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Raj, (Hindi) Government, sovereign, reign, often applied to British rule in India; also a title: see RAJA.
Raj Angan, Udaipur; an annexe also known as Gol Mahal, King's Court or King's Courtyard, at the point of entry into the City Palace from Badi Chowk. Also known as Rajya Angan, it was built in 1572 by Maharana Udai Singh II (1537-1572), founder of Udaipur. It was here that the Maharana sat and administered justice. Nearby is the open area, Neka-ki-Chaupad, and the Dhuni Mata Temple. The Angan houses several historical portraits of earlier Mewar rulers, and off the courtyard are rooms displaying the personal weapons and armour, paintings and other memorabilia of Maharana PRATAP SINGH I, the hero of Haldighati. A special part of the display is dedicated to Pratap's magnificent horse, CHETAK. (Often incorrectly shown as Rai Angan.)
Raj Guru, (Hindi) Preceptor or Teacher of Princes, one of the titles the Paramara nobles of Chittor gave to BAPPA RAWAL when he became the king of Mewar (734).
Raj Prasad Palace, Chittorgarh; now known as KUMBHA'S PALACE, the main residence of UDAI SINGH II when he was child, poetess MIRA BAI, and (in legend) Rani PADMINI.
Raj Rana, the title given by Maharana ARI SINGH II to ZALIM SINGH of Kota, when he joined the Mewar cause against the Pretender to the throne, Kunwar RATAN SINGH. Raj Rana is also the title of the Bari Sadri clan.
Raj Singh. Apart from Maharanas Raj Singh I and II, there were several leading members of clans who had this name. They came from Begun (Choondawat); Banera (Sisodia); Meja (Choondawat), and Parsoli (Chauhan).
Raj Singh I, Maharana (b. September 24, 1629-d. October 22, 1680, near Kumbhalgarh), fifty-eighth ruler of Mewar (r. 1653-1680); eldest son and successor, at age 23, of Maharana JAGAT SINGH I. Actually, on the death of Maharana Jagat Singh I, Raj Singh immediately succeed his father (October 10, 1652), as the throne was never supposed to remain empty. However, he is listed, officially, as reigning from February 4, 1653. This was the date of his coronation, the four-month time difference possibly being based on advice from the Court Astrologers. Using the minutest calculations relating to the positions of the planets and zodiacal signs in the universe, they would arrive at the most auspicious and propitious day for his coronation. If this was so, undoubtedly they were right, as Raj Singh I ruled for twenty-seven years from Udaipur. Raj Singh had eighteen queens. A wise and constructive ruler, he reorganised the State, and constructed many new buildings in Mewar. He was also known as a great diplomat and military leader, two qualities that helped him when he began repairs on the old fort of Chittor. (Repairing Chittor was breaking one of the clauses of the treaty signed with the Mughals half a century earlier by his ancestor, Maharana AMAR SINGH I.) When Shah Jahan learned of this, he marched towards Ajmer on March 16, 1654; his next stop was to be Mewar. However, to extricate himself from this delicate situation, Raj Singh sent a peace envoy to the Mughal, along with gifts of elephants and horses, plus a small army to help the Mughals in their southern Indian expeditions. The gifts were accepted, and Shah Jahan abandoned the planned aggression against Mewar. Shah Jahan's successor, Emperor AURANGZEB was not so lenient, and renewed the Mughals' offensive against Mewar.
When the Mughal vassal, Raja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur (Marwar), whom Emperor Aurangzeb had appointed as Governor of Kabul, died in that city, the Emperor ordered all remaining members of the Jodhpur royal family to Delhi. On the way, one of the Ranis gave birth to Prince Ajit Singh. Suspecting that Aurangzeb may try to kill the infant, Durgadas Rathore and other Marwar nobles took the baby to Maharana Raj Singh, who gave the infant refuge at Kelwa, refusing to surrender the infant to Aurangzeb. The Emperor attacked Mewar (September 3, 1679). Unwilling to face the Mughals in open warfare, Raj Singh opted for guerrilla tactics of his ancestor, Pratap Singh, and began harassing the Imperial forces. Unfortunately, these tactics were not entirely successful: Aurangzeb managed to take control of the Debari area (now within the Udaipur city limits), then marched on the capital. With the Maharana and his subjects taking shelter in the Aravalli Hills, Udaipur was virtually deserted; the Emperor found little resistance in pursuing his passion for destroying Hindu temples and sacking the Mewar capital (see also JAGDISH TEMPLE). Continuing his vengeful rampage, he then went to Chittor and destroyed more temples. (Young Ajit Singh was relocated to Sirohi where he stayed in hiding for a number of years until he came of age. Then Durgadas Rathore announced that the heir of Jodhpur was still alive, and Ajit Singh was crowned the Rao of Jodhpur, in exile.) Raj Singh managed to resist Aurangzeb's onslaughts, inflicting several defeats on the Mughal emperor (see RAJ SINGH I vs. AURANGZEB).
