The ancient Kshatriya dynasties of India considered their relation with any one of the Suryavansh, Chandravansh and Yaduvansh. The Ikshvaku clan was an ancient Kshatriya clan in the Suryavansh. A branch of the Ikshvakus was called Raghukul after the name of Maharaja Raghu. In this clan, Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram was born, who made Ayodhya the capital and ruled over a vast area. Shri Ram's son became Kush, Jai Singh's ancestors considered themselves to be descendants of these Kush and this dynasty was called Kachhwaha in the name of Kush. The word Kachhawaha is also believed to be derived from the word Kachhap. For this reason it is also called Kurma dynasty.
Rise of Kachhwahas in Rajasthan politics
Before coming into the politics of Rajasthan, the kingdom of Kachhwahas was in Gwalior and Narwar region. The son of King Sodhadev of Narwar was Dulharaya or Dhaularay. Its real name is said to be Tejkaran. The rise of the Kachhwahas in the politics of Rajasthan occurred in the twelfth century AD. Dhaula Rai married Maroni, the princess of Ralhansi, the Chauhan ruler of Lalsot. At that time this was the only Chauhan ruler in this region, around it were the bases of the Badgujars. After contacting the Chauhan chieftain of Lalsot, Dhaula Rai entered Dhundar region from Narwar and defeated the Meenas and laid the foundation of his kingdom. In this way, the tortoises i.e. the tortoises defeated the fishes and established their rule in the region of Dhundar. Dhaula Rai took Dausa from the Badgujars, and took away the matches from the Meenas. He snatched the lair from Chanda Meena and captured the fort of Devi. The Kachhwahas had to struggle hard with the Meenas and the Badgujars to establish rule in the Dhoondar region.
From Kakildev to Chandrasen
Dhaula Rai's son was Kakildev, who defeated the Meena ruler Bhutto and snatched Amber from him. Thus Dausa, Ramgarh, Khoh, Jhotwara, Gator etc. areas also came under the control of Kachhwahas. Panchandev became a mighty ruler in this dynasty. Its period has been fixed from 1070 to 1094 AD. After that Malsi, Jildev, Ramdev, Kilhan, Kuntal, Janashi, Udaykaran, Narasimha, Udran and Chandrasen sat on the throne of the Kachhwahas. Chandrasen was a great devotee of the Lord. He built many temples of Lord Shiva and Vishnu in the state of Amer.
Prithviraj
Chandrasen's son Prithviraj also became a great devotee of God like his father. He participated in the battle of Khanwa with Maharana Sanga and returned to Amber badly injured. Prithviraj had nine queens from whom he had eighteen sons. Of these, six sons had died before Prithviraj. Returning from Khanwa, Prithviraj divided his kingdom into twelve kotris (sections) and made each son the king of one kotdi. Prithviraj died a few months after this partition.
From Raja Purnamal to Raja Ratna Singh
On the death of Prithviraj, his younger son Pooranmal ascended the throne of Amer on 5 November 1527. His mother Balabai was the daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner. It was Balabai who had made Pooranmal the ruler of Amer. Puranmal's brother Bhim Singh took over the throne in 1534 AD by killing Puranmal. Bhim Singh ruled for 13 years and was killed by his sons in 1547 AD. After Bhim Singh, his son Ratna Singh became the king of Amer. He was the king of comfort. Due to this the burden of state fell on the shoulders of his minister Tejasi Raimlot. Some sources also call this king insane. Ratna Singh had to accept the submission of Sher Shah Suri. Ratna Singh's uncle Sanga, with the help of Rao Jaitsi of Bikaner, established authority over Maujmabad and the adjoining area near Amer and settled Sanganer in his name.
Raja Bharmal
After Sanga's death, Sanga's younger brother Bharmal (Biharimal) continued to have enmity with Ratnasingh. The feudatories of Ratnasimha were not pleased with their drunken and useless king. For this reason, at the behest of Bharmal, he became in favor of Ratan Singh's younger brother Askaran. Askaran poisoned Raja Ratna Singh and himself became the ruler of Amer. In June 1547, Askaran went on a pilgrimage. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Bharmal joined the feudatories of Askaran and deposed Askaran and became the king of Amer himself.
