An historical sketch of the native states of India/Alwar
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By Col. G. B. Malleson, Publisher: Longmans, Green & Co. London (1875)
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Area: 3,300 sq. miles. Population:1,000,000. Revenue: 16,00,000 rupees.
THE state of Alwar is bounded on the north by Gurgaon and the native district of Kot Kasin ; on the east by Mathura and Bharatpur ; on the south by Jaipur, and on the west by Jaipur. The principality itself forms a portion ofMewat, or the country of the Mewatis.
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The Mewatis, who have long had the character of being a fierce, savage, and predatory race, played rather a prominent part, by the display of the qualities attributed to them, in the time of the early Mahomedan kings of Delhi. Their predatory expeditions, sometimes even to the very gates of the capital, at last roused indignation and desire for revenge. In 1266 Gheias-u-din Bulbun organised an expedition against them, and by a system of extermination, backed by the formation of local garrisons and other precautions, succeeded in ridding the country of upwards of a hundred thousand of them. A century and a half later the Mewatis endeavoured to take advantage of the disorder which followed the extinction of the house of Toghlak, but Seiad Mobarik inflicted upon them a crushing defeat (1429). From that time, for 300 years, they appear to have been content to plunder on a smaller scale. Indeed, their strength was insufficient to allow them to enter into competition with the plunderers on a princely plan. They wanted, too, organisation and a chief. But their time was fast coming. The disruption of law and -order which followed the death of the Emperor Aurangzib incited the Raja of Jaipur, in1720, to wrest from the empire several territories, and amongst the number the country of the Mewatis. This remained with Jaipur for about fifty years. But in 1764-74 disorder had reached the state of Jaipur. The nobleman, Pertap Singh, of the clan of the Masukha Rajputs, upon whom the jaghir of Macheri in Mewat had been conferred, took advantage of the confusion consequent upon a long majority, to strike for independence. In the war carried on by Mirza Najaf Khan with the Jats, he united his forces at an opportune moment with those of the former, aided him to beat the enemy at Barsana and at Dig ; and as a reward for this service obtained the title of Rao Raja, and a sunnud for Macheri, to hold it direct from the crown. In this way was Macheri severed for ever from Jaipur. Not content,
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however, with that, Pertap Singh took advantage of the weakness of Bharatpur at this period to wrest from it the strong hill fort and fortified town of Alwar and other places in its vicinity.
Pertap Singh, having thus gained a principality, next attempted to keep it in his family. The plan he is said to have adopted was at least ingenious. He wished so to arrange that the country might offer no temptations to an invader, no smiling fields inviting the encampment of large bodies of troops. His policy, therefore, was to discourage cultivation. On the other hand he fortified all the commanding positions, and held them by strong garrisons.
Pertap Singh lived for about twenty years after the acquisition of Alwar. He died without male issue, but he had adopted a relative, Buktaor Singh, who succeeded him. In the reign of this chief the country, notwithstanding the precautions of his predecessor, was overrun by the Marhatas, a portion of it, indeed, was conveyed to their partisans. This is sufficient to explain why, when the Marhata wars of 1803-6 broke out, Buktaor professed himself willing to accept the protection of the British Government, and concluded with it a treaty of offensive and defensive alliance. He co-operated in those wars, and although his Mewatis, in their normal love of plunder, did not spare, occasionally, the baggage of the British, yet he was rewarded for his services by the transfer to himself of the districts originally bestowed upon Bharatpur, and subsequently forfeited by the Raja of that place. To suit the convenience of both parties a partial exchange of territories was effected about this time between the Raja of Alwar and the British.
Buktaor Singh evinced no gratitude to the paramount power, nor did he always show that he was guided by common sense. In 1808, for instance, he made an embankment across the Mahnas Nai, the river flowing into the Bharatpur territory, and supplying its people
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with the means of irrigation, and thus cut off a supply absolutely necessary for their fields. The British Government interfered, but a long time elapsed before the matter could be adjusted. Then, in 1811, the Raja was seized by a religious frenzy, which could only be gratified by the persecution of his Mahomedan subjects. He destroyed their mosques, and seizing some of their devotees, he mutilated them, and sent their noses and ears to a neighbouring Mahomedan prince. His savage zeal did not stop there ; and among other exploits, he caused the bodies of Mahomedans to be disinterred, and sent their bones out of the country.
