Raja Bharmal, also known as Bihari Mal, Bhagmal and Bihar Mal ( 1498 – 27 January 1574), was the 22nd
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
ruler of
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...
, which was later known as
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
, in the present-day
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
state of India.
His daughter,
Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
(popularly known as Jodha Bai), was the chief consort of the 3rd Mughal Emperor,
Akbar and mother of the 4th Mughal Emperor
Jahangir. His daughter's marriage to Akbar was a significant events of the Mughal Empire. He along with his successor,
Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratnas ...
and his grandson,
Man Singh I became the highest
mansabdar
The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar. The word ''mansab'' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official an ...
of their times. He died in
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
in 1574.
Family and accession
Bharmal was the fourth son of Raja
Prithviraj or Prithvi Singh I of Amer (r. 17 January 1503 – 4 November 1527), and
Rani Apoorva Devi or Bala Bai of the
Rathore
The Rathore is a Rajput clan found in Northern India.
Subclans
Jodhana, Vadhel, Jaitawat, Kumpawat, Champawat, Meratiya, Udawat, Karamsot etc. are the branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs. Coverage
This article discusses the "Kanauji ...
clan, the daughter of
Rao Lunkaran of the
Bikaner
Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. Bikaner city is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division.
Formerly the capital of ...
royal family.
After the death of Prithviraj in 1527, Raja
Puranmal (r. 5 November 1527 – 19 January 1534), his eldest son by
Tanwar
Tomar (also called/spelt Tomara, Tanwar) is a clan, some members of which ruled parts of North India at different times. People belonging to the Tomara clan are found among the Rajputs of Northern India.
Most of their population is primarily co ...
queen succeeded him. He died at the Battle of Mandrail on 19 January 1534, while helping the Mughal Emperor
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northe ...
recapture the fort of
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town and the headquarters of Bayana tehsil in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. Hindaun City is nearest city of Bayana - 33 km. It was the site of famous Important Battle of Bayana in 1527 between the Rajp ...
. He had a son named Sujamal. But Sujamal could not succeed his father as he was a minor at that time.
Puranmal was succeeded by his younger brother
Bhim Singh (r.1534 - 22 July 1537), the next eldest son of Rani Apoorva Devi. The dispossessed Sujamal took shelter with the Tanwar royal family. Bhim Singh was succeeded by his eldest son,
Ratan Singh (r. 1537 - 15 May 1548). He was killed by his half-brother
Askaran
Askaran (? – ) was a sixteenth-century Rajput monarch. Though briefly Raja of Amber, for the majority of his life Askaran was the ruler of Narwar. He also had a distinguished career as a military officer under the Mughal emperor Akbar and r ...
, who became the king the next day. But the nobles of Amber joined to depose him and on 1 June 1548, aged around 50, Bharmal became the ruler of Amer.
Raja Bharmal had at least 13 sons, including
Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratnas ...
, his successor and at least four daughters including
Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
, Empress consort of
Emperor Akbar
Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...
and Kishanawati, wife of Haji Khan Pathan.
Reign
Situation at the beginning of his reign
When Bharmal's eldest brother Puranmal succeeded the throne in 1527, the political scenario was very uncertain. The Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga suffered a great loss in the battle of Khanua. The Mughal power was not firmly established in India. There were other Muslim rulers, who were gaining the power to oust Humayun, the son of
Babur out of India.
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah, born Bahadur Khan was a sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom in India from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He ascended to throne after competing with h ...
and
Sher Khan (later Sher Shah Suri) were prominent among them.
Puranmal was the first person to realize that Mughals were not at all trustworthy. They were very much like the old stock of Muslim rulers. Bharmal's policy towards Mughals that us marrying his daughter to Akbar was part of a plan to protect the population of Amer.
Bahadur Shah was pursuing a policy of expansion. He helped and sent Tatar Khan Lodi to occupy the fort of
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town and the headquarters of Bayana tehsil in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. Hindaun City is nearest city of Bayana - 33 km. It was the site of famous Important Battle of Bayana in 1527 between the Rajp ...
. He occupied the fort of Bayana which was under Mughal occupation since the time of Babur. Humayun sent his brothers
Askari Mirza and
Hindal Mirza
Abu'l-Nasir Muhammad (4 March 1519 – 20 November 1551), better known by the sobriquet Hindal ( Chagatai: "Taker of India"), was a Mughal prince and the youngest son of Emperor Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire and the first Mughal e ...
to recapture the fort. Puranmal, then Raja of Amer, fought in the battle called the Battle of Mandrail in favor of the Mughals in 1534.
He did not inherit his father's kingdom according to the principles laid down by
Manu
Manu may refer to:
Geography
* Manú Province, a province of Peru, in the Madre de Dios Region
**Manú National Park, Peru
** Manú River, in southeastern Peru
* Manu River (Tripura), which originates in India and flows into Bangladesh
*Manu Tem ...
, instead, he was a collective choice from all the Kachwahas, dominated at that time by Bara Kotris. Emperor
Akbar pursued a liberal policy towards his
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
subjects and Raja Bharmal's descendants offered their services to Mughals to save the Hindus from the cruelty of Turks led by Akbar which became a strong empire, due to Kachwaha's support. The
Dhundhar
Dhundhar, also known as ''Jaipur region'', is a historical region of Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the districts of Jaipur, parts of Sikar District lying to the east of the Aravalli Range, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, and Tonk and t ...
region of Rajputana never faced a war until
Aurangzeb's reign. This can be attributed to the clever plan laid down by Raja Bharmal in the backdrop of marriage.