After returning from pilgrimage, Askaran went to the shelter of Sardar Haji Khan Pathan of Salim Shah, son of Sher Shah Suri. When Pathan came to Amber with his army, Bharmal sent his daughter Kisnavati's doll to him. Haji Khan was pleased to find Kisnavati and returned. In this way Askaran was left watching and Bharmal became the de facto ruler of Amber. At that time Bharmal was 50 years old. After some time Haji Khan Pathan attacked Narnaul. Bharmal agreed to Haji Khan to return the forces from Narnaul. The Subedar of Narnaul, Majnun Khan, in gratitude to Bharmal, called Bharmal to Delhi in December 1556 and got him to meet Akbar there. Akbar was only a 14-year-old boy at that time and it had been only a few days since he had captured Delhi and Agra. That's why this gift was very valuable to Akbar.
In 1558 AD, Souza, son of the late King Puranmal of Amer, along with the Subedar of Mewat, Sarfuddin, attacked Amer. Bharmal had to run away and hide in the hills. In 1561 AD, when Sarfuddin came to Amer, Bharmal took back his kingdom by giving him a huge amount and keeping his son with him as a mortgage. The family tribulation was not allowing the kings of Amer to rest in peace. Therefore Bharmal started looking for the protection of some such power which could protect both Bharmal's state and Bharmal's authority. In January 1562, Akbar set out on the Jiyarat of Ajmer. When he reached Sanganer, Bharmal met Akbar through Chaktai Khan and accepted his submission.
Marital relations with Mughals
When the emperor returned from Ajmer, Bharmal met him at Sambhar. Akbar ordered Sarfuddin to leave Bharmal's son and his family. After this Bharmal married his daughter Hirakwan (Harkhu Bai) to Akbar. After marrying in Sambhar, when Akbar reached Rampura while returning to Agra, Bharmal with his family again attended Akbar's service. Akbar gave him valuable gifts and took Bharmal's eldest son Bhagwant Das and grandson Man Singh with him to Agra. Akbar gave high posts to Bhagwant Das and Mansingh. Bharmal was also granted five Hazari Mansab. After this Bharmal continued to rule Amber without any problems and fought many wars for Akbar. In the next ten years, his political importance increased tremendously. Raja Bharmal served the empire in various positions in the royal service. Akbar kept Bharmal's daughter Hirakanwar in his harem under the name of Begum Maryam Uzmani. Later, Salim was born from its womb, who ruled India for 22 years under the name of Jahangir.
Rajput rulers race for supremacy
When the Rajput rulers saw that Raja Bharmal had strengthened his position in the court of the Mughals by marrying his daughter to Akbar, there was a competition for supremacy among the Rajput kings. Following the imitation of King Bharmal, the great kings of Rajputana started marrying their princesses to Akbar and his sons and state officials. Among them was Motaraja Udai Singh of Jodhpur who married his daughter Jagat Gusain to Salim. The princesses of Bikaner and Jaisalmer were also married to Mughal princes. Mewar was an exception to this practice. When Hada, the surjan of Bundi, also made a treaty with Akbar, then put a condition that the Dola of the princess of Hada would not go to the Mughals.
Raja Bhagwantdas
Bharmal died in January 1573. He had ten sons. After Bharmal, his eldest son Bhagwant Das or Bhagwandas (1573-1589 AD) became the ruler of Amer. Akbar also gave him five thousand mansab. Bhagwant Das fought many battles for Akbar. Manbai, the daughter of Bhagwant Das, was married to Salim. Bhagwant Das died in 1589 AD.
Raja Mansingh
After Bhagwant Das, his son Man Singh (1589-1614 AD) became the ruler of Amer. Akbar seemed to be Man Singh's cousin, but there was very little difference in the age of both of them, due to which they were close friends. Both used to sit together and drink alcohol and get into a tussle with each other while intoxicated. When the intoxication subsides, they do not face each other for a few days because of shame. Bharmal, Bhagwant Das and Man Singh did great service to Akbar. All three won many wars for Akbar and expanded Akbar's kingdom. Man Singh attacked Mewar on behalf of Akbar. In this attack, the entire power of the Mughal Sultanate was blown away. A tough battle took place between the two sides in the field of Haldighati.
