The Principality of Fatehpur
Not only the Jats but the whole country between Delhi and Chambal see Bharatpur as there seat of power. Located on the eastern margins of the state of Rajasthan,the name of this city would forever be synonym with the rise of the Jat power. However those who say that the city was founded by Maharaja Surajmal do not do justice with the rich history of this region. Even before the lairds of Sinsini rose to the ranks of ‘Braj Raj (lord of Braj)',there existed a confederacy of clans which defied the Mughal authority and established self-rule in the Subah of Agra. One of the most important among these clans were the Sogharias who held the Sidgiri tract and should be rightfully given the credit for laying the foundation of the city.
The Sogharia Jats are originally said to be inhabitants of the Salt Range, who were then slowly pushed into the region of Punjab by the invading Turkic hordes. They trace there name from the place of there settlement in the Sirsa district. Dispossessed from Sirsa in the sixteen century, Ram Baksh Singh Sogharia a zamindar of the clan immigrated to Pahari pargana which became the original centre of the Sogharia clan. Ram Baksh Singh settled Sogar and 4 other villages. Ram Baksh Singh had three sons, Dau Singh, Dana Singh and Gumra Singh. Ram Baksh Singh was succeeded by Dau Singh while his third son Gumra Singh founded Kaithwara and Papra. Dau Singh’s was followed by Hira Singh-Mangal Singh-Naranjan Singh-Chitan Singh-Jaiman Singh and Arjan Singh
All of them were petty zamindars of few villages.It was Arjan Singh’s son Baru Singh under whom the Sogharias rose to prominence. Baru Singh rose from the rank of a village chief to that of a thakur (lord). He was able to took control of a large area were his clansmen settled 30 new villages. He claimed all of them as the watan jagir of the Sogharia Jats. He also laid the foundation of the fort of Sogar. During the later half of 17th century the estate of Sogar was inherited by Thakur Achal Singh who is also known as Achala Jat. He was the sala (brother in law) of Bhao Singh (father of Raja Badan Singh of Deeg) and joined the rebellion after the former died fighting Mughals.
Achal Singh made Sogar as base and was involved in all sorts of anti imperial activities in the Subah of Agra.
Achal Singh built several satellite forts (garhis) around Sogar including Sehrora, Sebhora, Ajan, Mahgawa, Mahari, and Stara. He soon became supreme in the Sidgiri tract (between Bayana and Rupbas) ousting the local thanedars and imperial mansabdars from the region. He blocked the traffic between Agra and Ajmer via Hindaun and Bayana and annexed a large amount of khalisa(crownland). Achal Singh and was able to carved out an independent principality out of Mughal Empire. Achal Singh also established his thanas in pargana Bhusawar and started extracting tax from the villages of pargana Bayana. We must look at the blunder that Father Wendel has made. Wendel wrongly mentions that the chief of Sogar between 1685-88 was Ram Chahar or Ramki Chahar. The chief of Sogar as clearly mentioned in the imperial records and annals was Achala Jat.
Ram Chahar as the name suggest was not even a Sogharia Jat rather he belonged to the Chahar Jat clan. Achal Singh in alliance with the other 3 Dung leaders carried on depredations to the gates of Agra and besieged Shaista Khan (Subedar of Agra) in 1686.
