The Rise of local powers: Rewari and Ballabhgarh | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

The Rise of local powers: Rewari and Ballabhgarh

• Rewari and Ballabhgarh in Haryana saw a rise of local powers during a period of overall decline. Nand Ram, an Ahir leader of gadhi Bolni, founded the estate of Rewari. His son Bal Krishna rose to the position of a mansabdar, maintaining two thousand troops, under Aurangzeb. 
• During the reigns of Bahadur Shah and Muhammad Shah, Bal Krishna rose to even higher positions and was styled as Sher Bachcha Shamsher Bahadur by Muhammad Shah. Bal Krishna fought against Nadir Shah in the battle of Karnal with his five thousand followers and laid his life for it. 
• His bravery even drew the attention of Nadir Shah, who paid rich tributes to him, as noted by Man Singh, the author of Abhira Kula Deepika. Rao Gujarmal was granted the jagir of twelve villages and appointed as faujdar of Rewari and its surrounding region by the Mughals as a reward for his brother's services. 
• However, he soon became embroiled in a conflict with his neighbor Dalel Khan, who was a favorite of Farrukhsiyar and held the territory that included most of the present-day Gurgaon district. Dalel Khan founded Farrukhnagar, which became the center of his power. 
• Despite this, Gujarmal emerged victorious in their conflict and was able to add Hisar-Jhajjar to his growing estate. He also liberated Kanod and Narnaul from the rulers of Jaipur and brought other adjoining areas under his control. His territories eventually comprised a vast area that included Hisar, Jhajjar, Hansi, Dadri, Bhiwani, K^nod, Namaul, and, of course, Rewari, which remained the capital.

The Decline of Rewari State

• Rao Gujarmal, the astute diplomat and ruler of Rewari State, had a long-standing feud with Bahadur Singh of Ghaseda, whose predecessor Hathi Singh was killed by Mian Singh, Gujarmal's brother. In an attempt to seek revenge, Bahadur Singh sought the help of Badan Singh, the Jat Chief of Bharatpur. 
• However, Badan Singh was on good terms with Gujarmal and refused to help. Bahadur Singh then conspired with his father-in-law Thakur Todarmal of Nimrana to assassinate Rao Gujarmal in 1750, which ended the prosperous period of the history of Rewari State.
• Bhawani Singh, the next ruler of Rewari State, was an incompetent leader who failed to maintain the state's power and influence. Under his rule, Rewari State became vulnerable to the encroachment of neighboring states, such as Jaipur, Farrukhnagar, and Jhajjar. As a result, Rewari State lost much of its territory and became a small jagir consisting of only about 23 villages.

Rise of Ballabhgarh under the Jats

• After the death of Aurangzeb, Ballabhgarh, a small kasha in the Faridabad district, gained prominence. It was mainly inhabited by Jats and was ruled by Gopal Singh, who was notorious for his raids and plundering of the environs of Delhi. 
• Despite being unable to stop Gopal Singh, Farrukhsiyar, the Mughal emperor, recognized him as the Chaudhari of Faridabad and gave him one-sixteenth of the revenue for his upkeep. After Gopal Singh, Charandas became the ruler of Ballabhgarh, but he was imprisoned for refusing to pay the tax and submit to the Mughal authority. 
• His son, Ballabha Singh, who was also known as Balu, succeeded him and was a wise ruler. With the help of the ruler of Bharatpur, he managed to secure the release of his father. Ballabha Singh, through his competence, was able to establish control over the entire region between Delhi and Faridabad. 
• He then constructed the Ballabhgarh fort which served as his base of operations. In addition, he maintained friendly relations with the rulers of Bharatpur, which further bolstered his position. 
• The emperor Ahmad Shah became concerned about the growing power of this local ruler who was so close to the capital and directed his minister Imad-ul-mulk to deal with him. Imad then led a Mughal-Maratha force, under the command of Aqibat Muhammad Khan, to attack Ballabhgarh in 1753. 
• Imad was well aware of Ballabha Singh's strength and sent an additional 7,000 troops along with 30 pieces of light artillery. The Mughals used their military might to compel Ballabh Singh to agree to pay the taxes owed to them, but the peasants in his territory were apprehensive that they would be required to pay twice. 
• As a result, a second attack was planned, but before it could happen, a dispute arose between Ballabh Singh and Aquibat Khan over the collection of taxes, resulting in the death of Ballabh Singh, his son, his diwan, and nine others on November 29, 1753. 
• Despite the heroic defense of the Jats, they were eventually overwhelmed and the Mughals captured the fort. Imad-ul-mulk renamed the fort as Nizamgadh after his new title and was granted control of it along with Faridabad as jagir. However, in the future, the successors of Ballabh Singh managed to recover some of their lost territories with the assistance of Raja Surajmal of Bharatpur.

Political Fragmentation in Haryana during the 18th Century

• In the mid-18th century, the rulers of Delhi lost their administrative control over Haryana, which was largely divided among local chiefs and subject to encroachment by neighboring powers. Raja Surajmal of Bharatpur occupied Faridabad and its adjacent area, Madho Singh of Jaipur seized Kanod and Narnaul, while Ahir rulers governed Rewari and Shahajahanpur. 
• Kamgar Khan Baluch, the governor of Farrukhnagar, held a vast territory consisting of the whole districts of Rohtak and Hissar, parts of Gurgaon, Jind, and Patiala. Qutb Shah, mistakenly referred to as Ruhela, took over parts of the Panipat and Sarhind district west of the Jamuna, while Najabat Khan Ruhela controlled parts of Kurukshetra and Karnal, including Indri, Ajimabad, Pipli, and Shahbad, comprising about 110 villages. 
• Muhammad Amin and Hasan Khan, originally from the Bhatti clan, occupied Fatehabad, Rania, and Sirsa. Bahadur Khan, who previously served Kamgar and later Imad, was granted the jagir of Bahadurgarh. Other minor chiefs of Haryana, Asadulla Khan, and Hasan Ali Khan, the brother and nephew of Kamgar Khan, ruled Tauru and Jhajjar, respectively.