The Jats - Their Role in the Mughal Empire/Appendix D

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The Jats - Their Role in the Mughal Empire
The book by Dr Girish Chandra Dwivedi, Edited by Dr Vir Singh 2003.


Appendix-D: The Circumstances of Suraj Mal's Death

Maharaja Suraj Mal

Page 273

A lot of disagreement prevails among our authorities over the circumstances of Suraj Mal's death. We may briefly examine their versions to form an idea about the event. Delhi Chronicle narrates that in course of a sanguinary action entailing 1000 dead on both sides, Suraj Mal, with only 30 horsemen, charged the centre of the opponents and was slain. Mohammad Khan Billoch severed the head and a hand from his corpse. After retaining these with him for full two days he presented the same before Najib, only then the news of his death was believed.1

A Marathi news report (sent a couple of months after the incident) exactly reproducing the version of an envoy of a non-Jat Hindu King shows that one of Najib's confidants hatched a conspiracy with his connivance and treacherously assassinated the Jat Raja in course of an interview. It reads "Assuring Najib Khan (that he would execute the deed) somebody invited and killed Suraj Mal".2

The French historian of the Jats says that after skirmishes:

"One day Suraj Mal, having been informed that a big party of the enemy had attacked Nahar Singh, his son and destined successor, who was in the expedition, he (Suraj Mal) marched in haste with a few thousand of cavalry to his succour. Unfortunately, in passing through a ditch, which the river (Hindan) had left there, he was taken (by surprise) on both sides by a part of the Rohilla infantry, which had formed an ambush there. By a furious volley of their muskets and by throwing, at the same time, a storm of ... (which the Indians call ban and in which the.....were highly skilled) on the Jats who were already in disorder, Suraj Mal with all those who had accompanied him lay either slain or wounded on the spot. There were scarcely a few who came back and brought the news to the camp in the rear that Suraj Mal was dead. 3

I. D.C.

2. S.P.D., XXIX, 79.

3. Memoires des Jats (Fr.Ms.) 61-62.

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Alexander Dow, writing a few years later, refers to the legend that once the over confident Suraj Mal carelessly went for hunting. Najib getting the news, despatched under Siyyidu a body of soldiers who formed an ambush and eventually killed him.4

Nur-ud-Din says that after 3 p.m. Suraj Mal detached 5000 men and crossing the Hindan 4 miles upstream, fell upon the enemy rear. The rest of the Jat army (20,000) surrounded Najib on the other two sides. Thus the fight raged on three sides. In the rear, after initial advantage, [[Sura] Mal]] and his troops were beaten and turned their back on the enemy. On receiving several wounds, Suraj Mal fell down from his horse. So also some of his servants. Meanwhile, Siyyidu and some other pursuers identified Suraj Mal and pierced their swords several times in his stomach. His head was also hacked to pieces. On the other hand, the main body of the Jat troops kept on fighting resolutely till 9 p.m., when both the sides drew back to their camps. The Jat Army decamped the same night. Najib, doubting Siyyidu's claim of having slain Suraj Mal, asked for some recognizable limb of his corpse. Next day, Slyyldu cut off an arm from the body of Suraj Mal and presented it before Sagar Mal and Karamullah. They confirmed that the sleeve around the arm was of the same chintz, of which Suraj Mal wore the tunic at the time of their meeting two days before and that the visible mark of the sore on the arm was of the boil that Suraj Mal had for three years. Thus, about 20 hours after the actual occurrence, the death of Suraj Mal was ascertained and Najib left the place next day (i.e. 27 December, 1763).5

Bayan-i-Waqa says that Suraj Mal led 6000 men in the attack and was killed. His corpse did not fall in the enemy's hands. Only when the Jats retreated at mid-night the news of his death was believed. Najib then returned to the Capita1.6