In 1686, the well-known Turrani general Agha Khan was on his way from Kabul to join the Emperor at Bijapur. Agha Khan was popular as the oppressor of the frontier Afghans who like Jats were in a revolt against Mughal Empire. When his caravan reached Dholpur, Ram Singh Chahar’s and Achal Singh’s guerilla bands fell upon the unsuspecting troops of Agha Khan. The Khan had been away in Kabul for a number of years and was unaware of the emergence of the Jat menace in the imperial district and failed to take even the elementary precautions. Worse still he impetuously gave chase to the raiders on discovering the loss of his baggage, horses and women. When he caught up with the Jats, he and his soldiers were promptly killed by Jats in the battle that followed. In far-off Deccan Aurangzeb heard of the fate of his Turrani general and acted fast. He did not underestimate the Jat rebellion which was flouting Mughal authority in an area which was the special preserve of the Emperor. Emperor Auranjeb appointed, On 3rd May, 1686 (19th Jamdai II, 1097 A.H.) his uncle the renowned Nawab Khan-i-Jahan Bahadur,to deal with the Jats. He appointment him as the jagirdar of whole Jat area streching from Agra to Mewat. Nawab Khan-i-Jahan Bahadur made his weight felt to the Jats, he was able to conquer pargana of Kohri, Bhusawar and others. In the December of 1686 ,the imperial army under the leadership of Nawab Kahan I Jahan (the uncle of Aurangjeb) attacked Sogar, the battle that followed was costly for both side however Achal Singh emerged victorious. The Mughal met an even worse defeat at the hands of Raja Ram near Sinsini and soon retired to the Fort of Agra.
Khan-i-Jahan was unsuccessful and Aurangzeb then decided to appoint his son Prince Azam to assume command of the operations against the Jats. The Prince could not get beyond Burhanpur when his harassed father recalled him to proceed to Golkanda. Instead, in December, Aurangzeb appointed Azam's son,Prince Bidar Bakht, to lead the Mughal armies. Bidar Bakht was only seventeen years old. He lacked experience but not courage. The Khan-i-Jahan was to be his principal adviser.
Achal Singh maintained a permanent army at Sogar and the rest of his army was provided by his subordinates zamindars. He was brave but lacked military brilliance however he had in his army some of the best warriors. Ruria Singh of Rarah, Bukna of Kasot and Lodh Singh were some of his chief officers. Rustam Singh a resident of mauza Tuhia was elevated by Achal Singh as the chief commander of his army.
After the death of Raja Ram Sinsinwar (1688), The Emperor launched a full fledged invasion to get rid of the rebels of Agra Subah. Bidar Bhakt had already reached Agra to took the command against Jats. Aurangjeb also employed Raja Bishen Singh of Amber,Raja Kalyan Singh of Bah,The Mir Bakshi , all the Fauzdars and mansabdar’s of Agra Subah to crush the Jats. A body of Jat leaders under the leadership of Rai Udai Singh of Sahar also joined Bidar Bhakt. Bishen Singh was also able to turn to his side the notorious chief of Samuna, Balram Singh Dagur. During this time it appears Achal Singh became rather inactive and tough he remained the nominal head ,the control of his army and forts went into the hands of his two officers Bukna and Rustam Singh. The imperialist captured the fort of Sonkh by 1689 ,and moved towards Sinsini. Prince Bidar Bhakht came with his troops to besiege the fort of Sinsini but he himself was besieged. The Jats cut off the supply of there enemies, Hari Singh the general of Bishen Singh was asked to take provision to the Mughal camp near Sinsini. Hari Singh struggling with the guerrilas could cross 12 miles with provisions in 5 days i.e., 23rd-27th September 1689. Bukna Jat send his soldiers to harrass the relieving force on there march to Sinsini. In a skirmish between the Mughal army and the Jats, the brother of Bukna was killed. Hari Singh reached Sinsini but hardly half of the provisions could reach the imperial camp. Sinsini was finally captured in 1690 ,after which the Emperor ordered his officers to move against Sogar. Bukna avoided a pitch battle and continuously harassed the imperialist on there march. The Raja began a devastating drive through the enemy country for provoking Rustam Singh to a pitched battle. But the Jats everywhere went into hiding at the approach of the Raja's troops only to spring up from the void as it were to harass the rear and the flanks of the imperialists on march. In one such encounters the imperialists killed Gaj Singh Sogharia, wounded a brother of Bukna, and inflicted heavy casualties on the Jat.
