The Jats - Their Role in the Mughal Empire/Chapter XIV
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Chapter XIV: The Jat Kingdom at its Zenith
Suraj Mal: the greatest Raja in the whole of contemporary India
[p.255]: If Badan Singh laid the foundation of a Jat State, Suraj Mal consolidated it first as Regent and later on as a King, by his sheer resourcefulness, perseverance and strength of character. He rose to be the greatest Raja in the whole of contemporary India1 possessing not only a spacious kingdom but also the richest overflowing treasury and the strongest army.
The Jats under him rose to the heights of playing an important role in the history of the Mughal Empire. The imperial Wazir, Safdar Jang, sought his friendship and Imad-ul-Mulk craved for his patronage. And the history of the Panipat battle, perhaps, would have been different if Bhau had not sidetracked his advice. The renowned diplomat Najb-ud-Daula also desired to come to terms with him. The Jat King had no pretensions for ruling over the distant provinces even though he possessed the requisite strength. Excepting 1757,the Jat principality always turned out to be a safe and ready haven of refuge for the "helpless, afflicted and indigent" lot.2
Improving upon his father (who kept aside the revenue of a village to be distributed among the beggars) Suraj Mal is said to have set up a charity department with Somnath Charturvedi as Its head.3 In this light Wendel's claim4, accepted uncritically by Professor Jadunath Sarkar,5 that Suraj Mal had a "base" incorrigible lust for others property, that he employed robbers for a regular hunt for money and that his miserliness made his family and troops languish in poverty, seems to be unfounded. Far from supporting Wendel, Nur-ud-Din (who being the servant of Imad
1. Siyar, IV, 27; Also Sujan, 200; cf. Dirgh (Hindi Ms.), 5-6; Madhav Vinod in Somnath, 318
2. Mirat, 893.
3. Ganga Singh (op.cit., 264) gives this information (charity department), although, he cites no authority in his support. We have, however, an eyewitness's evidence testifying to Suraj Mal giving charities. See Dirgh (Hindi Ms.), 6 and 7.
4. Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.), 44, 46 and 63.
5. Sarkar, Fall, 11, 454-455.
[p.256]: must also have had the occasion to study the character of Suraj Mal) testifies to how sternly the Jat ruler dealt with the robbers in his realm. As described above he went to the extent of declaring a war on those who harboured them. Unless they were sure about the safety of their wealth and honour one wonders how the traders and others of the different communities willingly chose to migrate to and settle down in the Jat Kingdom ,6 if it was governed by an employer of the dacoits. Likewise, some lapses apart, no farsighted, resourceful and ambitious leader would risk the emergence of a rebellious spirit among his troops by languishing them in poverty (by deliberately withholding payment of their salary) for years together.
The Religion: Shah Waliullah depicts him as a fanatic and blames him for persecuting Islam and prohibiting "azan and salat" throughout the length and breadth of his domain.7 Though true to some extent in the case of his successor,8 this view seems to be largely overdrawn and unjust in the case of Suraj Mal. By temperament, he was incapable of such a fanatic conduct. A great centre of Hindu worship, Brij, especially Mathura, had suffered repeated persecution, including the one (1757) in the life time of Suraj Mal. Yet, in spite of the deep pangs that this incident cause in his heart, Suraj Mal, even when at the height of his power, did not demolish a Single mosque in Mathura and had to bear Bhau's stinging remarks on that score.9 far from being vindictive, Suraj Mal displayed a great catholicity by constructing a mosque in his own Capital, as pointed out earlier. 10We do not know if any other Hindu Prince of the time could boast of it. In this context it is noteworthy that Muslims also formed a part of his personal attendants, who stood by their master and laid down their lives for him.11
Whether fighting heroically in Muhammad Shah's Rohilla expedition (1745), or leading the Jaipur van at Bagru, (1748) whether worsting the Afridis at Ram Chatauni (1750) or Najib's Rohillas at Garhi Maidan (1753), whether humbling the Mir Bakhshi at Sarai Sobha Chand (1750) or carrying out other minor exploits, Suraj Mal left behind a name for valour and stubborn courage. His successful defence against the Maratha-
