ROCK CUT MASRUR TEMPLE

The Rock Cut Temple Complex of Masrur

Rock cut monoliths are an interesting and rare feature in India. Himachal Pradesh, curiously, houses one such set. Only four monolith temple structures are known in India in places as far away from each other as one can imagine. Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu and Ellora in Maharashtra are globally famous, carrying a reputation of their own. The monoliths are not restricted to just the south though - Dhamnar in Rajasthan, and Masrur in Himachal Pradesh are the other two sites of India. Masrur in Guler, Kangra district, in fact is the highest in terms of altitude, located 2500 feet above sea level.

As per Professor N P Singh, the local legend of Masrur is linked directly to the Pandavas of the Mahabharata. This is not surprising, given that this is located in the old Jalandhara/Trigarta kingdom which also apparently fought on the side of the Kauravas in the war. The temples, as per legend, were built by the Pandavas during their agyatvas or period of hiding post their exile, where they started work during a fabled six month long night. A woman who wondered why the night did not end, lit a lamp to find the reason. The light as a result of the lamp made the Pandavas to think that daylight has struck in, and they stopped construction, thus leaving the temple incomplete.

Today it houses Rama, Lakshmana and Sita; however, the temple is definitely Saivite in nature. Attempts to identify the builder have failed so far. Professor Singh has noted that historians including Hargreaves have mostly acknowledged that the temple, built in Nagari style, were built duing the In the 9th century, the Katoch King Jai Chandra who built two main temples, one at Baijnath (the fist Jotir-linga, Shiv temple in India), the second at Masroor (rock cut temples copied from the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, coins minted by Raja Jai Chandra can be seen in the museum at Chamba).

However, there is no consensus on the builder. There are several conjectures, and the conviction depends on the person you talk to. For instance, one conjecture believes that the old kings of Trigarta built these temples between 6-8th century A.D., and the proof cited is the memory of the Gaddi tribe in identifying Guler as Jalandhar even today. Another more likely theory propagated is that the temple was built by Jayapal Shahi, one of the last great rulers of the Hindu Shahi dynasty of Kabul, who ruled over large parts of north-west India right through 9th century A.D., including Lahore.

One theory that seems to have wider acceptance is that Yashovarman of Kannauj, the contemporary of Lalitaditya of Kashmir, may have commissioned the project. It is here that Michael Meister's 2006 paper on the subject is very interesting. Meister has proposed that the temple complex is probably the inspiration for the magnificent temples of Cambodia that started in the 12th century A.D. In fact, the Varmans eventually set up a kingdom north of Ravi river in Bharmour, Chamba after they lost power in Kannauj, and probably an offshoot of this clan was what ended up in Cambodia too.

Some very interesting features of the temple complex are put forth by Meister to bolster his argument. While the temple today has been identified to have three entrance four faced Siva shrines, much like Jogeswari temples near Bombay from the 5th century A.D., Meister has used cartography to demonstrate that the temple was also meant to have had a fourth entrance, with sikh aras over the existing east mandapa and on the west. As Meister noted from Stella Kramrisch's analysis of the study of the "hundred-and-one temples" listed in the important eighth-century text, the Visnudharmottara, Stella Kramrisch identified one category "whose Mandapas are essentially part of their plan" that seems particularly relevant to what we find at Masrur. In particular

"The tern pie [type called] Kailasa heads the list. It has 5 Sikharas, 4 Mandapas and 4 doors. The Mandapas being in the four directions, the entrances at the cardinal points, this cross shaped temple would have one central Sikhara and each Mandapa would have a lesser Sikhara of its own."

Meister has thus proposed that Masrur actually predates the "oldest known example of the temple mountain" found in Cambodia, the eighth-century brick structure of Prasat Ak Yum in Siem Reap, and that Masrur's temple-tank embodies the relationship of water to the temple's range of towers.

Whatever be the case, the temples are certainly a must visit. About 70-80km from Dharamsala, do take the time out to walk through what remains of this wonder, ravaged by time and impacted by the 1905 Kangra earthquake

VISIONARY & BENEVOLENT MAHARAJA PRATAP SINGH - LONGEST SERVING DOGRA RULER - VICTIM OF GREAT GAME

Maharaja Pratap Singh, the third Dogra ruler, ruled Jammu & Kashmir for 40 years from 1885 to 1925, the longest of the all the Dogra emperors. He was known for his generous nature, a moderniser and a visionary.

 

Out of the four Dogra rulers, Maharaja Pratap Singh’s era can be termed as a period of enlightenment for his subjects, particularly for Kashmiris. He did a lot towards establishing local self governing bodies, democratic processes, educational systems, health care and hygiene and infrastructure development during his rule.

With his tactful and diplomatic efforts he was able to free the state from the undue influence of the British rule in the year 1921.

Maharaja Pratap Singh administered the Dharmarth Trust with great devotion and religious thinking following the footsteps of his father in this noble task. He is thus remembered as Dharam Avtar by the people of J & K .

By 1925, Kashmir, particularly Srinagar had undergone a significant social and cultural transformation. The valley was connected to the outside world by two major road networks and River Jhelum, which was the central artery of communication was further developed.

 

Large and small size boats ferried people and goods up and down the river in a systematically regularized manner. Commenting upon his rule, British historian Walter Lawrence wrote, “he has done much to change the position of his subjects. His kindness to all classes in Kashmir has won the affection of his people”. Yet little is known and heard of this visionary and benevolent ruler.

Maharaja Pratap Singh, born on 18 July 1848, (corresponding to Samvat 1st Sawan 1905), left for heavenly abode on 23 September 1925 at the age of 77 having ruled the longest and done a great deal for his subjects. A question before us today is are we justified in forgetting an iconic ruler?

