Historical Figures

to climax

Pleased with the cooperation of Surajmal, Wazir Safdarjung recommended to the Mughal emperor that Surajmal should be given a mansab of 3000 zat and 2000 horsemen and his son Ratan Singh should be given the title of Rao. The mansab of Surajmal's son Jawahar Singh should also be increased. A few days after this, Safdarjung recommended to the emperor that Badan Singh should be made king by giving the title of Mahendra and Surajmal should be made Kumar Bahadur by giving him the title of Rajendra. The emperor accepted this recommendation. Badan Singh and Surajmal assumed these titles in grand ceremonies. After this Surajmal changed his name to Jaswant Singh but he used this name very rarely. Poet Sudan has also used the name Sujan Singh for Surajmal. A few days later, the emperor made Surajmal the Faujdar of Mathura. This gave him authority over most of the territories on both sides of the Yamuna in the Agra province and the areas around the city of Agra. It was indeed the climax of the Jats to become the rulers of Mathura and the adjoining areas of Agra.

Delhi Ki Loot

In March 1753, Emperor Ahmad Shah removed Safdarjung from the post of Wazir. On this, Safdarjung got angry and revolted. He surrounded the Red Fort of Delhi with himself and called Surajmal to his aid. Surajmal immediately took an army and went to help his friend Safdarjung. On the way he attacked Bahadur Singh Badgujar, the Jagirdar of Chakla Koil near Aligarh. At that time Bahadur Singh was in the fort of Ghasira. Seeing no other way, he killed his women and opened the gates of the fort. On 23 April 1753, Surajmal killed all the Badgujars and captured the fort of Ghasira. In this war 1500 soldiers of Surajmal were killed.

In May 1753, Surajmal reached Delhi with an army of 15,000 cavalry. Between May 9 and June 4, Jats looted Delhi fiercely. Jat soldiers looted till the gates of Delhi. A large number of Delhi houses were demolished. Historians of that period have written that after the looting of the Jats, there was no lamp in the suburbs, Churniya and Vakilpura etc. near Delhi. Since then the phrase Jat-Gardi came to be called in Delhi. Later, when Sadashiv Bhau plundered Delhi, then Bhaugardi and Ahamshah Abdali looted, then the phrase of Shah-gardi became prevalent.

Apart from Safdarjung and Surajmal, all other powers turned towards the emperor in this crisis that came on the kingship of Delhi. Surajmal was given great temptations and threats so that he would leave Safdarjung's side and come with the emperor, but Surajmal was committed to his friend and was not ready to betray. To control Surajmal, the emperor called Malharrao Holkar from the Deccan, but he also had no effect on Surajmal. Before the Marathas reached Delhi, Surajmal created a rift between Intijamuddaula, the new vizier of Delhi, and his nephew Ghaziuddin. For this reason, the emperor had to send a proposal for peace and treaty to Safdarjung. In the last months of AD 1753, Jaipur King Madho Singh reached Delhi. He asked Surajmal to stop the war, but Surajmal said that until Safdarjung was not made the Wazir again and Safdarjung would not be given back the provinces of Awadh and Allahabad, the war would not stop. The emperor accepted Surajmal's demand and the war ended. After this, Safdarjung went to his provinces, but the enmity that arose between King Surajmal and the emperor of Delhi, Surajmal had to bear the consequences later.