The industrious Maharana enjoyed many achievements, including the installation of the famous statue of Shrinathji, an image of Lord KRISHNA, in NATHDWARA (see NATHDWARA'S STATUE OF KRISHNA). He is well-remembered for performing Tuladan, the charitable act wherein he was weighed in gold and precious stones, the cash equivalent of which was then distributed among Brahmans and used for repairs to existing temples and for constructing new temples. A true patron of the Arts, he revived art and learning in Mewar, and encouraged writers. During his time the popular Raj Prasasti Mahakavya was written. Other books of this period include Amar Kavya by Ranchod, Rajaratnakara by Sadasiva, and Raj Vilas by Man. Without a doubt, his greatest achievement was RAJSAMAND LAKE. Because of a severe drought and famine, and to provide an abundance of water in similar future circumstances, he built the lake near Kankroli, 56 km. from Udaipur, damming the flow of three rivers to do so. Raj Singh's unrelenting determination to fight the Mughals to the last was his downfall. In 1680, in the midst of renewed Mughal threats and indecision about a peace treaty, Maharana Raj Singh and his Court set out for Kumbhalgarh. On the way, they rested at the village of Oda where one of his nobles, all of whom were exhausted and tired of warfare, poisoned the Maharana's food, and he died at the age of 51. The official cause of his death was that he succumbed through a combination of war wounds and exasperation. His son, JAI SINGH, succeeded him. One of the annual MAHARANA MEWAR FOUNDATION AWARDS is named for Maharana Raj Singh I, in commemoration of the impact of the phenomenal role he played during his lifetime. The award honours deserving students of universities based within the municipal limits of Udaipur and also students from those colleges that are affiliated to these universities, but are located outside Udaipur, for distinguished achievements in games and sport, and cultural, literary, co-curricular and extra curricular activities by a recognised body.
Raj Singh I and the amardub. How the following legend even came into being is a mystery*, but we offer it nevertheless for its entertainment value.
Legend: It was customary for a father to bind an amardub around the arm of his first-born male as a symbol of good luck for the young heir. This charm, also known as 'the imperishable dub', was made of the most common Indian grass well known for its nutritive properties. When Jai Singh, the first son of Maharana RAJ SINGH I (1653-1680) was born, the father was quite elated. Despite the CURSE OF MEWAR, he had produced an heir, and was determined the boy would succeed him by tying a dub to the baby's arm as soon as possible. Immediately, he had the grass gathered and woven into the amulet. Then, an hour or so later he received the news that his queen had given birth to a second son, a twin. Unfortunately, he mistakenly placed the charm on the arm of the second born twin, Bhim Singh, which by tradition made Bhim the heir. The queen told him to change the amulet to the first-born but, again because of tradition, this was impossible. However, the Maharana declared publicly that Jai Singh was his rightful heir. When Bhim Singh was of an understanding age, he was called to see his father. Maharana Raj Singh told his younger twin son of the mistake and asked Bhim not to divulge the secret, which the second son faithfully promised. However, should troublesome factions at Court ever learn the truth and use it to promote a civil war, Bhim Singh had to go into voluntary exile far from Udaipur.
*The facts which give lie to this legend: Jai Singh (first son) and Bhim Singh (fourth son) were born seven months apart and, therefore, were not twins. In fact, they did not even have the same mother, Jai Singh's mother being Sardar Kanwar Jhali, and Bhim's being Jagais Kanwar.
Raj Singh I vs. Aurangzeb. Emperor Aurangzeb had appointed Raja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur (Marwar) as Governor of Kabul, where he later died. The Emperor ordered all remaining members of the Jodhpur royal family to Delhi. On the way, one of the Ranis gave birth to Prince Ajit Singh. Suspecting that Aurangzeb may try to kill the infant, Durgadas Rathore and other Marwar nobles took the baby to Maharana Raj Singh, who gave the baby refuge, giving him the jagir of Kelwa, and refusing to surrender him to Aurangzeb. This action led to Aurangzeb sacking Udaipur. Girwa (the Circle), the valley in which Udaipur is situated, has three main northern entrance passes through the rugged Aravallis, via Delwara, Debari in the centre near Rajsamand Lake, and Nadi. In the late 17th century, when Mughal emperor Aurangzeb marched upon Mewar, he had to pass through at least one of these defiles. Maharana Raj Singh separated his army into three divisions; he guarded Nadi, with his sons, Crown Prince Jai Singh and Bhim Singh, looking after the other two. Aurangzeb advanced to Debari where he set up camp, and sent his son, Prince Akbar, with fifty thousand men to march on Udaipur. Meanwhile, Maharana Raj Singh had consolidated his forces and headed for RAJSAMAND LAKE district to meet the Mughals (see also ANAND SINGH). The battle resulted in a Mughal victory, and Raj Singh hastily retired to defend Udaipur, pursued by Prince Akbar's troops. In a deft manoeuvre, Mewar's Prince Jai Singh moved in behind the Mughal prince, thus severing his contact with Aurangzeb's main force in the north. Prince Akbar tried to escape via Gogunda but was soon surrounded. Then, in an odd act of clemency, Prince Jai Singh allowed Akbar to escape to the safety of Chittor, then held by the Mughals. He gave as his reason his abhorrence of Aurangzeb's initiating the war in the first place. Meanwhile, another Mughal general, Dilir Khan moved in to rescue Akbar but was soundly defeated by the Rajputs. Aggravated by these defeats, Aurangzeb camped on the plain below Chittor, and rebuilt his army, which he then left under the command of his sons, Azam and Akbar, and retired to Ajmer.