During the war, Maharana's famous Chetak horse jumped on Kunwar Mansingh's elephant and Maharana attacked Mansingh with his spear, but Mansingh bowed down in the hode and this attack was saved. The Maharana left him as dead. During this, both the front legs of Chetak were injured by Mansingh's elephant teeth or by swords tied to the elephant's feet. Maharana had to leave the field. Maharana Pratap Singh's father Udai Singh had abandoned Chittor and made Udaipur the capital at the time of Akbar's invasion, Maharana Pratap abandoned Udaipur and made Gogunda the capital but did not accept Akbar's subjugation. Akbar got angry and closed Mansingh's door.
Mansingh's sister Manbai was married to Salim. One day Salim, intoxicated with alcohol, beat up Rani Manbai with a whip so brutally that Manbai died. After this incident Mansingh became an enemy of Salim. When Akbar's death came near in 1605 AD, Akbar called Man Singh from Bengal to Agra. Mansingh had a mansab of five thousand till now, but now Akbar gave him a mansab of seven thousand and gave it to his grandson Khusro and his sister under the protection of Mansingh. Before this, no Hindu was given a mansab of seven thousand.
Knowing Akbar's wish, Raja Mansingh tried that after Akbar, Salim and Manbai's son Khusrau should be placed on the throne of the Mughals. Mansingh and Mirza Koka made preparations to take Salim captive, but due to the support of Salim by Ramdas Kachhwaha, Raja Mansingh did not succeed in his plan. Akbar died on 5 October 1605. On 10 November 1605, Salim sent Mansingh to fight in Bengal as soon as he sat on the throne and imprisoned Khusrau in the fort of Gwalior. Later Khusrau was handed over to Khurram (Shah Jahan). Khurram killed him mercilessly. In May 1607, Jahangir summoned Mansingh to him. At that time the emperor was in Kabul. Therefore Man Singh did not leave immediately and waited until the emperor returned to Agra. When the emperor reached Agra in February 1608, Mansingh appeared in his service. Jahangir was furious. He condemned Mansingh by calling him a hypocrite and an old wolf.
Probably to please the emperor, on June 8, 1608, the daughter of Jagatsingh, son of Mansingh, was married to Jahangir. A few days later Mansingh was given an Arabian horse from Jahangir and Mansab of 2000 to Mansingh's son Bhav Singh and sent to fight on the southern front under Prince Parvez. In the time of Akbar, Mansingh was the chief general of the Mughals, but Jahangir made Prince Parvez the chief general, and placed three generals under him, of which Mansingh was one. Raja Mansingh died on 6 July 1614 at Elichpur. Jahangir and Bleachman have given the number of queens of Mansingh as 1500 and have mentioned two or three children from each. Maybe this number is not correct. About two dozen women and a dozen children of Mansingh have been mentioned in the old genealogies of Amer. Women from different provinces also lived in his residence.
Mirza Raja Jaisingh
At the time of Man Singh's death, his two sons Bhav Singh and Kalyan Singh were alive. Of these, Bhav Singh sat on the throne of Amer. Jahangir gave him a mansab of 3000 and sent him as the governor of Bengal. A few days later, he was sent south by paying a mansab of 4000. Bhav Singh remained entangled throughout his life in the South, where, Malik Amber continued to damage his army by fighting guerrillas. After some time Jahangir made Bhav Singh's mansab five thousand. Raja Bhav Singh died childless in November 1621 in Burhanpur. He died of drinking too much alcohol. By this time none of his brothers was alive. Maha Singh, a nephew of Bhav Singh, had also died in May 1617. Maha Singh was probably the son of Man Singh's Kunwar Jagatsingh. Therefore, Jahangir made Maha Singh's son Jai Singh the ruler of Amer. At that time Jaisingh was only 11 years old. Bharmal, Bhagwant Das and Mansingh had served Akbar for three generations, but Jai Singh (1621-1668 AD) had three emperors – Jahangir (1605–1627 AD), Shah Jahan (1627–1658 AD) and Aurangzeb (1658–1707). e.) served.