6. Qanungo, Jats, 289; Dirgh (Hindi Ms.) 1; cf. Imad (Pers. Ms.), 84
7. Shah, 2.
8. Qanungo. Jats, 220-221.
9. Imad (Pers. Ms.) 120-121.
10. Supra, Ch. XII, f.n. 65.
11. See Appendix D. It may not be out of place to note here that his brother Pratap Singh, who initially shared the Jat administration with Suraj Mal (during the reign of Badan Singh) distinctly relished Muslim culture and friendship with the Muslims. See Imad (Pers. Ms.), 84.
[p.257]: Imad myriads (1754) as also against the numerous Durranis (1760) displays his consummate generalship. The lone reverse involving him directly was the one he sustained along with Safdar Jang in the civil war. Had it not been for his sudden death What would have been the ultimate result at the Hindan (1763) is not difficult to visualize in the light of the respective strength and resources of the contestants.
Surajmal's Army
The hardy Jat peasants have always had the making of best warriors in them. No less brave fighters than industrious peasants, the Jat King could avail himself of their services in moments of a big crisis,12 such as the one presented by the Maratha invasion (1754). All the same, he realized the extreme necessity of a good standing army and took steps to raise It. Though overwhelmingly consisting of the Jats, his army had soldiers of other castes as well.13 Siyar tells us that this great Jat general had personally trained his mounted matchlock men in a method of his own. He "introduced an exercise of firing at a mark on horse back and then wheeling round in order to load Under shelter". By daily practice, they had become:
- so expeditious and dangerous marksmen .... that there were no troops in India that could pretend to face them in the field. Nor was It thought possible for any Indian Prince to wage war against such a Prince with any prospect of advantage. 14
Suraj Mal, the master diplomat of the period
Endowed with a cool calculating vision, a profound sense of foresight and an exemplary shrewdness, Suraj Mal's genius shone forth in the field of diplomacy.15 He displayed great adroitness in handling men and matters. Amidst the moments of greatest trial, he exhibited a commendable presence of mind and endurance. In an atmosphere of "intrigue and unscrupulous diplomacy, he equally baffled the dissembling Mugal and the cunning Maratha, 16 as also the crafty Abdali and the subtle Rajputs. His was a most precarious position indeed for he stood between the two most formidable and hostile powers, the Abdali on the north and the encroaching Marathas on the South. His
12. On such occasions the peasant fighters were paid in the form of meals, consisting of one seer of wheat, some gram and butter. War ended, they returned to their fields, See Memoires des Jats (Fr. Ms.), 67 and 83.
13. Sujan Charitra contains several passages referring to the non-Jat soldiers in the Bharatpur army. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the Sarva-Khap militia of the Upper Doab also comprised various non-Jat groups, as can be seen from Kanha Ram's (Hindi Ms.) account.
14. Siyar, IV, 28; cf. Nur, 66b.
15. Prof. Hari Ram Gupta calls him "the shrewdest diplomat of the time." Vide Panipat, 153.
16. Qanungo, Jats, 65.
[p.258]: fabulous treasure was the perennial object of their greed, while his expansionist course and independent existence in the neighbourhood justly annoyed both the Mughals and the Rajputs. In addition, the influential forces of Islamic renaissance were also deadly opposed to him. More than once had the Abdali and the Marathas endeavoured to ruin him. Even normally, a potential threat from their side always starred Suraj Mal in his face.
