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Historical Information Of District Mahendragarh
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Medieval Period
After the death of Shihab-ud-din Ghuri, one of his generals, Qutb-ud-din Aibak,
laid the foundations of the Turkish rule in India in 1206. The territory now
comprising the Mahendragarh district though formed a part of his newly founded
kingdom, yet he appears to have exercised no effective control over it. Except
for creating an administrative agency to collect land revenue effectively, he
did not interfere in the internal affairs of the villages. Aibak's successor
litutmish is, however, reported to have made some far reaching changes which
had great impact on the administration. He divided the kingdom into several
Iqtas : the present district was parcelled into lqtas, namely, Narnaul and
Rewari.4 An officer called Mukti controlled the total affairs of
each lqta under the direct supervision and control of the Sultan.
This arrangement continued upto 1290, when after the deposition of the last of
the Mamiuk rulers, Shamsuddin, the district came under the control of the
Khaljiis. The new masters exercised greater and far more strict control over
the district than their predecessors. Their economic hold was coercive. As a
result, the suffering people grew restive. But the strong hand of the rulers
made them ineffective. The situation changed, however, after Ala-ud-Din
Khalji's death (1316). The people raised their heads against the oppressive
rule. There was some relief for sometime but they were again brought under the
same type of rule by the Tugluqs who replaced the Khalijis. The same old story
of oppression and exploitation was repeated during the reigns of the first two
Tughluqs-Ghias and Muhammad, but Firuz (1351-88) who came after them gave some
solace to the suffering masses by reducing taxes and giving other reliefs.
1.
Dashratha Sharma, Early Chauhan Dynasties, Delhi, 1959, p. 92.
2.
Ibid., pp. 59,74 (for Jinapati Suri's account), Bijolia Inscription, El, XXVI,
v. 19, page 104; Kharataragachchka-,pattavaii of Jinapala, ed. Jinavijayamuni,
Singhi Jaina Granthamala, No. 42, Bombay, 1956, p. 258.
3.
Buddha Prakash (Ed.), Glimpses of Haryana, Kurukshetra, 1967, pp. 29-32. 4.
K.C. Yadav, Haryana Ka lilhas, (Hindi), 1981, Vol. 11, p. 33.
After
Firuz's death, the district felt the full force of those intensive
The Sayaids after Tugluqs, tried to bring the district under their control,
but they also seem to have achieved little success. However, in 1450, Bahlol
Lodi, the then Governor of Punjab capitalized on the prevailing situation and
brought them under the Lodi sway which lasted (under him and his successors) f
or a little over 76 years (1450-1526). It was during the rule of the Lodis (Bahlol)
that Jagir was given to Ibrahim Khan Sur, the grand father of great Sher Shah
near Narnaul with headquarters at a small village Hired Simla2 (Simli).
In 1526, Babur, the Mughal invader from Central Asia, - wrested the district
alongwith other territories from Ibrahim Lodi.
Soon after establishing his rule in northern India, Babur brought the district
under his effective control. He placed a sizeable part of the district under
the sarkar of Mewat. The rest of the territory was given to one of his
faithful officers, Ahsan Taimur, in Jagir.3
Humayun, who succeeded Babur in 1530, seems to have made no change in the
existing arrangement. Humayun's rule proved short-lived ; he was thrown out by
Sher Shah Suri in 1540. Sher Shah had immense liking and love for the land of
his birth.4 He built a very magnificent mausoleum at Narnaul on the
grave of his grand father, Ibrahim.
Sher Shah was an administrative genius. He divided his whole kingdom into
sixty six sarkars. Mahendragarh came under the sarkars of Narnaul and Rewari.
Their administration was carried out by two officials, namely,
shiqdar-i-shiqdarn and munsif-i-munsijan. The two sarkars were further divided
into parganas. Unfortunately there is no direct evidence to give the exact
number of parganas into which the district was then divided, but it is
surmised, that their number was about six, namely ; Rewari Bawal, Pataudi
under Rewari; and Narnaul, Kanaud (modern Mahendragarh) and Kanti under
Narnaul. The parganas were controlled by shiqdars, munsifs, and junior
officials like Qanungos, Khajanchis. The smallest unit of administration was
village which was administered by the muqadams and panchayats with thc help of
the patwaris and chaukidars.5
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1. In
the contemporary literature no reference is trade to this region for a pretty
long time which suggests that the region bad gone out of the bands of the
Sultans.
2.
K.R. Qanungo, Sher Shah and His Times,
Bombay, 1965, p. 26.
3.
See K.C. Yadav, Haryan Ka Itihas (Hindi)
1981, Vol. 11, p. 67.
4. Sher
Shah was born at Namaul in 1486. See K.C. Yadav 'Sher Shah Suri Ka Jamnasthan',
Journal of Haryana Studies, Vol. IX (1977), pp. 50-52.
5. For
more details see K.C. Yadav, op. cit, p. 69.
Sher Shah ruled for only five years (1540-45). There was peace, prosperity
At
this juncture, a remarkable local noble appeared on the scene. He was
Hemchandra (popularly called Hemu), a resident of Rewari. He had a very humble
origin, but by dint of his ability and sheer strength of character, he rose up
to lofty heights. Islam Shah, the Sur King of Delhi (I 553) developed a
special liking for him and gave him high rank in his court. His successor,
Adil Shah, went still further he entrusted him with all his powers and
functions. Hemu did not betray the, trust reposed in him by the Sur potentate
; he defended the falling fortunes of the Sur empire, by fighting as many as
twenty-two battles against the enemies of the Surs and defeated them.
