Raja Nahar Singh
Encyclopedia
Raja Nahar Singh (1823–1858) was a King of the princely state
of Ballabhgarh
in Faridabad District
of Haryana
, India. His forefathers were Jats who had built a fort in Faridabad around 1739. He was involved in the Indian Rebellion of 1857
.
Jat Sardar Gopal Singh left Janauli in 1705 (in Palwal
) and got settled at Sihi, a village of Tewatia Jats in Ballabgarh at a distance of about 5 km from Ballabhgarh. The Mughal
ruler Aurangzeb
had died. Gopal Singh started establishing power in Delhi and Mathura areas. With the help of Gujars of village ‘Lagon’ he attacked Rajput Chaudhary of that area and did a treaty with Mugal officer Murtija Khan of Faridabad and became Chaudhary of Faridabad pargana in 1710. He wanted to expand his army and collect huge wealth but died soon. His successor was Charan Das. Charan Das was also ambitious and when saw weakening of the Mughal rule, he stopped paying malgujari. The army of Mughals arrested Charan Das.
Charan Das's son, Balram Singh, later rose to a powerful king. Princely state of Ballabgarh is after his name. He was brother in law of Maharaja Suraj Mal
and mama of Jawahar Singh
. Jats along the Royal Delhi-Agra route at that time were in revolt against the oppressive Mughal rule. Tewatias of this area had already established themselves as counter force in this area. Balram Singh often called Ballu by the local people moved on a few Elephants, Horses and Camels loaded with Big drums (Nagaade) and Dhaunse (big band) followed by his local army. Went wherever Ballu with this band it was assumed that area was no longer of Mughals and Ballu had won that. It was a sort of Aswamedh Yagna that he performed. Here from started a saying "Dheeng Dheeng Ballu ka Raj". Immediately peace returned to those areas, which were won over by Ballu.
Murtija Khan’s son Akvitmahmud killed Balram Singh on 29 November 1753. After Balram Singh, Maharaja Suraj Mal
appointed Balram Singh’s sons Bisan Singh and Kisan Singh as Kiledars. They ruled Ballabhgarh till 1774, when Hira Singh became the ruler of Ballabhgarh.
, which was attended by the likes of Raja Krishan Gopal, the Raja of Gwalior, and Tantya Tope, for the purpose of uniting the nation and with a view to waging war in order to achieve this.
He saw the danger of the encroaching British power and allied himself with the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II
. The Emperor considered him his right arm. Along with friendship, he also handled much of the affairs of the tottering Mughal Empire
. The Emperor entrusted him with the defence and affairs of Delhi. In the Court he was treated with great respect, and he had a special golden chair, which was placed right next to the Emperor.
On 16 May 1857, when Delhi was liberated during the rebellion, the army of Nahar Singh was on guard on the western border of Delhi. He had established military guard posts from Delhi to Ballabhgarh, and also had his intelligence men on the ground. On seeing this preparedness the British commander John Lawrence was fearful of attacking from the east. The English called Ballabhgarh " Delhi's gate of Iron", and were fearful of it, and did not have the courage to face him.
John Lawrence
in a letter wrote to Canning
" The East and the South is protected by the strong forces of Raja Nahar Singh of Ballabhgarh, and it is unlikely we can break this wall of soldiers unless we receive reinforcements from China or England."
That is just what happened. When the English army attacked Delhi on 14 September 1857 they attacked from the West, and entered Delhi from Kashmiri Gate. On 24 September the British established their authority on Delhi. The Emperor Bahadur Shah escaped to the tomb of Humayun. Nahar Singh attempted to get the Emperor to Ballabhgarh, but Mirza Elahi Baksh, the father of his daughter- in- law, betrayed the emperor. Baksh was an agent of the British, and persuaded the Emperor not to go beyond the tomb. On 24 September the British captured the emperor and his family, but the Rajah showed his valor and surrounded the British force. Hudson the British officer killed the sons of the Emperor and threatened to kill the Emperor himself. The Rajah lifted the siege to save the Emperor's life.
