dhinendra
March 16th, 2002, 09:34 PM
For those who all missed it some how.....Jai Ram je ke
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Uniting the Jats
Satish Chandra
The eighteenth century in India is described as one of “great anarchy”, decline of character, cultural stagnation and economic decline. The English are painted the rescuers of India from this abysmal state of affairs. However, I believe that this was a period which produced many men of character, who showed considerable political, administrative and military skill. Among these were the founders of various riyasats — Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal, Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad and Saadat Khan of Awadh, to name a few. These were men who, though reared in the service of Mughal emperors, struck out on their own on finding the Mughal court mired in factionalism, intrigue and a life of ease and pleasure.
Quite distinct from the above were those who virtually rose from the soil and displayed remarkable organising capacity, military adroitness and a capacity to adapt themselves to a volatile political situation, culminating in their establishing principalities of their own. Among these, a prominent mention must be made of Churaman Badan Singh, who founded the house of Bharatpur, and Maharaja Suraj Mal who took it to a pinnacle of fame.
Natwar Singh, who himself belongs to the Bharatpur house and is well known as a scholar, literary critic and seasoned politician, has written the biography of Suraj Mal after carefully studying published and unpublished sources. The book is not only highly readable, but objective and fair. He does not try to slur over Churaman’s weakness of character or gloss over Jat acts of plunder. He writes: “Churaman had one loyalty — to himself. Nobility of sentiment and generosity of heart were alien to his nature.” He also mentions “his depredations, his constant change of side, his lack of loyalty and opportunism”. But he rightly points out that “it was a hard age and the Jats lived hard lives. They expected no quarter and gave none”. Churaman also possessed “the requisite qualities of leadership — a stout heart, hard head, resourcefulness, luck, an easy conscience, tact and a capacity of binding together highly individualistic and antagonistic elements”. It is the last which is of special note. The Jats were divided into mutually antagonistic, often warring, clans (khaps). They were both warriors and cultivators. To weld such a body together and make it a state which could not only hold its own but play a significant role in the volatile politics of 18th century India is an achievement which has not received due acknowledgement from historians.
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Uniting the Jats
Satish Chandra
The eighteenth century in India is described as one of “great anarchy”, decline of character, cultural stagnation and economic decline. The English are painted the rescuers of India from this abysmal state of affairs. However, I believe that this was a period which produced many men of character, who showed considerable political, administrative and military skill. Among these were the founders of various riyasats — Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal, Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad and Saadat Khan of Awadh, to name a few. These were men who, though reared in the service of Mughal emperors, struck out on their own on finding the Mughal court mired in factionalism, intrigue and a life of ease and pleasure.
Quite distinct from the above were those who virtually rose from the soil and displayed remarkable organising capacity, military adroitness and a capacity to adapt themselves to a volatile political situation, culminating in their establishing principalities of their own. Among these, a prominent mention must be made of Churaman Badan Singh, who founded the house of Bharatpur, and Maharaja Suraj Mal who took it to a pinnacle of fame.
Natwar Singh, who himself belongs to the Bharatpur house and is well known as a scholar, literary critic and seasoned politician, has written the biography of Suraj Mal after carefully studying published and unpublished sources. The book is not only highly readable, but objective and fair. He does not try to slur over Churaman’s weakness of character or gloss over Jat acts of plunder. He writes: “Churaman had one loyalty — to himself. Nobility of sentiment and generosity of heart were alien to his nature.” He also mentions “his depredations, his constant change of side, his lack of loyalty and opportunism”. But he rightly points out that “it was a hard age and the Jats lived hard lives. They expected no quarter and gave none”. Churaman also possessed “the requisite qualities of leadership — a stout heart, hard head, resourcefulness, luck, an easy conscience, tact and a capacity of binding together highly individualistic and antagonistic elements”. It is the last which is of special note. The Jats were divided into mutually antagonistic, often warring, clans (khaps). They were both warriors and cultivators. To weld such a body together and make it a state which could not only hold its own but play a significant role in the volatile politics of 18th century India is an achievement which has not received due acknowledgement from historians.