Ratan Singh Rathore

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{{Infobox royalty
| name = Maharaja Ratan Singh
| alt =
| caption = Depiction of Ratan Singh Rathore
| succession =
| image = Ratan Singh of Ratlam.jpg
| reign = 1648-1658
| predecessor = Maheshdas Rathore of Jalore
| successor = Ram singh
| birth_date = 6 March 1619
| birth_place = [[Jalore]], [[Rajasthan]]
| death_date = 15 April 1658
| death_place = Dharmatpur, near [[Ujjain]]
| spouse = Sukhroopede Kanwar Shekhawat
| issue = Ram Singh Rai Singh Nahar Singh Chattrasal Akheraj Sakat Singh
| full name =
| house = [[Rathore]]
| father = Maheshdas Rathore
| mother = Kachwahi Kusum Kumvar
}}

'''Ratan Singh Rathore''' was the founder of Ratlam, governor of 16 parganas in northern Malwa and a renowned warrior of his time. He gained fame under the patronage of the Mughal emperor [[Shah Jahan]].<ref name=RS>{{cite book|title=The Indian Princes and their States|first=Barbara N.|last=Ramusack|date=8 January 2004|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kz1-mtazYqEC&pg=PA16&dq=ratan+singh+Norbert+Peabody|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |page=16|isbn=9781139449083|access-date=2020-09-14}}</ref>

==Family==
Ratan Singh was born 6 March 1619 as the eldest son of Mahesh Das of Jalore and his wife, Kusum Kumvar.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mertiyo Rathors of Marwar|volume=II|pages=288}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Ruling Chiefs, Nobles & Zamindars of India|volume=I|pages=255}}</ref> His paternal grandfather, Dalpat Singh was the son of [[Udai Singh of Marwar|Raja Udai Singh of Marwar]]. <ref>{{Cite book|title=Mertiyo Rathors of Merta, Rajasthan|volume=II|pages=281}}</ref> His mother Kusum Kumvar was the daughter of Rajavat Kachawaha Lukaran of Amber.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mertiyo Rathors of Merta, Rajasthan|volume=II|pages=288}}</ref>

One of his paternal aunt was married to [[Rao Raja Chattar Sal|Rao Chattarsal of Bundi]] and the mother of Rao Bhao of Bundi.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Mertiyo Rathors of Merta, Rajasthan|volume=II|pages=44-46}}</ref>

== Life ==
At a young age of twenty-three, Ratan Singh, armed with nothing but a dagger fought and controlled a mad elephant in the streets of Delhi and impressed its Emperor.<ref name="RS" /> Ratan Singh was recruited as an imperial general by Shah Jahan and was posted in [[Afghanistan]] as a [[mansabdar]]. He continued to gain fame by defeating wild bands of central Asian invaders and by later campaigning against the Persians under the Mughal prince [[Dara Shukoh]]. In 1648 he was given a Mughal rank of 3000 horsemen, the standard of Mahi Maratib and the Jagir of [[Malwa]], where he made [[Ratlam]] his capital.<ref name="RS" /> Ratan Singh was soon informed about [[Aurangzeb]] and [[Murad Bakhsh|Murad]]'s betrayal and he immediately came to the aid of Shah Jahan to stop the Mughal princes. Ratan Singh fought the rebel army at Dharmatpur on 15 April 1658, most sources say that the Mughal generals deputed by Shah Jahan either fled or remained inactive throughout the battle. Ratan Singh thus took command of the remaining army and fought till his death.<ref>Madhya Pradesh: Ratlam, Pg41, government central press 1994. —"Kasim Khan remained inactive throughout the battle and Jaswant Singh, before leaving for Marwar, handed over the command of the army to Ratan Singh Rathor."</ref><ref>history of modern India from 1526 A.D. to the present day. 3d ed. V. N. Hari Rao, Rochouse, 1969 - India, pg61. - "while Kasim Khan remained inactive throughout the battle."</ref>
<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature:Sasay to Zorgot|publisher= Sahitya Akademi|year=1992|isbn=9788126012213|pages=4456|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KnPoYxrRfc0C&pg=PA4456&dq=ratan+singh+dharmat|access-date=2020-09-15}}</ref><ref name="ML">{{cite book|title=Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey|first= R. V. Solomon|last= J. W. Bond|year= 2006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=47sfj8DUwNgC&pg=PA492&dq=ratan+singh+ratlam|page=492|isbn= 9788120619654|access-date=2020-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|first=V.S.|last=Krishnan|title=Pradesh District Gazetteers: Ratlam|publisher=Government Central Press|year=1994|pages=37|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3x8LAQAAIAAJ&q=ratan+singh+dharmat&dq=ratan+singh+dharmat|access-date=2020-09-15}}</ref>

==Recognition==
According to Karuna Joshi - "The Battle of Dharmat did not end after Jaswant Singh's flight from the war, but it was finished after the death of Ratan Singh." "Though Jaswant Singh fought bravely and got wounded, his escape from the battlefield was considered to be derogatory according to the custom of Rajasthan. So he obtained no place in the heroic poetry of Rajasthan. But Ratan singh's bravery, courage and sacrifice brought him name and fame which was amply described in the poems of contemporary poets like Khadia Jaga and Kumbhakaran Sada."<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Karuna|last=Joshi|title=New Light on the Battle of Dharmat|journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress|publisher=Indian History Congress|year=1998|volume=59|pages=427–433|jstor=44147010}}</ref>

James Tod has written - "Of all the deeds of heroism performed on this day, those of Ratan of Ratlam by universal consent are pre-eminent and are wreathed into immortal rhyme by the bard in the Rasa Rao Ratna."<ref name=ML/>

"Banhe Raso" , "Ratan Raso" and "Vachanika Rathore Ratan Maheshdasot Ri" are some works of Rajasthani literature that have written about Ratan Singhs life.<ref name=ZD>{{Cite book|title=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Volume 59|publisher=Indian History Congress|year=1999|pages=427–428|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQ5DAAAAYAAJ&q=ratan+singh+dharmat&dq=ratan+singh+dharmat|access-date=2020-09-15}}</ref>

According to Norbert Peabody: The Ratan Raso explains the gory events of Dharmat in a very detailed manner, however it ignores the various victories enjoyed by Ratan Singh in his military career.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hindu Kingship and Polity in Precolonial India|first=Norbert|last=Peabody |year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YZvuz6EGgcC&pg=PA26&dq=ratan+singh+Norbert+Peabody#q=Ratlam| page=91|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=9780521465489|access-date=2020-09-14}}</ref>

==Successors==
His successors founded the states of [[Ratlam State|Ratlam]], [[Sailana State|Sailana]], [[Sitamau State|Sitamau]],<ref name=RS/> Kachhi-Baroda and Multhan . Several estates and Thakurate's also claim descent from Ratan singh.

==See also==
*[[Rathore]]
*[[Ratlam State]]
*[[Sailana State]]
*[[Sitamau State]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{#related:Battle of Dharmat}}
{{#related:Ratlam State}}
{{#related:Sailana State}}

[[Category:Rajput rulers]]
[[Category:Indian military leaders]]
[[Category:Hindu monarchs]]
[[Category:1658 deaths]]
[[Category:Ratlam district]]

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Ratan Singh Rathore