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{{Short description|Maharaja of Marwar from 1679 to 1724}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2014}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
|name        =Ajit Singh Rathore
| name        = Ajit Singh Rathore
|title        =[[Maharaja]] of [[Jodhpur State|Marwar]]
| title        = Chatrapati<br/>[[Maharaja]] of [[Jodhpur State|Marwar]]
|more        =
| more        =  
|image        =Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar.jpg
| image        = Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar.jpg
|succession  =Ruler of [[Marwar]]
| succession  = Ruler of [[Marwar]]
|reign        = 19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724
| reign        = 19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724
|reign-type  =
| reign-type  =  
|coronation  =
| coronation  =  
|cor-type    =
| cor-type    =  
|predecessor  =[[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Jaswant Singh]]
| predecessor  = [[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Jaswant Singh]]
|successor    =[[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Abhai Singh]]
| successor    = [[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Abhai Singh]]
|birth_date  = {{Circa|1679}}
| birth_date  = {{Circa| 19 February 1679}}
|birth_place  =[[Lahore]]
| birth_place  = [[Lahore]]
|death_date  = {{date of death and age|1724|6|24|1679|df=y}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1724|6|24|1679|df=y}}
|death_place  = Meherangarh, [[Jodhpur]]
| death_place  = Meherangarh, [[Jodhpur]]
|burial_date  =  
| burial_date  =  
|burial_place =  
| burial_place =  
|consort      = yes
| consort      = yes
|spouse      =  
| spouse      =  
|spouse-type  =  
| spouse-type  =  
|issue        = [[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Abhai Singh]]<br>[[Bakht Singh (Maharaja)|Bakht Singh]]<br>
| issue        = [[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Abhai Singh]]<br/>[[Bakht Singh (Maharaja)|Bakht Singh]]<br/>[[Indira Kanwar]]
|full name    =  
| full name    =  
|house        =  
| house        =  
|father      = [[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Jaswant Singh Rathore]]
| father      = [[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Jaswant Singh Rathore]]
|mother      = Jadaman
| mother      = Rani Jadav Jaskumvar
|occupation  =  
| occupation  =  
|religion    = [[Hinduism]]
| religion    = [[Hinduism]]
|dynasty=[[Rathore|House of Rathore]]}}
| succession1  = [[Subahdar]] of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]]
| reign-type1  = Term
| reign1      = 1715–1717
| cor-type1    = [[Mughal Emperor|Emperor]]
| coronation1  = [[Farrukhsiyar]]
| predecessor1 = [[Daud Khan Panni]]
| successor1  = [[Khan Dowran VII]]
| reign-type2  = Term
| reign2      = 1719–1721
| cor-type2    = Emperor
| coronation2  = [[Rafi ud-Darajat]]<br/>[[Shah Jahan II]]<br/>[[Muhammad Shah]]
| predecessor2 = Khan Dowran VII
| successor2  = Haider Quli Khan
| regent2      = Anup Singh
| dynasty     = [[Rathore dynasty|House of Rathore]]
}}


'''Ajit Singh Rathore''' ({{lang-hi|अजीत सिंह राठौड़}}, {{Circa|1679}}&nbsp;– 24 June 1724) was a ruler of the [[Marwar]] region in the present-day [[Rajasthan]] and the son of [[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Jaswant Singh Rathore]].
'''Ajit Singh Rathore''' (19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724) was the ruler of the [[Kingdom of Marwar]], in present-day [[Rajasthan]], and the son of [[Jaswant Singh of Marwar|Jaswant Singh Rathore]]. He also served as the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Subahdar]] of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]] for two terms from 1715–1717 and 1719–1721.{{Sfn|Commissariat|1957|p=399}}


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Jaswant Singh of Marwar died at [[Jamrud]] in December 1678. His two wives were pregnant but, there being no living male heir, the lands in Marwar were converted by the emperor [[Aurangzeb]] into territories of the [[Mughal empire]] so that they could be managed as [[jagir]]s. He appointed Indra Singh Rathor, a nephew of Jaswant Singh, as ruler there.{{efn|Some sources say that Indra Singh Rathor was a great-nephew of Jaswant Singh.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}}} Historian [[John F. Richards]] stresses that this was intended as a bureaucratic exercise rather than an annexation.<ref name="richards">{{cite book |title=The Mughal Empire |first=John F. |last=Richards |authorlink=John F. Richards |edition=Reprinted |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-52156-603-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HHyVh29gy4QC&pg=PA180 |pages=180–181}}</ref>
Jaswant Singh of Marwar died at [[Jamrud]] in December 1678. His two wives were pregnant but, there being no living male heir, the lands in [[Marwar]] were converted by the emperor [[Aurangzeb]] into territories of the [[Mughal Empire]] so that they could be managed as [[jagir]]s. He appointed Indra Singh Rathore, a nephew of Jaswant Singh, as ruler there.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bhargava |first=Visheshwar Sarup |title=Marwar and the Mughal Emperors |publisher=[[Munshiram Manoharlal]] |year=1966 |isbn=9788121504003 |location=India |pages=121–122}}</ref>{{efn|Some sources say that Indra Singh Rathore was a great-nephew of Jaswant Singh.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}}} Historian [[John F. Richards]] stresses that this was intended as a bureaucratic exercise rather than an annexation.<ref name="richards">{{cite book |title=The Mughal Empire |first=John F. |last=Richards |authorlink=John F. Richards |edition=Reprinted |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-52156-603-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HHyVh29gy4QC&pg=PA180 |pages=180–181}}</ref>