Singh withdrew overnight to the fort of Ballabhgarh. He then took revenge on the British troops who travelled between Delhi and Agra, thousands of whom were killed or captured.
and asking for peace talks. Four horse-mounted officers arrived at Ballabhgarh and invited Raja Nahar Singh for talks, pleading that a settlement was being made with the Emperor, and that the presence of the Raja was necessary. They stated that the British wished to have friendship with the Raja.
The Raja trusting the British left for Delhi with 500 horse troops, as soon as he entered Delhi, he was ambushed by an English force and captured. His accompanying soldiers were killed.
The very next day the British laid on a heavy attack on Ballabhgarh, the attack went on for three days on this fort, which the British called the " Iron Gate". The Raja had made this a secure fort filled with arms and ammunition. Without the leader a successful defence was not possible and ultimately the British gained victory.
In Delhi Raja Nahar Singh refused friendship with the British.
He said, " I have never learned to bow my head before an enemy".
Hudson
said to him once more" Nahar Singh, I can save you from the hangman's noose, bend a little". The Raja replied to Hudson " I have spoken, now listen again, The Goras (English) are my enemies, I can never ask them for forgiveness. One hundred thousand Nahar Singh's will be born tomorrow. "
The English boiled over at Nahar Singh's answer. They decided to hang him to death, and preparations were made in Chandni Chowk, near the fountain, in front of Nahar Singh's Delhi residence. He was sentenced to death on 9 January 1858.
and Bhura Singh. His last statement was that
His body was not returned to his family. A priest eventually made a dummy in order to perform the last rites on the bank of the Ganges River.
, whom he had met as a young man, seeking his protection. According to an official of Bonhams
, the auctioneers tasked with selling it in 2011, "it seems was written as a ruse to deceive the British in the event of his capture ... as he was fully committed to the cause of Indian Independence".
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Ballabhgarh
Ballabhgarh
Ballabhgarh is a town and a tehsil in Faridabad District of Haryana, India, and is part of the National Capital Region...
in Faridabad District
Faridabad District
Faridabad district is one of the 21 districts in Haryana, and Faridabad city is the district headquarters. Delhi-Mathura National Highway No.2 passes through the centre of the District. The district occupies an area of 2151 km². The district has a population of 2,193,276...
of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, India. His forefathers were Jats who had built a fort in Faridabad around 1739. He was involved in the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
.
Early history
The founders of the princely state of Ballabgarh had come from village Janauli(Alawalpur), which is more than 2000 years old. The TewatiaTevatia
Tewatia, Tewathia, Tebatiya, Tevatia, Tiwathia,Teaotia or Teotia is clan or gotra found in Jats of Haryana, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in India. Population of Tevatia Jats is mainly concentrated in Faridabad, Bulandshahr, Bharatpur,[meerut] Mathura, Ghaziabad, Aligarh districts...
Jat Sardar Gopal Singh left Janauli in 1705 (in Palwal
Palwal
Palwal is a city and a municipal council. It is the headquarters of Palwal district, the 21st district of Haryana state in northern IndiaIt is situated at a distance of 60 km from Delhi on the Delhi-Mathura highway. The latitude of the town is 28° 40' N and longitude is 76° 59' E...
) and got settled at Sihi, a village of Tewatia Jats in Ballabgarh at a distance of about 5 km from Ballabhgarh. 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...
ruler 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...
had died. Gopal Singh started establishing power in Delhi and Mathura areas. With the help of Gujars of village ‘Lagon’ he attacked Rajput Chaudhary of that area and did a treaty with Mugal officer Murtija Khan of Faridabad and became Chaudhary of Faridabad pargana in 1710. He wanted to expand his army and collect huge wealth but died soon. His successor was Charan Das. Charan Das was also ambitious and when saw weakening of the Mughal rule, he stopped paying malgujari. The army of Mughals arrested Charan Das.
