of village Alawalpur Palwal but in 1705 he settled in Sihi in district Faridabad, Haryana. After 1705 he became wealthy and powerful by raiding Mughal territories located on Mathura - Delhi road. He killed Amjad, a Muslim Rajput Chaudhari and Gopal singh Jat became the Chaudhary of Faridabad Pargana. After the death of Gopal Singh, his son Charan Das Tewatiya succeeded him.

Genealogy

Gopal Singh (1705 ) → Charandas → Balram Singh Tewatia (d: 29.11.1753) → Bisan Singh + Kisan Singh (till 1774) →

Bisan Singh → Hira Singh Jat (1774)

Kisan Singh → Ajit Singh Jat

Raja Ram Singh (d.1830) → Raja Nahar Singh (6.4.1823 – 9.1.1858)

Ballabhgarh state

The small kingdom of Ballabhgarh, 20 miles from Delhi, was founded in his name. At present Ballabhgarh is a town in Faridabad District of Haryana, India. Raja Nahar Singh (1823 – 1858) was a famous King of Ballabhgarh. The name of the Jat Raja Nahar Singh will always be highly regarded among those who martyred themselves in the 1857 war of independence.

Suraj Mal helps the Jats of Ballamgarh against the Nawab Wazir Safdar Jang

K. R. Qanungo^[1] mentions....[p.45]: Already master of the Mathura district, Suraj Mal cast his eye upon the neighbourhood of Delhi and was waiting for an oportunity to extend his authority further south. The Jats of Ballamgarh, hard pressed by the faujdar of Faridabad, sought his help, and this embroiled him further with the Mughal Government. We may here briefly trace the history of the Jat feudal house of Ballamgarh. One Gopal Singh Jat of the Tewatia got (sept) settled in Sihi, a village three miles north of Ballamgarh, about 1705 and became wealthy and powerful by highway robbery on the Mathura - Delhi road. He allied himself with the Gujars of Tiagaon (8 miles east of Ballamgarh; long. 77°-30', lat. 28°-25'. ) and with their help killed the Rajput Chaudhari of the neighbouring villages. Murtaza Khan the local Mughal officer of Faridabad, instead of punishing the rebel, made peace with him by appointing him as Chaudhari of Faridabad pragana, entitled to a cess (rate) of one anna in the rupee on the revenue in 1710. After the death of Gopal Singh, his son Charandas succeeded him. and seeing how weak the imperial grasp was growing even in the nearer districts, withheld the revenue and set the authority of Murtaza Khan at defiance. However, Charandas was captured and thrown into prison at Faridabad. After some time, his son Balaram, duping¹ the Khan by a false payment of ransome, set him at

1. The story goes that Balaram promised to pay a large amount; in cash directly his father was freed. According to previous stipulations, Charandas was brought guarded to the side of a tank near Ballamgarh, and when the cart bringing the treasure had come up, Charandas was let go. He immediately made of on a fleet horse with his son. The other bags were found to contain copper coins (paisa) only. Delhi, Gazetteer, foot note, p. 213.

[p.46]: liberty, Father and son fled to Bharatpur, and securing the aid of Suraj Mal, killed Murtaza Khan (Delhi Gazetteer, p. 213).

This act of rebellious aggression remained unpunished till the accession of Emperor Ahmad Shah (1747). The Wazir wrote repeatedly to Balram and Raja Suraj Mal to give up the above mentioned parganas, but was put off with false pretences and evasive replies. This was sufficient to kindle the wrath of the wazir and to make him swear the utter destruction of the Jats. So he took the field against them in 1162 H. (January, 1749), almost simultaneously with the Amir-ul-umra, and captured Faridabad. Suraj Mal, elated with his recent success over one imperial army led by the commander-in-chief of the Mughal empire, was not in a mood to hear the proposals of the wazir to resign peacefully the places in dispute. He prepared to back the Jats of Sihi with all his resources and putting the forts of Deeg and Kumher in a state of defence, marched against the wazir (June, 1749). Fortune befriended Suraj Mal; the wazir, on receiving the news of formidable Ruhela rebellion in the immediate neighbourhood of his suba of Oudh, had to put off the settlement of his score with the Jats and return to Delhi. He fought these Afghans, and after quelling their disturbance, left his deputy Nawal Ray in charge of the districts wrested from them (beginning of 1750). Then he resumed his operations against the Jats, and sent an army against them. The Jats having got ready for fight, the wazir started against them during the rains (July 1750) and advanced as far as Khizirabad. About this time the news of a great disaster, viz., the defeat and death of Nawal Ray at the hands of Ahmad Khan Bangash, induced the wazir to make up his quarrel with Suraj Mal. A compromise was effected through the mediation of the Maratha vakil. In order to save appearences, Balaram.¹ with his wrists bound together,

2. This Balaram is the builder of the fort of Ballamgarh or Ballabgarh. He is not the same man as his namesake, who was the brother of Suraj Mal's wife, Hansia. This Balaram was killed on the 29th November, 1753 by one Aqibat Mahmud Khan as appears from the following entry (p. 83) in the Waqa-i-Shah Alam Sani: "On the 2nd Safar (1167 H.) Aqibat Khan, who went to Ballu Jat (Balaram) to settle the affair of his jagir, had an exchange of harsh words with Jat. He cut off the head of the said Jat and brought his head to His Majesty (Ahmad Shah)." This Aquibat Mahmud was the son of Murtaza Khan, whom Balaram had slain. However, Ballamgarh and Faridabad remained in possession of Suraj Mal who appointed Kishan Singh and Bishan Singh, sons of Balaram, as the quiladar and nazim of Ballamgarh. They retained their office till 1774. (See Delhi Gazetter, p. 213) This date, like all others, in the Gazetteer is doubtful.

[p.47]: accompanied the Maratha envoy to the presence of the wazir, who graciously pardoned him and gave an implicit sanction to his illegal acquisitions. Raja Suraj Mal was given a khilat of 6 pieces, and his bakhshi one of two pieces. Mutual appreciation of merit and ability laid the foundations of a true friendship between the Nawab wazir and the great Jat, who ever after stood faithfully by his ally, even under most desperate circumstances.

इतिहास

सूरजमल ने शाही राजधानी दिल्ली तथा आगरा के निकट शाही जागीरों पर कब्जा करके वहां पर अपने जातीय लोगों को स्थापित करने और उन्हें पूर्ण संरक्षण करके अपने प्रभाव विस्तार की नीति अपनाई। दिल्ली के 20 मील दक्षिण में बल्लभगढ़ के स्थानीय जाट नेता बलराम ने, जो पहले फरीदाबाद का मालगुजार था, सूरजमल का समर्थन पाकर न केवल बल्लभगढ़ के अपने दुर्ग का निर्माण किया, बल्कि फरीदाबाद के स्थानीय मुग़ल अधिकारी जकरिया खान के पुत्र मीर याह्या खान को पराजित करके पलवल एवं फरीदाबाद के शाही परगनों पर अपना अधिकार स्थापित कर लिया। तेवतिया गोत्र के जाट बालू या बलराम के नाम पर इसका नामकरण बल्लभगढ़ हुआ²। (तारीखे अहमदशाही; पृ० 23अ)^[2]

External links

References

↑ History of the Jats:Dr Kanungo/Raja Suraj Mal, An Ally of Nawab Safdar Jang,pp.45-47
↑ Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Chapter VIII (Page 664)

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[1] History of the Jats:Dr Kanungo/Raja Suraj Mal, An Ally of Nawab Safdar Jang,pp.45-47

[2] Jat History Dalip Singh Ahlawat/Chapter VIII (Page 664)

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