On the first week of December 1690, the Mughal army led by Raja Bishen Singh moved a distance of ten kos for raiding the Jat villages. Eight Naglas (fortified block houses) and four mauzas within the jurisdiction of Sogar were burnt down. The troops carried off the stocks of food-grain of one village, and that of others were burnt down. Before the arrival of Mughal troops these villagers had gone away into the jungle with their families. When the troops were returning they encountered gangs of Jats everywhere, who after firing one sudden volley from their matchlocks would at once disappear in the jungle. When Bishen Singh's party reached the jungle intervening between Awar and Sogar they opened fire on the imperialists in concert from both sides. The imperialists lured the Jats within the range of their own light artillery gaj-nals and shutarnal(swivels mounted elephants and camels). After one ghari of night, imperialists returned to the camp.
Three days after the Raja and the imperial Mansabdar Aqa Ali went on a similar raid as far as Mahagaon (about 7 miles south-west of Bharatpur). A day before the Sogharia Jats having expected the Raja there and had dug a trench at the very spot where the Raja was standing, filled it up with gun-powder to be fired by a device, and concealed the whole thing by light cover of earth and khasgrass. They had similarly contrived to fire of the khera (high village mound) where Aqa Ali was then standing. However before the plan could be executed the spies informed the Raja about the trap. As soon as these words reached the alert ears of the valiant Mughal, he hurriedly came down and hastened for the camp. Nothing noteworthy was achieved by the Raja except shooting a few patridges
The same story is repeated in the news-sheets day after day, Mughal contingent sweating and bleeding, the Raja diverting himself with shooting and catching birds, and Aqa Ali hardly venturing out of the camp. The Jats used to creep stealthilly close to the camp and run away killing and carrying off camp-followers. It became a problem to protect the pioneers and jungle-cutters from the match-lock fire of the Jats concealed in the jungle. By 29th December 1690, the fort of Sogar was surrounded by imperialists. It was impossible to starve Sogar to surrender, because, however vigilant the imperialist might be the Jats from outside could always throw in supplies by secret jungle tracks known only to them. One day imperialists fell upon Sogar at a time when it’s gate was kept open for admitting provisions. Disguising themselves as labourers ,some Mughal soldiers entered the Fort,while ten main troops arrayed outside the gate. Then they killed all who opposed them. Five hundred people were captured, meanwhile Achal Singh,Bukna,Lodh Singh and Rustam Singh managed to escape. The news and fall of Soghar was sent to the Emperor with its golden key. After the fall of Sogar, Bukna took position at his fort of Kasot, Rauria Singh stayed at Rarah and Rustam Singh made the fort of Barah his base and continued the war. In 1692, the fort of Kasot was conquered and the khujia navis reported to the Emperor about the conquest of Kasot. The Emperor was pleased and ordered to beat the kettle drum and celebrate the victory. Bukna joined two other Jat chiefs , Churaman Sinsinwar and Banasrsi Singh Kuntal, both of whom were expelled from Sinsini and Sonkh respectively. They were reported to be wandering around with a band of one thousand horses and foot. Rauria Singh was soon humbled and by 1694 ,Rustam Singh was also ousted from Barah.
'"Bukna"', Lodh Singh and "'Rustam Singh"' took shelter at the fort of Ratanpur where a grand meeting of all the Jat chiefs took place(Fateh Singh Sinsinwar, Banasrsi Singh Kuntal and Maujiya Chahar). Rustam Singh was declared the successor of Achal Singh and Churaman was elected as the head of Sinsinwar Dung in place of Fateh Singh. For a while these chief made the badlands of Chambal as there base and lived by highway banditry. Soon Rustam Singh was able to regain a part of Achal Singh’s dominion but was unsuccessful in regaining Sogar. He decided to built a new capital in the marshlands of Ghana at the banks of Ruparel river which he named Fatehpur (modern Bharatpur),The city of victory. It’s contruction was completed by 1704. Rustam Singh plundered the camp of both the sons of Aurangjeb at the Battle of Jajua(1707). He with Churaman and Hathi Singh attacked the states of Kotah and Bundi and gained a lot of booty.