Jahangir made Jai Singh the mansabdar of three thousand zat and 1500 sawars. Shah Jahan first gave him a mansab of 4000 and then 5000. In 1635, Jaisingh caught 3 thousand men and 8 thousand bulls of Chhatrapati Shivaji's father Shahaji Bhonsle. इन बैलों पर बड़ा भारी तोपखाना और बारूद लदा हुआ था। इस भारी जीत के उपलक्ष्य में जयसिंह जयपुर आया और लगभग दो वर्ष तक यहाँ रहा। इस काल में उसने कला एवं साहित्य पर ध्यान दिया तथा अपने समय के सबसे बड़े कवि बिहारीलाल को अपने दरबार में स्थान देकर उसका बड़ा सम्मान किया। बिहारी, ‘सतसई’ लिखकर हिन्दी साहित्य में अमर हो गया।
1636 ई. में शाहजहां ने राजा जयसिंह को मिर्जा राजा की उपाधि दी। इस कारण यह राजा, भारत के इतिहास में मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह के नाम से विख्यात हुआ। 1647 ई. में शाहजहां बल्ख और बदख्शां में असफल होकर काबुल में फंस गया। धन की कमी के कारण उसकी हालत पतली हो गई। तब मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह आगरा से 1 करोड़ 20 लाख रुपये लेकर काबुल पहुंचा। शाहजहां ने उसका बड़ा सम्मान किया तथा उसका मनसब छः हजारी कर दिया। जयसिंह ने बल्ख पर आक्रमण करके उसे जीत लिया। जयसिंह के सेनापति माधोसिंह को बल्ख का सूबेदार बनाया गया। (माधोसिंह कोटा का राजा भी था।) शाहजहां के जीवन काल में ही एक बार औरंगजेब बल्ख में फंस गया। तब मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह उसे उजबेगों से बचाकर काबुल ले आया। इस पर शाहजहां ने उसकी बड़ी प्रशंसा की।
जब शाहजहां के पुत्रों में उत्तराधिकार का युद्ध हुआ तब मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह को शहजादा सुलेमान शेखों का संरक्षक बनाया गया। जयसिंह ने शुजा को परास्त करके उसका शिविर लूट लिया। जब यह समाचार शाहजहां के पास पहुंचा तो शाहजहां ने जयसिंह को सात हजारी मनसब प्रदान किया। उत्तराधिकार के युद्ध में जब औरंगजेब जीत गया तो जयसिंह ने उसी को अपना स्वामी मान लिया और दारा के पीछे पड़ गया। जहाँ-जहाँ दारा गया, जयसिंह उसका दुर्भाग्य बनकर उसके पीछे लगा रहा। अंत में उसने दारा को पकड़कर भयानक अपमान और पीड़ादायक मृत्यु के लिये औरंगजेब के हाथों सौंप दिया। इससे प्रसन्न होकर औरंगजेब ने उसे ढाई लाख की जागीर दी तथा 14 हजार की सेना देकर छत्रपति शिवाजी के विरुद्ध दक्षिण में भेज दिया। 11 जून 1665 को छत्रपति शिवाजी तथा मुगलों के बीच पुरंदर की विख्यात संधि हुई। इस संधि के लिये छत्रपति को मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह ने अपनी तलवार के जोर पर विवश किया था। यह संधि मिर्जा राजा के जीवन की सबसे बड़ी सफलता और शिवाजी की सबसे बड़ी विफलता थी। इस संधि के परिणाम स्वरूप शिवाजी ने अपने अधिकार वाले 35 दुर्गों में से 23 दुर्ग औरंगजेब को दे दिये तथा स्वयं शिवाजी ने आगरा पहुंचकर औरंगजेब के दरबार में उपस्थित होना स्वीकार कर लिया।
कच्छवाहों से नाराजगी
