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Raja Man
Singh. The European historians like V.A. Smith and H. Blochman
affirm that Man Singh was the adopted son of Raja Bhagwan Das.
It has now been conclusively proved on the basis of all the
relevant sources – Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, numismatic and
epigraphic – that Man Singh was the eldest son of Raja
Bhagwant Das and grandson of Raja Bharamal of Amber.
Early life of Raja Man Singh
Raja Man Singh was born on Sunday, Paus Budi 13 V.S. 1607 i.e.
21st December, 1550 A.D. His mother’s name was Rani Bhagwati
Pawar, the chief wife of Raja Bhagwant Das. On the birth of
Kunwar Man, the astrologers sounded an ominous note that the
newly born baby was likely to fall in trouble on account of
the influence of some evil stars. They further advised the
Raja that in order to ward off the danger, special
arrangements for the Kunwar’s stay should be made at a place
away from Amber for a period of twelve years. Thereupon Raja
Bharamal got a palace built for Man Singh at Muzzamabad which
lay forty miles south of Amber. Kunwar Man lived in the new
palace at Muazzamabad for a period of twelve years under the
guardianship of his mother. In 1562 Kunwar Man returned to
Amber and his arrival coincided with the marriage of the
daughter of Raja Bharamal with Akbar.
Kunwar Man Singh in Mughal Imperial Service
Kunwar Man Singh entered the Mughal Imperial Service in 1562
at an early age of twelve. He received military training under
the guidance of Emperor Akbar and became well – versed in
Mughal technique of warfare. Kunwar Man Singh along with his
father Bhagwant Das took prominent part in the siege and
conquest of Ranthambore by Akbar early in 1569 A.D. Both Man
Singh and Raja Bhagwant Das rendered commendable help to Akbar
in the battle of Samal (December, 1572) which was fought
against Mirza Muhammad Hakim of Kabul and also in the conquest
of Surat (26th February 1573 A.D.). Kunwar Man Singh along
with other Mughal generals like Shah Quit Khan, Mahram Murat
Khan conquered and looted the territories of Dungarpur (74
miles from Ahmedabad) in April, 1573. When Akbar started for
the Eastern Provinces in order to suppress the rebellion of
Daud Khan in the closing months of 1574 the took with him a
galaxy of trusted generals of whom Abul Fazi has named
nineteen and amongst them the names of Raja Bhagwant Das and
Kunwar Man Singh occupy the first and the second place. Thus,
the father and the son played an important part in suppressing
the turbulent Afghans as a result of which Daud Khan had to
flee towards Bengal.
Kunwar Man Singh versus Maharana Pratap
Up till now Kunwar Man Singh played a subordinate role in the
cross of imperial politics and therefore, he did not attract
the special attention of contemporary Muslim historians. It
was in the battle of Haldighati that Kunwar Man Singh was
entrusted with an important assignment which at once brought
him into prominence. It was in the battle that Man Singh got
an opportunity to show his wonderful organizing capacity and
military genius. Thus, the battle of Haldighati may be
considered as a turning point in the career of Kunwar Man
Singh – The battle of Haldighati was fought between the Mughal
army under the command of Kunwar Man Singh one on side and the
Rajputs of Mewar headed by Maharana Pratap on the other.
Causes of the battle of Haldighati
As regards the causes of the battle of Haldighati, different
writers have advanced different reasons. Abul Fazi observers;
“As the disobedience and the presumption of the Rana, as well
as his deceit and dissimulation had exceeded all bounds. His
majesty addressed himself to his overthrow”. Colonel Tod in
his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan narrates an incident
which according to a few may be used to be immediate cause of
the war. This incident is based on Rajput tradition. According
to in Kunwar Man Singh visited Udaipur on his way back from
Gujarat in the middle of 1573 because courtesy demanded that
he should pay his respects to Maharana Pratap who was the
doyen of the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan while passing through
his territories. Though he was warmly received but curtly
treated on the bank of Udaisagar lake. This very much offended
the vanity of Kunwar Man Singh and he took a vow to revenge
this insult. The Udaisagar, incident might have been a
contributory cause of the battle but the real causes were
something else. Emperor Akbar was successful in winning over a
large number of Rajput states by his policy of matrimony and
friendship and this unavailing, even by extending (hearts and
coercion – But neither of these policies could bring Rana
Pratap to the fold of the Mughal Emperor. Akbar was a shrewd
politician and he knew very well that unless Maharana Pratap
was persuaded or coerced to submit, his policy of fraternizing
with the Rajputs and making them a bulwark of the growing
Mughal Empire was doomed to failure. But Maharana was made of
a different stuff. He was prepared to sacrifice his life at
the alter of Rajput freedom but was not ready to accept the
over lordship of the Mughals. The loss of Chittor was still
fresh in his memory and he was not in the least inclined to
come to terms with the imperialists who had deprived him of
his dear motherland. Besides, the Maharana was a proud
orthodox Rajput chief who hated the Mughal Emperor very
bitterly because the latter had polluted the Rajput blood by
contacting matrimonial alliance with them. Thus, the Maharana
stood like a stumbling block to the Emperor’s scheme of
annexing the whole of Rajasthan to his Empire. Thus, a clash
between the two was inevitable because they were poles asunder
in championing their respective causes. The fight between the
two lay in “the logic of history”.