In such circumstances, the survival of the Jat Kingdom itself was a Herculean task. But mainly by his marvellous diplomatic suppleness; 'peculiar' wisdom and heroic fortitude, he not only succeeded in thwarting all his enemies but also in increasing his fortunes in face of successive crises. Wende1 says that Suraj Mal had the guts to save himself from the Maratha-Durrani exaction when others were being squeezed, to protect his territory against the redoubted Abdali while a number of powerful grandees could not help draining out their Own resources by joining him (the Abdali), to ensure peace amidst the prevailing trouble which had engulfed his neighbours, to strengthen his power while others were losing to disentangle himself from the Marathas whose discomfiture he had clearly foreseen, to turn the Abdali without a recourse and in a word to become more powerful amidst the common decay. The Jesuit Father aptly concludes,
- "I do not know anyone else in Hindustan who could do the same".17
That was Suraj Mal, the master diplomat of the period. No doubt, Najib-ud-Daulah also possessed great diplomatic tact and political sagacity.18 But the main difference between the two lies in the fact that Najib had the powerful patronage of his deliverer, Ahmad Shah Abdali, whereas Suraj Mal solely on his own outwitted both the Abdali and the Marathas at one and the same time. In addition, Suraj Mal guaranteed to his Kingdom a progress-which Najib could not. 19
- "Raja Suraj Mal was endowed with all the qualities of a good ruler .... and succeeded by his government in vastly increasing his tenantry and treasure.20
Extent of the Jat State in Surajmal's reign
This was predominantly the result of the patient toil of that Raja. By the time of his death the Jat State had grown to 200 miles in length east-west) and 140 miles' in breadth north-south), covering a part of the suba of Delhi and three fourths of that of Agra. One of our authorities tells us:
- Beyond the Jamuna (on the western side) from the gates of Delhi upto the Chambal, there was no government except his own and towards the Ganga the case was almost the same.21
17. Memoires des Jats (Fr. Ms.) 54.
18./bid.,67.
19. Contra see Sarkar, Fa20. Tawarikh-i-Hunud (Pers. Ms.) 20a-20b.
20. Tawarikh-i-Hunud (Pers. Ms.) 20a-20b.
21. Memoires des Jats (Fr. Ms.) 56; Qanungo, Jats, 167.
[p.259]: It roughly corresponded to the districts of Agra Mathura Dholpur, Aligarh, Bulandshahar, parts of Mainpuri, Meerut and Rohtak, Gurgaon and Rewari, besides the origgial principality of Bharatpur.
Assessment of Suraj Mal
The Jat King had a vision to appreciate the innate susceptibilities of his Jat brethren. He presumably knew that it was difficult, if not impossible, for them to shed abruptly or wholly their deep-rooted democratic instinct and sentiments of individual and tribal independence. Therefore, he wisely refrained from an abrupt recourse to a despotic system of the Mughal type. Professor Qanungo rightly points out that the Jat government as it stood at Suraj Mal's death still corresponded to a feudal confederacy with the Jat King as the supreme head.20
In consequence of his prudence, skill and administrative ability and the measure of protection guaranteed by him, "peaceful" conditions returned to the region under his control after a long period of chaos and anarchy. He attended so admirably ... to the job of a zamindar (landlord)" ,in increasing the value of the country he had subdued, that he "considerably increased his revenues". Simultaneously, he controlled his expenses so well that "for several years" he use to save "at least half" the annual yield of his dominions, despite the big amounts spent on forts, palaces and markets.23
Revenue of Bharatpur State: We know that in the beginning of his reign his annual revenue amounted to "one crore of rupees."24 In 1760, it stood at "one and a half crores".25 It went up still higher and in the succeeding years he realised '175 lakhs" annually, whereas his annual expenditure approximated to 65 lakhs of rupees.26 According to his reported confession, in 1760 he had about six crores of rupees in his treasury.27 Hence Wendel is correct in estimating that at the time of his death he had rupees 10 crores in cash, mostly buried underground. This did not include jewels and other valuables worth a handsome amount. However, according to popular belief the cash in hand with him ranged between 15 to 20 crores.28
Trade and commerce: Trade and commerce also thrived owing to the direct and indirect encouragement offered by the administration, Suraj Mal remitted transit duties throughout his Kingdom. As a result "grain became exceedingly
22. Qanungo, Jats, 221; For a discordant note see Pande, Bharatpur, 82.
23. Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.), 57, 67.