When
Akbar came to occupy his paternal throne, Hemu gave him tough opposition. Agra
and Delhi, the two strong Mughal fortresses collapsed like a house of cards at
the very first knock of Hemu. He was equally strong at Panipat where Akbar
himself stood in opposition on 5 November, 1556. Riding "proudly on an
elephant named 'Hawai', he (Hemu) showed every stratagem which his powerful
capacity could conceive...." Abul Fazl admits. "He made powerful
onslaughts and performed many valourous acts and dislodged many strenuous
soldiers of the sublime army.1 Hemu's men, too, fought well. They
were in a better position to begin with, but fate had something else for them
in store. "Suddenly in the midst of the contest", says Abul Fazi,
"' an arrow reached Hemu's eye and piercing the socket came out at the
back of his road.2' He collapsed in the howdah and Akbar won the
battle of Panipat.
_______________________________________________________________________
l. Abul
Fazl, Akbar-nama, (Eng. Tr. Boveridge). 1912, 'VD1. 11, p. 64.
2.
Ibid., p. 65.
3. Abul
Fazl, Ain-i-Akbarl (Eng. Tr. H.S. Jarret), 1949, Vol. 11, pp. 291-310.
The
administrative machinery that controlled the villages, mahals and sarkars was
almost of the same type as was found in this region in the time of Sher Shah.
This
administrative set up remained intact during the reigns of 'Akbar's
successors--Jahangir (1605-1627), Shahjahan (1627-1658), and Aurangzeb
(1658-1707). There was peace and tranquillity all around except of course in
the reign of the last named king. His economic exploitation and religious
harassment led the Satnamis of Narnaul to challenge his authority.
The
Satnamis were a peaceful sect believing in the unity of God, mostly employed
in agriculture. They were honest, industrious and formed a brotherhood calling
themselves Satnamis, Satnam means good name.
In 1672,
a petty quarrel near Narnaul between a Satnami cultivator and a Mughal
foot-soldier of the local revenue collector led to the rebellion. The
high-handedness of the soldier was too much for them to bear and the,
Wrangling soon developed into a religious war against the Mughals. The
Satnamis defeated the imperialists on several occasions and took possession of
the town and district of Narnaul. When these alarming news reached the
emperor, he sent there a large force under Radanaz Khan, equipped with
artillery. The Satnamis fought with courage and determination but could not
succeed against the well-organised and well-equipped Mughal force. Two
thousand men of this sect fell fighting on the field and many of them were
killed during the pursuit. The rebellion was thus crushed and the affected
areas brought under control.1
After
Aurangzeb's death (1707), the position changed drastically. The mountebanks
and imbeciles who sat on the Mughal throne after the last of the great Mughals,
failed to check the forces of chaos and confusion that were let loose at that
time. In consequence, the people became disorderly all around and refused to
pay revenue. Their villages which were nothing short of fortresses surrounded
by mud walls could only be reduced by artillery and huge force which the local
authority could not always muster.
This
situation further worsened when Nadir Shah launched a fierce attack on India
in 1739. Nadir was checked at Karnal, where a fierce battle was fought.
Balkrishan, the Rao of Rewari, who fought heroically at the head of an army of
5,000 strong, was killed in this battle. Nadir, the victor, praised the late
Rao's heroic deedS.2
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1. R.C.
Majumdar (Fd.), The History and Culture of the Indidn People, The Mughal
Empire, 1974,pp. 236-37.
2. Man
Singh, AbhirkuWipika, (Urdu), 1900, Delhi, p.. I 10.
After
Nadir's retreat from India, chaos and confusion which spread to every nook and
comer of the Mughal empire held the district in its dark fold. Many ambitious
powers came in the field to make capital of the prevailing situation. They
occupied the territory showing the least regard for the imperial Authority and
the entire territory became dotted with small principalities of these, the
Raos’ of Rewari were the most powerful and dominating.
The
state of Rewari was carved out of a jungle-jagir by Ruda Singh, a Yadav noble
from Tijara, who obtained it in 1555 from the Mughal Emperor Humayun for
rendering meritorious services during the lattees encounter with the Surs.1
Ruda Singh had his headquarters located at Bolni, a small village, 12 km
south-east of Rewari. He cleared the jungle and founded new villages.2
Ruda
Singh was succeeded by his son, Ram Singh, popularly known as Ramoji. His
estate was infested with dacoits and freebooters who had created chaos and
confusion everywhere. Ram Singh built a fort at Boini and employed a small
force of cavalry and infantry. He was a fearless warrior and after a long and
hard struggle succeeded in extirpating the criminals. Two of these notorious
dacoits, who had carried on the depredations to the very gate of the imperial
capital were sent to Emperor Akbar. Pleased with the daring action, the
emperor appointed Ram Singh as faujdar of the sarkar of Rewari in the subah of
Delhi.3 Ram Singh is said to have witnessed the reigns of Akbar and
Jahangir, while his son and successor, Shahbaz Singh, was a contemporary of
Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. The latter Rao was a great warrior who died fighting
against a daring robber of notoriety, Hathi Singh, a Badgujar Rajput of Dhana,
now known as Badshahpur.4
Shahbaz
Singh was succeeded by his eldest son, Nand Ram. He retained the confidence of
Emperor Aurangzeb who confirmed him in his jagir and granted him the title of
Chaudhari.5 He founded the villages of Nandrampur and Dharuhera
near Rewari, laid out gardens and tanks, and built a palatial residence for
himself in the heart of the town of Rewari to which
_______________________________________________________________________
1. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika Urdu (1900) Delhi, p.105, Krishnanand Khedkar, the
Divine Heritage of the Yadavas, pp. 192-93; Krishnanand, Ahir Itihas, p.270.