Man Singh as the Chief Commander of the Mughal Army
One of the main reasons for the appointment of Kunwar Man
Singh as the Chief Commander of the Mughal army sent against
Maharana Pratap was his personal qualities – wisdom, courage,
resourcefulness, able generalship and wonderful organizing
capacity. Besides, Akbar, who was a shrewd observer of human
nature, knew it very well that the Kachhwaha army, famous for
its gallantry and bravery, would strive its utmost to se their
Kunwar victorious even against Maharana Pratap who was the
most respected ruler of Rajputana – Besides, Akbar knew it
very well that the Mughal army was going to face a Rajput
ruler who was far different from all others whom it had met so
far since the Maharana was regarded at the hero and pride of
the Rajput community of Rajasthan. The Mughal Emperor rightly
thought that if a Muslim was put in charge of the invading
army, the Kachhwahas might not cooperate in defeating the
essence of the human nature, Akbar new that as cordial
relation develop sooner and more readily between men of the
same race and faith, so also brother is most bitter against
brother on the field of battle. Hence Kunwar Man Singh was
appointed as the chief commander of the Mughal army “to wield
the sword of Islam.” Further, by appointing Man Singh as the
leader of the Imperialist army, Akbar wanted to tease the
Sisodia Chief who was esteemed as the flower of Rajput
chivalry.
Battle of Haldighati (18 June, 1576 AD)
The Imperial army led by Kunwar Man Singh marched from Ajmer
towards Gogunda on April 3,1576. On his way the Kunwar
encamped at Mandalgarh (75 miles south of Ajmer and 25 miles
north of Chittor) for about two months in order that all the
Mughal generals might join him there. Kunwar Man Singh marched
from Mandalgarh to Gogunda in early June, 1576. Gogunda was
very close to Haldighati and was about 16 miles north – west
of Udaipur. The Haldighati was so called because of the yellow
colour of its soil – Haldighati was at the base of the neck of
a mountain - which shut up the valley and rendered it almost
inaccessible. By April, 1576, Maharana Pratap along with his
army moved to Khamnaur, a village situated at the entrance to
the pass of Haldighati. Kunwar Man Singh had with his 5000
troops whereas Maharana Pratap had not more than 3000. On the.
18th June, 1576 the two armies met in the village of Khamnaur
which was at the mouth of Haldighati. The battle of Haldighati
was indeed a very fierce battle in which hundreds of men on
both sides were killed; However, the battle ended in victory
of the Imperialists. The Maharana left the battle – field in
sheer disgust. The Imperialists did not pursue their enemies
under the orders of Kunwar Man Singh. The reason for this was
that the main object of this war had been realized. The
Kunwar’s chief aim was to humble the Rana by infecting a
crushing defeat on him but he never wished to harass or
torture him since the Rana still occupied a position of
respect not only in his own eyes but also in the eyes of the
Kachhwaha Rajputs. This accounts for the fact that immediately
after the cessation of the war the Kunwar forbade the Mughal
army to pursue the Maharana’s soldiers which might embarrass
them. The Kunwar had to incur the displeasure of the Emperor
for sometime on account of adopting this non – harassing
policy but Man Singh bore the displeasure of the Emperor
patiently and never repented what he had done. However, the
displeasure of the Emperor was short – lived and the Kunwar
was soon admitted into his favour. Kunwar Man Singh was next
ordered by the Emperor to suppress the rebellion of
Khhichiwara (It is situated to the south of the state of
Kota). The Kunwar proceeded from Amber in that direction with
a strong contingent. On the way he suppressed and subdued the
recalcitrant chiefs who dared to oppose him. Having
established order in that region he set up military outposts
there in order to safeguard the interests of the Mughal
Empire. Next Man Singh marched towards Malwa and conquered the
principality of Oond on the way. The Kunwar established an
efficient administration in Malwa and stamped out all
disaffection in that region. Emperor Akbar was much pleased at
this achievement of Man Singh. He was pleased to confer the
mansab of 3500 on the Kunwar and he was transferred to Kabul
region. Thereafter the field of activities of man Singh and
his Father shifted from Mewar to extreme north and north –
west of India i.e. Punjab, Peshawar and Kabul.