There was opposition to Aurangzeb's actions because both pregnant women gave birth to sons during the time that he was enacting his decision. In June 1679, [[Durgadas Rathore|Durgadas Rathor]], a senior officer of the former ruler, led a delegation to [[Shahjahanabad]] where they pleaded with Aurangzeb to recognise the older of these two sons, Ajit Singh, as successor to Jaswant Singh and ruler of Marwar. Aurangzeb refused, offering instead to raise Ajit and to give him the title of ''[[raja]]'', with an appropriate noble rank, when he attained adulthood. However, the offer was conditional on Ajit being brought up as a Muslim, which was anathema to the petitioners.<ref name="richards" /><ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=189}}</ref>
There was opposition to Aurangzeb's actions because both pregnant women gave birth to sons during the time that he was enacting his decision. In June 1679, [[Durgadas Rathore]], a senior officer of the former ruler{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}, led a delegation to [[Shahjahanabad]] where they pleaded with Aurangzeb to recognise the older of these two sons, Ajit Singh, as successor to Jaswant Singh and ruler of Marwar. Aurangzeb refused, offering instead to raise Ajit and to give him the title of ''[[raja]]'', with an appropriate noble rank, when he attained adulthood. However, the offer was conditional on Ajit being brought up as a Muslim, which was anathema to the petitioners.<ref name="richards" /><ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=189}}</ref>


[[File:The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit.jpg|thumb|The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit]]
[[File:The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit.jpg|thumb|The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit]]
[[File:Posthumous Portrait of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar, 1762.jpg|thumbnail|''Posthumous Portrait of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar'', 1762. [[Brooklyn Museum]].]]
[[File:Posthumous Portrait of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar, 1762.jpg|thumbnail|''Posthumous Portrait of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar'', 1762. [[Brooklyn Museum]].]]


The dispute escalated when Ajit Singh's younger brother died. Aurangzeb sent a force to capture the two queens and Ajit from the Rathor mansion in Shahjahanabad but his attempt was rebuffed by Durgadas Rathor, who initially used gunfire in retaliation and eventually escaped from the city to [[Jodhpur]] along with Ajit and the two queens, who were disguised as men. Some of those accompanying the escapees detached themselves from the party and were killed as they fought to slow down the pursuing Mughals.<ref name="richards" />
The dispute escalated when Ajit Singh's younger brother died. Aurangzeb sent a force to capture the two queens and Ajit from the Rathore mansion in Shahjahanabad but his attempt was rebuffed by Durgadas Rathore, who initially used gunfire in retaliation and eventually escaped from the city to [[Jodhpur]] along with Ajit and the two queens, who were disguised as men. Some of those accompanying the escapees detached themselves from the party and were killed as they fought to slow down the pursuing [[Mughals]].<ref name="richards" />


The Dhaa Maa (wet nurse) of Infant prince Ajit Singh of Marwar, Goora Dhaa (The Sainik Kshatriyas Tak Rajput of Mandore) put her beloved son on the royal bed Instead of Ajit Singh and put the sleeping prince Ajit into a basket and smuggle him with others out of Delhi. Aurangzeb deigned to accept this deceit and sent the child to be raised as a Muslim in his [[harem]]. The child was renamed Mohammadi Raj and the act of changing religion meant that, by custom, the imposter lost all hereditary entitlement to the lands of Marwar that he would otherwise have had if he had indeed been Ajit Singh.<ref name="richards" /><ref name="chandra">{{cite book |title=Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals |volume=2 |first=Satish |last=Chandra |authorlink=Satish Chandra |publisher=Har-Anand Publications |year=2005 |isbn=978-8-12411-066-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rm9MC4DDrcC&pg=PA309 |pages=309–310}}</ref>
It is believed that the Dhaa Maa (wet nurse) of infant prince Ajit Singh of Marwar, [[Gora Dhay|Goora Dhaa]] put her beloved son on the royal bed instead of Ajit Singh and put the sleeping prince Ajit into a basket and smuggled him with others out of Delhi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bose |first=Melia Belli |title=Royal Umbrellas of Stone: Memory, Politics, and Public Identity in Rajput Funerary Art |pages=175}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gahlot |first=Jagdish Singh |title=Rajasthan: A Socio-economic Study |pages=4}}</ref>{{request quotation|date=March 2022}} Others opine a slave girl with her infant posed as Rani and remained behind to be captured.<ref name="richards" /> Aurangzeb deigned to accept this deceit and sent the child to be raised as a Muslim in his [[harem]]. Jadunath Sarkar mentioned that Aurangzeb brought up a milkman's son in his harem as Ajit Singh.<ref name="Sarkar">{{cite web | title=History of Aurangzeb vol.3 : Sarkar, Jadunath | website=Internet Archive | date=2022-01-14 | url=https://archive.org/details/dli.csl.4937 | access-date=2022-03-12}}, p334</ref> The child was renamed Mohammadi Raj and the act of changing religion meant that, by custom, the imposter lost all hereditary entitlement to the lands of Marwar that he would otherwise have had if he had indeed been Ajit Singh.<ref name="richards" /><ref name="chandra">{{cite book |title=Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals |volume=2 |first=Satish |last=Chandra |authorlink=Satish Chandra (historian) |publisher=Har-Anand Publications |year=2005 |isbn=978-8-12411-066-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Rm9MC4DDrcC&pg=PA309 |pages=309–310}}</ref>