K.C. Yadav, 'History of the Rewari State 1555-1857; Journal of the Rajasthan
Historical Research Society, Vol. 1(1965), p. 21.
2. Man
Singh, op. cit., 1900. pp. 105-6.
3. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika, (Urdu), 1900, Delhi p. 106, Krisbnanand Khedkar, The
Divine Heritage of the Yadavas, p. 193. The sarkar of Rewari as described by
Abul Fazi (Ain-i-Akbari, Vol.II, p. 298)comprised l2 Mahals of Bawal, Pataudi
Bhora, Tauru, Rewari, Ratai, Kotkasim, Ghelot and Nimrana. Its forces
consisted of 2,175 cavalry and 14,600 infantry.
4. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika, (Urdu), 1900, Delhi, p. 106.
S.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910 (on p. 20) says : "In the time of
Aurangzeb, Nand Ram rose into royal favour and was made governor of the
pargana of Rewari".
The
robber Hathi Singh was taken into service by the famous chief of Bharatpur,
and Hathi Singh's rising power was intolerable to Nand Ram and his brother Man
Singh. The latter, in collaboration with his brother, secretly put the
notorious dacoit to death at Agra, and thus avenged the death of his father2.
Nand Ram died in 1713. He was succeeded by his eldest son Balkishan.
Balkishan
was in the military service of Aurangzeb and as stated above, he fell in the
battle of Karnal on 24th February, 1739 while fighting against Nadir Shah.
Muhammad Shah was so much impressed with the Rao's bravery and heroism that on
Nadir's departure he granted to Balkishan's brother Gujar Mal the title of Rao
Bahadur and Commander of five thousand. His territories were largely increased
by the addition of 52 villages in the district of Hisar, and the same number
in the district of Narnaul. His jagir then included the important towns of
Rewari, Jhajjar, Dadri, Hansi, Hisar, Kanaud and NarnaUI3. In 1743, he
received a few more villages worth Rs. 2,00,578.
Rao
Gujar Mal's two bitterest enemies were the Baluch chief of Farmkhnagar and
Bahadur Singh of Ghasera, a descendant of Hathi Singh who was now acting
independently of Suraj Mal, the Jat Raja of Baharatpur. Gujar Mal counteracted
their malicious designs by attaching himself with Raja Suraj Mal. Gujar Mal
was also on friendly terms with Bahadur Singh's father-in-law Todar Mal of
village Nimrana. The latter invited Gujar Mal to his residence and there
killed him under pressure of Babadur Singh in 1750.4 In him (Gujar
Mal) power of his family reached its culminating point. He erected forts at
Guravvada and Gokulgarh, near Rewari.5 At Gokulgarh what were
popularly known as "gokul Sikka" rupees were minted.6 He
founded the villages of Brahanpur and Morna in Meerut pargana, Ramgarh, Jitpur
and Srinagar in Rewari pargana, built large houses at Rewari, Gokulgarh and
Digal (Jhajar pargana) ; and built his father's tomb at Rewari and a tank near
it.7
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2.
Ibid., p. 108.
3. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika, (Urdu), 1900, Delhi p. 110; Krishnanand Khedkar, The
Divine Heritage of the Yadvas, p. 193.
4. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika, (Urdu) 1900, Delhi p. 110. S. Gurgaon District
Gazetteer, 1910, p. 21.
6.
"These coins (of Gujar Mal)", says Khedkar (The Divine Heritage of
the Yadavas p. 193)" are still extant in thew districts.
7. Man
Singh, Abhirkuladipika (Urdu), 1900, Delhi, pp. 113-14.
Guiar
Mal was succeeded by his son Bhawani Singh. He was lazy and careless. In
consequence, his estates began to dwindle rapidly. Baluch Nawab of
Farrukhnagar, the Nawab of Jhajar and the Raja of Jaipur encroached upon his
territory, and he was left in possession of 23 villages only.
Bhawani
Singh was killed in 1758 by his own manager, Tulsi Ram, who in turn was done
away with shortly afterwards. Tulsi Ram`s son Mittar Sain succeeded to the
post of the manager under the next chief Ram Singh. Mittar Sain helped the
Mughals against Jaipur in 1780. Najaf Quli, Begum Samru and Mittar Sain
attacked and plundered Narnaul on 5 February. On 14th February, 400 men of the
garrison made a sortie and attacked the trenches of Mittar Sain Ahir
inflicting a hundred casualities.1 To retaliate, the Jaipur rulers
attacked Rewari in the early months of 1781 ; and in the conflict both sides
suffered heavy losses. In 1785, a Maratha expedition to Rewari was repelled.