The Role of Man Singh in the Punjab and North – West
Frontier
The deputation of Man Singh to the Punjab and north – west
frontier regions of India was another milestone on the road to
his success. The Mughal suzerainty in that region was very
shaky and the situation demanded the presence of a man of
sterling qualities and great abilities. These considerations
weighed with the Emperor in transferring Kunwar Man Singh to
the Punjab. Man Singh came to the Punjab along with his father
Raja Bhagwant Singh in April, 1578. For nearly two years (i.e.
up to 1580 A.D.) Kunwar Man Singh remained engaged in bringing
Kashmir under Mughal suzerainty and in chastising Sulaiman
Mirza who was a friend of Muhammad Hakim, ruler of Kabul and a
great enemy of Akbar. During these two years Man Singh
remained in the Punjab with his headquarters at Sialkot, the
then capital of the Punjab. In Janurary, 1580 Man Singh was
entrusted with the administration of the North – Western
Frontier Provinces. He was also given charge of the
administration of the neighboring regions of the river Indus.
Kunwar Man Singh discharged his responsibilities quite
satisfactorily. In December, 1580 her inflicted a crushing
defeat on Shadman, an Afghan leader and a great friend of
Mirza Muhammad Hakim, ruler of Kabul. Shadman was killed in
the encounter. The defeat and death of Shadman provoked the
attack of Mirza Muhammad Hakim on the Punjab. When this news
reached Emperor Akbar, the latter ordered Man Singh not to
oppose the Mirza openly and to put off a direct engagement
with his since Emperor himself wanted to measure his strength
with his half brother. Consequently Kunwar Man Singh avoided a
direct engagement with the Kabul forces. However, Mirza
Muhammad Hakim was defeated in the middle of 1581 and he fled
towards northern Kabul, Kabul now lay at the feet of Akbar.
Kunwar Man Singh remained in charge of the Indus region till
July, 1585. In the meantime Mirza Muhammad Hakim, ruler of
Kabul died on 30th July, 1585. Kunwar Man Singh was ordered by
the Emperor to proceed at once to Kabul and to bring the
people of that country to the allegiance of the Mughal
Emperor. As per direction Kumwar Man Singh crossed the Indus
and reached Peshawar. The Afghans of that region submitted
without any trouble. He also brought Kabul under his control
Thus, Kunwar Man Singh succeeded in extending Mughal
suzerainty over Kabul also. Emperor Akbar was highly pleased
with the glorious deeds of Man Singh in Kabul and he suitably
rewarded him for this. He was appointed the governor of Kabul
and was also entrusted with the task of suppressing and
punishing the Raushanias, an afghan tribe of the frontier
regions. These Raushanias were the formidable Afghans who
often committed highway robberies on the Khyber Pass and thus
made the life of the travelers unsafe. This assignment, of Man
Singh was indeed difficult but he acquitted himself well in
carrying out the trying task entrusted to him.
Death of Raja Bhagwant Das and the Accession of Man Singh as
the Ruler of Amber
But before Kuar Man Singh could settle himself in Bihar, a
great calamity befell him. His father Raja Bhagwant Das
breathed his last in Lahore on the 13th November, 1589 A.D.