Son of Maharaja Ranbir Singh who was a beacon of the Dogra dynasty, and had certainly much to his credit, including the annexation of Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and Chitral, criminal and legal reforms like the introduction of the Ranbir Danda Vidhana that also took into account forensic evidences like fingerprints, and pushing for industrialization via support to shawl making, horticulture, silk production and many others. However, in the twilight of his life, frequent illnesses caused him severe disabilities, keeping him away from administrative affairs. In the absence of a strong monarch, corruption, administrative malpractices, and nepotism had taken deep roots into the Jammu and Kashmir state. Several terrible taxes that were originally introduced for the purpose of funding military campaigns continued – in fact, they became routes for siphoning money from the state coffers, rendering it bankrupt. Moreover, Ranbir Singh had three sons – Pratap Singh, Amar Singh and Ram Singh, of which Ram Singh and Amar Singh vied for the throne aggressively. Ranbir Singh held mixed opinions about his eldest son, and in fact wanted Amar Singh to be the heir apparent; fate held it otherwise. British monarchical laws of the time meant that only Pratap Singh could be the legitimate heir to the throne, which meant that in 1885, with the death of Ranbir Singh, Pratap Singh became the third Dogra monarch of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in such contested circumstances and with an almost empty coffer.

While there is some element of truth in the fact that Maharaja Pratap Singh was eager to gain some favor from the British government of India, it does not take away from him several important measures he undertook that transformed the state, much in line with the spirit of the Dogra rulers. With the military conquest phase behind them, the monarchs could truly administer the ailments that afflicted the state, and take them head-on, even if it upset the apple cart for some of the top administrators in the state. While it is often argued by many, including those jaundiced scholars on Kashmir, that the Dogras were not interested in improving the state of affairs of the Kashmiris, facts state otherwise. 

It is essential to highlight that Pratap Singh abolished several taxes to give relief to the people despite serious strain on state finances arising from them. Taxes imposed on a host of daily essentials like ghee, and wool were abolished; so were duties like Zar-nakhas on sale of horses and Naosakht on boats and the ravangi on export of Pashmina from Srinagar in 1885 itself. To push for greater industrialization within the state for people’s benefit, monopolies from manufacturer of bricks, lime and paper were withdrawn by the government, thus creating a chance of perfect competition. Even import duties on edibles were removed by his administration. 

A silk factory was set up at Srinagar which attained the distinction of being the largest of its kind in the world. In order to feed it with the best quality of cocoons, seeds were imported from Italy and France. A beginning was made in local self-government by establishing municipalities at Jammu, Srinagar, Sopore and Baramulla which improved hygiene and sanitation. Maharaja abolished Muslims Marriage Tax. He closed the state shawl industry to encourage cottage industry.

Transport was facilitated in his domain by leaps and bounds. Roads like the Jhelum Valley Cart Road and the Banihal Cart Road were built. Jammu was linked to Sialkot by rail with personal interest of the Maharaja driving it by 1890. Even cable car communication between parts of Jammu were conceptualized though it failed to become reality. Since he was born at Reasi, he is remembered in Reasi by General Zorawar Singh Memorial Committee on his annual birth anniversaries.

 

Despite British apathy, Jhelum Valley Cart road, a wonderful mountain road of the world, starting from Kohala to Baramulla was completed in 1889. This was the 1st major initiative in road connectivity. In 1897 it was extended to Srinagar. Thereafter another highway, the Banihal Cart Road (BC Road), connecting Jammu with Srinagar was thrown open to the public in 1922. Besides these highways, many other roads and tracks connecting Srinagar to Gilgit and Leh & many other places were completed.

 

The benefits of these roads to the general public may be judged from the fact that before Maharaja Pratap Singh’s reign, there wasn’t any Tonga / Bael Gari (wheeled conveyance), nor even a hand driven cart seen in the state.

 

By the time his rule ended, large boats, B class buses and trucks (motor vehicles) became the principal means of conveyance and transportation.

 

Besides road connectivity, Maharaja was keen to connect Srinagar with rail. Survey was completed and the plan prepared but it could not be executed because of prohibitive costs.

 

Another dream project of Maharaja was to build a 79 mile long mono-cable steel ropeway from Jammu to village Doru, across Banihal and from there to connect Srinagar by a 46 mile long light railway. That too could not be started due to lack of finances. However Jammu was linked to Sialkot by rail in 1890 after which Jammu got connected to Delhi and rest of India.

On the front of law and order as well as dignity of humanity, important steps were undertaken by the government. It is convenient that the British residents of the time including Lt. Col. Charles Plowden and Sir Oliver St. John criticized the practices within Kashmir, when their predecessors had in fact approved of them. The case of begar or forced labor during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh was ironically justified on economic grounds with suggestions of improvement by the then British resident; however, seeing the inhumanity of it, Pratap Singh abolished it, and instead declared minimum wages for labor and provisions whenever required by the state. Forceful conscription into the army from every tenth household of a village was stopped, giving much relief to people in Jammu. Further, he reformed the criminal code to ensure that people got equal sentences irrespective of their caste and stature within society. This also goes to show that far from British coercion, reforms were initiated by the Maharaja, a conservative Hindu with a modern outlook, of his own volition.

On the education and administrative fronts too, Pratap Singh made several important contributions. Schools and colleges were opened in Jammu and Srinagar, while existing schools were refurbished and remodeled so that the best of modern education could be imparted. Amar Singh College was formally opened by Maharaja Partap in 1914 as Technical Institute. Later in 1942 it was converted into Amar Singh College.

Municipal corporations to govern the two cities were also created. Rules and policies on matters of education, public service and administrative issues like the creation of an administrative council to look after matters were drafted and implemented for the first time. Lot of stress was laid on popularising education. Number of boys and girls schools and hostels were opened. Primary education was made free. Grants for education were budgeted. Several initiatives were taken to educate Muslims. Unqualified teachers were sent to Lahore for training. One degree college each at Srinagar and Jammu were opened.

