Maharajas of Bharatpur

The maharajas of Bharatpur are a very important part of the history of the place. These Bharatpur maharajas belonged to the dynasty of the Jats, who started ruling in this region as early as the 17th century. The prominent maharajas of Bharatpur are Badan Singh, Surat Mal and Jawahar Singh.

The first maharaja of Bharatpur - Rajasthan was Badan Singh. He was a Jat ruler of the 18th century. Though the Jats rose to power under the leadership of Bhajjasingh and Rajaram, the Mughals decided to acknowledge the power of the Jats during the reign of Badan Singh.

In the 1750s, the Jats became strong enough to plan an attack on the Mughals. The Mughals could not think of a better solution than recognizing the Jat supremacy. Therefore, they gave the title 'raja' to Badan Singh and settled him in the town of Deeg. It was under the leadership of Badan Singh and Churaman that the Jats were unified against the Mughal power. Though the Mughals got Churaman killed, they could not reduce the power of Badan Singh.

The successor of Badan Singh was Suraj Mal. He was the son of Badan Singh. Suraj Mal is one of the most important maharajas in Bharatpur. He further empowered the Jats and established quite a few beautiful forts and palaces. The Bharatpur Fort and the Deeg Palace are still very well known names in the list of historical structures of the region. The successor of Surat Mall was Jawahar Singh, who was his son. Ultimately, Bharatpur went into the hands of the Mughals.

Last Updated on 23/07/2012