The Kunwar became ‘Raja’ Man Singh after his succession on
14th February, 1590. The coronation ceremony was held at Amber
with great pomp and splendour. Abdul – Fazi writes that the
“Kunwar received the title of Raja” and the mansab of 5000
from Akbar. After the coronation was over Raja Man Singh came
to Bihar and engaged himself in establishing a firm and stable
administration in the Subah. First of all he led and
expedition against Raja Puranmal of Gidhaur. The latter dared
not fight with the Kachhwaha chief and surrendered without any
fight. He also presented several elephants and other precious
articles. He also gave his daughter in marriage to Chandrabhan,
a brother of Man Singh. Next he proceeded against Anant Chero
of the Gaya District in the province of Bihar and brought him
under control. Man Singh also subdued the Sayyids of
Sambhurpuri of Gaya district in Bihar. The Raja also founded a
new city on the other side of Phalguni in Gaya town and named
it ‘Man Pur’ “the abode of Raja Man”. Raja Man Singh next
crushed the opposition of Raja Gajapat of Hajipur and forced
him to relinquish the chieftainship. While Raja Man Singh was
away suppressing the recalcitrant zamindars of South Bihar,
Kumwar Jagat Singh, the eldest son of the Raja, successfully
defended the northern Bihar from the onslaughts of two
powerful Bengal rebels – Sultan Quli Qalmaq and Kachewa. The
rebels lost their heart and fled away leaving behind much
booty.
Raja Man Singh as the Governor of Bengal
On the 4th day of May, 1594 Raja Man Singh left for Bengal to
join his post as the governor of the province. The political
condition of Bengal on the eve of his joining the post as the
governor of the province was hopelessly deplorable. The Mughal
suzerainty was seriously threatened on account of the
conspiracies and depredation of the Afghans who had spread
themselves throughout the nook and corner of Bengal. The
Afghans were greatly discontented on account of their
territories being expropriated by the Imperialists in the wake
of Mughal expansion. The recalcitrant zamindars of Bengal were
a further source of trouble to the Mughal – governor. Those
who did not submit to the Mughal rule in other provinces also
came to Bengal and swelled the ranks of the malcontents and
the recalcitrant. Raja Man Singh was not in the least
perturbed by the hopeless state of affairs in Bengal. On the
contrary he proceeded boldly to set the province in order. He
was quite convinced that his greatest enemies were the Afghans
and their suppression was essential for the establishment of a
stable government in Bengal. Tandah, the then capital of
Bengal did not afford a convenient base for military
operations against Afghan rebels. Besides, it has become
unhealthy because of the fact that the river Ganges had moved
away from the city. Moreover, the city had lost its former
glamour on account of an epidemic-which visited Tandah in 1575
and decimated its population. Raja Man Singh instead chose
Rajmahal, which was situated on the bank of the river Gangaes
and provided suitable base for military operations against the
Afghans. Hence the seat of government was removed from Tandah
to Rajmahal in November, 1595 and its name was changed to
Akbarnagar. He built a palace for himself and also erected a
strong rampart, strengthened with bastions, which encircled
the city. He opened a mint and silver, copper and gold coins
were issued from this place.
In December, 1595 he led and expedition against Isa Khan, the
most prominent landlord of Dacca. The Afghans were overawed by
the superior strength of the Mughal army. He built a fort
there, named Salimnagar. In 1596 Raja Man Singh brought the
state of Cooch Bihar under the sphere of Mughal influence. The
throne of Cooch Bihar was hotly contested by a rival claimant
named Pat Kunwar who entered into an alliance with Isa for
wresting the throne from Lakshmi Narayan, the dejure ruler of
the state. The Raja decided to acknowledge the formal
supremacy of Emperor Akbar in order to enlist his armed
support against the formidable Pat Kunwar – Afghan
combination. Raja Lakshmi Narayan offered formal submission to
the Mughal Emperor and this was accepted by Bengal Governor
with grace. The alliance was further cemented by a matrimonial
alliance. Raja Man Married Barbhavati, sister of Raja Lakshmi
Narayan. In May 1597, Pat Kunwar was defeated with great loss
of men and material. The extension of Mughal influence over
cooch Bihar offered a convenient base for strengthening the
imperial authority over eastern Bengal. In the meantime, Isa
Khan, the powerful Afghan leader of eastern Bengal, joined his
forces with Pat Kunwar and inflicted crushing defeat on the
imperialists in September, 1597 in the vicinity of Katrabu
(Dacca) in which one of the sons of Man Singh, Durjan Singh,
lost his life. But soon Isa Khan surrendered to Raja Man Singh
and thus Cooch Raja was saved from the peril of the attack of
Cooch – Afghan allies. Isa Khan died in September, 1599. The
death of Isa Khan very much weakened the Afghan cause in
Bengal and Man Singh heaved a sigh of relief at the
disappearance of this Afghan menace.
Death of Jagat Singh in October 1599
Soon Raja Man Singh had to face a great calamity in his life.
His eldest son, Jagat Singh, died of excessive drinking in
October, 1599. It was a severe blow to the Kachhawaha Raja.