 

First one was started in Srinagar in 1905 and was named ‘Sri Pratap College’. The other was established in Jammu in 1907 which was named ‘Prince of Wales College’, commemorating the visit of His Royal Highness, Prince of Wales, the future King George V. As a great visionary, he created institutions of higher learning in Jammu & Kashmir regions. Amar Singh Technical Institute was established in Srinagar in 1914 and Sri Pratap Technical School was set up at Jammu in 1924.

 

By 1938, Sri Pratap College, with 1187 students was adjudged as the second largest college affiliated to Panjab University.

Real drive in modernisation of health care occurred during Maharaja Pratap Singh era.

 

Kashmir Mission Hospital was expanded which soon became a hub of health care activities. In 1889, in two largest cities of J&K, Jammu & Srinagar, two govt Hospitals were commissioned. He inaugurated separate hospitals for males (Mardana) and females (Zenana) at Srinagar and Jammu. In other towns and important villages, dispensaries were started under qualified doctors. These initiatives went a long way in improving the health of the people. Smallpox used to take a very heavy toll of life in the valley. Large scale vaccinations were administered in 1894 to prevent it.

 

To prevent floods in Srinagar a wide spill channel was constructed in 1904 which diverted the flood waters of Jhelum. Several irrigation canals were constructed in Jammu and Kashmir. Maharaja Pratap Singh also constructed two canals: Ranbir Canal and Pratap Canal and there by increased the irrigation facilities leading to further progress in agriculture. The longest and most important of these is the Ranbir Canal in Jammu with a total length of 251 miles including its tributaries. It was completed in 1911 and cost Rs. 35,36,714.

 

This Canal also helped in propelling the turbines of the Jammu hydro-electric stations. Another irrigation channel in Jammu, the Pratap Canal, irrigates vast tracts of land in Jourian, Khour and Pallanwala. 250 rain water harvesting ‘Talabs’ were constructed in Kandi areas with a view to minimise distress of the residents. The power obtained from the hydro-electric works established at Mohara in 1907 was used not only for lighting and industrial purposes but also for dredging in Jhelum.

 

VICTIM OF THE GREAT GAME

While the Maharaja was on a path of transforming the state, the Great Game began. Having taken control of region after region in Central Asia, Russia had after the Crimean war come very close to the British Indian domain, right next to Afghanistan. By sheer luck, a small sliver retained by Afghanistan was all that divided Russia under the Romanovs and the British India. In such circumstances, the British under the influence of Mortimer Durand, had started to hear alarm bells on the north-western border, and had started to believe that while the North West Frontier Province was secured with a border after understanding with the Amir of Afghanistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir would have to play a similar role, especially the areas of Chitral, Hunza, Nagar and Gilgit, whose rulers accepted the Dogra suzerainty.

The conquest of Nilt Fort, Hunza - 20th December,1891. Final assault was carried out by the 100 Dogras and Gurkhas of 2nd Battalion, The Jammoo and Kashmir Regiment of Maharaja Partap Singh's Forces a.k.a 'The Body Guard'.

Battle was fought against a formidable well entrenched enemy on top of the Hill. These brave men scaled the treacherous and tough 1200 feet steep wall at dawn.  Edward Frederick Kinght, author & a soldier who fought in this battle describes an intense fight.

Knight says,

“I observed from my position from the adjacent hill, with heavy odds against them they penetrated the fort. We saw 1000s of enemy tribesmen fleeing from other side of the fort,among them Kanjut Forces, Horse Cavalry, General Wazir Dadu & infamous Uzr Khan of Nagar. The whole battle was carefully planned & hard fought, against a formidable adversary which outnumbered our valiant troops. It must be appreciated & shows what stuff the Dogra Soldiers are made from, they acquitted themselves admirably in this assault, which was calculated to try the nerve of the staunchest soldiers that ever fought.”

Within the state, matters were not necessarily pleasant either. Raja Amar Singh and Raja Ram Singh were always displeased with the succession of Pratap Singh, and had decided to play ball with the British resident and the former Prime Minister Lachman Das to defang the Maharaja. In 1889, the new Resident Perry Nisbet, purportedly friendly to Pratap Singh got access to thirty-four letters supposedly written in Dogri that supposedly unraveled nefarious plans of the Maharaja in collusion with Dalip Singh, the former ruler of Lahore and son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Russian empire. The letters also apparently mentioned plots to kill Nisbet as well as Ram Singh, Amar Singh and their families in exchange of money. Nisbet read the riot act, and vouched for the genuineness of the letters, which did not make sense for a whole host of reasons. In the words of the Maharaja himself:

‘..who is in Russia to read Dogra vernacular?....who is the fool in the world to commit such base conspiracies in writing?..’

Nevertheless, the British resident took it up with the then Governor General Lord Dufferin, who decided that the Maharaja be defanged for all practical purposes. The Provincial council, of which Amar Singh and Ram Singh were important members, were given all the powers to govern, reducing Pratap Singh to a mere ceremonial figure. Moreover, the state was forced to give Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitra, Hunza and Nagar provinces on lease to the British government, who controlled it via their military. The Great Game had a victim of circumstances, especially a man who could have changed the picture of the state much more. A coup d’etat had been successfully conducted by the British in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had no role to play, which had a monarch who was willing to go the extra mile to accommodate British concerns, and who also, through his personal goodwill, asked people of Jammu and Kashmir to help the British government during World War I.

By the time, post World War I, when impressed by the Dogra forces and the ‘conduct of the Maharaja’ the British government restored some of the powers, he was in no condition to enjoy it, and he died in 1925. His wife had died much earlier, and he had never had a child, and so eventually, he was succeeded by Maharaja Hari Singh, the son of Amar Singh.