Shortly afterwards Mittar Sain passed away. The Marathas invaded again, killed
most of the members of the Mittar Sain's family and sacked the town. Rao Ram
Singh died fighting.2
The next
chief, Hira Singh, was a worthless fellow, and the real control of affairs
into the hands of a local trader Zauki Ram3. The famous Maratha
general, Mahadji Sindhia stayed at Rewari in 1787, apparently to regulate the
affairs and collect money from here. On Mahadji's departure a rebel courtier
of Delhi Najaf Qui Khan occupied- the fort of Gbkulgarh, three kilornetres
north of Rewari4. Emperor Shah Alam II marched from 'Delhi to
punish' the refractory chief. The Emperor encamped at Bharawas, eight
kilometres south of Rewari. Begum Samru was with the Emperor. On 12 March,
1788, Najaf Quli inflicted heavy losses on the Mugals in a night attack. But
Begum Samru artillery proved effective and compelled Njaf Quli to sue for
peace.5
Zauki
Ram's supremacy was intolerable to many. At this juncture, Tej Singh, a
relative of the Raos of Rewari6 and the ruler of tauru came to the
front. He was supporter of the Marathas who granted him the parganas of Tauru,
Sohna, Nuh, Hodal, Palwal, Tapukara, Kot Kasimi Pataudi and Bawal all the
value of Rs. 25 lakh annually.7 He fixed his headquarters at Tauru.
Being appealed to by the mother of Ram Singh, he attacked Rewari, slew Zauki
Ram and established his own power.
_______________________________________________________________________
1.
Jadunath Sarkar, Fall of the Mughal Empire,
Vol. IU,. 1964, p. 140.
1.
Man Singh, Abhirkuladipika (Urdu), 1900,
Delhi p. 123.
1.
Gurgaon, District Gazetteer, 1910, P. 21.
1.
Jadunath Sarkar, Fall of the Mughal Empire,
v6l. III, 1964, pp.
1.
ibid., pp. 292-93.
2.
He was descended from a branch of the same
stock as that of Gujar Mal which had setttled at Mirpur in the Rewari pargana.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910, P. 21.
3.
Man Singh, Abhirkuladipika (Urdu), 1900,
Delhi p. 123; Krishnanand Khedkar, The Divine Heritage Of the Yadavas, p. 193.
To
control the state of Rewari properly Tej Singh appointed his four brothers in
four frontier villages of Lisan, Dharuhera, Asiaki and Nangal Pathani.1
Tej Singh built a fine house in the mud fort of Rampura, 2 kilometres west of
Rewari and a tank in Rewari at the site of Idgah, a villa in his paternal
village of Mirpur, a camp house in Mohalla Shah Tara in Ajmeri Gate, Delhi,
two camp houses at Mathura and Benaras, and established three new streets at
Rewari called Banjiwara, Tejpura and Bazar Kalan.2
Lord
Lake defeated Daulat Rao Sindhia in September, 1803 and captured Delhi and a
large part of the territory lying between the river Yamuna Valid the Ghaggar.
Thus, Rewari and the whole estate of Tej Singh was forcibly taken possession
of by the British East India Company. Tej Singh was allowed to retain 58
villages only in perpetuity.3 The paragana of Bhora was given to
Tej Singh's brother Ram Bakbash, who lived at Dharuhera. in 1808-09, all these
villages were settled by Fraser, the Magistrate of Delhi4.
Tej
Singh died in 1823, when his property was divided among his three sons, Puran
Singh, Nathu Ram and Jawahar Singh.5 The youngest brother Jawahar
Singh died childless and his estate was equally divided between remaining
brothers, Puran Singh and Nathu Ram. On their death their estates were
inherited by their respective sons Tula Ram and Gopal Dev.6 Tula
Ram and Gopal Dev staked everything and played a significant role in throwing
off the British, yoke in 1857. This as noted below, cost them their estates.
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Modern
Period
In
1750's like this Raos of Rewari, Raja Madho Singh of Jaipur seized a sizeable
territory in the district around Narnaul and Kanaud.7 He placed the
territory under the care of Balwant Singh. In the mid-decade the district
passed under the sway of the Marathas. The Raos of Rewari, as noted above,
opposed them fora while but ultimately accepted the Maratha over lordship. The
Rajput chief accepted this position without any opposition. Maratha over
lordship, of the district proved short-lived, however, as situation elsewhere
compelled them to leave this territory in 1755.8
_______________________________________________________________________
1.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910, p. 21.
2.
Man Singh, Abhirkuladipika (Urdu), 1900,
Delhi p. 123; Krishranaud khedkar, The Divine Heritage of the Yadavas, p. 75.
3.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910, p. 21.
4.
For a detailed account of this settlement
see Punjab Government Records, Vol.l, Delhi Agency and Residency Records,
1805-1857.
5.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910, p.,25
File R]194, 267-69, (State Archives, Patiala),
6.
File R/194,267-69 (Punjab State Archives,
Patiala).
7.
K.C. Yadav, Haryana Ka Itihas, (Hindi),
198,1, VoL p, 98. B. Ibid., p. 99.
There
was no development worth mentioning. for the next fifteen years. But in 1771
there came Mirza, Najaf Khan, who saved the failing fortunes of the Mughal
empire as its Prime Minister by re establishing his authority over the lost
territories around the imperial capital. First be brought the Raos of Rewari
under his control. Then he seized the Narnaul-Kanaud tract from the Rajputs
and placed it in the charge of his trusted noble Najaf Quli.1 This
man proved to be a successful administrator and controlled the affairs of this
region for well over two decades though his position bad considerably weakened
after his master's death in 1782.