Jagat was the eldest and the most obedient of all the sons of
Raja Man Singh. Rani Kanakawati constructed a beautiful marble
temple in memory other son in the western comer of Amber. It
is one of the most imposing buildings of Amber.
Afghan rebellion (1600 AD)
Raja Man Singh was thoroughly disgusted with his life in
Bengal. He went to Ajmer for rest and relaxation. He left the
administration of Bengal in charge of his grad son, Maha Singh
(son of Jagat Singh). Soon after Raja Man Singh left Bengal,
the Afghans under Usman Khan rose in rebellion in April, 1600
A.D. Maha Singh tried to suppress the rebellion but he failed.
Raja Man Singh was forced to come to Bengal in order to
retrieve the lost prestige of the Imperialists. He indicated a
crushing defeat upon the Afghans in February, 1601 in Sherpur
Atai (Murshidabad district). In the same year (1601), Kedar
Rai, the zamidar of Shripur (South Dacca) rose in rebellion
but his rebellion was ruthlessly crushed by Raja Man Singh.
The Kachhwaha Raja also curbed the powers of JaIal Khan,
another Afghan rebel. Traditions in Bengal affirm that
Pratapaditya, the powerful ruler of Jessore, was also defeated
by Raja Man Singh. Usman Khan, Daud Khan and other Afghan
rebels rose in rebellion but they were suppressed. The
zamindar of Magh (Arakanese of Burmese) country also raised
his head in rebellion but his rebellion was crushed. By 1604
Man Singh was able to crush the Afghan trouble in Bengal and
their dream of establishing an Afghan suzerainty in Bengal was
completely foiled.
Raja Man Singh was Rewarded
In August, 1605 Raja Man Singh was called to the Imperial
Court at Agra. The Emperor was highly pleased with his
glorious deeds in Bengal. The work and worth and worth of the
Kachhwaha chief was recognized and many favors were showered
upon him. He was awarded a mansab of 7000 zat and 6000 Sawar,
an honour which was till now reserved for the princes of royal
blood. The advent of Raja Man Singh to the Imperial Court at
Agra in August, 1605 marks the culminating point in his long
and successful career. He was at the height of his power and
glory. After being raised to the Sapthazari mansab he became
at one the most dominant and powerful grandee of the Imperial
Court and was an outstanding commander of the Mughal Empire.
By 1605, Raja Man Singh had become one of the most powerful
grandees of the Mughal Empire. It was natural that he would
like to perpetuate his power even after the death of Akbar.
This was possible only when he was successful in placing his
nephew Khusrau on the imperial throne by excluding Jahangir.
He was also well aware of Akbar’s feelings of deep disgust and
antipathy towards his eldest son, Salim. With a view of
keeping Salim away from Agra so that he might get a free field
to weave a conspiracy to get Kusrau declared as the successor
of emperor Akbar, he had successfully persuaded the Emperor to
appoint the rebel prince as the Governor of Bengal but his
whole plan met with a sad failure when Salim refused to stir
out of Allahabad towards Bengal. Raja Man Singh was not alone
in his designs against Salim. He was actively helped by Khan –
I – Azam, the father – in – law of Khusrau and a powerful
grandee of the Mughal Court, in his maneuvering to secure the
Mughal throne for Khusrau. On the 22nd of September, 1605
Akbar was attacked with diarrhea which ultimately resulted in
his death. The two conspirators now, which ultimately resulted
in his death, now began to weave the plot round the death,
Raja Man Singh and Khan – I – Azam tried to bring the Emperor
under their complete control and with this end in view wanted
to remove him from the Imperial palace at Agra to the other
side of river Jamuna. When they failed in this attempt, they
next attempted to get Khusrau adopted and declared as Emperor
by the ailing monarch but here also they failed to convince
the Emperor and this scheme failed. The Kachhwaha Raja refused
to be daunted by this failure and he, in collusion with Khan –
I – Azam, took the next logical step of capturing are
arresting Salim. Their main object in doing so was to remove
the chief hurdle in the way of Khusrau’s accession to the
throne. However, Salim successfully eluded the snare of Raja
Man Singh and thereby foiled his plan of seizing him (Salim).
It must have partly shattered the Raja’s dream of capturing
the Imperial throne for his nephew Khusrau, However, Raja Man
Singh knew no defeat. He was still hopeful of realizing his
aim. He adopted the only course left open to him viz, to
enlist the support of the powerful nobles of the Mughal Court.