In the year 1709 ,the army of Rustam Singh attacked the fort of Sogar under the leadership of Girdhar Sogharia. The battle continued for three days in which Dayaram Jat, an associate of Girdhar Sogharia, was killed while he himself fled away. After the battle Girdhar went towards Bhusawar to recruit army. Few days later, Girdhar made an alliance with the faujdars of Hindaun and Mathura and attacked on the fort with six thousand of men and finally conquered Sogar. Rustam Singh established his full supremacy over the Sidgiri tract and on a large area of Kated.
Rai Rustam Singh was successed by his son Khem Karan Singh. Rai Khem Karan Singh is the most well known among the Sogharias. Khem Karan Singh continued to expand his territories. In order to pacify the Jats, Emperor Farukhsiyar called Rao Churaman of Thun, Khem Karan Singh and 2 other Jat chiefs (probably Majha Singh Chahar and Hathi Singh of Sonkh) to Delhi. All these Jat chiefs were well received by the Emperor at Baramulla and all of them were given Khilats. The parganas of Rupbas, Fatehpur (Bharatpur), Malah, Aghapur, Barauli(Agra) and Ikran were recognised as the watan jagir of Rai Khemkharan Singh. He was also awarded with the title of ‘Bahadur Khan’. However this flattery was of no use as Khem Karan Singh soon resumed his old habits and started annexing more land.
Khem Karan Singh,Hathi Singh Kuntal and Churaman joined the Sayyid brothers in there march against the Emperor. On 19 April 1719,the rebels captured Delhi and Farukhsiyar was brutally killed. Khem Karan Singh’s relationship with the Sayyid brothers were soon strained. During the Agra revolt(1719) Khem Karan Singh showed his desire to become the master of Kated(the country to the west of Yamuna between Mewat and Chambal) and supported the claim of Prince Nikusiyar who was recently proclaimed as the successor of Faruksiyar by Mitrasen at Agra. Mitrasen called Gaj Singh Naruka and Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur to support the claim of Nikusiyar. On the 26th of July a diplomatic meeting was held between Thakur Kripa Ram(the brother of Khemkaran) and Jai Singh. The next day gifts were exchanged between Bigha Ram Sogharia, Sawant Singh(nephew of Khem Karan), Jai Singh of Jaipur and Gaj Singh Naruka and thus there alliance was sealed. Meanwhile, the Sayyid brothers proclaimed Rafiuddaullah as there claimant to the Mughal throne and in this enterprise they were supported by Rao Churaman and the sons of Nandram Thenua(Jai Singh of Hathras and Bhoj Singh of Jawar). When Churaman and the Sayyids were engaged in the siege of Agra, Khemkaran Singh plundered the parganas of Sahar, Sikri and threatened the jagir of Churaman. He was joined by the army of Jai Singh and together they moved towards Agra. Hussain Ali Khan despatched Dilawar Ali Khan and Mursriq Jafar Khan to reduce Fatehpur which compelled Khemkaran Singh to return and take position at his capital. Shi Ram the commander of Jai Singh surrendered to the Sayyids and took shelter at Khemkaran’s fortress of Aghapur. In the 12th of August, the fort of Agra finally fell into the hands of the besiegers. On 24th of August Thakur Kripa Ram and Sawant Singh Sogharia met with Jai Singh at Toda Bhim to discuss the future of there alliance against the Sayyids. The new Emperor Rafiuddaullah suddenly died near Sikri (September) and the Sayyids crowned Mohammad Shah as the new Padshah. By November the fort of Fatehpur was surrounded and Khem Karan Singh was forced to surrender. A cold war started between Mohammad Shah and the Sayyids. Husain Ali was murdered and Abdullah was ready to avenge the death of his brother.
After Huisan Ali Khan Sayyid was murdered, Khem Karan Singh joined Emperor Mohamed Shah on his march towards Yamuna. He met the Emperor at Barsana with his 10,000 sawars in the month of October,1720. He was directed to take his position in the rear of the victorious army, and afford protection to those of the royal camp who lagged behind,due to fatigue. Finally the army’s of Abdullah and Mohamed Shah met at Hasanpur. Khem Karan Singh and Churaman found themselves again on opposite sides however this time both reunited, they abandoned there respective camps and plundered all. Churaman returned to his country and Khem Karan Singh inspite of his dealing at Hasanpur rejoined the Emperor at Delhi.