The Mewar Rajputs continued their relentless harassment of the Imperial forces, finally winning a glorious victory over Prince Azam near Chittor. In the meantime, Prince Akbar quit Chittor and began to retreat north to the Mughal stronghold of Ajmer. Mewar's Prince Bhim Singh and a combined Rajput forced attacked the luckless Akbar near Godwar, defeating his army through confusion-they tied burning torches to the horns of five hundred of the Mughals' bullocks and stampeded them into the Imperial camp. Finally, the Mughals were ousted from Mewar. But the Rajputs needed to remove the source of their problems. Maharana Raj Singh and his allies initiated a plan to dethrone Aurangzeb and place his more malleable son, Akbar on the Mughal throne. The plan was put to Prince Akbar, who was more than willing to take over the Mughal Empire. Thus, with the help of Akbar, the combined forces of Raj Singh and the Mughal prince marched on Ajmer. Aurangzeb, however, resorted to a clever ruse. He wrote a letter to his son more or less congratulating Prince Akbar on leading the Rajputs into the Imperial ambush. Spies made sure the letter was 'accidentally' dropped in the Rajput ranks. Immediately, the Rajputs abandoned the Mughal prince, who had apparently betrayed them. Nevertheless, chivalrous to the end, they provided the errant prince with an escort of five hundred men and conveyed him to the western coast, where he boarded an English ship bound for Persia. He died there, in ignominious exile, in 1706. Fortunately, Emperor Aurangzeb was more concerned with the treachery of his son than with continuing the war against Mewar (dignity forbade any peace overtures with this warrior race that had tried to depose and assassinate him). With other areas of India demanding his attention, he wanted an end to the Rajputana campaign. Maharana Raj Singh was advised that, while Aurangzeb would never actually proffer peace, he might accept a peace offer. The Emperor appeared agreeable. The Maharana dictated the terms of the treaty, which again included the return of Chittor and its surrounding districts. Unfortunately the onset of the monsoon season delayed ratification of the treaty. By the end of the wet season, Aurangzeb was involved in a costly war in the Deccan against Bijapur and Hyderabad. Moreover, he had changed his mind about compliance with Mewar, and was ready to continue that holy war as well. In 1680, in the midst of this indecision and renewed threats, Maharana Raj Singh died near Kumbhalgarh.
Raj Singh II, Maharana (b. April 25, 1743-d. April 3, 1761), sixty-fourth ruler of Mewar (r. 1754-1761); eldest son and successor, at age 11, of Maharana PRATAP SINGH II; ruled for seven years from Udaipur. Raj Singh is credited with having a rather cruel and unattractive personality: the wrong person at the wrong time. With the MARATHAS more or less determining Mewar's fate-and fortune, what the State desperately needed was another hero (similar to Maharana PRATAP SINGH I) to get rid of the oppressors and lift the State out of its financial doldrums. Mewar was so destitute from paying the Marathas protection money that Maharana Raj Singh even had to borrow from a tribute collector to finance his own marriage to a Rathore chieftain's daughter. Raj Singh died suddenly in 1761, aged 18 and without an heir. Next in line to the throne was Ari Singh, his ambitious uncle (brother of his father, Jagat Singh I). However, the uncle was not one of Mewar's nobler nobles; he was rated as 2nd Class, with not much property or income at his disposal. Besides which, his insolent nature had alienated many people. So, after the funeral, the apprehensive nobles went immediately to the zanana (the Ladies apartments) and asked Raj Singh's mother if the Maharana's Jhali queen was pregnant (which she was). "If so," they said, "we are all in agreement on naming his unborn child as his successor." (This was a bit of a gamble, not knowing if the baby was male or female.) Possibly fearing Ari Singh, the Lady stated the young queen was not pregnant. Having no other option, the Court put Ari Singh on the throne (April 3, 1761). This may have been a well-organised (and successful) plot by Ari Singh to gain his own end, as there were rumours that he had poisoned his nephew.
Raj Tila (Rajtilla), Chittorgarh; a raised platform where, during the rule of the PARAMARAS (Mauryas), coronation ceremonies were performed.
Raj, Indian: see BRITISH, THE
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