With this end in view. Raja Man Singh convened a meeting of
the important nobles of the court in one of the halls of Agra
fort. He appealed to the powerful nobles to recognize Khusrau
as the future emperor of country. He also pointed out to them
that Emperor Akbar desired that Sultan Khusrau should succeed
him. But the nobler did not approve of it. They argued that
the very idea of placing prince Khusrau on the Mughal throne
during the lifetime of his father was not only preposterous
but it was against all the canons and customs of the Chagtais.
After expressing their reactions the nobles led by Sayyid Khan
Barha left the hall and thus here also the Kachhwaha Raja
failed miserably in carrying out his schemes. Still the Raja
did not loss heart completely. He made the last desperate move
of seizing the Mughal treasure lying in one of the corners of
fort. If he succeeded in capturing the large quantity of gold
and jewellery lying in the treasury vaults, he could bribe and
purchase the Mughal nobles and raise a powerful army to
install Khusrau on the throne of the Mughals. But here also he
was outwitted by Barha Sayyids, supporters of prince Salim,
who had taken earlier steps to secure control over the
Imperial treasury. Thus, here also the Raja’s diplomacy
failed. The only course left now to the Kachhwaha chief was
resorting to sword for deciding the issue. Raja Man Singh had
a faithful army at his command which he could have utilized
for installing Khusrau on the Imperial throne. But Raja Man
Singh had become so broken hearted on account of the failure
of all his plans that he did not wish to seek a solution in
the whirlpool of blood. Hence, being thoroughly disgusted Raja
Man Singh decided to proceed to Bengal along with prince
Khusrau. Consequently Salim was declared as the Emperor of the
Mughal Empire and it was approved by the dying monarch Akbar
also.
Death of Akbar
Akbar died on the 15th of October, 1605 and in his death Raja
Man Singh lost one of his greatest admirers and supporters.
Akbar loved the Raja dearly and had conferred on him the title
of ‘Farzand’ (son). The Emperor entrusted the most responsible
and difficult work to the Raja which the latter carried out
unhesitatingly. Raja Man Singh also served the master well, as
a result of which he was elevated to the highest rank in the
state. Thus, Raja Man enjoyed a very distinguished position in
the court of Akbar. The death of Akbar marked the close of one
period in the career of Raja Man Singh and the beginning of
another. Uptill now the Kachhawaha Raja was the foremost noble
in the Mughal Court, enjoyed the utmost confidence of the
Emperor, but after the death of Akbar he was gradually but
steadily pushed to the background. Jahangir, the new Emperor,
had no faith in him, he closely watched his movements and
looked into his activated with suspicion. The new regime
therefore did not augur well for Raja Man Singh.
Raja Man Singh and Emperor Jahangir
After his accession to the throne, Emperor Jahangir declared a
general amnesty. Thousands of prisoners were set at liberty.
This generous treatment was also extended to Raja Man Singh.
His governorship of the Subah of Bengal was renewed and he was
directed to resume his charge at the earliest. It looks rather
strange that Jahangir did not take drastic steps against Raja
Man Singh who had left no stone unturned to oust him from the
Mughal throne. But the reasons are quit obvious. Raja Man was
the most outstanding personality of the Mughal Court. He was
at the head of strong Kachhwaha cavalry which was famous for
its gallantry and chivalry. Besides Jahangir had not as yet
established himself firmly on the Mughal throne and it would
have been inexpedient and unwise to remove and humiliated a
powerful noble like Raja Man Singh. Moreover, the Raja had
rendered immense services to the Mughal Empire and he was
popular amongst the rank and file of the Mughal army. Had
Jahangir come anything to harm the Raja, the latter would have
openly backed up the cause of Khusrau and drawn the country
into vortex of civil war. There was another reason for
adopting a liberal attitude towards Raja Man Singh. But Raja
Man Singh was not allowed to remain in Bengal for a long time.
He was recalled from Bengal in June, 1606 and was allowed to
proceed to Rohtas where he remained till the end of the year.
In 1607 Raja Man was asked to vacate Rohtas Fort and was
ordered to proceed to the South. Before going to the South
Raja Man Singh visited his home state – Amber in 1607. The
Raja utilized his stay at Amber in putting his house in order.