24. Shah, 2.
25. Imad, (Pers. Ms.) 108.
26. Memoires des Jats (Fr. Ms.) 67; Sarkar, Fall, II, 455.
27. Imad, (Pers. Ms.), 108.
28. Wendel grows prolix in discussing the question of the Jat treasures. See Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.) 64-67, 86.
[p.260]: cheap?".29 Similar must have been the case with other commodities. If Suraj Mal constructed royal edifices, he did not forget to order the building of markets. If Imad is to relied upon, in Deeg and other places he built thousands of shops30 to facilitate the traders. Such steps and the peace guaranteed by his benign rule amidst prevailing anarchy attracted the merechants from the outside to the Jat Kingdom as pointed out elsewhere. Wendel hardly exaggerates in saying:
- I admit willingly that the Jats are rich, that if even today there is any treasure in Hidustan, after all the damage caused by Nadir Shah, the Abdali and the Marathas, it is among the Jats.31
Art and Architecture
To huge wealth Suraj Mal added stately magnificence and provided patronage to art and letters. We have for the first time come to know that it was at the instance of Suraj Mal, that Somnath, a poet whom he patronized, wrote a long poem, Brijendra Vinod.32 Later on when Somnath retired to Wair, Pratap Singh, the brother of Suraj Mal, extended to him his paronage.33 So also did Bahadur Singh son of Pratap Singh, a little afterwards.34 Thus encouragement to literary activity went on side by side with the growth of other arts in Suraj Mal's reign. In fact, Suraj Mal was a great connoisseur of art. Napoleon grabbed the best pieces of art from the conquered places to decorate Paris. Mahmud of Ghazru took away with him the artists themselves to adorn his Capital. In a way Suraj Mal combined both these traits in him. On the one hand, he carried choicest pieces of the Mughal grandeur from Agra to adorn his Court and on the other his wealth and will galvanized the unprovided for architects of the impoverished Court of Delhi to the new home of art. Besides, on his forts Suraj Mal spent crores off rupees embellishing Deeg, Bharatpur, Wair and Kumher with "enchanting building", ponds and gardens.35 The author of Imad tells us that some of his buildings were so magnificent that the kind of these could not be found "anywhere not even in Delhi and Agra". 36 Crowning all these was architecturally sumptuous and "superb" palace of Deeg, which had
29. Nur, 83b.
30.Imad, (Pers. Ms.) 84; Also see Dirgh (Hindi Ms.), 1.
31. Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.), 66.
32. Brijendra Vinod (Hindi Ms.), 212.
33. Under Pratap Singh's patronage he wrote the following poems: Ram Charitra Ratnakar, Rama Kala Dhar and Ras Peeushnidhi.
34. At Bahadur Singh's inspiration he translated the Sanskrit Drama, Malti Madhav in Hindi entitled Madhav Vinod.
35. Tawarikh-i-Hunud (Pers. Ms.) 22a, Also see Dirgh (Hindi Ms.), 1-2, Ras Peeushnidhi in Somnath, 6; Qanungo, Jats, 287f.
36. Imad (Pers. Ms.) 85.
[p.261: been planned and constructed by Suraj Mal on such a a gorgeous scale that the work on it did not end even by 1768. A widely travelled eye-Witness testifies:
- It is difficult to realize the expanse and magnificence of this palace without seeing it...I have seen none in Hindustan that would surpass it in magnificence, or even would come near to it.37
If the great Jat ruler was as much fond of money as Wendel points him to be certainly he knew how to spend it munificently and wisely too. Though their plain and rustic habits-so characteristic of the Jat peasants-remained more or less unaffected, the Jat affluence, power and intercourse with the outside world left an imprint on their "costumes, dresses, edifices, language and in general everything." Whereas formerly only their chiefs knew about the royal splendour of Agra and Delhi, now even the commoners saw them veritably "in the midst of Deeg, Kumher and Bharatpur."38
To conclude, Suraj Mal had found the Jats as petty zamindars but within a short span of time he raised them to a reputation above Hindustan."39
37. Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.), 44, See also Dirgh (Hindi Ms.), 1.
38. Memoires des Jats, (Fr. Ms.), 50-51.
39. Memoires des Jats, 67.