The Maulaheri family are a family of Panwar Jat zamindars [1] that derive their name from the village of Maulaheri, situated on the banks of the Hindon River, in Muzaffarnagar District, Western Uttar Pradesh. The Maulaheris were the most prominent Jat zamindars in the region, and they participated in the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
The Jats had slowly established themselves in Western Uttar Pradesh, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Maulaheris were among the most successful Jat families.
On the eastern side of Muzaffarnagar district, not merely were the Jats generally a prospering caste, for whom the opening of the majestic Ganges Canal in April 1854 offered splendid prospects, but in the wealthy Jat family of Maulaheri in Muzaffarnagar pargana a new magnate element is evident. By Cadelli's time the family were substantial landholders in Muzaffarnagar and Khatauli, owning altogether some 6000 acre in the Ganges Canal Tract. [2]
The 1901 Muzaffarnagar Gazetteer noted that the family was led by Chaudhary Ghasiram (or Ghasi Ram), the son of Chaudhary Jawahir Singh.
The chief Jat landholder in the district is Chaudhri Ghasiram, the son of Chaudhri Jawahir Singh of Maulaheri in tahsil Muzaffarnagar. He is the head of the great family of Maulaheri Jats, and owns twelve villages, paying a revenue of Rs. 9736. Of these six lie in Baghra, three in Muzaffarnagar, two in Khatauli and one in Bhuma Sambalhera. [3]
In 1857, the Maulaheris rallied the locals and attempted to sabotage the logistic lines of the British. They tried coordinating with other Indians, like the Marathas, to better take advantage of the chaos. An extract explains:
Receiving practically no support from the local inhabitants, the British force was exposed to Maratha onslaughts. Ghasi Ram, the Jat zamindar of Shamli, played an important role as an ally of the Marathas, impeding supplies to the British force. [4]
However, the British ultimately stabilized the situation. The Maulaheris had proven to be effective rebels, but they and their accomplices were caught and punished.
Ghasi Ram, the leading Jat zamindar of the place, was chiefly instrumental in stopping Colonel Burn's supplies and otherwise annoying his forces. His son, Mohar Singh, following in the paternal footsteps, was consequently hanged on account of similar achievements during the year 1857. The British commander permitted his troops to burn the town as a punitive measure. [5] [1]