Ram Singh I

Amir-ul-Umara Mirza Raja Ram Singh I
Raja of Amber
Raja of Amber
Reign	28 August 1667–10 April 1688
Coronation	10 September 1667
Predecessor	Jai Singh I
Successor	Bishan Singh
Born	(1629-08-22)22 August 1629 Amber, Rajputana
Died	10 April 1688(1688-04-10) (aged 58) Kohat, Pakhtunkhwa, Mughal Empire
Spouse	Hadiji of Kota Rathorji Ram Kanwarji of Marwar Chauhanji Anup Kanwarji of Nimrana in Amber Gaurji of Sheopur in Malwa Bagheliji Shyam Kanwarji of Rewa in Baghelkhand
Issue	Yuvraj Kishan Singh (died in teenage)
Dynasty	Kachwaha
Father	Jai Singh I
Mother	Jadonji Anand Kanwarji d.of Raja Mukund Das of Karauli
Religion	Hinduism

Mirza Raja Ram Singh I was the Raja of the Kingdom of Amber and head of the Kachhwaha Rajput dynasty, succeeding his father Mirza Raja Jai Singh I. He also served as the general of the Mughal Empire and commander-in-chief of its army as well as the Subahdar of Kashmir.

He was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb as a commander of 4000 in 1667 ^[1] to invade the Ahom Kingdom of present-day Assam, ^[2] but the loss at the Battle of Saraighat (1671) and the subsequent retreat ^[3] led to his recall to the capital and following disgrace and a downfall in rank and order at the imperial Mughal court which though lasted for a short span of time, rejuvenated by his great-grandson Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II ^[4] in the beginning of 18th century.

Escape of Shivaji

After the incomplete Mughal invasion of Bijapur in 1665, Maratha king Shivaji was sent to the Mughal court in Agra on 12 May 1666. Shivaji was offended by being made to stand alongside relatively low-ranking nobles, ^[5] stormed out of the court, and was promptly placed under house arrest. Ram Singh was granted custody of Shivaji and his son Sambhaji. ^[6]

Shivaji's situation under house arrest was precarious. Aurangzeb's court deliberated whether to execute him or keep him as a servant. Jai Singh, having assured Shivaji of his personal safety, tried to influence Aurangzeb's decision. ^[7] However, Aurangzeb intended to kill Shivaji and ordered Faulad Khan to transfer Shivaji from Ram Singh's custody to the house of Radanaza Khan. Ram Singh refused to deliver over Shivaji because of his father's promise of safety to Shivaji and said he should be slain first to kill Shivaji. Aurangzeb made him to sign security bond for Shivaji. ^[8]

Shivaji devised a strategy to secure his freedom. He ordered the majority of his troops home and urged Ram Singh to withdraw his pledges to the emperor for the safe custody of himself and his son. ^[9] Shivaji escaped and left Agra on 17 August 1666, by putting himself in one of the enormous baskets and his son Sambhaji in another.

After Shivaji's escape, Ram Singh was accused of assisting Shivaji's escape and was punished, first by being barred from entering court and subsequently by being demoted. ^[10]

Campaign in Assam

Further information: Battle of Alaboi and Battle of Saraighat

It is believed that Ram Singh was sent to lead a military campaign in Assam against the Ahom Kingdom as his punishment, for allegedly assisting Shivaji to escape from the captivity at Agra. Service in Assam was very unpopular in the Mughal court and no soldier have been gone there unless compelled. Ram Singh was accompanied by 4000 Rajput troops, 1500 ahadis, 500 Mughal artillerymen and 15,000 archers sent from Koch Behar. ^{[11] [12]} However, he attempted peace negotiations in 1670 after the Battle of Alaboi but failed. After the Battle of Saraighat, he retired to Rangamati and left Bengal and returned to the Mughal court in 1676. ^[13]

Death

Ram Singh grew sick of war and finally, in 1676 he was allowed to leave and return to his province. He was later posted to quell the rebellion of the Pashtuns in Kohat where he died in 1688. ^[14] He was succeeded by his grandson Bishan Singh as the Raja of Amber.^{[ citation needed ]}

See also

• House of Kachwaha
• Mughal Empire
• Ahom-Mughal conflicts
• Battle of Saraighat

Notes

1. "Learning of the loss of Kamrup on 19th December 1667, Aurangzeb decided to at once retrieve imperial prestige and regain lost dominion" ( Sarkar 1992 :211)
2. "(Aurangzeb) commissioned Ram Singh of Amber, son of the distinguished general Mirza Rajah Jai Singh, and a commander of 4000, to lead an invasion of Assam." ( Sarkar 1992 :211)
3. "Weakened by repeated defeats and consequent losses and losing all hopes of recovering imperial grace by defeating the Ahom monarch, Ram Singh left Kamrup in early April 1671 and returned to Rangamati." ( Sarkar 1992 :227)
4. "Aurangzeb at once demoted the Rajput general by 2000 and ordered his recall. Accordingly, he made over charge to Abu Nisar Khan and had audience with the Emperor on 25 June 1676." ( Sarkar 1992 :228)
5. Gordon, Stewart (1994). Marathas, Marauders, and State Formation in Eighteenth-century India. Oxford University Press. p. 206. ISBN   978-0-19-563386-3.
6. Jain, Meenakshi (1 January 2011). THE INDIA THEY SAW (VOL-3). Prabhat Prakashan. pp. 299, 300. ISBN   978-81-8430-108-3.
7. Gordon, Stewart (1 February 2007). The Marathas 1600–1818. Cambridge University Press. p. 76. ISBN   978-0-521-03316-9.
8. Shivaji and his times : Sarker, Jadunath : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022– via Internet Archive.
9. Sarkar, Jadunath (1994). A History of Jaipur: C. 1503–1938. Orient Blackswan. ISBN   978-81-250-0333-5.
10. Shivaji and his times : Sarker, Jadunath : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022– via Internet Archive.
11. Sarkar, Jadunath; Sinh, Raghubir (1984). A History of Jaipur. Orient Longman. p. 146.
12. S.K. Bhuyan (1957). Lachit Borphukan and his times. Government of Assam in the Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies. p. 34.
13. Sarkar, Jadunath (1928). History of Aurangzib Vol.3. M. C. Sarkar And Sons Pvt Ltd, Calcutta. pp. 188–190.
14. Sarkar, Jadunath (1994). A History of Jaipur:1503–1938. Orient Longman. pp. 146–147. ISBN   9788125003335. Ram Singh was sent to Assam as a punishment for secretly helping Shivaji....He (Ram Singh) had only 8,000 troopers under his standard....The Ahoms, being a nation in arms, mustered 100,000

References

• Sarkar Jadunath (1984, reprint 1994). A History of Jaipur, New Delhi: Orient Longman, ISBN   81-250-0333-9.
• Sarkar, J. N. (1992), "Chapter VIII Assam-Mughal Relations", in Barpujari, H. K. (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, vol. 2, Guwahati: Assam Publication Board, pp. 148–256