Notes on the attitude of The Jats towards the Mughal Empire

The Jats lived in the region around Delhi, Agra and Mathura. The Jat peasants around Mathura revolted on account of oppression by Mughal Official. They revolted in 1669 and 1688. Their revolts were crushed but there was no peace. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Jats created disturbances all around Delhi. The Jats plundered all and sundry, the rich and the poor, the Jagirdars and peasants, the Hindus and Muslims. They took active part in the intrigues at the Mughal Court and joined whichever party suited them.

The Jat State of Bharatpur was set up by Churaman (1660-1721) and Badan Singh. Churaman built a strong Fort at Thun and challenged the Mughal Authority in the region. The Mughal Army under Jai Singh II, the Governor of Agra, marched against Churaman in 1721 and captured his fort. Churaman committed suicide.

Badan Singh (1685-1756), was a nephew of Churaman. He became the leader of the Jats. He strengthened his army and built four forts of Dig, Kumber, Ver and Bharatpur. He took full advantage of the weakness of the Mughal Empire after the invasion of Nadir Shah and established his sway over the districts of Mathura and Agra and laid the foundations of the Bharatpur Kingdom. , Ahmad Shah Abdali conferred on Badan Singh the title of Raja with the additional epithet of Mahendra.

Badan Singh was succeeded by Suraj Mai who ruled from 1756 to 1763. He was an able _ Administrator, a soldier and a statesman. He extended his authority over a large area which extended from the Ganges in the East to Chambal in the South, the Province of Agra in the West and to the Province of Delhi in the North. His state included, among others, the districts of Agra, Mathura, Meerut and Aligarh.

For his political sagacity, steady intellect and clean vision, he is remembered as “The Jat Ulysses.” A contemporary historian described Suraj Mai in these words: “Through he wore the dress of a farmer and could speak only his Brij dialect; he was the Plato of the Jat Tribe. In prudence and skill, and ability to manage the revenue and civil affairs, he had no equal among the grandees of Hindustan except Asaf Jah Bahadur.”

After the death of Suraj Mai in 1763, the Jat Kingdom gradually sank into insignificance. However, Lord Lake failed to caputre Bharatpur in 1805.

Kolhapur. The Maratha Chiefs sided with one or the other contender for power. They took full advantage of the situation and increased their influence by bargaining. Many of them even intrigued with the Mughal Viceroys of the Deccan. A new system of Maratha Government was evolved under the leadership of Balaji Vishwanath who was the Peshwa of Sahu.

Balaji Vishwanath rose to power step by step. He rendered Sahu loyal and useful service in suppressing his enemies. He excelled in diplomacy and won over many Maratha Chiefs to the side of Sahu. In recognition of his services, Sahu made him his Peshwa or the Mukh Pradhan. Gradually, Balaji Vishwanath consolidated Sahu’s hold and also his own over the Maratha Chiefs and most of Maharashtra accept the region where the descendants of Raja Ram ruled. The Peshwa concentrated all power in his office. As a matter of fact, he and his son Baji Rao made the Peshwa the functional head of the Maratha Empire.

Balaji Vishwanath took full advantage of the internal conflicts of the Mughal Officials and increased the Maratha power. He induced Zulfiqar Khan to pay Chauth and Sardeshmukhi of the Deccan. He signed a pact with the Sayyid Brothers. All the territories that had earlier formed the kingdom of Shivaji, were restored to Sahu who was given the right to Chauth and Sardeshmukhi of the 6 provinces of the Deccan.

In return, Sahu recognised Mughal Suzerainty, agreed to place a body of 15,000 cavalry troops at the service of the Mughal Emperor to prevent rebellion and plundering in the Deccan and also pay an annual tribute of Rs. 10 lacs. In 1719, Balaji Vishwanath accompanied Hussain Ali to Delhi at the head of a Maratha force and helped the Sayyid Brothers in overthrowing Farrukh Siyar. While in Delhi, he and the other Maratha chiefs saw with their own eyes the weakness of the Mughal Empire and were filled with the ambition to expand the Maratha power in the North.