== Exile ==
== Exile ==
Continuing to play along with the deceit, Aurangzeb refused to negotiate with representatives of Ajit Singh, claiming that child to be the imposter.<ref name="chandra"/> He sent his son, [[Sultan Muhammad Akbar|Muhammad Akbar]], to occupy Marwar. Ajit Singh's mother, who was a [[Sisodia]], convinced the Rana of [[Mewar]], [[Raj Singh I]], who is commonly thought to be her relative, to join in fighting against the Mughals. Richards says that Raj Singh's fear that Mewar would also be invaded was a major motivation for becoming involved; another historian, [[Satish Chandra]], thinks that there were several possible alternatives, including Singh seeing an opportunity to assert Mewar's position among the Rajput principalities of the region. The combined Rathor-Sisodia forces were no match for the [[Mughal army]], Mewar was itself attacked and the Rajputs had to retire to the hills, from where they engaged in sporadic [[guerrilla warfare]].<ref name="richards" /><ref name="chandra" />{{efn|The relationship of Raj Singh I to Ajit Singh's mother is disputed. Historian [[Satish Chandra]] says that, although the claim is often made, they were unrelated.<ref name="chandra" />}}
Continuing to play along with the deceit, Aurangzeb refused to negotiate with representatives of Ajit Singh, claiming that child to be the imposter.<ref name="chandra"/> He sent his son, [[Sultan Muhammad Akbar|Muhammad Akbar]], to occupy Marwar. Ajit Singh's mother convinced the Rana of [[Mewar]], [[Raj Singh I]], who is commonly thought to be her relative, to join in fighting against the Mughals.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Mertiyo Rathores of Merta, Rajasthan|volume=II|pages=63}}</ref> Richards says that Raj Singh's fear that Mewar would also be invaded was a major motivation for becoming involved; another historian, [[Satish Chandra (historian)|Satish Chandra]], thinks that there were several possible alternatives, including Singh seeing an opportunity to assert Mewar's position among the Rajput principalities of the region. The combined Rathore-Sisodia forces were no match for the [[Mughal army]], Mewar was itself attacked and the Rajputs had to retire to the hills, from where they engaged in sporadic [[guerrilla warfare]].<ref name="richards" /><ref name="chandra" />{{efn|The relationship of Raj Singh I to Ajit Singh's mother is disputed. Historian [[Satish Chandra (historian)|Satish Chandra]] says that, although the claim is often made, they were unrelated.<ref name="chandra" />}}


For 20 years after this event, Marwar remained under the direct rule of a Mughal governor. During this period, [[Durgadas Rathore]] carried out a relentless struggle against the occupying forces. Trade routes that passed through the region were plundered by the guerrillas, who also looted various treasuries in present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. These disorders adversely impacted the finances of the empire.
For 20 years after this event, Marwar remained under the direct rule of a Mughal governor. During this period, [[Durgadas Rathore]] and [[Akheraj Rajpurohit|Akheraj Singh Rajpurohit]]<ref>Dr Prahalad Singh [[Rajpurohit]],"Veer Kesari Singh Rajpurohit ka Jasprakash"</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sevaṛa |first1=Prahalādasiṃha |title=Rājapurohita jāti kā itihāsa |date=2021 |isbn=978-93-90179-06-0 |edition=Dvitīya saṃsodhita saṃskaraṇa |location=Jodhapura}}</ref> (Rajguru of Ajit Singh) carried out a relentless struggle against the occupying forces. Trade routes that passed through the region were plundered by the guerrillas, who also looted various treasuries in present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. These disorders adversely impacted the finances of the empire.