Charan Das's son, Balram Singh, later rose to a powerful king. Princely state of Ballabgarh is after his name. He was brother in law of Maharaja Suraj Mal
Maharaja Suraj Mal
Maharaja Suraj Mal was ruler of Bharatpur in Rajasthan in India. He has been described by a contemporary historian as "the Plato of the Jat people" and by a modern writer as the "Jat Ulysses", because of his political sagacity, steady intellect and clear vision.-Early life:Surajmal was born on...
and mama of Jawahar Singh
Jawahar Singh
Maharaja Jawahar Singh was a ruling Maharaja of the Bharatpur state. He succeeded to the throne when his father Maharaja Suraj Mal died in 1763. At the time of Raja Suraj Mal's death in 1763 Jawahar Singh was in Farrukhnagar....
. Jats along the Royal Delhi-Agra route at that time were in revolt against the oppressive Mughal rule. Tewatias of this area had already established themselves as counter force in this area. Balram Singh often called Ballu by the local people moved on a few Elephants, Horses and Camels loaded with Big drums (Nagaade) and Dhaunse (big band) followed by his local army. Went wherever Ballu with this band it was assumed that area was no longer of Mughals and Ballu had won that. It was a sort of Aswamedh Yagna that he performed. Here from started a saying "Dheeng Dheeng Ballu ka Raj". Immediately peace returned to those areas, which were won over by Ballu.
Murtija Khan’s son Akvitmahmud killed Balram Singh on 29 November 1753. After Balram Singh, Maharaja Suraj Mal
Maharaja Suraj Mal
Maharaja Suraj Mal was ruler of Bharatpur in Rajasthan in India. He has been described by a contemporary historian as "the Plato of the Jat people" and by a modern writer as the "Jat Ulysses", because of his political sagacity, steady intellect and clear vision.-Early life:Surajmal was born on...
appointed Balram Singh’s sons Bisan Singh and Kisan Singh as Kiledars. They ruled Ballabhgarh till 1774, when Hira Singh became the ruler of Ballabhgarh.
Ascension and war
Singh ascended the throne in 1829 and proved to be a just ruler of the 101 villages of Ballabhgarh. He organised a meeting in MukteshwarMukteshwar
Mukteshwar is a town and tourist destination in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. It sits high in the Kumaon Hills at an altitude of 2286 meters , 51 km from Nainital, 72 km from Haldwani, and 395 km from Delhi....
, which was attended by the likes of Raja Krishan Gopal, the Raja of Gwalior, and Tantya Tope, for the purpose of uniting the nation and with a view to waging war in order to achieve this.
He saw the danger of the encroaching British power and allied himself with the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II
Bahadur Shah II
His Royal Highness Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar , also known as Bahadur Shah or Bahadur Shah II was the last of the Mughal emperors in India, as well as the last ruler of the Timurid Dynasty.He was the son of Akbar Shah II and Lalbai, who was a Hindu Rajput...
. The Emperor considered him his right arm. Along with friendship, he also handled much of the affairs of the tottering Mughal Empire
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...
. The Emperor entrusted him with the defence and affairs of Delhi. In the Court he was treated with great respect, and he had a special golden chair, which was placed right next to the Emperor.
On 16 May 1857, when Delhi was liberated during the rebellion, the army of Nahar Singh was on guard on the western border of Delhi. He had established military guard posts from Delhi to Ballabhgarh, and also had his intelligence men on the ground. On seeing this preparedness the British commander John Lawrence was fearful of attacking from the east. The English called Ballabhgarh " Delhi's gate of Iron", and were fearful of it, and did not have the courage to face him.
John Lawrence
John Lawrence
John Lawrence may refer to:* John Lawrence , English illustrator and wood engraver* John Lawrence * John Lawrence , Irish landowner, owner of Ballymore Castle* John Lawrence a.k.a...
in a letter wrote to Canning
Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food contents are processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years, although under specific circumstances a freeze-dried canned product, such as canned, dried lentils, can last as...