He made fresh allotment to jagirs to his followers who had
lost their own at Rohtas. He tightened the administration and
consolidated the affairs of the State. This visit of the
Kachhwaha Raja is significant because this was his last
homecoming before he died a few years later in the south. Raja
Man Singh remained in Amber for nearly three years and he went
to the Deccan in July, 1609. The Kachhwaha Raja did not
achieve any glorious success in the southern campaigns. He met
the same fate as other Mughal generals were destined to. The
reasons are not far to seek. The Raja was not longer a
distinguished commander of the Mughal Emperor as he had been
during the reign of Akbar. He was not given independent
command in the south and hence he had no opportunity to show
his initiative and drive in this comaign. Moreover, there was
no unity of command amongst the Mughal generals in the south
and as such they often quarreled with one another. Thus, Raja
Man Singh played a secondary role in the Mughal expedition to
the South though he remained in the Deccan for over five years
until his death. He died a natural death on 6th July, 1614 at
Elichpur in the south after short illness. After his death
Raja Bhao Singh ascended the throne of Amber.
Religious Temperament
Raja Man Singh belonged to an age which was marked by new
experiment in the domain of religion. Akbar had evolved Din –
I - Ilahi known as “Diving Faith” which was a bold attempt
since he wanted thereby to establish throughout his empire one
universal religion. Akbar naturally wanted that a trusted
officer like Man Singh should adopt the religion of his
master. But the Raja was made of a different stuff. He was the
most obedient servant of his master in matters political but
he was not prepared to budge an inch from his conviction in
religious matters. Therefore, there attempts of the Emperor to
bring Raja Man Singh to the fold Din – I – Ilahi did not
succeed. Raja Man Singh was intently religious and liberal in
his outlook. He was extremely devoted to Hindu gods and
goddesses. This is amply proved by the fact that he built a
large number of temples in Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal and other
parts of India. Though he was a believer in orthodox Hinduism
and in the later part of his life he was partly influenced by
Bengal school of Vaishnavism, his sepulcher in the royal
cemetery at Amber is indicative of his cosmopolitan outlook on
religion. Within the cenotaph all gods and goddesses of Hindu
mythology besides Lord Budhha and Lord Mahavira are painted.
Estimate of Raja Man Singh
Raja Man Singh was a distinguished noble in the court of Akbar
and rendered highly valuable service for the consolidation of
the Mughal imperial authority. He was one of the main pillars
on which rested the edifice of the Mughal State. The
contributions of the Kachhwaha Raja were fully appreciated by
Akbar and the latter conferred on him the titles of Tarzand
(son) and ‘Mirza Raja’. The Emperor was not satisfied with
conferring such titles alone but he rightly thought that the
services of Raja Man Singh were of supreme importance.
Therefore, as it has already been pointed out. Emperor Akbar
boldly took a step which no other Muslim king had done so far.
Raja Man Singh was raised to 7000 mansab which was an honor
reserved for the princes of the blood – royal. The Raja on his
part fully justified the confidence reposed in him. He served
the Emperor loyally, sincerely and honestly. Raja Man Singh
was a brave warrior and a successful general. He was at his
best in the field of battle. He was the hero of the battle of
Haldighati which at once gave him recognition as one of the
foremost commanders of the Mughal Empire. Raja Man Singh
proved a dauntless warrior and an able administrator while he
was in the north – west frontier region of India from 1578 to
1585. He was successful in keeping the turbulent Raushanias
and the Tarikis of that region under check for the time being
and made them feel the weight of Mughal authority. The Raja
may be rightly credited for bringing Kabul under (he hegemony
of the Mughals and thus extending the frontier of the Empire
upto Afghanistan. He established peace and order in that far
off land and successfully administered the country for over
two years (August, 1585 to December, 1587). Raja Man Singh’s
work in Bihar has been rightly summed up by Abul Fazi who
observes, “when the Raja was sent from the Court to the
province of Bihar, he united ability with courage and genius
with strenuous action. By His Majesty’s” fortune he
administered the province excellently”. The Kachhawaha Raja
brought the Afghans of the eastern provinces under the Mughal
subjection and this he accomplished with great credit.
Further, the Raja added the province of Orissa to the Mughal
Empire. Raja Man Singh successfully administered the province
of Bengal for more than a decade. When he came to Bengal in
1594 as its governor, he found the province seriously
threatened by the Afghan menace. He ruthlessly stamped out the
rebellion and dashed to pieces the Afghan dream of
establishing their own supremacy over Bengal. He also founded
a new capital for Bengal named Akbarnagar which later on came
to be called Rajmahal.