Aurangzeb died in 1707; he was to prove the last of the great Mughals. Durgadas Rathor took advantage of the disturbances following this death to seize Jodhpur and eventually evict the occupying mughal force.<ref>N.S. Bhati, Studies in Marwar History, page 6</ref>
Aurangzeb died in 1707; he was to prove the last of the great Mughals. Durgadas Rathore and [[Akheraj Rajpurohit|Akheraj Singh Rajpurohit]]<ref>Dr Prahalad Singh [[Rajpurohit]],"Veer Kesari Singh Rajpurohit ka Jasprakash"</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sevaṛa |first1=Prahalādasiṃha |title=Rājapurohita jāti kā itihāsa |date=2021 |isbn=978-93-90179-06-0 |edition=Dvitīya saṃsodhita saṃskaraṇa |location=Jodhapura}}</ref> took advantage of the disturbances following this death to seize Jodhpur and eventually evict the occupying mughal force.<ref>N.S. Bhati, Studies in Marwar History, page 6</ref>


== Takes charge of Marwar ==
== Takes charge of Marwar ==
{{Main|Rajput Rebellion 1708-1710}}
{{Main|Rajput Rebellion 1708-1710}}
After consolidating his rule over Marwar, Ajit Singh grew increasingly bold as the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah had marched south. He formed an alliance with Sawai Raja Jai Singh II of Amer and set upon capturing his ancestral lands which had been occupied by the Mughals. The Rajput kings started raiding Mughal camps and outposts, several towns and forts were captured, the biggest blow for the Mughals was however the capture of [[Sambhar Lake Town|Sambhar]] which was an important Salt manufacturing site.<ref>Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37</ref>
After consolidating his rule over Marwar, Ajit Singh grew increasingly bold as the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah had marched south. He formed an alliance with [[Sawai Jai Singh|Sawai Raja Jai Singh II]] of Amer and set upon capturing his ancestral lands which had been occupied by the Mughals. The Rajput kings started raiding Mughal camps and outposts, several towns and forts were captured, the biggest blow for the Mughals was however the capture of [[Sambhar Lake Town|Sambhar]] which was an important Salt manufacturing site.<ref>Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37</ref>


In 1709 Ajit Singh made plans to conquer Ajmer and destroy the Muslim shrines and Mosques, however Jai Singh II was afraid that the destruction of Muslim shrines would lead to the wrath of the Mughal emperor after he had returned from the Deccan. Ajit Singh however ignored Jai Singhs advise and led his army towards Ajmer, ending the Rathor-Kachwaha alliance. Ajit Singh laid siege to Ajmer on 19 February, the Mughal garrison led by Shujaat Khan negotiated with Ajit Singh by offering him 45,000 rupees, 2 horses, an elephant and the holy town of Pushkar in exchange for sparing the shrine and the mosques. Ajit Singh agreed to the terms and returned to his capital.<ref>Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37-38</ref>
In 1709 Ajit Singh made plans to conquer Ajmer and destroy the Muslim shrines and Mosques, however Jai Singh II was afraid that the destruction of Muslim shrines would lead to the wrath of the Mughal emperor after he had returned from the Deccan. Ajit Singh however ignored Jai Singh's advise and led his army towards Ajmer, ending the Rathore-Kachwaha alliance. Ajit Singh laid siege to Ajmer on 19 February, the Mughal garrison led by Shujaat Khan negotiated with Ajit Singh by offering him 45,000 rupees, 2 horses, an elephant and the holy town of Pushkar in exchange for sparing the shrine and the mosques. Ajit Singh agreed to the terms and returned to his capital.<ref>Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37-38</ref>


In June 1710 [[Bahadur Shah I]] marched to Ajmer with a large army and called Ajit Singh to Ajmer, he was joined by Jai Singh II. The rebellious Ajit Singh was finally pardoned and was formally accepted as the Raja of Jodhpur by the Mughal emperor.<ref>The Cambridge History of India, Volume 3 p. 322</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719 |first=Munis D. |last=Faruqui |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-107-02217-1 |page=316}}</ref>
In June 1710 [[Bahadur Shah I]] marched to Ajmer with a large army and called Ajit Singh to Ajmer, he was joined by Jai Singh II. The rebellious Ajit Singh was finally pardoned and was formally accepted as the Raja of Jodhpur by the Mughal emperor.<ref>The Cambridge History of India, Volume 3 p. 322</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719 |first=Munis D. |last=Faruqui |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-107-02217-1 |page=316}}</ref>
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==Role in deposition of Farrukhsiyar==
==Role in deposition of Farrukhsiyar==
In 1713 the new Mughal emperor [[Farrukhsiyar]] appointed Ajit Singh governor of [[Thatta]].  Ajit Singh refused to go to the impoverished province and Farrukhsiyar sent [[Husain Ali Braha]] to bring Ajit Singh into line, but also sent a private letter to Ajit Singh promising him blessings if he defeated Husain. Instead Ajit Singh chose to negotiate with Husain, accepting the governorship of Thatta with a promise for a return to Gujarat in the near future.<ref>Richards, ''The Mughals'', p. 166</ref> One of the other conditions of the peace agreement was the marriage of one of the daughters of the Jodhpur Raja with the Mughal emperor, Ajit Singh agreed Marry His Daughter to Farrukhsiyar But Instead, He Married His Daughter's Maid To The Mughal Emprepor On The Advice Of The Jat King Churaman. Ajit Singh used this marriage as a political tool, giving him enough time to forge alliances against the emperor.
In 1713, the new Mughal emperor [[Farrukhsiyar]] appointed Ajit Singh governor of [[Thatta]].  Ajit Singh refused to go to the impoverished province and Farrukhsiyar sent [[Husain Ali Braha]] to bring Ajit Singh into line, but also sent a private letter to Ajit Singh promising him blessings if he defeated Husain. Instead Ajit Singh chose to negotiate with Husain, accepting the governorship of Thatta with a promise for a return to Gujarat in the near future.<ref>Richards, ''The Mughals'', p. 166</ref> One of the other conditions of the peace agreement was the marriage of one of the daughters of the Jodhpur Raja with the Mughal emperor.