Turning back the tide of Islamic Conquests, illustrated with The case of Sultanate of Nagaur

The Sultans of Nagaur have left behind a few crumbling mosques and tombs indicating their brief rule over the town—these are overshadowed by the monuments of the Rajput rulers who dominated Nagaur for a longer period. The sultanate does not occupy even a footnote in Indian History since its power was curbed by the politico-military expansion of the Rajputs—the Nagaur Sultans were repeatedly forced to pay tribute to the Sesodias of Chittor while their lands were slowly annexed by the Rathors of Jodhpur. In fact, the case of Nagaur vividly illustrates the turning back of the tide of Islamic conquests in Rajputana in the 14th and 15th Centuries.

Jangaldesh

The English word jungle is derived from the Hindi jangal, both of which indicate a thick forest. However the original Sanskrit word jangala had a very different meaning—it was actually used to describe land where water was scarce, where khejri trees and ber hedges were abundant, and where roamed deer, blackbuck, and wild ass.

The ancient Ayurveda states, 

“ The land that has less water, trees, and hills are healthy jangala country .”

Over the centuries the word jangal was used for any wild or desolate piece of land and eventually became synonymous with forests.

From the descriptions above, the country around Nagaur, north to Bikaner, and up to the border of Punjab, was called Jangaldesh in ancient times. The remains of some of the earliest settlements along the banks of the long dried-up Saraswati River can be seen to this day—at a later age, it came under the Naga rulers after whom the town of Nagaur (Naga-pura) is named.

The name of Jangaldesh was known till a very late period. The Rajput rulers of Bikaner, whose territory eventually embraced the bulk of Jangal country, sported the title Jai Jangaldhar Badshah, which was emblazoned on the state coat of arms during the British Raj.

Islamic invasions

In the medieval era, the town of Nagaur sat astride trade routes coming north from Gujarat and Sindh and those on the west crossing the Indus from Multan. With a dead flat plain all around, the defense of the fort depended on the military and economic power of its rulers—and from the period of the Ghaznavid invasions, Nagaur was under the powerful Chauhan clan. A succession of rulers kept the whole of Jangaldesh free from foreign rule down to the reign of Prithviraj III at the close of the 12th Century.

The story of his wars with the Turk invader Muhammad of Ghor has been related in other posts. But the story of what occurred at Nagaur, how the fort was taken, and what horrors the defenders and inhabitants went through is not known from either the Muslim or the Hindu sources. That Nagaur town came under the invaders is clear since Balban, before becoming Sultan, was given an estate centered on this desert town. But just as there were petty Hindu chiefs (of numerous castes) in the vast lands between Ajmer and Delhi, it is reasonable to suppose that such landholders were also present in the lands between Ajmer and Nagaur, paying land revenue to the Muslims and probably joining their army.

Another similarity between Ajmer and Nagaur is the early founding of Sufi shrines at both places. One of the earliest Sufis to come to Nagaur was Sultan Tarkin, whose shrine was established during Hindu rule. After Khwaja Moinuddin established the Chishtiya Sufi order at Ajmer one of his disciples, named Hamiduddin, came to Nagaur. Hazrat Hamiduddin accommodated some Hindu principles in his teachings—he became a strict vegetarian and lovingly reared a cow in his shrine.

In 1306 a Mongol army ravaged Nagaur but as shown in an earlier post, this was one of the last invasions of India by the Chagatai Khanate. The Khalji Turks had begun pushing deeper into the lands of the independent Rajput rulers and even further into South India. Amid this expansion, they lost some of the important Rajput forts like Jaisalmer, Chittor, and Siwana, while guerrilla warfare made the regions of Marwar and Mewar impassable for the Muslim armies. Some of the other forts and towns were lost to the Rajputs after the break-up of the Delhi Sultanate in 1351. With the death of Firuz Tughlaq in 1388, the remaining strongholds like Ajmer and Nagaur came under their own hereditary governors.

Rajputana

Turks of the Dandani tribe became Sultans of Nagaur, ruling over a large but undefined territory in northern Rajputana. These Turks had political relations with the Sultans of Delhi, Gujarat, and Malwa, alternately fighting with and allying with one or the other. The two rising Rajput states, Mewar and Marwar, had a greater impact on the fortunes of this sultanate—particularly the latter since Nagaur shared a long undefended border with Marwar. Other minor Rajput clans, striving for power in the regions west and east of Nagaur, were also a factor in the political kaleidoscope.

The Sultans of Nagaur taxed the money earned by the people from trade, agriculture, and from the vast herds of cattle, goats, and camels. In addition, like in the Delhi Sultanate, jaziya and a pilgrimage tax taken from Hindus brought significant sums to the treasury and enabled the Dandani Turks to match their neighbors in battle.

While Nagaur was still swearing a nominal allegiance to Delhi, two ominous events occurred in the neighborhood within a short period. One was the campaign of Rana Lakha (1389-1404) of Mewar, which saw a Rajput army ravaging Ajmer and pushing on to the Jhunjunu region near Delhi. The second was the capture of Mandor by Rao Chunda (1390-1422) of the Rathor clan—this city henceforth became the Rathor capital and gave Rao Chunda a convenient base for attacking Nagaur.

At about this time (circa 1416) Muslim records state that Firuz Khan Dandani, Sultan of Nagaur, sought the aid of the Sayyid ruler of Delhi in the face of an invasion from Gujarat. But since an army from Gujarat could not reach Nagaur without first tackling the intervening Rajput states, it is probable that this invasion was actually led by Rao Chunda who had made an alliance with the Gujarat Sultans. On hearing reports of the march of the Delhi army, Rao Chunda retreated while Firuz Khan paid tribute to the Sultan of Delhi. Only two years later he entered into an alliance with the powerful Sultan Ahmad of Gujarat.

