Bharmal
Encyclopedia
Raja Bharmal or Biharimal (r. June 1, 1548 - January 27, 1574) was a Kachwaha
ruler of Amber which was later known as Jaipur
in the present day Rajasthan
state of India
. Bharmal is more known for marrying his daughter, Heera Kunwar or Mariam-us-Zamani to the Mughal
emperor Akbar in 1562. He was first among the Rajputs to marry his daughter with a Mughal
.
(r. January 17, 1503- November 4, 1527) and Rani Apurva Devi or Bala Bai of Rathore
clan, the daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner royal family. Prithviraj was son of Kachwaha ruler Chandrasen and son-in-law of Rana Raimal of Chittor. He fought at the Battle of Khanua on March 17, 1527 in Rana Sanga
's favour. Prithviraj has eighteen sons and three daughters by his nine queens. Some of his sons died young while some did not have any issue. After the death of Raja Prithviraj in 1527, Raja Puran Mal (r. November 5, 1527 - January 19, 1534), his eldest son by Tanwar queen succeeded him. He died at the Battle of Mandrail on January 19, 1534, while helping Humayun to recapture the fort of Bayana
. He had a son named Surajmal or Suja. But Suja could not succeed his father as he was a minor at that time. Puranmal was succeeded by his younger brother Bhim Singh (r.1534 - July 22, 1537), the next eldest son of Rani Apurva Devi. The dispossessed Suja took shelter in the Tanwar royal family. Bhim singh was succeeded by his eldest son Ratan Singh (r. 1537 - May 15, 1548). He was killed by his step- brother Askaran, who became the king next day. But the nobles of Amber joined to depose him and on June 1, 1548 Bharmal became the ruler of Amber
.
, the son of Babur
out of India. Bahadur Shah of Gujrat and Sher Khan (later Sher Shah) Suri were prominent among them. Puranmal was the first person to realize that Mughals were trustworthy.They were not like the old stock of Muslim rulers.This fact was also realized by Rani Karmawati of Chittor the widow of Rana Sanga, who sent Rakhi
to Humayun
to protect her kingdom at the hands of Bahadur Shah of Gujrat. But however it was Puranmal who first offered services of Rajputs to Mughals.Bahadur Shah was pursuing a policy of expansion. He helped and sent Tatar Khan Lodi to occupy the fort of Bayana
.He occupied the fort of Bayana which was in Mughal occupation since the time of Babur
.Humayun sent his brothers Askari and Hindal to recapture the fort.Puranmal the Raja
of Amber
fought in the battle called the battle of Mandrail in favour of Mughals
in 1534. Next year Bahadur Shah of Gujrat besieged the fort of Chittor, upon which Humayun himself started to fight against him.Rani Karmawati the widow of Rana Sanga
was ruling Chittor as regent. She also tried to be friendly with Mughals and sent a Rakhi
to Humayun, but Humayun did not arrive in time either due to his belief or slackness. If he would have arrived in time and helped Karmawati, perhaps it would have been Sisodia
s as their close allies.As a result Chittor was crushed and all the women in the fort committed Jauhar
and the men died in the war.However it were Kachwaha
s who became the first allies of Mughals in Rajputana
. Bharmal's policy towards Mughals was merely extension of his brothers policy.
. Instead he was a collective choice from all the Kachwaha
s, dominated at that time by Bara Kotris. His every action proved to benefit the whole family, at the cost of his defame among other Rajputs. He was already under compulsions from Mirza Sarifuddin of Mewat. He complained Akbar about this. He was of unsound mind. Influential family member of Bharmal fooled him to marry his doughter with Akbar and he agreed. The Akbarnama
says that he offered marriage of his daughter with Akbar which the emperor accepted. This decision by Bharmal was made without the consent of his doughter. However no other literature seem to deny this. But later he proved to be true. The Dhundhar
region of Rajputana
never faced a war until Aurangzeb
s reign. Moreover his descendants offered their services to Mughals which became a strong empire. The wise emperor Akbar pursued a liberal policy towards his Hindu
subjects.