In 1792,
the Maratha chief Mahadji Sindhia succeeded in Snatching the district from his
rebel General Ismail Beg2 and placed it under his direct control.3
This arrangement continued until 1803 when Mahadji's successor Daulat Rao
Siudhia handed over the district alongwith other districts to the 'British
East India Company by the treaty of Sarji Arjungaon.4 The new
masters (the British) did not take the district under their control they gave
it to the local chiefs instead. Most of the Rewari--Bawal territory was given,
as noted above to Tej Singh, a scion of the Raos of Rewari as an istamarari
grant and the Narnaul-Kanaud tract was made a part of the Jhajjar State.6
The
Jhajjar State, as noted above, was created by the British and was given to
Nawab Nizabat Ali Khan, a Baharaich Pathan in 1806 for his meritorious
services during the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803. Abdur Rehman who succeeded in
1845 was Nawab of Jhajjar in 1857 when there was an uprising. Although he did
not play any positive role, yet his subjects rose en masse. The British,
however, doubted his integrity and hanged him. His state was confiscated and
the Narnaul-Kanaud tract was given to Maharaja of Patiala.
The
British' rule of about half a century from 1803 to 1857, produced a great deal
of discontent and disaffection among almost every section of the people
throughout Haryana. The Mahendragarh district was no exception to this; right
from the chiefs to the lowest man over here was unhappy with the rule of
British East India Company. In other words, the -round for a general uprising
against the British lay prepared in the district. It only required a spark for
the bursting forth of a conflagration. This Was provided by -the sepoys on
10th 'May, 1857 at Ambala and Meerut.
_______________________________________________________________________
2. K.C.
Yadav, Haryana Ka Itihas (Hindi), 1981, Vol. 11, pp. 129-30.
3.
Mahadji placed the Gurgaon-Rewari-Narnaul-Kanaud tract in the Mewat district.
Three other districts were 14isar, Panipat and Delhi. See Ibid., pp. 130-31.
4.
Aitchison C.V., Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads, 1870, Vol. IV,
pp. 42-46.
5.
Gurgaon District Gazetteer, 1910, p. 21.
6. See
Aitchison, op. cit., Vol. VEI, pp. 126-27.
On
hearing the news of the happenings at these two places and Delhi, the people
of the district rose up in revolt. In the Rewari area, lead was given by Rao
Tula Ram. His cousin Gopal Dev also stood by him. As seen above, the
forefathers of the Raos had helped the Marathas in 1803 in their light against
the British and as a result when the latter came out successful in the
struggle, they confiscated their jagir and gave instead an istamarari grant of
about 58 villages. This was a great blow to the Raos which shattered their
position and made them unhappy with British Raj.
On l7
May, 1857,the Rao went to the tahsil headquarters at Rewari with four to five
hundred followers and deposed the tahsildar and thanedar. They appropriated
the cash from the tahsil treasury, took all the government buildings in their
possession and proclaimed, under the sanction of Emperor BahadurShah, their
rule over the pargana of Rewari, Bhora and Shahjahanpur. For their
headquarters, they chose Rampura, a small fortified village, one mile
south-west of Rewari. Tula Ram, the elder Rao became Raja and Gopal Dev his
commander-in-chief.1
After
assuming charge, Tula Ram organised the revenue department and collected
revenue and taxes. He took donations and loans from the mahajans of Rewari. He
raised a force (about five thousand men) and set up a large workshop in the
fort of Rampura where a substantial number of 'guns, gun-carriages, and other
small Arms and ammunition were manufactured. The Rao enforced law and order
and defended his State from outside attacks.2
These
activities pleased Bahadur Shah and he confirmed Rao Tula Ram in his jagirs of
Rewari, Bhora and Shahjahanpur. Tula Ram in return rendered all possible help
to Emperor Bahadur Shah and those revolters waging war against the British in
DelHi. He sent Rs.45,000 through General Bakht Khanat such acritical time when
non-payment of the salaries to the sepoys had caused great insecurity and
anxiety, though this small sum did not improve the situation. The Rao also
supplied the Delhi forces with large quantities of necessary commodities.3
But this
help could not protect Delhi which fall to the British on September 2O, 1857.
Soon after Brigadier-General Showers ied out a column (from Delhi) of 1,500
men with a light field battery, 18 two-pounder guns and two small mortars,
"to attack and destroy Rao Tula Ram and his follower and to raze his fort
(at Rewari)." The column had light skirmish with some Rewari-sowars on
October 5 at Pataudi, 37 miles from Delhi. In the
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Ibid.
p. 59.
3.
Ibid., p. 59-60.
The
British column reached Rewari on October 6. The fort of Rewari (Rampura) was
taken without any opposition. Immediately after the Occupation of the fort of
Rewari, Brigadier-General Showers sent a messenger to Tula Ram telling him
that if he submitted alongwith guns and arms, he would be treated on merits.
But Tula Ram turned down the inducement.1
Showers
stayed at Rewari for a week and settled the villages around it. On October 12,
he left for Jatusana where some horsemen of the gawab of Jhajar had collected.