छत्रपति को आशा थी कि जिस प्रकार छत्रपति ने संधि की समस्त शर्तें पूरी कर दी हैं, उसी प्रकार औरंगजेब भी संधि की शर्तों का पालन करेगा किंतु धूर्त औरंगजेब ने छत्रपति के साथ सम्मानजनक व्यवहार नहीं किया। उन्हें तथा उनके पुत्र शंभाजी को मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह के पुत्र रामसिंह की देख-रेख में आगरा में नजरबंद कर लिया गया। छत्रपति तथा उनका पुत्र शंभाजी, अपने सहायकों की सहायता से, रामसिंह के पहरे से भाग निकले तो औरंगजेब कच्छवाहों का शत्रु हो गया। वह जीवन पर्यंत इस घटना को नहीं भुला सका। यहाँ तक कि अपने वसीयतनामे में भी औरंगजेब ने इस घटना का उल्लेख इन शब्दों में किया- ‘देखो, किस प्रकार उस अभागे शिवा का पलायन जो असावधानी के कारण हुआ, मुझे मृत्यु-पर्यंत परेशान करने वाली मुहिमों में उलझाये रहा।’ औरंगजेब ने जयसिंह को पहले तो औरंगाबाद भेजा और फिर वहाँ से बुलाकर बुरहानपुर के मोर्चे पर भेज दिया। 2 जुलाई 1668 को बुरहानपुर के मोर्चे पर ही मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह की हत्या कर दी गई। जदुनाथ सरकार ने लिखा है- ‘जयसिंह की मृत्यु एलिजाबेथ के दरबार के सदस्य वॉलघिम की भांति हुई जिसने अपना बलिदान ऐसे स्वामी के लिये किया जो काम लेने में कठोर तथा काम के मूल्यांकन में कृतघ्न था।’
मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह की मृत्यु के बाद उसका पुत्र रामसिंह आमेर का शासक हुआ। छत्रपति शिवाजी के आगरा से निकल भागने की घटना से औरंगजेब रामसिंह से नाराज चल रहा था। औरंगजेब ने अपने हाथों से रामसिंह का राजतिलक किया तथा उसे अत्यंत सामान्य मनसब देकर राजधानी से बहुत दूर आसाम के मोर्चे पर भेज दिया। औरंगजेब चाहता था कि रामसिंह या तो युद्ध में मारा जाये या आसाम के खराब मौसम से बीमार होकर मर जाये किंतु रामसिंह 1676 ई. में आसाम का मोर्चा जीतकर दिल्ली लौट आया। औरंगजेब ने बुझे मन से उसका स्वागत किया तथा तुरंत खैबर के दर्रे के लिये रवाना कर दिया तथा उसके पुत्र किशनसिंह को दक्षिण के मोर्चे पर भेज दिया। 10 अप्रेल 1682 को दक्षिण के मोर्चे पर किशनसिंह की मृत्यु हो गई। इससे रामसिंह टूट गया और 6 वर्ष तक पुत्र शोक में तड़पता-गलता 10 अप्रेल 1688 को कोहट के मोर्चे पर मर गया।
1688 ई. में रामसिंह की मृत्यु के बाद किशनसिंह का पुत्र बिशनसिंह मात्र 16 वर्ष की आयु में आमेर का राजा हुआ। औरंगजेब ने उसे ढाई हजार जात और 2000 जात का मनसबदार बनाया तथा जाटों के विरुद्ध झौंक दिया। किशनसिंह ने कई हजार जाटों का कत्ल किया तथा कई हजार कच्छवाहे खोये। उसका सारा जीवन जाटों से संघर्ष करने में बीता। अंत में 27 वर्ष की आयु में 1699 ई. में उसे अफगानिस्तान भेजा गया जहाँ 19 दिसम्बर 1699 को उसकी मृत्यु हो गई। यह भाग्य की ही विडम्ना थी कि आमेर के कच्छवाहों की पांच पीढ़ियों- मिर्जा राजा जयसिंह, रामसिंह, किशनसिंह, बिशनसिंह तथा सवाई राजा जयसिंह ने औरंगजेब जैसे धूर्त्त स्वामी की सेवा की।