The situation became critical for the Kachwahas when Mirza Muhammad Sharaf-ud-din Hussain was appointed Mughal
governor of Mewat. Suja reached his court and received his support for winning the throne of Amber
. Mirza led a large army to Amber and Bharmal was in no position to resist. He forced the Kachwaha
s to leave Amber and live in forests and hills. Bharmal promised a fixed tribute to Mirza and handed over his own son Jagannath and his nephews Raj Singh and Khangar Singh as hostages for its due payment.
to Ajmer
(on a pilgrimage to the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti), Chaghtai Khan pleaded on behalf of Bharmal for his protection, which he agreed and summoned Raja Bharmal to his court. Accordingly Bharmal's brother Rupsi Bairagi and his son Jaimal met Akbar at Dausa
and Raja Bharmal himself met the emperor Akbar at his camp at Sanganer
on January 20, 1562. Chaghtai Khan introduced Raja Bharmal and his relatives to Akbar and Bharmal proposed to give his eldest daughter Hira Kunwari in marriage to Akbar. Akbar consented and ordered Chaghtai Khan for necessary arrangements for his marriage. When Akbar reached Sambhar
on his return journey from Ajmer, Mirza surrendered his hostages Jagannath, Raj Singh and Khangar to Akbar. Here Bharmal brought his daughter and on February 6, 1562 she was married to Akbar amidst proper festivity. On February 10, 1562 Akbar's newly made Kachwaha relatives again came to his camp at Ratanpura to take formal leave from him. Here, Man Singh
was presented to him. From there, Bhagwant Das
, Man Singh and a number of their relatives accompanied Akbar to Agra
after his death.
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
ruler of Amber which was later known as Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
in the present day Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
state of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Bharmal is more known for marrying his daughter, Heera Kunwar or Mariam-us-Zamani to the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Akbar in 1562. He was first among the Rajputs to marry his daughter with a Mughal
Mughal (tribe)
The term Mughal is simply a Turkic word and many groups in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh use the term Mughal to describe themselves...
.
Ancestry and accession
Bharmal was born in c.1491 at Amber. He was the fourth son of Raja Prithviraj or Prithvi Singh I of AmberAmber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
(r. January 17, 1503- November 4, 1527) and Rani Apurva Devi or Bala Bai of Rathore
Rathore
The Rathore is a Suryavanshi Rajput clan same caste as Lohana. Their Kuldevi is Nagnechiya Mata and "Karani Mata". Rathores are originally from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh. Rathores are historically considered the samurais of India...
clan, the daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner royal family. Prithviraj was son of Kachwaha ruler Chandrasen and son-in-law of Rana Raimal of Chittor. He fought at the Battle of Khanua on March 17, 1527 in Rana Sanga
Rana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
's favour. Prithviraj has eighteen sons and three daughters by his nine queens. Some of his sons died young while some did not have any issue. After the death of Raja Prithviraj in 1527, Raja Puran Mal (r. November 5, 1527 - January 19, 1534), his eldest son by Tanwar queen succeeded him. He died at the Battle of Mandrail on January 19, 1534, while helping Humayun to recapture the fort of Bayana
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. It is a historical city founded by Banasur, who was an Asura. He lived during the time of Krishna...
. He had a son named Surajmal or Suja. But Suja could not succeed his father as he was a minor at that time. Puranmal was succeeded by his younger brother Bhim Singh (r.1534 - July 22, 1537), the next eldest son of Rani Apurva Devi. The dispossessed Suja took shelter in the Tanwar royal family. Bhim singh was succeeded by his eldest son Ratan Singh (r. 1537 - May 15, 1548). He was killed by his step- brother Askaran, who became the king next day. But the nobles of Amber joined to depose him and on June 1, 1548 Bharmal became the ruler of Amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
.