Rao Chunda also changed horses mid-stream and formed an alliance with Mewar, where the Rathor princess Hansabai was married to the old Rana Lakha, who in turn promised to make her son the next Rana. On the strength of this alliance, Chunda subdued Rajput clans like the Bhatis and Mohils and again invaded Nagaur, forcing Firuz Khan to make peace by paying him tribute. The tables were turned in 1422 when these three defeated powers made an alliance and killed Chunda on the outskirts of Nagaur—Chunda’s son Ranamall was then at Mewar and his brothers sought to capture the throne at Mandor.

With the help of the Mewar army, Ranamall defeated his brothers and became the head of the Rathor clan. In 1428 he led this joint Sesodia-Rathor army to punish the Turks of Nagaur where he stormed the fort and killed Firuz Khan. The next Sultan of Nagaur Qiyam Khan paid tribute to Mewar till 1438 when Ranamall Rathor was killed at Chittor and the Sesodias invaded Marwar. The conflict between the two Rajput clans was the opportunity for the sultanates that had been smarting under their dominance—the Sultans of Gujarat and Malwa fought Mewar for almost twenty years and were ultimately compelled to form an alliance against the strong Rajput state.

With its two Rajput enemies simultaneously in trouble, Nagaur regained independence and its Sultans their former power, which was reflected in the internal politics of the neighboring Delhi Sultanate. In 1451 the minister of the last Sayyid ruler invited Qiyam Khan to seize Delhi and become Sultan—at the same time he sent a similar invitation to Buhlul Lodi, the Afghan governor of Sirhind. The latter, being closer to Delhi, reached first and established the Lodi dynasty, while the disappointed Qiyam Khan retired with his army to Nagaur.

After his death in 1453, the succession to the Nagaur throne was disputed between the brothers Mujahid Khan and Shams Khan. Rana Kumbha, who had emerged victorious in the long war with the Sultan of Malwa and the Rathors, sent his army to aid Shams Khan who was installed as the Sultan. As a price of his support, Rana Kumbha demanded that a portion of the Nagaur fort be demolished, but this Shams Khan Dandani would not do—instead, he formed a matrimonial alliance with Sultan Qutb-ud-din of Gujarat.

In 1456 Rana Kumbha defeated the allied Muslim army and again captured Nagaur. On this occasion, the great mosque at Nagaur, built by Firuz Khan, was demolished by the Rajputs to signify Kumbha’s displeasure against Shams Khan and to impose the status of a vassal on him. This was also retaliation for the practice of Muslim invaders who demolished temples in their wars against the Hindus—but unlike the Muslims, the Hindu rulers did not destroy mosques indiscriminately and never sought to forcibly convert Muslim civilians.

For the next two years, the Sultans of Gujarat and Malwa formed an alliance to fight against Rana Kumbha, but by this time Mewar had again become the dominant power in North India—not the least because of a peace treaty with the Rathor clan.

Rao Jodha, the head of the Rathor clan, had founded a new capital called Jodhpur and had recovered most of his other forts from the Sesodias. The war between the two clans was brought to an end in 1458 by a treaty, the details of which are unfortunately not known, but the subsequent events provide some clues. It appears that Mewar gave up its claims on the Sultanate of Nagaur, which was in any case located in the Marwar region. But this did not make Nagaur independent—rather its territory became food for the hungry and fast multiplying Rathor clan.

Jodha’s son Bika, with a portion of the Rathor clansmen, captured the northern portions of Nagaur and founded a new city called Bikaner. Another son named Duda captured Merta lying to the east of Nagaur—the Sultanate of Nagaur was now shrunk to the main town and a few surrounding villages. The policy of the sultans was to maintain independence by either paying tribute to the head of the Rathor clan or to the Lodis of Delhi.

In 1500 Sultan Muhammad Khan Dandani, fearing the ambitions of his younger brothers Ali Khan and Abu Bakr, paid tribute to Sikandar Lodi who took these brothers into his own service. Encouraged by this alliance with Delhi, Muhammad Khan tried to recover his lands from the Rathor ruler of Bikaner, Rao Lunkaran, in 1513 but was defeated and compelled to pay tribute—subsequently, Rao Lunkaran protected Nagaur, as his vassal state, from an attack by his own kinsman Rao Ganga of Jodhpur. The territory of the Sultanate had now shrunk to just the town of Nagaur.

Later rulers

In the next few decades, revolutions of power occurred with bewildering rapidity at Delhi between the Afghans and Mughals, finally ending with the accession of Sultan Sher Shah Sur. In his campaign to Rajputana Sher Shah obtained the alliance of smaller states like Bikaner against the parent branch of Jodhpur——though victorious in the battle of Sumel he could not establish real control over any part of the vast territory because of his death within a year at Kalinjar.

In Nagaur though, the powerless dynasty of the Dandani Turks was formally ended and an Afghan army was left in control of the fort and town. This force was ousted by the Mughals under Akbar in 1562. Akbar also captured the fief of Merta—the Rathor ruler of Merta, the Legendary famous Jaimal took up service with the Rana of Chittor and sacrifice his life defending the Chittor fort from Akbar in 1569. Akbar’s campaign in Rajputana had some similarities with Sher Shah’s in that he made alliances with the smaller Rajput states like Bikaner and Amber and used them against the bigger states.

Nagaur remained under Mughal control but was actually administered by one of the nearby Rajput rulers. In the time of Shah Jahan the heir of the Jodhpur throne, Amar Singh, was disinherited by his father and was granted Nagaur as compensation by the Mughal Emperor.

नागौर अमर सिंह राठौड़ की वीर गाथाओं से जाना गया है।  

Many of the buildings in the town date from this period. During Aurangzeb’s war against the Rathors in 1679, the headship of the clan was given to Indra Singh (grand-nephew of the dead Maharaja Jaswant Singh) of Nagaur—but he was overthrown by Jaswant’s son Ajit Singh and his Legendary general Durgadas who permanently annexed Nagaur to the Kingdom of Jodhpur.