These sowars had no nerve to oppose the column and they surrendered without
resistance. Next, going via Kosli, Ladain, Matanhail, the column reached
Chuchhakwas (about 10 miles from Jhajjar), the hunting resort of the Nawab of
Jhajjar, on October 16.2
The
British forces moved speedily towards Kanaud. They halted for a while at Nahar,
30 miles from Jhajjar, where they were joined by other forces. Here a party of
revolters from Jhajjar and Delhi attacked them but they were soon defeated.
The revolters lost 40 of their men, 50 cavalry horses and a few nine-pounder
guns.3
A word
about happenings in the Narnaul-Kanaud tract was spread. As noted above, the
Nawab Abdur. Rehman Khan of Jhaj'j'ar beneath whose control this tract was,
did not play any positive role._ But his father-in-law (and General) Samad
Khan did a great job. He gave inspiring lead to the ,people who rose upon
Iagainst the British. The people Iof the Narnaul ,Kanaud tract in no way
lagged behind their fellow compatriots.
At
Chhuchhakwas, Showers contacted Nawab of Jhabar and asked him to surrender. He
was arrested later, tried and hanged.
Showers
next asked his forces to proceed to Kanaud. The arrest of .the Nawab had
demoralizing effect on the garrison stationed there. It was for this reason
that the British forces captured one of the strongest best planned and best
kept forts in India without firing a shot. Fourteen heavy guns, one 8-inch
mortar, two 6-pounder guns and a large quantity of small
_______________________________________________________________________
1.
K.C. Yaday, The revolt of 1857 in Maryann,
1977, p. 11 3.
2.
Ibid, p. 114.
3.
Ibid. p. 114
But
despite all these apparently impressive gains, the Brigadier-General's
campaign could hardly be called successful : he had failed to realize his main
aim that of capturing Tula Ram or Goneral Abdus Samad Khan of Jhajjar, who had
acted as nucleus of revolt in the district. Conversely, the attack of Showers
came as a blessing in disguise to these persons-they left their respective
places on Showers' approach and moved, into, the northern Rajasthan where they
met a rebel force, the Jodhpur Legion from Rajasthan and formed a junction
with it. Then they marched to Rewari and reoccupied it. But strategically
speaking, Rewari was not a good place to camp, so they abandoned it in the
first week of November and occupied Narnaul.2
The British authorities at Delhi were alarmed by these developments. They sent
a strong column comprising about 1,500 strong under Colonel Gerrard, an
officer of conspicuous merit on November 10, 1857. The column reached Rewari
three days later. They occupied the abandoned fort of Rampura. Here they were
joined by two squadrons of the Carabineers.3
After a few days rest at Rewari (Rampura), Col. Gerrard proceeded to Narnaul
via Kanaud and reached there in the evening. In the night he was joined by the
Haryana Field Force. On November 16, Gerrard marched to Narnaul. As the track
was sandy, the column reached Nasibpur, a small village, two miles northwest
of Narnaul and halted for a short rest. The rebel force, having abandoned
their strong fort in the centre of the town pounced on them. Rao Tula Ram's
first charge was irresistible and the British forces scattered before them.
The Pitiala Infantry and the Multani Horse on the British left were completely
disheartened. The whole of the right Bank tied. But at this juncture, the
Guides and the Carabineers came to their rescue and saved the situations.4
The
English fire, especially of the artillery was too much for the revolters. The
Guides and the Carabineers, under the cover of the artillery fire, made a
heavy attack. Next, the Ist Bengal Fusillers swooping upon the weak revolters
Artillery, captured some of their guns. This encouraged the British cavalry on
the right and they pressed through the Indian ranks and successfully
overpowered them on right and in the centre.5
1.
K.C. Yadav, The Revolt of 1857 in Haryana,
1977, p. 115.
2.
ibid., p. 116.
3.
Ibid.. p. 117.
4.
Ibid., pp. 117-118.
5.
Ibid., p. 118
But soon
the situation took an Unexpected turn when Col. Gerrand, the British
Commandant, was mortally wounded by a musket ball, with the result that the
British too were demoralised. Taking full a advantage of the circumstances,
Rao Tula Ram swooped down upon them. The British could not stand the charge
and the Multani Horse fled away in bewilderment. They recaptured their guns
and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. The right and the left wings of the
British forces were thrown into confusion.1
Appreciating
the gravity of the situation Major Caulfield, the officiating British
Commandant, ordered his artillery to start heavy bombardment and his cavalry
and infantrymen to charge straight on with full force in to their front ranks.
Rao Tula Rams forces fought back furiously and stood their grounds. The
British artillery fire, nevertheless, broke their backbone and split their
forces into two parts-one engaged in the close quarter battle and the other
fleeing to go out of the range of the British guns. Meanwhile Kishan Singh and
Ram Lal, the two best commanders, received musket shots and died. This
disheartened Rao Tula Ram's forces and they retreated.2
The
British resumed advance until they came to a dry bed of a stream flowing
between Nasibpur and Narnaul. The British guns were unable to cross the stream
owing to sand, so they diverged to the right and took up a position near the
Horse Artillery guns, whilst the 23rd Panjab Infantry and Patiala Infantry
with other units of the cavalry crossed the stream and advanced towards the
camp.8
The
heavy artillery and infantry fire confused Rao Tula Ram; and they ran
pell-mell in all directions. Mostly, they retreated to the town and hide in
the buildings. The pursuit of the fleeing soldiers was quick and inexorable,
and they were very soon driven out of the town after a little fighting Rao
Tula Ram lost the day and, when the sun went down, there remained none in
Narnaul except heaps of corpses here and there. Though Tula Ram and Abdus
Samad Khan escaped, Rao Kishan Singh, Ram Lal, Samad Khan's son and many other
top-ranking officers were killed in action. The British captured nine guns and
other arms. The total loss on the British side was 70 killed and 45 wounded.