Situation at the beginning of the reign
When his eldest brother Puranmal succeeded the throne in 1527, the political scenariocene was very uncertain.The Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga suffered great loss in the battle of Khanua.The Mughal power was not firmly established in India.There were other Muslim rulers, who were gaining power to oust HumayunHumayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
, the son of Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
out of India. Bahadur Shah of Gujrat and Sher Khan (later Sher Shah) Suri were prominent among them. Puranmal was the first person to realize that Mughals were trustworthy.They were not like the old stock of Muslim rulers.This fact was also realized by Rani Karmawati of Chittor the widow of Rana Sanga, who sent Rakhi
Rakhi
Raksha Bandhan , , , or Rakhi , is a festival primarily observed in India, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is also called Rakhi Purnima in certain parts of India, like the south. The festival is observed by Hindus and Jains...
to Humayun
Humayun
Nasir ud-din Muhammad Humayun was the second Mughal Emperor who ruled present day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of northern India from 1530–1540 and again from 1555–1556. Like his father, Babur, he lost his kingdom early, but with Persian aid, he eventually regained an even larger one...
to protect her kingdom at the hands of Bahadur Shah of Gujrat. But however it was Puranmal who first offered services of Rajputs to Mughals.Bahadur Shah was pursuing a policy of expansion. He helped and sent Tatar Khan Lodi to occupy the fort of Bayana
Bayana
Bayana is a historical town in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan in India. It is a historical city founded by Banasur, who was an Asura. He lived during the time of Krishna...
.He occupied the fort of Bayana which was in Mughal occupation since the time of Babur
Babur
Babur was a Muslim conqueror from Central Asia who, following a series of setbacks, finally succeeded in laying the basis for the Mughal dynasty of South Asia. He was a direct descendant of Timur through his father, and a descendant also of Genghis Khan through his mother...
.Humayun sent his brothers Askari and Hindal to recapture the fort.Puranmal the Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
of Amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
fought in the battle called the battle of Mandrail in favour of Mughals
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
in 1534. Next year Bahadur Shah of Gujrat besieged the fort of Chittor, upon which Humayun himself started to fight against him.Rani Karmawati the widow of Rana Sanga
Rana Sanga
-Historical Fact:Maharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, a desert region, between 1509 and 1527. He was a scion of the Sisodia clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs...
was ruling Chittor as regent. She also tried to be friendly with Mughals and sent a Rakhi
Rakhi
Raksha Bandhan , , , or Rakhi , is a festival primarily observed in India, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is also called Rakhi Purnima in certain parts of India, like the south. The festival is observed by Hindus and Jains...
to Humayun, but Humayun did not arrive in time either due to his belief or slackness. If he would have arrived in time and helped Karmawati, perhaps it would have been Sisodia
Sisodia
The Sisodia are Chattari Rajputs of the Suryavanshi lineage who ruled the kingdom of Mewar in Rajasthan. Prior to Rana Hamir the clan was known as Gehlot or Guhilot. In 1303 CE Alla-ud-din Khilji attacked Chittor...
s as their close allies.As a result Chittor was crushed and all the women in the fort committed Jauhar
Jauhar
Jauhar and Saka refer to the ancient Indian tradition of honorary self immolation of women and subsequent march of men to the battle field to end their life with respect. It was followed by the Rajput clans in order to avoid capture and dishonour at the hands of their enemies...
and the men died in the war.However it were Kachwaha
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
s who became the first allies of Mughals in Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
. Bharmal's policy towards Mughals was merely extension of his brothers policy.
The reign
It appears from the recorded history that he did not inherit his father as principles laid down by ManuManu (Hinduism)
In various Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first brahman king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata"...