Maharaja Bakhat Singh (1706–1752) Yale art gallery.

राजाधिराज बखत सिंह राठौड़ ने नागौर गढ, बखत महल, अनेकों मंदिर, और जल का स्त्रोत बखत सागर निर्माण करवाए। जोधपुर महाराजा बनने उपरांत महाराजा बखतसिंह राठौड़ ने अजमेर भी मुगलों से जीत लिया। इस युद्ध में उनका सहयोग दिया भिनाय और पीसांगन के राठौड़ों ने। 

He alone had the capacity to transform Ajmer city, but he held it only for a year.

MAHARAO DESHALJI JADEJA - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

Who Fought with Sher Bulandkhan, an Iraani Invader.. inspite of having few warriors Rao Deshalji and Jadeja bhayats crushed down Iraani Army n invaders and they ran Like a mad dog..!!

JADEJA-MUGHAL WARS in the year 1729, 52nd mughal viceroy of Gujarat mubariz-ul-mulk Sher Buland khan bahadur dilawar jang with 50,000 troops marched on kutch, jadejas were caught unprepared because it's been seven years since last mughal-jadeja conflict happened and fort was not strengthen enough, nonetheless Jadejas gathered at bhuj to defend the capital,attack was made on the fort,on first day of the war two of bastion and on second a Garrison was captured by Mughals,

"Jadeja Ruler of kutchh with his vassals".

By:Robert Melville, Grindlay 1826

British Library. 

Situation was dire,jadejas decided to do kesariya, Maharaja of kutch Yadukulsiromani maharao deshalji 1( देशला पर्मेश्वरा)choose 3000 of finest jadeja horsemen himself, binding round their brows orange turban of self sacrifise they readied themself for the final battle, counter attack was made on bastions and Garrison with jagirdar of roha killing their commander(nephew of Sher Buland khan)counter attack was successful and Mughals were made to flee,doors were opened and maharao dashed into enemy forces defences were broken and Mughals along with sarbulund khan started fleeing they made next stop at lakhona but supplies were cut off and wells were poisoned, their camp was repeatedly attack by kutch horsemen, SherBuland was lucky enough to escape,but great number of his troops were unable to cross the desert they were pursued and killed by jadeja riders.

Sherbuland wanted to divide jadejas he bought with him kanyoji jadeja of morbi as a heir to the throne but reaching bhuj he himself with his forces joined his jadeja brothers against Mughals, a jamat of naga sadhus who were going to hinglaj jatra also joined the war against mughals.

Miyanas of kutch loyal to their jadeja king also played their part in continuously raiding the Mughals in the desert and at lakhona as well, Fortification were strengthened at bhujia fort by him,towns of anjar, mundra and rapar was also fortified by him, to further solidify the defence army marched into parkar and post was created there sodhas were humbled by him and their raids were put to an end, a fort was built near dwarka named kutchigadh after punishing pirates who were harassing traders of mandvi, a fort was built in Rahim ki bazar Sindh by him sindhis/balochs were subdued from fort in rahim ki bazar, Seth devkaran who was his diwan also played a great part in the war as well as after the war-sarbulund was defeated on श्रावणसुद ६,१७८५- the sword of the commander who was killed by roha thakur saheb can be seen at roha jagir

The post at virvah and rahim ki bazar were of utmost military importance for jadejas and survival of state of Kutch, because of these posts jadejas were able to engage invading forces before they cross the Rann of kutch, Pakis are still quite bitter over it, As you can see above...

HIMACHAL PRIDE - VICTORIA CROSS NAIK LALA RAM THAKUR - IMMORTAL RAJPUTS

Himachal Pradesh undoubtedly produces premium brands of apples, but the soil has also produced men of steel, warriors and bravehearts.

Among 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees post independence, three have been nurtured by this soil. The tiny state of Himachal with a population of just about 1.5 per cent of the Indian total is far ahead of other states in demonstrating valour by its soldiers. Among nine Indian winners of the Victoria Cross during the First World War (also referred to as the Great War of civilisation), Lance Naik Lala Ram Thakur(just Lala in official records), a son of the present day Himachal Pradesh, was one of the bravest of the braves.

Lala Ram Thakur was born on April20, 1876, at Parol village in Hamirpur District (then part of Kangra). His Father called Dhinga Ram Thakur was a landowner, despite recieving no schooling, Lala could read and write hindi, he joined thee indian army in 21st february 1901, Aged Twenty four. As there were no schools in the area, he could not have formal education. So, whatever he learnt was during his service in the battalion. To demonstrate ones valour in the line of fire, one doesn’t need a formal education. Lala belonged to the Dogra martial race, a clan associated with valour and unmatched bravery. Also, camaraderie, at any risk, is one attribute the Dogras are born with. One cardinal attribute of a Dogra soldier is ‘leave no comrade behind, dead or alive, even at the cost of your life’. In the best traditions of his clan, Sepoy Lala lived up to the attribute in letter and spirit and earned for himself the coveted Victoria Cross.

During World War I, the 41st Dogra (present day 3 Dogra) after fighting a 13-month gruelling battle in France was attached to 35th Brigade for the attack on Turkish entrenchments near the ruins of Al Orah on Tigris defenses in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq). The Dogras attacked the objective at 7 am on January 21, 1916, but soon came under intense and accurate Turkish fire, in which the battalion suffered many casualties, including two officers. It was at that time that Lance Naik Lala exhibited as to what stuff the Dogras are made of. Under heavy enemy fire, Lala displayed his Dogra attribute of camaraderie, which made him worthy of a Victoria Cross.  On May 13, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was invested with the Victoria Cross and was also promoted to the rank of Havildar. After serving for five years as Non Commissioned Officer, Havildar Lala was granted the Viceroy Commission and made Jemadar. Jemadar Lala Ram, VC, breathed his last on March 23, 1927.

