Maharaja Surajmal

In News

• The Prime Minister paid tributes to Maharaja Surajmal on his birth anniversary.

About Maharaja Surajmal

• He ruled in the 18th century and was the son of the Jat chieftain Badan Singh. 
• He was a great leader, a great fighter, a great diplomat and a great statesman of his time.
• He was described as “the Plato of the Jat people” and by a modern writer as the “Jat Odysseus”, because of his political sense, steady intellect and clear vision.
• He visualized “India as one nation” and devoted his life in forging national integration.
  • He was killed in an ambush by the Rohilla troops on the night of 25 December 1763 near Hindon River, Shahdara, Delhi.
• Established Bharatpur:  He established the Bharatpur town in the year 1743. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around the city.
• Coverage: Under him, the Jat rule covered the present-day national capital Delhi and other various districts.
  • The Jats, under Suraj Mal, overran the Mughal garrison at Agra.
• Lohagarh Fort: Built in the 18th century by Raja Suraj Mal.
  • It is the only fort in India that no one in history has won.
  • Lohagarh Fort is considered one of the strongest forts because the British could not capture it in spite of several attacks.
• Battle of Kumher: Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and his rebellious courtier Siraj ud-Daulah were having a factional feud. Suraj Mal had sided with Siraj.
• Battle of Bharatpur: It was fought between Jats and Afghans on 12 February 1757.
  • Ahmad Shah Durrani, an Afghan ruler, attacked Bharatpur.
  • Durrani dared not proceed to attack on Deeg.
  • Maharaja Surajmal’s troops fought against him in Ballabgarh, Chaumunha, Gokul, Kumher and in Bharatpur.
  • The Jat army stopped the Afghan army.
  • Surajmal’s forces defeat Abdali’s forces.
  • At last Abdali had to leave the war and retreat.
  • During this he ruined and looted the holy places of Mathura and Vrindavan.

Source: AIR