. Instead he was a collective choice from all the Kachwaha
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
s, dominated at that time by Bara Kotris. His every action proved to benefit the whole family, at the cost of his defame among other Rajputs. He was already under compulsions from Mirza Sarifuddin of Mewat. He complained Akbar about this. He was of unsound mind. Influential family member of Bharmal fooled him to marry his doughter with Akbar and he agreed. The Akbarnama
Akbarnama
The ' , which literally means Book of Akbar, is the official chronicle of the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal Emperor , commissioned by Akbar himself and written in Persian by his court historian and biographer, Abul Fazl who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar's court...
says that he offered marriage of his daughter with Akbar which the emperor accepted. This decision by Bharmal was made without the consent of his doughter. However no other literature seem to deny this. But later he proved to be true. The Dhundhar
Dhundhar
Dhundhar is a historical region of Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the districts of Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, and Tonk and the northern part of Karauli District...
region of Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
never faced a war until Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
s reign. Moreover his descendants offered their services to Mughals which became a strong empire. The wise emperor Akbar pursued a liberal policy towards his Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
subjects.
The situation became critical for the Kachwahas when Mirza Muhammad Sharaf-ud-din Hussain was appointed Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
governor of Mewat. Suja reached his court and received his support for winning the throne of Amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
. Mirza led a large army to Amber and Bharmal was in no position to resist. He forced the Kachwaha
Kachwaha
Kachwaha are a Suryavanshi Kshatriya clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727...
s to leave Amber and live in forests and hills. Bharmal promised a fixed tribute to Mirza and handed over his own son Jagannath and his nephews Raj Singh and Khangar Singh as hostages for its due payment.
Akbar and Bharmal
In 1556, Bharmal helped Majnun Khan Qaqshal, a Mughal commandant, which Majnun Khan later narrated to Akbar. Akbar subsequently invited Bharmal to the court of Delhi. here, he was rewarded and sent back to home. In 1562, when Mirza was preparing to invade Amber again, Bharmal met Akbar's courtier Chaghtai Khan. When Akbar was at Karavali (A village near Agra) on his way from AgraAgra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
to Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
(on a pilgrimage to the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti), Chaghtai Khan pleaded on behalf of Bharmal for his protection, which he agreed and summoned Raja Bharmal to his court. Accordingly Bharmal's brother Rupsi Bairagi and his son Jaimal met Akbar at Dausa
Dausa
Dausa is a city and administrative headquarters of Dausa District in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is 55 km from Jaipur,240 km from Delhi and situated at NH-11. It is also known as "Dev Nagari."- History :...
and Raja Bharmal himself met the emperor Akbar at his camp at Sanganer
Sanganer
Sanganer is a town situated 15 km south of Jaipur, the capital of Indian state of Rajasthan. The town is famous for handmade paper industry, textile printing and for Jain temples. Sanganer prints are one of its own kinds, for the reason that patterns in bright colors are always printed on white...
on January 20, 1562. Chaghtai Khan introduced Raja Bharmal and his relatives to Akbar and Bharmal proposed to give his eldest daughter Hira Kunwari in marriage to Akbar. Akbar consented and ordered Chaghtai Khan for necessary arrangements for his marriage. When Akbar reached Sambhar
Sambhar, Rajasthan
Sambhar is a city and a municipality in Jaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan.-Geography:Its importance is primarily because of it is situated along the Sambhar Lake, the largest saline lake in India....
on his return journey from Ajmer, Mirza surrendered his hostages Jagannath, Raj Singh and Khangar to Akbar. Here Bharmal brought his daughter and on February 6, 1562 she was married to Akbar amidst proper festivity. On February 10, 1562 Akbar's newly made Kachwaha relatives again came to his camp at Ratanpura to take formal leave from him. Here, Man Singh
Man Singh I of Amber
Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb was the Kacchwaha King of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur...
was presented to him. From there, Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagawant Das was a Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. One of his descendants Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.-Life:...
, Man Singh and a number of their relatives accompanied Akbar to Agra
The succession
Raja Bharmal was succeeded by his eldest son Raja Bhagwant DasRaja Bhagwant Das
Raja Bhagawant Das was a Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. One of his descendants Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.-Life:...
after his death.