Bharatpur

June 23rd, 2009 |

Author: admin

Bharatpur is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in Mewat region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-fortified city, and the capital of a kingdom ruled by Jat maharajas. The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and Dholpur has played an important part in the Jat history of Rajasthan. Located 50 km west of the city of Agra (the city of the Taj Mahal), it is also the administrative headquarters of Bharatpur District.

History

The young Maharaja of Bharatpur Jaswunt Singh, aged about eleven, in his durbar or court in 1862. The young prince sits in the centre of his guddee or royal seat, which is of velvet richly embroidered with gold. Behind him are four servants, two of whom hold merchauls of peacocks’ feathers, and the chouree of yak’s tail hair. In two rows on either side of the Rajah, the nobles and sirdars of the state are seated, who may be relatives, or officers in various parts of the state services.

The town was named Bharatpur after Bharata, a brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman is the family deity of the erstwhile royal family of Bharatpur. The name “Laxman” was engraved on the arms, seals and other emblems of the state.

The city and the fort of Bharatpur have been believed to be founded by Lord Aditya Consul in the early 17th century. He established a state in the Mewat region south of Delhi, with its capital at Deeg. Leaders such as Gokula, Raja Ram, Churaman and Badan Singh brought the Jats together and moulded them into a force to be reckoned with.

Maharaja Suraj Mal was the state’s greatest ruler; he made the state a formidable force in the region. Suraj Mal took over the site of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, a son of Rustam, and established it as the capital of his state. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around it.

During the British Raj, the state covered an area of 5,123 km² and its rulers enjoyed a salute of 17 guns. The state acceded unto the Dominion of India in 1947. It was merged with three nearby princely states to form the “Matsya Union”, which in turn was merged with other adjoining territories to create the present-day state of Rajasthan.

Former flag of Bharatpur

When Bharatpur was a princely state, it was the only political entity ever to have a chartreuse colored flag. ^[3]

Chronology of Bharatpur rulers

Coat of arms of Bharatpur rulers

The Jat rulers of Bharatpur were from Sinsinwar clan. Before the formation of Bharatpur state, the capital of Sinsinwars was at Sinsini.

Sinsini earlier was known as “Shoor saini” and its inhabitants were known as “Saur Sen”. The influence of Saur Sen people can be judged from the fact that the dialect of all north India at one time was known as ‘Saursaini’.

Shoor Sain people were Chandra Vanshi kshatriyas. Lord Krishna was also born in vrishni branch of Chandravansh. A group of Yadavs followed Shiv and Vedic God in Sindh. Some inscriptions and coins of these people have been found in Mohenjo Daro. Shiv Shani Sevi words have been found engraved on one inscription. Yajur Veda mentions “Shinay Swah”. “Sini Isar” was found on one gold coin. Atharva Veda mentions “Sinwali” for Sini God.

The group of Yadav’s came back from Sindh to the Brij area and occupied Bayana in Bharatpur district. After some struggle, the Balai inhabitants were forced by Shodeo and Saini rulers to move out of Brij land and thus they occupied large areas. Saur Saini was changed to “ShinShoor” or “Sinsini” after their God “Shin”. These people of Sinsini were called Sinsinwar.

The chronology of Sinsinwar Jat clan rulers of Bharatpur is:

The Maharajah of Bharatpore. circa 1882.

Gokula, ? – 1670
Raja Ram, 1670 – 1688
Churaman, 1695 – 1721
Badan Singh, 1722 – 1756
Maharaja Suraj Mal, 1756 – 1767
Maharaja Jawahar Singh, 1767 – 1768
Maharaja Ratan Singh, 1768 – 1769
Maharaja Kehri Singh, 1769 – 1771
Maharaja Nawal Singh, 1771 – 1776
Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 1776 – 1805
Maharaja Randhir Singh, 1805 – 1823
Maharaja Baldeo Singh, 1823 – 1825
Maharaja Balwant Singh, 1825 – 1853
Maharaja Jashwant Singh, 1853 – 1893
Maharaja Ram Singh, 1893 – 1900 (Exiled)
Maharani Girraj Kaur, regent 1900-1918
Maharaja Kishan Singh, 1900 – 1929
Maharaja Brijendra Singh, 1929-1947 (Joined the Indian Union)

Keoladeo National Park

Main article: Keoladeo National Park

Now declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian Crane, have been recorded in the park. The name “Keoladeo” is derived from the name of an ancient Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva in the sanctuary’s central zone while the Hindi term “Ghana” implies dense, thick areas of forest cover.