They lost their commander, Col. Gerrard and Capt. Wallace, while Lieutenants
Graije, Kennedy and Pearse were severely wound.4
The
battle of Narnaul was undoubtedly one of the most decisive battles of the
Uprising of 1857. The English felt jubilant over their success in this
confrontation, for it resulted in the complete rout of all the revolters, and
thus
_______________________________________________________________________
1.
K.C. Yadav, The Reolt of 1857 in Haryana,
1977, P. 118-19.
2.
ibid., p.119.
3.
ibid., p. 119.
4.
Ibid., p. 119.
After
the battle, Tula Ram moved into Rajasthan; then joined Tantya Tope's forces
for one year. After the British proclamation of promising unconditional
pardon, amnesty and oblivion to all offences against the British to all except
those who directly or indirectly took part in the murder of British subjects
(issued on November 1,1858). He sent a petition to the Governor-General, Lord
Canning, on December 24, 1858. He stated that he considered himself "an
offender, but as he looked upto the government as his protector, he begged to
solicit that an inquiry might be directed to be instituted and that he As well
as his followers pardoned." He was refused pardon I for he was chief
instigator and prime mover of revolt. , He therefore, left India in 1862. He
went to Iran; then to Afghanistan in the winter of 1862, where he died of
dysentery at Kabul on 23 September 1863 at a young age of 38.1
His
cousin Gopal Dev also fled from Narnaul and took asylum with one of his
relatives at Udairamsar, a village in Bikaner State. He stayed there in
perfect secrecy for four years. Offers of surrender were made to him through
his friends by the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon but he shunned all
enquiries. In consequence, his jagir of 41 villages was confiscated. He died
in 1862.2
With the
end of the revolt, the vengeance of the British started. Hundreds of people
were banged or shot dead and their villages burnt. Rao Tula Ram and Gopal Dev,
as noted above, were dispossessed of their jagirs. The Nawab of Jhajar was
hanged and the part of his State which now constituted the Mahendragarh
district was given to the two loyal chiefs of Patiala and Nabha: the former
getting Narnaul and Kanaud Nizamat and the latter Bawal Nizamat.3
For
quite some time after the Uprising, the people of Mahendragarh suffered a
great deal: obviously the spirit of vengeance on the part of the victors was
Working there. They were denied almost all the benefits of the Raj as a
consequence of which they became backward in all respects.
This
condition was not to remain for long, however. In the last decade of the
preceding century, as elsewhere, the winds of change began to blow here also.
With the spread of western education, urbanization and techno-economic
changes, the people, especially the town-dwelling middle classes were
influenced. The attempts of Arya Samaj were most significant in this
_______________________________________________________________________
1.
K.C. Yadav, Rao Tula Ram, , A Hero of 1857
2.
Ibid, p.147.
3. K.C. Yadav, The Revolt of 1857 in Haryana 1977, p. 122.
The
followers of Arya Samaj brought political awakening to the people in the
district, especially in the Rewari region. As a result, they started taking
interest in public life. Some people also joined the Indian National Congress.
It may, however, be pointed out here that the Congress activities here were
restricted to a limited number of people belonging to the urban middle classes
only. To the villages the 'new wind' was yet to go.2
In 1914
came the First World War, which was by all means a big event. The people of
Mahendragarh, as those of other districts in Haryana, came, to the help of the
government in its war efforts by men, money and material. Young men from
villages enlisted themselves in the army. The rich contributed liberally to
the War Fund and the War Loan. Bihari Lal of Rewari and Jagan Nath of Gurawada
who contributed Rs. 65,000 and Rs. 55,O00 respectively and topped the list.3
The states' people also made substantial contribution through their Rajas.
After
the war, a few rich town-dwellers and big zamindars from the villages received
jagirs and other benefits for their war services. The village youth, hundreds
of whom had offered their blood during the war were discharged from army after
the conclusion of the war. The working classes and poor people residing in the
towns and villages- suffered on account of economic depression and sufferings
that came after the war. In consequence there was discontent and disaffection
all around. Mahatma Gandhi found great opportunity in this, and launched an
All-India agitation when the Government wanted to pass the Rowlatt Bills in
1919.
The
discontented and disaffected masses of the Rewari area took part in the
Rowlatt agitation. Protest meetings were held at Rewari and other big villages
in which strongly worded resolutions were passed against the bills. The
government took no note of the protests and passed in March, 1919, one of the
bills called the Criminal Law Emergency Powers Act. ' The Congressmen of
Rewari area were furious when they heard about it. They observed hartal at
Rewari and other places, took out processions and held meetings opposing the
Act. After the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Palwal (April 10), and then
Jalianwala Bagh tragedy (April 13), the movement reached a high pitch.4
_______________________________________________________________________
1. K.C.
Yadav, Haryana Ka Itihas 1981. Vol. 111, pp. 121-23.
2. The
people in the Princely States were even worse than their village counterparts
elsewhere. I
3. M.S.
Leigh, The Punjab and the War, p. 123.
4.