Just about this time, also (1811), the British Government discovered that the Raja had interfered in the affairs of Jaipur in a manner which it was impossible for the paramount power to sanction. As no article in the treaty of 1803 expressly forbade this, a new agreement was drawn up (July 1811), by which the Raja expressly agreed never to enter into any engagement or negotiation whatever with any other state or chief without the knowledge and consent of the British Government. Yet, the very next year (1812) he took possession of the forts of Dhobi and Sikrawa and the territory adjoining, and, though the British Resident at Delhi remonstrated, refused to restore them. It became necessary, then, to compel him. A force was organised and sent against him, but when the troops were within one march of his capital, Buktaor Singh yielded, restored the usurped territory, and paid three lakhs of rupees for the expenses of the expedition.
The Rao Raja Buktaor Singh died in 1815, leaving a nephew and adopted son, Benei Singh, and an illegitimate son, Balwant Singh, both minors. A dispute then arose as to the succession. The cause of the nephew was supported by the Rajput nobles, that of the illegitimate son by the Mahomedan faction, headed by Nawab Ahmed Baksh Khan. A compromise was effected, and it was
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agreed that the nephew should enjoy the title, while the illegitimate son should exercise the power of the state. The British Government sanctioned this arrangement. It lasted till both boys had grown up. Then, however, the nephew, Benei Singh, chafing at the restraints imposed upon him, caused Balwant Singh to be imprisoned, and the life of the Nawab, Ahmed Baksh Khan, then on a visit to the British Resident at Delhi, to be attempted. The assassin was apprehended, and on investigation, the crime was traced to the instigation of certain persons at the court of Alwar. The surrender of these persons was demanded by the British Government, in order that they might be tried at Delhi. Raja Benei Singh refused to surrender them, and he persisted in his refusal until, after the fall of Bharatpur in 1826, he learned that Lord Combermere was on his march to Alwar. He then gave them up. At the same time he made a provision for the dispossessed Balwant Singh.
But the conduct of Raja Benei Singh continued to show a defiant spirit. The persons accused of attempting to murder the Nawab were, indeed, acquitted ; but so strong was the suspicion against them that the Raja was requested not to employ them in any offices of trust. Far from complying with this request, he bestowed upon those persons the highest offices in the state ! For this reason the British Resident declined to visit the Raja of Alwar as he had visited the other chiefs of Rajputana, and the following year (1827) the Governor-General refused to receive a deputation from his principality.
Again, in 1831, a correspondence was discovered between the courts of Alwar and Jaipur, originating in the desire of Raja Benei Singh to do fealty to Jaipur, and to receive a dress of investiture, for which he was prepared to pay a considerable sum of money. It was pointed out to the Raja that such correspondence constituted a breach of his engagements.
In one or two other ways the Raja continued to
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display his defiance, and a threat of the march of British troops to enforce the law was almost always necessary to bring him to reason.
Rao Raja Benei Singh died in 1857, just after the outbreak of the Mutiny. After his death the Mahomedan ministers acquired an ascendancy over his son, Seodan Singh, then thirteen years of age, which was obnoxious to the Rajput nobles, who rose and expelled them (1858). The ministers were compelled to reside at Banaras under surveillance, and a political agent was appointed to Alwar to advise and assist the council of regency which was formed to conduct the administration during the young chiefs minority. Rao Raja Seodan Singh attained his majority in September 1863. 1 A political agent continued, however, to remain at Alwar.
In 1864 the young Maha Rao paid a visit to Calcutta, and much impressed the Viceroy by his intelligence and force of character, though, in other respects, the impression was not favourable. The Viceroy warned him that in the event of commotions occurring at Alwar he must not expect British assistance to put them down. The warning was needed, for the same year the Maha Rao was accused of murdering his master of the horse, a Mahomedan ; and though the charge of homicide could not be brought home to the Maha Rao, the circumstances were extremely suspicious. Shortly after he caused great scandal by his disputes with his Thakurs and his overbearing conduct towards Jaipur. By this time the British agent had been recalled, and precautions taken to prevent bloodshed. But the Maha Rao was distinctly informed that he would have to bear the consequences of his own acts.
To mark his sense of the Maha Rao's misconduct, the Viceroy felt constrained at this period (1866) to refuse him the dress of investiture in recognition of his assumption of power. Subsequently, the conduct of the Maha
- 1 Aitchison's Treaties.
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Rao gave promise of amendment, and the Governor-General's agent having reported more favourably of his administration, a dress of investiture was bestowed upon him in 1867.
The Maha Rao of Alwar has received the right of adoption. He is entitled to a salute of fifteen guns.
Subsequently to the writing of the foregoing sketch, Maha Rao Seodan Singh died (October 1874). He left no children, and has been succeeded by Mangal Singh, son of Hurdeo Singh, the representative of the Thana family.