After retirement when Lala was reminded by some that he won the award fighting a war which was not India’s war, the Victoria Cross awardee very aptly summed up saying: “Jenab, Hindustani sepoy ‘naam, namak, nishan aur desh ki shaan ke liye ladta hai (Sir, the Indian soldier fights for the name of his paltan, for loyality to his paltan, for the flag of his paltan and for the honour of his country)”.

Battle account of his valour

Lala was Involved in first world war from shortly after the conflict broke out in august 1914. He was in the first batch of indians that went to france and later he spent three months guarding the suez canal, he was serving as sepooy in hanna, Mesopotamia (now iraq), in the new year of 1916 hanna was close to the river tigris and was well defendeed by the turks who was entrenched north of river. the aim of the advancing allied force was to try to relieve General Charles Townshend's forces at kut-al-amara. On 21st january Lieutenant General Sir Fentom Aylmer VC attacked the turks but soon it became apparent that the preliminary bombardment had done little damage to the enemy's barbed wire defence. As a result attacker were driven back to marshy ground and with heavy casualties. Freezing temperatures and bitter wind that many of the wounded died of exposure. 

The battle account of his conspicuous gallantry during the action recorded in the War Diary of 3 Dogra Battalion and Dogra Regimental archives reads: “During 41st Dogra’s attack on Al Orah entrenchments on the morning of January 21, 1916, Lance Naik Lala was with the leading company. After advancing about 200 yards, the company was pinned down by accurate fire from the Turkish defenders and suffered heavy casualties.

In that fire fight, Lala noticed a British Officer of the neighbouring battalion lying wounded close to the enemy trenches. With total disregard to his personal safety, he crawled up and dragged the wounded into a temporary shelter, in which he already bandaged four of his wounded comrades. After nursing the wounded officer and bandaging his own wounds, he heard calls from the adjutant of his own regiment, who was lying in the open severely wounded. Lala prepared to crawl to his adjutant and dragged him back to the shelter, but was not permitted to do so since crawling a distance of 100 yards in the open under heavy fire amounted to certain death. Lala withheld his resolve, stripped of his warm clothing and draped on the wounded officer to keep his body warm and waited for the sun to go down. Shortly after dusk, Lala carried the first wounded officer back to the medical aid post. He then returned with a stretcher and, in the hours of darkness, under sporadic enemy fire, brought back his wounded adjutant to the medical aid post near the Battalion Headquarters in the rear”.

VC introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on Jan 29, 1856

Victoria Cross (VC), Indian equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest pre-independence military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy, was introduced by Queen Victoria’s Royal Warrant on January 29, 1856. Indian soldiers had been fighting bravely and dying for the British in all overseas campaigns. But till 1911, the highest award they could receive for valour was the Indian Order of Merit (IOM). However, due to incessant calls to consider Indian troops for the award of the Victoria Cross, they were made eligible for it in 1911.

He was gazetted for the VC on 13th May 1916, though there is no record of an investiture. He later transferred to the 17th Dogra Regiment and ended his Army career as a Jemadar (First Lieutenant). He lost his original VC and had an official replacement issued to him in April 1924.

His last words were: "We fought true."

Lala died on 23rd March 1927 due to complications caused by polio. He was cremated at Parol Village, Hamirpur, Kangra District, India. His medals are privately held.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: NOT PUBLICLY HELD. 

BURIAL PLACE: CREMATED AT PAROL VILLAGE, INDIA. ASHES SCATTERED LOCALLY.

Vijay Thakur, 70, granddaughter of the brother of lance-naik Lala Ram, lives with her family in Hamirpur. Born much after he died, she has, nevertheless, heard the tales of his bravery from her mother and village elders. She wants a statue of the soldier in Bal Batika, which was Lal Batika (dedicated to the Victoria Cross winner) until renamed two decades ago. A children's park in the Hiranagar locality of Hamirpur, it is one of the most frequented places of the town near the official residence of the deputy commissioner.

"Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Yashwant Singh Parmar had named the government senior secondary school of Parol as well after my grandfather," said Thakur.

THE IMMORTAL RAJPUT'S REGIMENT PRE - PARTITION CHRONICLES

🔱🕉🔱"When day gives way to night

And guards kindle fires

The thoughts of dharmic ancient times

Come alive within THE RAJPUT'S "🔱🕉🔱

The Indian Armed Forces oldest battalion Is 20 Rajput formerly known as Jodhpur Sirdar Infantry Raised on 9th September 1212 C.E. It got converted from 20 Rajput to 24 Mechanised Infantry in 1994.

“They are, and ever have been, honourable, brave, and true.”

 British General O’Moore Creagh about Rajputs 

The chief characteristic of the Rajput is his pride of blood. Representing as he does the higher military castes of India, his one ambition has always been to wield a sword, and wield it well. For ages in the past the Rajput maintained his supremacy in one or another part of India. 

Descent from the sun and the moon, and later from those two heroes of the Mahabharata—Rama and Krishna—the Rajput maintains that his ancient and noble blood has flowed in the veins of kings from times more remote than any other history can record. That old but immortal legend of the Bhagavad Gîta, in which Prince Arjuna held a discourse with Krishna, the supreme Deity, in his war-chariot, drawn up between the opposing forces of Kauravas and Pandavas, is regarded by the Rajput as peculiarly his own.

"If devotion to the fair sex be admitted as a criterion of civilization, the Rajpoot must rank high.

His susceptibility is extreme, and fires at the slightest offense to female delicacy, which he never forgives." - Col James Tod

The Rajput woman is noted for her bravery and high ideal of honour. Woe betide the husband or brother who has not all his wounds in front. There are many tales of Rajput women snatching a dagger from their waistband and plunging it into their hearts rather than suffer dishonour. There are even stories current as to their fighting ability, telling how on occasion they have fought valiantly in the field, and even led troops to victory.

