Abhai Singh Of Marwar

Maharaja Abhai Singh Rathore (7 November 1702 – 18 June 1749) was the Raja of Marwar (Jodhpur) Kingdom 24 June 1724 – 18 June 1749.N.S. Bhati, Studies in Marwar History, page 6

Coronation

Abhai Singh was crowned on the death of his father Maharaja Ajit Singh, who was killed as a result of a conspiracy between Abhai Singh and Bakht Singh.

Khejarli massacre

In 1726, Maharaja Abhai Singh of Marwar granted the estate of Khejarli to Thakur Surat Singh, who became the first 'Thakur of Khejarli.'

In 1730, under his order, minister Giridhar Bhandari led a royal party to Khejarli village to fell some Khejri trees that were sacred to the villagers. The trees were to be burned to produce lime for constructing a new palace. A local woman called Amrita Devi Bishnoi protested the tree-felling because such acts were prohibited by the Bishnoi's religion. The feudal party said they would not cut the trees if she paid a bribe, which she refused to do since she saw such an exchange as ignominious and insulting to her faith. She said that she would rather give away her life to save the trees than to pay. She and her three daughters (Asu, Ratni, and, Bhagu) were then killed by the party.

News of the deaths spread, and summons to a meeting was sent to 84 Bishnoi villages. The meeting determined that one Bishnoi volunteer would sacrifice their life for every tree cut down. Older people began hugging the trees intended to be cut, and many were killed.

These efforts failed to have the desired impact. Bhandari claimed that the Bishnois were sacrificing aging people they no longer saw as useful to society. In response to this, young men, women, and children began to follow the example of the old. 363 Bishnois died in the incident.

The development shocked the tree-felling party. The group left for Jodhpur with their mission unfulfilled, and the Maharaja subsequently ordered that no more trees should be felled.

March against Sarbalund

When an open challenge was made in court, only Maharaja Abhai Singh took the Bida. On his way to Ahmedabad, Abhai first met the Jaipur prince at Pushkar. Abhai Singh took the route to Sirohi and on the border of Sirohi Thakur Maan Singh of Chandana resisted his forces and died fighting. Later his forces looted Rovada and Posaliya(Today Near Sumerpur-Pali), where the king of Sirohi, fearing destruction by such a large Marwar Army, presented his daughter Jas Kanwar in marriage to Abhai Singh. Ram Singh was a scion born of this wedlock.

Battle of Ahmedabad against Sarbuland Khan and the role of Kesari Singh Akherajot

The Battle with Sarbuland: Sarbuland's plans of defense are minutely detailed. At each gate, he posted two thousand men and five guns manned by Europeans, of whom he had a body of musketeers around his person. The cannonade had been kept up for three days on both sides, in which the son of Sarbuland was killed. At length, Bakhth Singh led the storm when all the ots and awaits performed prodigies of valour.

The Rajpurohit Sevad Akherajot warrior Kesari Singh Akherajot of Khedapa, who was also the Rajguru of Abhai Singh, along with his brothers Surajmal Singh Tinwari and Jai Singh Jatiyawas, sons of 'Paatshah' Akheraj Singh Ji of Tinwari Marwar, were the first to be carried to the immortal abode but though the sun stood still to see the deeds of the sons of Harnath we cannot particularize the bard's catalogue of heroes transferred to Suryaloka. Both the sons of Kesari Singh Ji, Pratap Singh and Anop Singh, also shouldered their father in the war. Kesari Singh, having pre-decided to perform Saka, was in the foremost row and went into the war with swords in both hands and no shield. Kesari Singh Ji was metaphored with the powerful Hindu deity Lord Hanuman, as he ferociously slew enemies with both hands like a lion and was completely covered with blood, reflecting the aura of the greatest warrior of the time, seen in person by the poet (bard) Karnidaan Ji on the battlefield. He mentions the view to be completely awe-inspiring and one of a kind, as Kesari seemed to be unstoppable. Although he had already steered the wheels of the battle towards victory for his clan by killing chief enemy commanders, he couldn't watch it by himself as fate had it- immortalised for the dignity of the pious soil of the motherland.