" The East and the South is protected by the strong forces of Raja Nahar Singh of Ballabhgarh, and it is unlikely we can break this wall of soldiers unless we receive reinforcements from China or England."
That is just what happened. When the English army attacked Delhi on 14 September 1857 they attacked from the West, and entered Delhi from Kashmiri Gate. On 24 September the British established their authority on Delhi. The Emperor Bahadur Shah escaped to the tomb of Humayun. Nahar Singh attempted to get the Emperor to Ballabhgarh, but Mirza Elahi Baksh, the father of his daughter- in- law, betrayed the emperor. Baksh was an agent of the British, and persuaded the Emperor not to go beyond the tomb. On 24 September the British captured the emperor and his family, but the Rajah showed his valor and surrounded the British force. Hudson the British officer killed the sons of the Emperor and threatened to kill the Emperor himself. The Rajah lifted the siege to save the Emperor's life.
Singh withdrew overnight to the fort of Ballabhgarh. He then took revenge on the British troops who travelled between Delhi and Agra, thousands of whom were killed or captured.
Deceived by the British
The British deceived the Raja by showing a white flagWhite flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
and asking for peace talks. Four horse-mounted officers arrived at Ballabhgarh and invited Raja Nahar Singh for talks, pleading that a settlement was being made with the Emperor, and that the presence of the Raja was necessary. They stated that the British wished to have friendship with the Raja.
The Raja trusting the British left for Delhi with 500 horse troops, as soon as he entered Delhi, he was ambushed by an English force and captured. His accompanying soldiers were killed.
The very next day the British laid on a heavy attack on Ballabhgarh, the attack went on for three days on this fort, which the British called the " Iron Gate". The Raja had made this a secure fort filled with arms and ammunition. Without the leader a successful defence was not possible and ultimately the British gained victory.
In Delhi Raja Nahar Singh refused friendship with the British.
He said, " I have never learned to bow my head before an enemy".
Hudson
William Stephen Raikes Hodson
Brevet Major William Stephen Raikes Hodson was a British leader of irregular light cavalry during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . He was known as "Hodson of Hodson's Horse."His most notable action was to apprehend the Emperor of India...
said to him once more" Nahar Singh, I can save you from the hangman's noose, bend a little". The Raja replied to Hudson " I have spoken, now listen again, The Goras (English) are my enemies, I can never ask them for forgiveness. One hundred thousand Nahar Singh's will be born tomorrow. "
The English boiled over at Nahar Singh's answer. They decided to hang him to death, and preparations were made in Chandni Chowk, near the fountain, in front of Nahar Singh's Delhi residence. He was sentenced to death on 9 January 1858.
Execution
Singh was hanged on 21 April 1858, his 35th birthday, along with three other rebels, Kushal Singh, Gulab Singh SainiGulab Singh Saini
Gulab Singh Saini was an Indian freedom fighter and commander-in-chief of the army of princely state of Ballabhgarh. He led the army of Ballabhgarh state in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was hanged on January 9, 1858 in Delhi's Chandni Chowk along with two other leaders of the mutiny.- Early...
and Bhura Singh. His last statement was that
His body was not returned to his family. A priest eventually made a dummy in order to perform the last rites on the bank of the Ganges River.
Commemoration
There is a road named after Singh near Wazirpur Depot in Delh, and India Post produced a postage stamp.Letter
On 10 September 1857, four days before the British army attacked Delhi, Singh wrote a letter to the Governor General of India, Lord ElllenboroughEdward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough
Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough GCB, PC was a British Tory politician. He was four times President of the Board of Control and also served as Governor-General of India between 1842 and 1844.-Background and education:...
, whom he had met as a young man, seeking his protection. According to an official of Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793. It is the third largest auctioneer after Sotheby's and Christie's, and conducts around 700 auctions per year. It has 700 employees....
, the auctioneers tasked with selling it in 2011, "it seems was written as a ruse to deceive the British in the event of his capture ... as he was fully committed to the cause of Indian Independence".