History: 3.8.1.1

Patterns of Regional Polity:

(1550- 1750)

Lecture 1:

Rajasthan-Part I

INTRODUCTION

The Rajput polity under the Mughals

During the ninth and tenth centuries a number of Rajput clans became prominent as independent dynasties ruling over kingdoms. The Rajputs played a significant role in the history of the Mughal period. Their origins have been much debated. Recent discussions of Rajput identity are related to processes of historical change, particularly the widespread phenomenon of families from varied backgrounds rising to royal authority. Some traced themselves back to Brahmanas, presumably those who had received grants of land from existing kings. A high administrative office could also facilitate an upwardly moving status. Others could have conquered forest clans, or were descendants of clans that had constituted the chiefdoms and oligarchies in Rajasthan.During the time of the Guptas, many races from outside India came, like the Sakas and Hunas, who got assimilated into Indian life and culture. It is assumed by some that the Rajputs may have originated from one of those races. They were identified with the kshatriyasand called Rajputs because they belonged to the royal family and because they belonged toRajasthan, the land of the rajas.

During the Mughal period,they occupied the areas of present day Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaissalmer, Jaipur, Dongarpur, Pratapgarh, Kota, Bundi, etc.

When the Mughals came, the Rajput principalities began to assert a semi-independent role. First the Chauhans of Ranthambhor and the Marwar family began to dominate. But gradually these were ousted by Mewar, which became the most prominent principality of Rajasthan.It was Mewar which led the Rajput battle against the Delhi Sultans and later the Mughals.

State Formation of Rajasthan

The Rajputs who till the tenth century were mostly local feudal lords under the Gurjara-Pratihara overlords asserted themselves as independent rulers as soon as the Ghaznavid storm had blown over and took over the earlier kingdoms of their Gurjara-Pratiharas. The main Rajput kingdoms in the eleventh and twelfth century were that of the Chauhanas in northern Rajputana and Delhi, The Paramaras of Malwa, Tomaras of Gwalior and the Rathods who ruled over present day Uttar Pradesh.

[The state formation of Rajasthan principalities more or less remains the same. First we have the immigration (for ex: in Marwar) roughly about 7th or 8th century A.D. From that time onwards it continued in an unbroken line. There is reference of some documents in Pali of the villages of Marwar, which states that the Brahmins were very rich and powerful. They cultivated lands and made much money from agricultural trade. These Brahmins became the so called gurus of the Ranas. Below them were the aboriginal tribes, the Mir tribes, who at first allowed the Brahmins to do whatever they wanted. But then gradually they began to assert themselves. Over the Mirs,there were the intermediaries called the chowdharies who were the revenue collectors. When the Mirs started trouble, the chowdharies and some of the Brahmins were left. But others called the Rajputs to come in. They established the right of thakurai i.e., almost of zamindari. From then on the Rajputs state was formed. Thus, the aboriginal tribe was always there, the middle level revenue collector, and then the clan brothers and blood brothers of the royal family.]

There were persistent problems in the Rajputs states and their polity at two levels. One was between the upper tier and the lowest aboriginal tribes. The other and more important and crucial were the fratricidal troubles in the Rajput families.The Mughal period witnessed the upper tier among the Rajputs or the royal families being helped by the tribes.

It was in this sort of a situation that Mewar gradually asserted its role. Rana Kumbha of the Sisodia clan was a remarkable ruler and his reign was one of expansion and consolidation. He was great general and ruled Mewar between 1433 and 1468.The combined armies of the rulers of Malwa and Gujarat were defeated by him, and it was to commemorate this victory that he built a victory tower and palace at Chittor. Like other Rajput chiefs he was a cultured person imbued with Vaishnavism.

Rana Kumbha’s son Udai murdered him to gain the throne; he in turn was ousted by his son Rana Sanga.

Rana Sanga established his sovereignty almost over all of Rajputana. He captured the ruler of Malwa and made him a prisoner. Even when Ibrahim Lodi attacked him in 1519, Rana Sanga defeatedhim easily. He established himself as one of the most powerful rulers.

Babur Vs Rana Sanga

When Babur was at the gates of India in the Punjab,it appears from the autobiography of Babur that there had been some correspondence between Babur and Rana Sanga in which the latter had proposed that the former should attack Delhi and that he would offer assistance. But when Babur attacked Delhi Rana Sanga made no move at all to help him. Rana Sanga may have realized that Babur was not like Timur who went away after ransacking Delhi, but that he was interested in creating an empire. He therefore organized a confederacy of other Rajput states against the Mughal ruler. Interestingly one of the Lodi families also joined with 10,000 Afghan cavalry. Another Hasan Khan Mewati also joined with some cavalry. Therefore, it was an army of Rana Sanga composed of both the Rajputs and the Muslims. The dual objective was to drive out Babur and restore the Lodis to the throne of Delhi.

