1857 : Rajputana's Rebellion

When we talk about Rajasthan or Rajputana, the first thing that comes to our mind are the great Rajput warriors such as Prithviraj Chauhan, Rana Sanga or Maharana Pratap. For those who are well-versed with history, know the numerous Rajput-Maratha battles that had plagued Rajputana for over three decades. But rarely we talk about the wars led on the British Empire from the heartland of Rajputana. Administratively, except the Ajmer-Merwara as the single British province in the middle of Rajputana, the remaining Princely States were independent of British administration, but had their loyalty aligned with them nevertheless. But there still existed some clashes with the Englishmen in the 19th century by various Rajput warriors, about which this post shall briefly talk about. 

In the 19th century, today's Rajasthan was divided into the following Princely States (except Ajmer as that was a British province):

1. Beekaneer (Bikaner)
2. Jessulmere (Jaisalmer)
3. Joudpore or Marwar (Jodhpur)
4. Serohee (Sirohi)
5. Boondee (Bundi)
6. Kotah (Kota)
7. Jeypore (Jaipur)
8. Shekawuttee (Shekhawati)
9. Alwur (Alwar)
10. Bhurtpore (Bharatpur)
11. Banswara
12. Dholpoor (Dholpur)
13. Doongerpore (Dungarpur)
14. Kerowlee (Kirauli; earlier administrated by British, later declared as PS)
15. Kishengurh (Kishangarh)
16. Pertabgurh (Pratabgarh)
17. Tonk (enclaves at various places; earlier administrated by British, later declared as PS)

During the 1857 rebellion, the states of Jaisalmer, Shekhawati and Kishangarh remained neutral, and it was only Marwar or Jodhpur that was in conflict with the British, with other states remaining loyal to the colonists. But in the same year, when the revolution had burnt the entire North Indian belt, a Jodhpur noble Kushal Singh Champawat rebelled agains the British East India Company. 

In the Marwar Junction tehsil of Pali district, there exists a village by the name of Auwa. A nobleman Thakur Kushal Singh Champawat, who gathered Thakurs from neighbouring thikanas and villages - Asop, Bajawas, Gular, Alniawas, Abu - and formed a single fighting unit that fought against the British in the village of Auwa. This pattern of gathering alliances and forming singular unit to fight against imperial forces was a norm back in the days of the Raj. This pattern was important as it would make each other realise the depth of damage Raj had done to their lives, not just communities and economy. Keeping differences aside, thikanas, talukas, kasba, parishads, etc. would unite and display a strong show of combined forces that bit by bit hammered cracks in the British imperialism. Moreover, this alliance was also needed to break the myth of certain royalties that the colonisers were their 'friends' and that they are here to fulfil their promises of giving unprecedented suzerainty. 

The British had introduced the concept of subsidiary alliance, where the British wanted the Indian states to accept their authority unquestioned, pay to station and take care of their troops, in return of promising security against enemy states. For many, this was accepted. But for those this wasn't as they demanded totality in their freedom. And thus, the rebellion was about independence at its core. But even for those who accepted the alliance with British, they were tied to each other with a deeper loyalty - LAND. This loyalty was difficult to crack and the British got the taste of their own medicine at many times. Hence, not just during 1857, but at other events when the British assumed they would simply dictate their commands over their subordinates, they would obey and fight with fellow Indians, they would be proven wrong gloriously. This happened when during the rebellion, Takht Singh, the final ruler of Himmatnagar (or Ahmednagar) was commanded by the EIC to charge and crush Kushal Singh's forces, he approached to take support of fellow Rajputs and Rathores. But the royalties refused to help a foreigner and didn't give their support to Takht Singh, resulting into a decisive victory of Kushal Singh's forces over the British. Moreover, a certain Captan Mason, was hung up by Kushal Singh in front of a fort gate, symbolising the death of imperialism by the hands of Rajputs. It was a first experience of anti-British sentiments in Rajputana, that sadly will dwindle after this. 

Similar experience British faced a few decades ago, when in 1805, the ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Bharatpur switched sides and fought against the British. A combined force of Jats and Marathas together fought against the British troops and even defeated them, which was another brave display of unity in diversity, and a slap on the face of 'divide and rule' policy of the British. So in a way, the British indirectly united us and gave a strong sense of common purpose - INDEPENDENCE. 

Kushal Singh Champawat (Rathore)  

This practice of forming a confederation of states to fight against the British forces wasn't something new that had started in Rajputana. Similar examples we can see when Marathas united to fight against the Mughals, or Vijayanagara Empire allied with smaller kingdoms against Bahmani Sultanate or even the Mysore Kingdom joined hands with the rival Hyderabad against the European forces. But such tactics dwindled in front of the military and diplomatic superiority of the British and soon, such calls of revolution were suppressed. This was also supported by the lack of will to fight against colonialism in Rajputana, hence only fragments of rebellions here and there took place in the state. But nevertheless, warriors such as Kushal Singh Champawat would still be credited in the downfall of the East India Company in the subcontinent. 

Kushal Singh didn't just fight in Auwa. His main intention to form a conglomeration of rulers was for marching to Delhi, supporting their allegiance to the last dying Mughal Emperor - Bahadur Shah Zafar - and to unite everyone under his command against the East India Company. A wave of revolutionaries were gathering at the Red Fort, and hence this march was highly important. At the British intervention, a battle was fought at Bithoda (in Pali district) and another one at Auwa. But a 30,000 British contingent sent from Nasirabad Cantonment (in Ajmer district) weakened the Rathore forces and the march was never completed. 

Nevertheless, this act of defiance against colonists is still celebrated and rejoiced in Rajasthan, for that one single contribution from within the heartland of Rajputana gave enough hope to the thousands marching elsewhere, thus crushing the EIC to it's knees.