For the efficient collection of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi of the Deccan, Balaji Vishwanath assigned separate areas to Maratha chiefs who kept the greater part of the collection for their expenses. An increasing number ambitious Maratha Chiefs began to flock to the side of the Peshwa. The various Maratha Chiefs gradually settled down in various regions as more or less autonomous chiefs.

It is worthy of notice that the conquests of the Marathas outside their original kingdom were not made by a central army directly controlled by the Maratha King or the Peshwa but by the Maratha chiefs with their own private armies. These Maratha chiefs clashed with one another. If the’Peshwa enforced his authority strictly on them, they did not hesitate to join the Mughals, the Nizam or the English.

Balaji Vishwanath was Peshwa from 1713 to 1720. He was succeeded as Peshwa by his son Baji Rao I who ruled from 1720 to 1740. He was a bold and brilliant commander and an ambitious and clever statesman. Under his leadership, the Marathas waged numerous campaigns against the Mughal Empire to compel the Mughal officials first to give them the right to collect the Chauth of vast areas and then to cede those areas to the Maratha kingdom. He defeated the Nizam in the battle near Bhopal in 1738.

He died in 1740. By then, the Marathas had won control over Malwa, Gujarat and parts of Bundelkhand. The Maratha families of Sindhia, Holkar, Gaekwad and Bhonsle came into prominence. When Baji Rao died in 1740, he had changed the character of the Maratha state.

From the kingdom of Maharashtra, it was transformed into an Empire expanding in the North. New territories were conquered and occupied but little attention was paid to their administration. The Maratha Chiefs were concerned mainly with the collection of revenue.

After the death of Baji Rao Balaji Baji Rao became the Peshwa and he remained Peshwa from 1740 to 1761. He was as able as his father but not so energetic. When Sahu died in 1749, all management of the affairs of the state fell into the hands of the Peshwa who became the official’s head of the administration. He shifted the Government to Poona; He extended the Maratha Empire in different directions. Maratha armies overran the whole of India. Maratha control over Malwa, Gujarat and Bundelkhand was consolidated.

Bengal was repeatedly invaded and in 1751, the Nawab had to give Orissa to the Marathas. In the South, the State of Mysore and other minor principalities were forced to pay tribute. In 1760, the Nizam of Hyderabad was defeated at Udgir and was compelled to cede vast territories yielding annual revenue of Rs. 62 lacs. In the North, the Marathas became the power behind the Mughal Throne.

In 1752, the Marathas helped Imad- u!-Mulk to become the Wazir who became a puppet in their hands. From Delhi, the Marathas turned to the Punjab and brought it, under their control after expelling the agent of Ahmad Shah Abdali. This brought them into conflict with Ahmad Shah Abdali. A struggle for supremacy over Northern India started. Ahmad Shah Abdali formed an alliance with Najib-ul-Daulah of Rohilkhand and Shuja-ud-Daulah of Oudh. Both of them had suffered at the hands of the Marathas. The Peshwa despatched a powerful army to the North under the nominal command of his minor son, Viswas Rao but the actual command was in the hands of his cousin Sadashiv Rao Bhau.

The Marathas tried to find allies among the Northern Powers but their earlier behavior and political ambitions had antagonized all those powers. The Marathas had interfered in the internal affairs of the Rajput States and realised huge fines and tributes from them. They had made large territorial and monetary claims upon Oudh. Their acting in the Punjab annoyed the Sikh Chiefs.

The Jat chiefs did not trust them on account of the imposition of heavy fines. The result was that the Marathas had to fight their enemies all alone. On 14 January, 1761 was fought the third battle of Panipat in which the Marathas were defeated. Vishwas Rao, Sadashiv Rao Bhau and many other Maratha commanders died in the battlefield. About 28,000 soldiers were killed. When the Peshwa heard the news of the defeat of the Marathas, he died in June 1761.