Ajit Singh later took his revenge by making an alliance with the [[Sayyid brothers]] against [[Farrukhsiyar]]. Ajit Singh and his allies, besieged Farrukhsiyar in the [[Red Fort]] and after a night-long battle entered the palace grounds, at first Qutb-Ul-Mulk tried to stop Ajit Singh from entering, upon which the enraged Ajit stabbed him to death and told his Rajput and Pathan soldiers to arrest Farrukhsiyar. The emperor was caught hiding in the harem with his mother, wives and daughters, he tried to resist but was caught and dragged to a small room in Tripoliya gate, where he was tortured and blinded with a needle. The old Mughal officials cried for mercy and Raja Jai singh of Jaipur and Nizam-Ul-Mulk of Hyderabad did send threats but none of them took any action. Rafi-Ud-Darjat was chosen from the princes and Ajit Singh and the Nawab took his hand and placed him on the peacock throne.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280772|title=William Irvine|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280772/page/n852 379]–382, 384, 388–389, 394, 408}}</ref>
This gave him the time to prepare for war against the Mughals and on 1719 he invaded Delhi and captured it, and later executed Faruksiyar with the [[Sayyid brothers]], bringing the Mughal Empire closer to its end. He also took back his daughter which was married to Farrukhsiyar who performed shuddhi ceremony and reverted to Hinduism<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rajputs, their women, & Muslim rulers – Rajesh Kochhar |url=https://rajeshkochhar.com/rajputs-their-women-muslim-rulers/ |access-date=2026-02-17 |website=rajeshkochhar.com}}</ref>. [[Rafi ud-Darajat]] was set on the throne as the new Mughal emperor.


== Final days ==
== Final days ==
Ajit Singh remained rebellious even after gaining pardon from the Mughal Emperor and the governorship of Gujarat. Two major expeditions were sent against him, once under Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan and other under Iradatmand Khan. In 1721-22 Ajit Singh led an army and captured many parganas, he captured Mughal territory as far as Narnol and Mewat, which was 16 miles from the Mughal capital. In January 1723 he attacked the Mughal Governor of Ajmer and killed him, 25 Mughal officers were beheaded after the battle and their camp and baggage was looted. In November 1723 the Emperor sent a large army to Marwar which forced Ajit to surrender Ajmer and 13 parganas which he had recently occupied. Ajit Singh sent his son Abhai Singh with gifts and money to the Mughal Capital. [[Jai Singh II]] helped Ajit to get a pardon from the emperor. [[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Abhai Singh]] while acting as an emissary noticed that his father was hated by the Mughal court and the Emperor, he also noticed that the Emperor and the Nazir were planning on annexing Jodhpur. Abhai Singh knew that his father would never personally submit to the Emperor and had delayed meeting the Emperor for a year. According to Jodhpur historians Abhai Singh felt that his father would lead to the ruin of his country and planned for his murder as "It is the Rajput practice to regard his patrimony as his mother, who is a nearer and dearer relative than the natural father". According to Jodhpur sources, the Jaipur raja had supported the assassination by securing the succession of Abhai Singh through the Mughal Emperor if the deed was done. However Persian sources indicate that it was Bakht Singh who assassinated Ajit Singh. Jadunath Sarkar believes that the Jodhpur court blamed the Jaipur raja because of their rivalry.<ref name="Jadunath Sarkar">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O0oPIo9TXKcC |title=A History of Jaipur: C. 1503–1938 |first=Jadunath |last=Sarkar |year=1994 |page=195-196|isbn=9788125003335 }}</ref>
[[File:Maharaja Ajit Singh and his son Bakht Singh.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Maharaja Ajit Singh presenting a garland to his son Bakht Singh. c.1751-1752.]]
Ajit Singh kept on aggressing Mughal territories after Farrukhsiyar was executed. The new Mughal Emperor Rafi-ud-Darajat sent two major expeditions, one under [[Hussain Ali Khan Barha|Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan]] and the other under Nawab Iradatmand Khan, against Ajit Singh. In 1721-22 Ajit Singh led an army and captured many parganas, he captured Mughal territory as far as Narnol and Mewat, which was 16 miles from the Mughal capital. In January 1723 he attacked the Mughal Governor of Ajmer and killed him, 25 Mughal officers were beheaded after the battle and their camp and baggage was looted.
 
