¤ Jodhpur Reclaimed From the Mughals

Ultimately Ajit Singh proved to be an even greater ruler than his father and was one of the most distinguished princes to grace the throne of Jodhpur। He inherited his father’s hatred for the very word Muslim but that was natural for someone who was born amidst the snows of Kabul and deprived at birth of his parents. He also inherited his father’s valour, which he first displayed at the early age of 11 when he visited his enemy’s capital displaying the courtesy which only a Rajput can. He along with Jai Singh of Jaipur and Amar Singh of Mewar were instrumental in throwing out the Mughals from Jodhpur as well as Amber. His hatred of the Mughals was further fuelled when he was forced to give one his daughters to the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyyar in marriage. However he gained the viceroyalty of Gujarat as a result, and was also instrumental in getting the hated jaziya repealed for which the Hindus owed him an eternal debt. He then entered into an agreement with the Sayyid brothers at the Mughal court to get rid of the emperor Farrukhsiyyar, which they did successfully in 1719. and it speaks volumes for the degeneration of the Mughals after Aurangzeb, that none among them came forward to rescue their emperor. Farrukhsiyyar remains the only Mughal king ever to be assassinated. In turn the Sayyid brothers were killed themselves, as court intrigues held full sway at the imperial court with the Mughals becoming increasingly corrupt and debauched. Ajit, aware of the vice-ridden Mughal court, was determined himself to capture Ajmer from them and did so by slaying the king’s governor. He ascended the throne of Ajmer and where the Koran was read, the Puran (a set of 18 books containing Hindu legends) was now heard. Ajit issued coins in his own name, established his own weights and measures and his own courts of justice. The reputation of Ajit spread far and wide, even to distant Persia and Mecca that he had exalted his own faith. The rites of The Koran were prohibited throughout the land of Marwar.

¤ Father Assassinated by Son

Eventually the great Ajit’s life ended with a crime most foul – he was murdered by his own son Abhay Singh, who was anointed king by the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah himself। With Ajit’s demise passed away the golden period of Jodhpur’s history, and the next century as we shall see was full of trials and tribulations. Abhay Singh had very little time for festivities, soon he involved himself with the consolidation of his fiefdom. He bestowed the principality of Nagaur on his brother Bukhta and then installed his officers in Ajmer of which he was the viceroy. However, Nagaur was too limited a field for someone of Bukhta’s talents, and with Abhay becoming an opium addict towards his latter years, he felt increasingly insecure by his brother’s influence. The sibling rivalry reached its head when Abhay refused to help Bukhta when he attacked the kingdom of Amber. It says something for the Rajput character that they failed to unite even when they had the chance of overthrowing the Mughals, their internecine battles cost them the Delhi Durbar (court).This was the time of Muhammad Shah’s reign, who because of his addiction to wine and women was given the epithet Rangila (colourful). Nadir Shah the Persian sacked Delhi in 1739, looted its treasures and decamped with among other things the peacock throne of Shah Jahan. Unfortunately for Rajputana, the demoralisation of their princes did not enable them to take advantage of the profligacy of the Mughals. Perhaps it was the murder of Ajit Singh which serves to illustrate the great moral truth- that in every stage of civilisation crime will work out its own punishment. Ram Singh, son of Abhay succeeded the throne of Jodhpur but his uncle Bukhta did not attend his coronation. Ram Singh had inherited the same impetuous temper as his predecessors and it was inevitable that he and Bukhta would soon be at loggerheads. The battle between the two was bloody leading to the annihilation of Ram Singh’s army, forcing the Jodhpur ruler to flee. Bukhta anointed himself ruler of the desert city, and with the support of other clans of Marwar, he felt secure against the machinations of his nephew.

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