On this day when the best blood of Rajputana was shed on the walls of Ahmadabad, both the princely brothers had their share of swordplay, and each slew more than one leader of the noted Amra, who had so often defended Ajmer slew five chiefs of the grades of two and three thousand horse.

One hundred and twenty of Abhai Singh's chieftains of note and five hundred horses were slain, with seven hundred wounded. The next morning Sarbuland surrendered with all his effects. He was escorted towards Agra his wounded Mughals dying at every stage but the soul of the Fearless was sad at the loss of his kin. Abhai Singh of Marwar now ruled over seventeen thousand towns of Gujarat and nine thousand of Marwar besides one thousand elsewhere. The princes of Idar, Bhuj, Parkar, Sind and Sirohi, the Chalukya Ran of Fatehpur, Jhunjunu, Nagor, Dungarpur, Banswara, Lunawara, and Halwad bowed their heads every morning to Abhai Singh of Marwar. Thus in the enlightened half of moon on the victorious tenth VS 1787 / AD 1731 the day on which Ramachandra captured Lanka the war against Sarbuland an Omrah lord of twelve thousand was concluded.

The Champawats bore the brunt and lost Karan of Pali, Kishan Singh of Sandri, Gordhan of Jalor, and Kalyan. The Kumpawats also lost several leaders of clans such as Narsingh, Surtaan Singh and Padma, son of Durjan. The Jodha tribe lost three leaders, Hayatmall, Ghuman and Jogidas. The brave Mertias also lost Bhum Singh, Kushal Singh and Gulab, son of Hathi. The other chieftains of the Jadons, the Sonigiras, the Dhondals, and the Khichis had many brave men carried to Bhanuloka and even bards and purohits were amongst the slain.

Plot of Battle of Gangwana

Abhai Singh wanted to take over Bikaner, so he sent troops there to take over the newly crowned Maharaja Zorawar Singh. The Marwar troops reached the gate of Chintamani Fort (Now known as Junagadh Fort, Bikaner) during the sacred holiday of Holi. After getting the news that Marwar troops were standing outside his fort, he sent letters to Bakht Singh (Jagirdar of Nagaur, as well as the brother of the Maharaja of Marwar), Raja Jai Singh of Amer and the Rajpurohit Kanot warrior Jagram Singh Rajpurohit (his military advisor from Desalsar village, near Nokha), appealing for assistance. Bakht Singh wrote, "Since Bikaner was also a Rathore state, thus a collateral branch who would serve Marwar in times of peril". Bakhth schemed with Vidyadhar, a minister with Jai Singh of Amber, and the result was that Amber marched against Marwar. After getting this news, Maharaja Abhay Singh sent a letter to the troops who had already damaged the walls of the fort and were engaged in a battle against the troops of Bikaner, to return to Marwar for a battle against the troops of Amer and allied Mughal powers. Rajpurohit warrior Jagram Singh Kanot left Desalsar, and along with some Jat and Sankhla Rajputs reached the fort and saw that the troops of Marwar were in a much superior position than that of Bikaner. They then announced saka and began to defend Maharaja Zorawar Singh. After getting a letter from the Abhai Singh of Marwar, the Marwar troops began withdrawing. One soldier attacked Maharaja Zorawar Singh, but Jagram Singh Rajpurohit defended the Maharaja. The principal general of the battle was wounded and his intestines came out, but he tightly packed his abdomen with a cloth and fought until all the Marwar troops withdrew from Bikaner. He reached Nagaur and died on the shoulder of the Maharaja at the age of 21. After discovering his loyalty to him, Maharaja Zorawar Singh gifted a 4000 bigga of land (named Rasisar, adjoining Deshnok) to his son Lunkaran Singh Rajpurohit, and built a cenotaph of him in the Junagadh FortDayaldas Khyat Page-89 pilot gazette pristh 69

Battle Of Gangwana

At the Battle of Gangwana it was left to Bakhth Singh to save Rathore grace, and he did so with only 1,000 Rathores against an army of 100,000 Mughals and Rajputs. Relations were later restored.

Ram Singh succeeds

His son Maharaja Ram Singh succeeded him but was soon deposed by his uncle Bhakt Singh.

References

{{reflist

Rulers of the Kingdom of Marwar
1702 births
1749 deaths
Subahdars of Gujarat