Meetings were held in the towns and people were exhorted to join the movement.
The response was good. The Tribune, June 12, 1921.
After
August 1, 1920, when Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement, the
struggle became still more intense. Several persons offered themselves for
satyagraha. Many students left schools and some lawyers boycotted courts. The
Swadeshi Movement also gained momentum.
On the
whole, the movement progressed well. In February, 192), when Mahatma Gandhi
withdrew the movement after violence at Chauri-Chaura (Bihar), it came to a
grinding halt here also.
As
elsewhere, the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement gave a sort of
setback to the national movement in the district., The Congressmen were
divided into two camps : (i) Swarajists who wanted to give up non-cooperation
(also called prochangers) and (ii) Non-cooperationists (non-changers). In the
Rewari area the former were in great majority. They left, non-cooperation and
took: part in elections of 1923, 1925, 1926 and 1930. The Hindu Maha Sabha was
a big force and surpassed the Unionists and the Swarajists.1
In 1930,
the Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi. The movement
bestirred the nation and the Rewari area was no exception. Satyagraha sabbas
were formed and volunteers were recruited and they went to jail after breaking
salt laws. The movement was launched on April 22, 1930 when the Rewari
Congress Committee organised a large meeting and made salt openly. Ln second
week of May, 1930 the 'Mutiny' (1857) Week' was also celebrated here. The
Government arrested prominent leaders to crush the movement. There were
indiscriminate lathi charges at a number of places, especially on picketers of
liquor shops, etc. The Congress Organisation was declared unlawful. Despite
all this, however, the struggle went on unabated (except for a brief bait in
1933) till 1933, when Mahatma Gandhi withdrew it and turned it into an
individual satyagraha.
The
withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience movement gave a set-back to the
nationalist effort, The Hindu Maha Sabha became popular and it won the Rewari
seat to the Punjab Assembly in the General Elections of 19372.
These
were bad days for the Congress, as also for the national movement Subhas
Chandra Bose, the then President of the Congress visited Haryana and tried to
put life into the Organisation. This certainly gave morale boost-up to the
local Congressmen and they-became a little active. After some time there came
the World War-11. As elsewhere, the Congressmen in the area opposed the war
efforts of the government. The movement started at a low key, but by 1942
everything warmed up, when the British were asked
_______________________________________________________________________
1. K.C.
Yadav, Elections in Punjab, 1920-47, 1981. 2. Ibid., pp. 74-97.
As at
home, the people of the district made sacrifices to the cause of national
freedom outside India also. A large number of soldiers from here joined the
Indian National Army (INA) and fought against, the British forces under the
leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose. Though the INA lost the war, its soldiers
when they came to the villages after their release, gave great boost to the
Congress activities and the national movement. As a result the social base of
the freedom struggle enhanced a great deal.
What the
Congress did in the Rewari area, the Praja Mandal did in the region under the
princely states. The people of the Mahendragarh Nizamat were also subjected to
great economic exploitation by their ruler. To improve their lot some
enlightened people formed a Praja Mandal in the Nizamat in 1938.1
Soon its branches were opened in towns and villages. Narnaul was the most
active branch of the Praja Mandal.
The
Patiala ruler did not like the behaviour of his subjects indulging in such
anti-state activities. He warned the people Praja Mandal did not listen to him
and launched a movement. Public meetings were organised to voice grievances.
During the Quit India Movement (1942) the Praja Mandal also gained momentum.
The Maharaja warned the people to leave the path of agitation but they kept up
their struggle2. Meantime, some revolutionaries also came in the
field and joined the movement. The revolutionaries were, however, arrested
before they could execute their plans because an accidental explosion exposed
them to the authorities. As a result of frantic efforts on the part of the
police, about 18 persons were arrested. The masses got agitated over the
arrest of these persons. There was a lot of reaction in the town of Narnaul.
People observed hartal and demanded release of the arrested persons. The
leaders of the Praja Mandal capitalized on this situation and started their
agitation with greater gusto. As a result, hundreds of people came up to offer
arrests. The situation became grim. Ultimately, the ruler yielded before
popular pressure: all the arrested persons were released and most of their
demands were accepted.
_______________________________________________________________________
1. K.C.
Yadav, Haryana Mein Swatantrata Andolon Ka itihas, (Hindi) 1975, pp. 173-74.
2.
Ibid., pp. 175-76.
In Bawal
area which was a part of Nabha State, the condition of the people was bad: the
authorities used to take 'begar' and levied exhorbitant taxes on the people.
Educational, medical and other facilities were denied to them. In the 1940's,
when there was awakening in other states, the people of Bawal also organised
themselves to get over their difficulties. The Praja Mandal was formed. The
ruler tried to suppress the movement but he did not achieve any success. By
1946, the Praja Mandal gained great momentum in the region. On March 25, the
state authorities arrested all the prominent Praja Mandal activists and
promulgated Section 144 in the entire region. This, however, did not
dishearten the people who offered satyagraha in large numbers. Ultimately, the
ruler had to yield. He released all the prisoners and conceded many of the
Praja Mandalists' demands.
After
India achieved Independence, the Mahendragarh district along- with the other
districts of the Patiala State formed part of the Patiala and East Punjab
State Union (Pepsu) in 1948, which merged with Punjab in 1956. Haryana was
carved out of Punjab in 1966 and Mahendragarh became the district of the new
state.
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