Regarding his final days a lot of stories are there regarding Ajit Singh's death Persian sources indicate that it was his son Bakht Singh who assassinated Ajit Singh. Jadunath Sarkar believes that the Jodhpur court blamed the Jaipur raja because of their rivalry.<ref name="Jadunath Sarkar">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O0oPIo9TXKcC |title=A History of Jaipur: C. 1503–1938 |first=Jadunath |last=Sarkar |year=1994 |pages=195–196|publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=9788125003335 }}</ref>


The practice of [[sati (practice)|sati]] was common among Rajput nobility in the region: 63 women accompanied Maharaja Ajit Singh onto the funeral pyre.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sovereignty and Social Reform in India: British Colonialism and the Campaign Against Sati, 1830-1860 |first=Andrea |last=Major |publisher=Routledge |year=2010 |pages=33, 127 |isbn=978-1-13690-115-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cnleBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA33}}</ref>
The practice of [[sati (practice)|sati]] was common among Rajput nobility in the region: 63 women accompanied Maharaja Ajit Singh onto the funeral pyre.<ref>{{cite book |title=Sovereignty and Social Reform in India: British Colonialism and the Campaign Against Sati, 1830-1860 |first=Andrea |last=Major |publisher=Routledge |year=2010 |pages=33, 127 |isbn=978-1-13690-115-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cnleBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA33}}</ref>
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'''Notes'''
'''Notes'''
{{notelist}}
{{notelist}}
'''Citations'''
 
==Citations==
* {{cite book |last=Commissariat |first=M.S. |url=https://archive.org/details/bk885 |title=A History of Gujarat |publisher=Orient Longmans |year=1957 |volume=II The Mughal Period: From 1573 to 1758}}


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
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[[Category:1670s births]]
[[Category:1670s births]]
[[Category:1724 deaths]]
[[Category:1724 deaths]]
[[Category:Rulers of Marwar]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Marwar]]
[[Category:People from Lahore]]
[[Category:People from Lahore]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Gujarat]]
[[Category:17th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:18th-century Mughal Empire people]]

Latest revision as of 23:28, 17 February 2026


Ajit Singh Rathore
Chatrapati
Maharaja of Marwar
Ruler of Marwar
Tenure19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724
PredecessorMaharaja Jaswant Singh
SuccessorMaharaja Abhai Singh
Subahdar of Gujarat
Term1715–1717
EmperorFarrukhsiyar
PredecessorDaud Khan Panni
SuccessorKhan Dowran VII
Term1719–1721
EmperorRafi ud-Darajat
Shah Jahan II
Muhammad Shah
PredecessorKhan Dowran VII
SuccessorHaider Quli Khan
RegentAnup Singh
Bornc.  19 February 1679
Lahore
Died24 June 1724(1724-06-24) (aged 44–45)
Meherangarh, Jodhpur
IssueAbhai Singh
Bakht Singh
Indira Kanwar
DynastyHouse of Rathore
FatherMaharaja Jaswant Singh Rathore
MotherRani Jadav Jaskumvar
ReligionHinduism

Ajit Singh Rathore (19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Marwar, in present-day Rajasthan, and the son of Jaswant Singh Rathore. He also served as the Mughal Subahdar of Gujarat for two terms from 1715–1717 and 1719–1721.[1]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Jaswant Singh of Marwar died at Jamrud in December 1678. His two wives were pregnant but, there being no living male heir, the lands in Marwar were converted by the emperor Aurangzeb into territories of the Mughal Empire so that they could be managed as jagirs. He appointed Indra Singh Rathore, a nephew of Jaswant Singh, as ruler there.[2][lower-alpha 1] Historian John F. Richards stresses that this was intended as a bureaucratic exercise rather than an annexation.[3]

There was opposition to Aurangzeb's actions because both pregnant women gave birth to sons during the time that he was enacting his decision. In June 1679, Durgadas Rathore, a senior officer of the former ruler[citation needed], led a delegation to Shahjahanabad where they pleaded with Aurangzeb to recognise the older of these two sons, Ajit Singh, as successor to Jaswant Singh and ruler of Marwar. Aurangzeb refused, offering instead to raise Ajit and to give him the title of raja, with an appropriate noble rank, when he attained adulthood. However, the offer was conditional on Ajit being brought up as a Muslim, which was anathema to the petitioners.[3][4]

The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit
Posthumous Portrait of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar, 1762. Brooklyn Museum.