They had two objectives; firstly, to drive Babur out of India, secondly to place the Lodi to the throne of Delhi. The Mughals and Rajput Confederacy met each other in decisive contest at Khanwah near Fatehpur Sikri in March 1527. While the Rajputs still depended on elephants and swordsmen on the battlefield Babur had firepower and used the musket to his advantage. Babur’s well planned strategy also ensured that the Rajputs lost the battle.

The defeat of Rana Sanga cannot be described as a Hindu Muslim fight, neither can it be described as a Rajput bid for hegemony in Northern India, as Rana Sanga had Muslims and Muslim leaders in his confederacy.

In his Ain-i-Akbari Abul Fazl has mentioned that Humayun made several matrimonial alliances with the zamindars. He did not made any specific comment about Humayun marrying any Rajput princes. But Humayun probably suggested to Akbar to make matrimonial alliances with Rajputs. Thus, the conciliation of Rajputs was then left up to the Akbar.

Akbar’s matrimonial alliances are quite well known. But there are misconceptions about these alliances. It has been stated that those Rajputs who gave their daughters in marriage, gained promotions, powers, and prestige, etc. that is hardly true. The Rajputs like Sujan Rai Hada, who fought for the Mughals, did not gave their daughters in marriage. But they had gone up also in their mansabdari. But the important feature of the matrimonial alliances was that it was something new in its content. Though this kind of practice was already known even between the Muslim rulers of Gujarat and Malwa with the Rajput princesses. In 1485, the Rana of Edar (19.40) gave marriage of his daughter to one of such prince. So, it is nothing new.

But Rajput-Mughal matrimonial alliances had something new which changed the Rajput polity?

Matrimonial Policy

The new thing was that Akbar first of all did not consider such marriages as a test of loyalty. In 1564, when he was coming back from Ajmer, Raja Beharimal of Amber i.e., Jaipur complained to him that the (20.30)Mewat governor was harassing him. The principle reason was that Beharimal’s brother wanted Beharimal to be ousted, and he had joined the Mewat governor. This was the same legacy of Rajput polity that continued even during the time Akbar. Akbar suggested that Beharimal should make a personal submission to him and give his daughter in marriage to him, which he did.

As a result of this, his harassment was stopped, but there was something more. His son Bhagwandas was taken into the service of Akbar’s court. He was given a very responsible position. During the Uzbek rebellion, Bhagwandas was made in-charge of the guard of the royal ladies of the Mughal camp. He was also there in the battle of Haldi Ghat against Rana Pratap. Bhagwandas was one of the joint governors along with Abdulla Sultanpuri of Agra when Akbar left for Gujarat campaign. Therefore, there was a fundamental change between the earlier marriages and the marriage contracted by Akbar.

Now those people who had given their daughters to Akbar, they were now taken into the service. Maan Singh was one such Rajput, who was made governor of Kabul, Indus region, Bengal, and Bihar. He was also made 7000 mansabdar. He was the second person, who held such a high post after Aziz Khan Koka.

In Akbar’s matrimonial alliances particularly after the fall of Chittor, other Rajput rulers like Bikaner and Jaisalmer proposed personal submission and gave their daughters in marriage to Akbar. Akbar’s matrimonial alliances can be divided into three types. From 1572, onwards to 1576, it is seen that the Rajputs were taken into the service, but they were not fighting. The second stage is up to 1578, when Rajputs were taken into the service and they were asked to fight within Rajasthan. After 1578, the Rajputs were asked to fight outside Rajasthan on behalf of the Mughals. The reason for these fights was the rebellion in Bengal and Bihar in 1580-81 supported by the Mullas, who issued fatwa against Akbar. Akbar had practically left the orthodox Ulema. He started his Majar and Din-e-Elahi. The Ulema’s were very unhappy and they called his half-brother Mirza Hakim from Kabul and he arrived in Punjab. Akbar therefore could not rely on Irani and the Turani captains and rather brought the Rajputs into the fight. They did fight and suppressed the rebellion. Therefore, there is a difference what we see between Akbar’s matrimonial alliances with other such alliances made earlier.

We can see Akbar’s claim to sovereignty even over the Rajput, in relation to Mewar. Rana Pratap had descended the throne in 1572. Akbar was busy elsewhere, but eventually sent three envoys including Maan Singh to Chittor for personal submission of Rana Pratap, which was the principle issue. It may be noted that Maan Singh was not insulted by Rana Pratap.