Akbar and Bharmal
In 1556, Bharmal helped Majnun Khan Qaqshal, a Mughal commandant, which Majnun Khan later narrated to Akbar. Akbar subsequently invited Bharmal to the court of Delhi and honored him, his sons, and other relatives by giving robe of honor. At this time, while Akbar was trying to tame a wild elephant, the intoxicated elephant ran towards people which led to a commotion while they were trying to escape, however when the elephant approached the ground of Rajput nobles, they stood their ground by loyalty. This act of Amer nobles impressed Emperor who then enquired about the Raja Bharmal and pleased with his valor said, "We will rear you".
In 1562, the situation became critical for the Kachwahas when Mirza Muhammad Sharaf-ud-din Hussain was appointed Mughal governor of Mewat. Sujamal reached his court and received his support for winning the throne of Amer. Mirza led a large army to Amber and Bharmal was in no position to resist. He forced the Kachwahas to leave Amber and live in forests and hills. Bharmal promised a fixed tribute to Mirza and handed over his own son, Jagannath, and his nephews, Raj Singh (son of Askaran) and Khangar Singh (son of Jagmal), as hostages for its due payment.
When Sharaf-ud-din was preparing to invade Amber again, Bharmal met Akbar's courtier, Chaghtai Khan. Luckily for the Raja of Amer, Akbar was at Karavali (a village near
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
) on his way from Agra to
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...
(on a pilgrimage to the ''dargah'' of
Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti), Chaghtai Khan pleaded on behalf of Bharmal for his protection, which he agreed and summoned the Raja to his court. Accordingly, the latter's brother, Rupsi Bairagi, and his son, Jaimal, met Akbar at
Dausa
Dausa is a city and administrative headquarters of Dausa district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is 55 km from Jaipur, 240 km from Delhi and located on Jaipur-Agra National Highway (NH-21).Current population is around 1.25 lak ...
and Bharmal himself met Akbar at his camp at
Sanganer
Sanganer is a town/ Tehsil (an administrative division) situated in Jaipur district, Rajasthan, 16 km south of state capital Jaipur. Jaipur has been divided in 13 Sub divisions and Sanganer is one of these 13 Sub divisions. It is famous for ...
on 20 January 1562.
Chaghtai Khan introduced Bharmal and his relatives, who proposed to give his eldest daughter,
Hira Kunwari, in marriage to Akbar. Akbar consented and ordered Chaghtai Khan to make the necessary arrangements. Upon Akbar's arrival in
Sambhar on his return journey from Ajmer, Mirza surrendered his hostages Jagannath, Raj Singh, and Khangar to Akbar. Bharmal also reached Sambhar and on 6 February 1562, his daughter
Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
was married to Akbar.
On 10 February 1562 Akbar's new Kachwaha relatives again came to his camp at Ratanpura to take formal leave from him. Here,
Man Singh
Man Singh I, popularly known as Mirza Raja Man Singh (21 December 1550 – 6 July 1614) was the 29th Kachwaha Rajput Raja of Amer, later known as Jaipur state, in Rajputana. He was the most powerful and trusted general of the Mughal empe ...
was presented to him. From there,
Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratnas ...
, Man Singh and a number of their relatives accompanied Akbar to Agra.
After this marriage, he was immediately made the commander of 5000 cavalry units, the highest rank possible for a noble in the Mughal court. He was in the words of Nizamuddin Ahmad, one of the renowned Rajas of Hindustan who came into service of the Emperor with great favors and royal benefactions.
He was distinguished among the Rajput clan for his valor and sincere devotion and loyalty and is regarded as one of Akbar's most loyal, courageous, and competent commanders and rose to great favor of the Emperor. Tarikh-i-Salim notes, 'In correctness, allegiance and courage he was truly outstanding amongst his people'.
Abul Fazl in the praise of his family describes Amer kingdom as 'having a fine genetic pool'.
Succession
Raja Bharmal was succeeded by his eldest son,
Raja Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratna ...
, after his death.
Issue
Raja Bharmal had at least thirteen sons and four daughters:
*
Raja Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das (1527 – 4 December 1589) was the 23rd Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. His sister, Mariam-uz-Zamani, was the chief consort of Emperor Akbar and mother of his successor, Emperor Jahangir. His son, Man Singh I, one of the Navaratna ...
* Raja Bhagwan Das Bankawat
*
Mariam-uz-Zamani
Mariam-uz-Zamani (); ( – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer ' Jodha Bai', was the chief consort and principal Rajput empress consort as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servin ...
* Kishanawati Bai
* Kunwar Bhopat
* Raja Jagannath Singh
* Sukanya of Dwangarh
* Kunwar Sudar
* Kunwar Lalhodi
* Kunwar Prathideep
* Roopchad Singh
* Kunwar Parasraam
* four unknown sons and one unknown daughter
In popular culture
* 2013–2015: ''
Jodha Akbar
''Jodha Akbar'' is an Indian Historical drama television series that aired from 18 June 2013 to 7 August 2015 on Zee TV and is also digitally available on ZEE5. The show was produced by Ekta Kapoor under Balaji Telefilms. Starring Rajat Tokas a ...
'', broadcast on
Zee TV, where he was played by Rajeev Saxena.
*
Kulbhushan Kharbanda
Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...
portrayed Raja Bharmal in the 2008 film ''
Jodhaa Akbar
''Jodhaa Akbar'' is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It stars Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the titular roles. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and ...
'' directed by
Ashutosh Gowarikar
Ashutosh Gowariker (born 15 February 1964) is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer who works in Hindi cinema. He is known for directing films "set on a huge canvas while boasting of an opulent treatment".
His is particularl ...
.
Ancestry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bharmal
Maharajas of Jaipur
1491 births
1574 deaths
People from Jaipur district