The dispute escalated when Ajit Singh's younger brother died. Aurangzeb sent a force to capture the two queens and Ajit from the Rathore mansion in Shahjahanabad but his attempt was rebuffed by Durgadas Rathore, who initially used gunfire in retaliation and eventually escaped from the city to Jodhpur along with Ajit and the two queens, who were disguised as men. Some of those accompanying the escapees detached themselves from the party and were killed as they fought to slow down the pursuing Mughals.[3]

It is believed that the Dhaa Maa (wet nurse) of infant prince Ajit Singh of Marwar, Goora Dhaa put her beloved son on the royal bed instead of Ajit Singh and put the sleeping prince Ajit into a basket and smuggled him with others out of Delhi.[5][6][need quotation to verify] Others opine a slave girl with her infant posed as Rani and remained behind to be captured.[3] Aurangzeb deigned to accept this deceit and sent the child to be raised as a Muslim in his harem. Jadunath Sarkar mentioned that Aurangzeb brought up a milkman's son in his harem as Ajit Singh.[7] The child was renamed Mohammadi Raj and the act of changing religion meant that, by custom, the imposter lost all hereditary entitlement to the lands of Marwar that he would otherwise have had if he had indeed been Ajit Singh.[3][8]

Exile[edit | edit source]

Continuing to play along with the deceit, Aurangzeb refused to negotiate with representatives of Ajit Singh, claiming that child to be the imposter.[8] He sent his son, Muhammad Akbar, to occupy Marwar. Ajit Singh's mother convinced the Rana of Mewar, Raj Singh I, who is commonly thought to be her relative, to join in fighting against the Mughals.[9] Richards says that Raj Singh's fear that Mewar would also be invaded was a major motivation for becoming involved; another historian, Satish Chandra, thinks that there were several possible alternatives, including Singh seeing an opportunity to assert Mewar's position among the Rajput principalities of the region. The combined Rathore-Sisodia forces were no match for the Mughal army, Mewar was itself attacked and the Rajputs had to retire to the hills, from where they engaged in sporadic guerrilla warfare.[3][8][lower-alpha 2]

For 20 years after this event, Marwar remained under the direct rule of a Mughal governor. During this period, Durgadas Rathore and Akheraj Singh Rajpurohit[10][11] (Rajguru of Ajit Singh) carried out a relentless struggle against the occupying forces. Trade routes that passed through the region were plundered by the guerrillas, who also looted various treasuries in present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. These disorders adversely impacted the finances of the empire.

Aurangzeb died in 1707; he was to prove the last of the great Mughals. Durgadas Rathore and Akheraj Singh Rajpurohit[12][13] took advantage of the disturbances following this death to seize Jodhpur and eventually evict the occupying mughal force.[14]

Takes charge of Marwar[edit | edit source]

Main article: Rajput Rebellion 1708-1710

After consolidating his rule over Marwar, Ajit Singh grew increasingly bold as the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah had marched south. He formed an alliance with Sawai Raja Jai Singh II of Amer and set upon capturing his ancestral lands which had been occupied by the Mughals. The Rajput kings started raiding Mughal camps and outposts, several towns and forts were captured, the biggest blow for the Mughals was however the capture of Sambhar which was an important Salt manufacturing site.[15]

In 1709 Ajit Singh made plans to conquer Ajmer and destroy the Muslim shrines and Mosques, however Jai Singh II was afraid that the destruction of Muslim shrines would lead to the wrath of the Mughal emperor after he had returned from the Deccan. Ajit Singh however ignored Jai Singh's advise and led his army towards Ajmer, ending the Rathore-Kachwaha alliance. Ajit Singh laid siege to Ajmer on 19 February, the Mughal garrison led by Shujaat Khan negotiated with Ajit Singh by offering him 45,000 rupees, 2 horses, an elephant and the holy town of Pushkar in exchange for sparing the shrine and the mosques. Ajit Singh agreed to the terms and returned to his capital.[16]

In June 1710 Bahadur Shah I marched to Ajmer with a large army and called Ajit Singh to Ajmer, he was joined by Jai Singh II. The rebellious Ajit Singh was finally pardoned and was formally accepted as the Raja of Jodhpur by the Mughal emperor.[17][18]

In 1712 Ajit Singh was given more power with his appointment as Mughal governor of Gujarat.[19]

Role in deposition of Farrukhsiyar[edit | edit source]

In 1713, the new Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar appointed Ajit Singh governor of Thatta. Ajit Singh refused to go to the impoverished province and Farrukhsiyar sent Husain Ali Braha to bring Ajit Singh into line, but also sent a private letter to Ajit Singh promising him blessings if he defeated Husain. Instead Ajit Singh chose to negotiate with Husain, accepting the governorship of Thatta with a promise for a return to Gujarat in the near future.[20] One of the other conditions of the peace agreement was the marriage of one of the daughters of the Jodhpur Raja with the Mughal emperor.