Siyar describes that Suraj Mal had kept in reserve his 10,000 mounted matchlockmen, the best in India, in order to employ them at the opportune moment. He detached himself along with only a few friends and was riding up and down to examine the battlefield and decide where and when to deploy his select band. In the process, he stopped a while at a spot. From very close were passing some of Afzal Khan's troops which had been beaten by the Jat vanguard commanded by Mansa Ram,7 Kalimullah and a few others pointed out more than once the impropriety of his remaining so


4. Dow, Hindostan, 342.

5. Nur, 68a-70b.

6. Bayan-i-Waqa quoted by Qanungo, Jats, 153 and 158 .

7. Siyar, IV, 31, 33.

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near the enemy with only a few friends. But Suraj Mal was intent upon observing the enemy's movements. Meanwhile, Siyyidu was fleeing cloe by the Jat King with about 50 men. One of them recognized Suraj Mal and advised Siyyidu not to miss the golden opportunity. Suraj Mal was changing horses when Siyyidu turned and fell upon him. Another man smote him with his sabre and cut off one of his arms. In the meanwhile two more rushed upon Suraj Mal, who was thus killed alongwith Saifullah, Amar Singh and two or three other men. The severed arm was carried to Najib but he continued to doubt if it was Suraj Mal's. Next day Yaqub All Khan affirmed it to be of Suraj Mal from its maimed appearance and from the sleeve which was of the same chintz of which Suraj Mal had put on a tunic in course of their meeting earlier. Thus, his death was ascertained.

Bihari Lal tells us that 30,000 Jats charged the "light force" of Najib from all the four sides. The Rohilla 'harangued' his men to show their valour. After six hours, the fighting ceased at sunset. Suraj Mal, who had attacked the rear, was slain by some unknown man. The Jats stood erect throughout the night. Next morning, his severed arm was brought to Najib but his head was missing. Then his favourite dark bay horse and attendants captured earlier were also brought and so his death was confirmed.8

Gulistan-i-Rahmat shows that after several days of engagements, one day, while Suraj Mal was inspecting one of the batteries near the entrenchments of Siyyidu Billoch, the enemy made a sally and shot him down.9

Gul-i-Rahmat describes the event in some details. According to it, Suraj Mal, with a big army and artillery, surrounded Najib's smaller numbers. An exchange of fire ensued which continued for several days. While pushing forward his batteries one day, Suraj Mal was passing with only 500 men near the entrenchments of the Bil1ochis, when they noticed him and fired a volley of muskets at him. "As per fate" Suraj Mal was shot dead. His head was severed and carried away by the Billochi. Najib stayed there for three more days and then returned to Delhi.

Fransoo touches the subject merely in passing and says thatSuraj Mal was slain, fighting valiantly in the plains of Shahadara on Paush Badi 12th Samvat 1820 (31st December, 1763). His, corpse, however, could not be traced.11


8. Bihari lal Munshi's Life of Najib-ud-Daulah, trans J.N. Sarkar in Islamic Culture,X (October, 1936), 655.

9. Gulistan, 84.

10. Gul, 116-117.

11. Tawarikh-i-Hunud (Pers. Ms.), 22a .

Page 276

Considerable divergence of views with regard to the manner of Suraj Mal's death is thus evident. The version of Delhi Chronicle has an importance of its own as entries in it were made following the occurrence of each particular incident. But the impetuously which it depicts is most uncharacteristic of the always extremely cautious Suraj Mal. Moreover, Its contention that Siyyidu retained the head and the arm of the corpse for two full days does not stand to reason. Professor Qanungo, even though mainly depending upon Delhi Chronicle, does concede that the above claim "cannot be believed" and that "some of its details cannot bear common sense criticism."12 On the other hand the most bewildering point in Nur-ud-Din's narration is that the numbered Rohilla troops (less than 1O,000) by no means in a high morale, and also hampered by the illness of their leader-could succeed not only in containing the exultant 20,000 Jats on their two sides, but also in defeating and putting to flight the picked force of another 5000 under no less a general than Suraj Mal himself, in their rear.