Raja Man Singh was a great patron of learning. He distributed
large sums of money by way of rewards and gifts to the
renowned poets of his time. He was intimately connected with
the noted poets of Akbar’s darbar e.g. Dursajee, Holrai,
Brahmabhatt, Gang and other. He was also a great friend of
Sant Tuisi Das. He gave huge amount of money to poet Harnath
who composed poem in his honour. His chief bard, Hata Barahut,
had in his possession one hundred elephant and a large number
of retinue. Raja Man Singh was himself a man of letters. He
was well versed in Persian, Sanskrit, Rajasthani and Hindi. He
was held in high esteem for his learning by both Hindus and
Muslims. Raja man had a great regard for Sanskrit and even in
that period when Persian was a court language Raja Man got his
inscription inscribed both in Persian and Sanskrit and The
Stone Pillar Inscription of Amber, the Sanskrit Inscriptions
of Rohtas Fort and Govind Deva temple at Brindaban are
indicative of his love for Sanskrit language. Raja Man Singh
also contributed to the evolution of Hindustani prose for
issuing several orders which were in Persian and Hindustani.
For example, his Madadmash grant to Mamu bhanza mausoleum (Hazipur
in Bihar in illustrative of this fact. He possessed an
extremely generous temperament and witty nature. There were
many instances of Raja’s generosity. Raja Man Singh was thus
endowed with all the qualities of Raja’s generosity. Raja Man
Singh was thus endowed with all the qualities grandee and a
super general of the Mughal court.
Raja Man Singh was not only an outstanding military general of
the Mughal Empire but he was also a great lover of art and
architecture. He built a large number of imposing buildings in
the shape of temples, mosques, palaces and forts etc. The Raja
built a beautiful palace within the fort of Amber which is not
only the earliest piece of architecture in the capital of the
Kachhwaha but it is also an object of architecture beauty
amongst the Rajput palaces in Rajasthan. The Jagat Shiromani
temple is one of the brilliant specimen of Rajasthani
architecture. It is located in a remote corner of village
Amber, it was built by Rani Kanakawati, the chief wife of Raja
Man Singh, to perpetuate the memory of her late lamented son.
Raja Man Singh also built a beautiful temple at Varanasi which
is in a dilapidated condition at present and is known as Man
Mandir. There is a pucca ghat below, called Man Ghat and this
too was laid out by Raja Man Singh. He also founded a village
known as ‘Baikunthpur’ (now Baikathpur in Patna district in
the state of Bihar). The mother of Man Singh died at this
place. The village is also famous on account of shiva temple
which was erected by Raja Man Singh in 1600 A.D. to perpetuate
the memory of the death of his mother who died at this place.
The temple is still extant and is known as Gauri Shankar
Mahadeva temple. It is a massive stone and brick structure.
The Kachhwaha Raja also erected at Brindaban in the state of
Uttar Pradesh a temple known as Gavinda Deva Temple. Growse
considered it to be “the most impressive religious edifice
that Hindu art has ever produced at least in upper India”. It
is an imposing structure and this may be considered as one of
the major contributions of Raja Man Singh in the field of
architecture. Raja Man also built a small fort at Manihari,
which is north of Godda subdivision in the State of Bihar. One
important piece of architecture associated with the memory of
Raja man Singh in the state of Jaipur is a large and well –
built Mughal gateway at Bairat. He also built the fort Ramgarh
(Jaipur State) and laid out a garden there. In 1595 he built a
fort at Mymensingh (Bangia Desh) and named it Salimnagar. A
fine city developed round this fort. In the same year (1595)
Raja man founded the city of Akbarnagar (now Rajmahal) and
transferred his capital from Tandah to this place. Akbarnagar
has many edifice associated with the memory of Raja Man Singh.
Raja Man Singh also founded a town named Manpur on the other
side of river Phalgu in the city of Gaya in Bihar. Manpur now
forms an important part of the Gaya town. Here there are a few
edifices is the Mahadeva Temple with a big tank attached to
it. The most stupendous work of Raja Man Singh was the
extensive repairs and the remodeling that he carried out in
the fort of Rohtasgarh which is situated on an outline spur of
Kaimur hills, 30 miles from Dehri on scone in the District of
Rohtas in the state of Bihar. The Raja put the fortification
in complete repairs. He deepened and repaired the reservoirs,
got a palace erected for himself and laid out a handsome
garden in Persian style. The palace and other structures of
Rohtas are really works of great architectural beauty. Rightly
observes Mr. L.S.O. Malley, “The palace at Rohtas” is of
unique interest as being the only specimen of Mughal civil
architecture. |