He stayed in Delhi trying to get the country of Kated in jagir. During his planned stay in Delhi ,Khem Karan Singh killed 3 tigers with his dagger at the royal ground. Mesmerized with the courage of Khem Karan Singh,the Emperor bestowed upon him the title of ‘Bhagmaar’.The Emperor also presented him a horse,robe of honour and renewed his watan jagir. Francoo tells us that Khem Karan Singh was appointed as the Subahdar of Agra. It appears that he was considered for that position however that position of Subahdar was bestowed upon Jai Singh of Jaipur . This can be confirm by the fact that Jai Singh after his appointmentto met Khem Karan Singh at Jaisinghpura and reconciled him. Jai Singh presented a horse,a flag,a fan and a robe of honour to Khem Karan Singh and promised to help him against Rao Churaman
On 22 February, Khem Karan Singh was granted the choldari between Farazkhana and Gaji . He stayed in Delhi for a period of 10 months and only returned to his dominions after hearing the news of Rao Churaman’s death. The relationship he shared with Churaman was a complex one, they were comardes turned foes, they both respected each other but refused to see each other as equals. Churaman wanted Khem Karan to act like his vassal while Khem Karan wanted the whole Jat country for himself.
Rao Churaman was succeed by Raja Mukham Singh. Raja Mukham Singh’s authority was challenged by Thakur Badan Singh of Deeg who was recently released from the jail. Badan Singh joined Sadat Khan and later Sawai Jai Singh against Mukham Singh. Khem Karan Singh finding a opportunity in the Sinsinwar civil war supported Badan Singh,his blood relative. Badan Singh was well aware of Khem Karan Singh’s intentions. After the victory of Thun, Badan Singh made sure that no favors are bestowed upon Khem Karan Singh by the Mughal authorities. Badan Singh offered an alliance to Khem Karan Singh which was declined. Khem Karan Singh instead started to increase his arm strength. Badan Singh employed his karories to extract tax in parts of Khem Karan Singh’s land. In retaliation Khem Karan Singh’s man did not allowed the karories of Badan Singh to extract tax in the paragana of Helak, which was part of Badan Singh’s jagir.
On the last weak of May,1726, Raja Badan Singh send his troops under the leadership of his son Surajmal to attack Fatehpur. In an surprise night attack Fatehpur was captured. Khem Karan Singh escaped on his elephant and reached Aring . Khem Karan Singh was unaware about the plot of treachery hatched against him. Badan Singh instigated Thakur Faunda Ram Kuntal of Aring to end the life of Khem Karan Singh. Faunda Ram welcomed Khem Karan Singh and his companions, treated them well and appeared to be an excellent host. Khem Karan Singh stayed there for a few days until Faunda Ram showed his true colors and poisoned the meal of the Sogharia chief. An ailing Khem Karan Singh with his sardars left Aring and took shelter at Motia. The Thakur of Motia tried hard to save the life of his lord but after 3 days of suffering Khem Karan Singh left the world. Fatehpur was renamed as Bharatpur and,it served as the new capital of the Sinsinwar Jat kingdom.
Tej Singh the son of Khem Karan Singh accepted the suzerainty of Raja Badan Singh and was given a part of his fathers estate. The jagirs of Sabal Singh (the nephew of Khem Karan Singh),Chattar Singh of Mutia and other Sogharia sardars were were not consificated as it would have been too risky to control them otherwise. The principality of Fatehpur was hence fragmented into several small zamindaris. The remnants of the original fort of Rustam Singh can still be seen in Bharatpur.The chauburja erected by Khem Karan Singh is still present outside the inner walls of the Lohagarh Fort. The Sogharia Jats remained loyal to Badan Singh and his descendants.
Gallery of Sogaria
Map of Sogar fort
References
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