Apparently, something is wrong with Nur-ud-Din's version also. All the authorities testify to it and Najib himself openly confessed the distinct. superiority of the Jat prowess. Even if we ignore Siyar's emphatic remark that no troops in India could dare confront the Jat cavalry, it is certain that 5000 or 6000 horsemen, who are said to have attacked Najib rear, were the chosen band of the strongest man of the country. Hence, repulsing them must have required the exclusive attention of the major part, if not the whole, of Najib's available men on the spot. By implication it would mean that the fighting ceased on the other two sides and an overwhelming part of the Jat army remained idle throughout the conflict-a fact contradicted by Nur-ud-Din himself, leaving aside the common sense. Thus, it becomes certain that either Suraj Mal did not actually charge the rear or if he did, its ultimate result including the manner of his death was not that which Nur-ud-Din Bayan-i- Waqa and Behari Lal would let us believe.

The contention of the Marathi news despatch that a plot was hatched and [[Sura] Mal]] was treacherously murdered in course of some interview: cannot by itself be safely accepted unless verified from some other source. If Siyar is to be relied upon, Yaqub Ali's insistence to Suraj Mal not to resolve upon any definite course of action till he returned the following day, may offer clue. The Marathi despatch looks relevant only to the extent that it suggests a surprise killing of the Jat Raja-a fact basically endorsed by Wendel, Siyar, Gulistan-i-Rahmat, Gul-i-Rahmat


12. qanungo, Jats, 157

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and Dow, as also by the tradition. Nur-ud-Din also seems to support it in as much as he does not tell that Suraj Mal before he was finally killed had any occasion to hit back at his opponents. Thus, though agreeing on this important point, the sources differ on the preceding details and also on the actual background of the event. None of them gives a version wholly convincing and complete by itself. Dow's theory of hunting is too fanciful to deserve any serious attention, Gul-i-Rahmat expressly, and Gulistan-i-Rahmat by implication, overstretch the campaign to several days, which is incorrect.

Then again, Gul-i-Rahmat's claim that the head was cut off from Suraj Mal's body following his end is also untenable because if it were so, Suraj Mal's death could have been ascertained immediately, making it useless for Najib to stay there for three more days. Siyar speaks of Suraj Mal and five others being killed with the sabre thrusts without their offering any resistance whatsoever. This looks a little improbable, on the simple ground that unless somehow incapacitated, the five of them must have resisted and would not have allowed themselves to be overpowered so easily by a party of only four assailants. Moreover, how was it that Suraj Mal and his men were caught unawares when they were clearly seeing the enemy runaways passing close by. It seems that either Siyyidu and party first charged a volley of muskets and the used sabres to finish them up, or the actual number of the attackers was substantially more than four.

Of all the sources, Wendel was the most familiar with the Jat affairs. But even his account does not appear wholly convincing. He has altogether ignored Siyyidu's episode referred to by other authorities. Likewise, he says that nearly all of a "few thousand" accompanying Suraj Mal fell dead in the ambush, whereas the rest of the authorities suggest very few casualties alongwith Suraj Mal.

Thus, the actual circumstances of Suraj Mal's death remain obscure. What looks to be approximating to truth, is that at about sunset, while watching the movements of the troops, Suraj Mal happened to pass through a ditch of the Hindan with only a small retinue, when Siyyidu and party, that lay in ambush there, charged a volley of muskets at them. In the process Suraj Mal's head was either blown off or so badly mutilated that it became impossible to ascertain his death. For fear of being overpowered by the enemies, Siyyidu hurried away from the scene without even taking an arm of Suraj Mal with him, which, in the absence of the head, would have at once set at rest all doubts about his death. The fact that the Jat troops kept up the fight till they and their


Page 278

foes retired to their respective camps after 9 p.m., shows that none of Suraj Mal's attendants escaped to relate the gory tale. It was only after 9 p.m. that they somehow had the intelligence of the horrible tragedy that had befallen them.


End of Appendix-D: The Circumstances of Suraj Mal's Death

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