This gave him the time to prepare for war against the Mughals and on 1719 he invaded Delhi and captured it, and later executed Faruksiyar with the Sayyid brothers, bringing the Mughal Empire closer to its end. He also took back his daughter which was married to Farrukhsiyar who performed shuddhi ceremony and reverted to Hinduism[21]. Rafi ud-Darajat was set on the throne as the new Mughal emperor.

Final days[edit | edit source]

Maharaja Ajit Singh presenting a garland to his son Bakht Singh. c.1751-1752.

Ajit Singh kept on aggressing Mughal territories after Farrukhsiyar was executed. The new Mughal Emperor Rafi-ud-Darajat sent two major expeditions, one under Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan and the other under Nawab Iradatmand Khan, against Ajit Singh. In 1721-22 Ajit Singh led an army and captured many parganas, he captured Mughal territory as far as Narnol and Mewat, which was 16 miles from the Mughal capital. In January 1723 he attacked the Mughal Governor of Ajmer and killed him, 25 Mughal officers were beheaded after the battle and their camp and baggage was looted.

Regarding his final days a lot of stories are there regarding Ajit Singh's death Persian sources indicate that it was his son Bakht Singh who assassinated Ajit Singh. Jadunath Sarkar believes that the Jodhpur court blamed the Jaipur raja because of their rivalry.[22]

The practice of sati was common among Rajput nobility in the region: 63 women accompanied Maharaja Ajit Singh onto the funeral pyre.[23]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Commissariat 1957, p. 399.
  2. ↑ Bhargava, Visheshwar Sarup (1966). Marwar and the Mughal Emperors. India: Munshiram Manoharlal. pp. 121–122. ISBN 9788121504003.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire (Reprinted ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 180–181. ISBN 978-0-52156-603-2.
  4. ↑ Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 189. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
  5. ↑ Bose, Melia Belli. Royal Umbrellas of Stone: Memory, Politics, and Public Identity in Rajput Funerary Art. p. 175.
  6. ↑ Gahlot, Jagdish Singh. Rajasthan: A Socio-economic Study. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "History of Aurangzeb vol.3 : Sarkar, Jadunath". Internet Archive. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022., p334
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals. Vol. 2. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 309–310. ISBN 978-8-12411-066-9.
  9. ↑ The Mertiyo Rathores of Merta, Rajasthan. Vol. II. p. 63.
  10. ↑ Dr Prahalad Singh Rajpurohit,"Veer Kesari Singh Rajpurohit ka Jasprakash"
  11. ↑ Sevaṛa, Prahalādasiṃha (2021). Rājapurohita jāti kā itihāsa (Dvitīya saṃsodhita saṃskaraṇa ed.). Jodhapura. ISBN 978-93-90179-06-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ↑ Dr Prahalad Singh Rajpurohit,"Veer Kesari Singh Rajpurohit ka Jasprakash"
  13. ↑ Sevaṛa, Prahalādasiṃha (2021). Rājapurohita jāti kā itihāsa (Dvitīya saṃsodhita saṃskaraṇa ed.). Jodhapura. ISBN 978-93-90179-06-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ↑ N.S. Bhati, Studies in Marwar History, page 6
  15. ↑ Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37
  16. ↑ Thelen, Elizabeth M. (2018). Intersected Communities: Urban Histories of Rajasthan, c. 1500 – 1800 (PDF) (Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Pg.37-38
  17. ↑ The Cambridge History of India, Volume 3 p. 322
  18. ↑ Faruqui, Munis D. (2012). The Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719. Cambridge University Press. p. 316. ISBN 978-1-107-02217-1.
  19. ↑ Richards, The Mughal Empire, p. 262
  20. ↑ Richards, The Mughals, p. 166
  21. ↑ "Rajputs, their women, & Muslim rulers – Rajesh Kochhar". rajeshkochhar.com. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  22. ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (1994). A History of Jaipur: C. 1503–1938. Orient Blackswan. pp. 195–196. ISBN 9788125003335.
  23. ↑ Major, Andrea (2010). Sovereignty and Social Reform in India: British Colonialism and the Campaign Against Sati, 1830-1860. Routledge. pp. 33, 127. ISBN 978-1-13690-115-7.

Notes

  1. ↑ Some sources say that Indra Singh Rathore was a great-nephew of Jaswant Singh.[citation needed]
  2. ↑ The relationship of Raj Singh I to Ajit Singh's mother is disputed. Historian Satish Chandra says that, although the claim is often made, they were unrelated.[8]

Citations[edit | edit source]

  • Commissariat, M.S. (1957). A History of Gujarat. Vol. II The Mughal Period: From 1573 to 1758. Orient Longmans.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

Preceded by
Raja Rai Singh 		Maharaja of the Marwar
19 February 1679 – 24 June 1724 		Succeeded by
Raja Indra Singh
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