It is not to be wondered at, then, that, possessing from time immemorial this lofty poem, so sublime in its aspiration, so pure and tender in its piety, the Rajput has always been a man of high and noble sentiment and lofty ideals.

But what is important is that Rajput gave up their kingdoms to make present India.

They didn't sell their swords.

Account of French national Francois Bernier a physician and traveller who spent 12 years in India from 1658 to 1670.

A Hindu Rajput with sword & shield, Rajputana

Source: Getty Image

Photographer: Felice Beato

Dated: 1858

He is, as the literal rendering of his name implies, the "Rajah's son," and in war has always displayed most noble and fearless qualities.

There is no history to record of the Rajput as a race, for each Rajput state and clan—and there are a large number of them—has its own history.

"Among the noble houses of the nations of the earth, there are none that can boast of a longer pedigree, or of a more splendid history, than the Rajpoots of India." : MA Sherring in his work "Hindu tribes & Castes as represented in Benaras".

... "The mild Hindu

Of far-off Rajputana,(Who) smiles to think how very few

Will ever reach Nirvana," is not the Rajput. 

It is a mistake to suppose that the Rajputs are the inhabitants of the province bearing their name. 

A group of Hindu Rajputs troops from the Hada(Chauhan) clan...

Dated - 1860

They form but a part of the population of their province, nor are they by any means restricted to it, being found in large numbers from the Indus to Benares.

So long as the Rajputs remained united, the kings official could do nothing with them.

- Noted by Sleeman about the Rajputs of UP or Better Known as Purbiyas.

"The tallest and finest men I have ever seen here, or indeed in Europe" Bishop Heber, the Bishop of Calcutta on the Rajputs of Awadh.

The Duke of Wellington wrote to Lieutenant-General Stuart in 1804 that the Oudh recruits were chosen because they were of a better size and appearance than any others to be had in India.

Sir Thomas Reynall who was with the Indian army from 1805 to 1828 (1822 to 1828 in Bengal) stated before the Select Committee of 1831 that, "the Oudh men were thought of as the best soldiers"

Lord Bentinck wrote in connection with the composition of the native armies of India that the people of Oudh were "much more military in their habits and were considered more powerful than those of Bombay"

Before the 1857 rebellion 3/4 of the EIC army was filled with Rajputs and Brahmans from Awadh and Bihar.

The 1857 revolt itself, however, could be seen as a signal of the discontent in Native rulers towards the British that later reemerged in the 1857 Rebellion who's biggest victims were Rajput zamindars, after revolt, British demolished all mud forts bulit by Rajputs i.e:- in awadh and surrounding areas, took away more than half the land held by Rajputs.

1783 forts were demolished in Awadh alone; 700 canons, 200000 firearms, 700000 swords and spears captured and Hindus pretend that Rajputs did nothing in 1857. Countless generations were lost so we could be classified as Huna and Saka by these degenerates.

After the 1857 revolt, British demolished 1783 forts in Awadh. Almost all the forts and land in Awadh belonged to Rajputs.

The 1783 demolished forts and thousands of sieged of arms and weapons were from these 12 districts alone.  

Every land-holder in Awadh invariably had a kacha or pucca fort and a number of armed retainers. Even small land holders having two villages maintained a fort. 

Plan of a Jungle Forts in Awadh. 

Mud forts built in the middle of jungles, the jungles were sometimes man-made artificial jungles, the path to reach the forts, was narrow and only known to the zamindar and his followers.

The forts were also surrounded by ditches

They also took away all arms and weapons (even the small ones) belonging to the local zamindars and talukdars, this way Awadh became disarmed post-1857.

A large section of the Rajputs of the Punjab plains, (of hills remain hindu), having been converted to Mahomedanism, have thereby lost their distinctive character of Rajputs, who, retaining the religion of their forefathers, are essentially Hindu and among them are seers and philosophers of the highest degree—men whose feet Nietzsche and Treitschke are not worthy to kiss and in the Rajput's championship of the higher things, his instinct with the wisdom of India, who sends him westward; India, who through the mouth of her sublimest poet says, from a platform undreamed of by the Teutonic philosopher,

"Near to renunciation—very near—

Dwelleth eternal peace."

It cannot be said that the Rajput is content to shine in the reflected glory of the past. In ancient times he devoted his life to making epic history, and in these days this serves him for an ever-present tradition from which he will draw the necessary material to add another volume to that history. 

Let him dream of the past achievements of his race, his ancient glory in war; let him sing the songs that he has made, and shake off the sloth of peace, and so rush into battle; for out of such dreams and stirring songs springs all human greatness.

In the process of recruiting among Rajputs it is a simple matter to tell the real from the false by the following points. A true Rajput will eat with his illegitimate children, but not out of the same dish; he will allow his natural son to smoke his hookah, but only provided he draws the smoke through his closed hand. He will eat food prepared and cooked by the natural children of any Rajput, but he will not eat with them, nor under any conditions allow them to smoke his hookah.

There is no questioning the bravery and stamina of the Rajput. Under a good commander who knows how to appeal to him, the Rajput will face death in any grim form. 

He has a spirit so fierce and dauntless that naturally it is tinctured with the changing tides of strong emotion, which at times may have its drawbacks; but he is, even more than the Gurkha, a soldier fit for a special task; indeed, his dash and heroism are so remarkable that even the Gurkha will sometimes claim to be directly descended from the Rajput.

I would at any time lead 1000 Rajput sepoys against 5000 Afgans

~ General William Nott.

 THE RAJPUT REGIMENTS, WITH THEIR BATTLE HONOURS

2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry.

Badge.—The Royal and Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria within the Garter.

Battle Honours.—"Delhi 1803," "Leswarree," "Deig," "Bhurtpore," "Khelat," "Afghanistan," "Maharajpore," "Punjab," "Chillianwallah," "Goojerat," "Central India," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87," "China 1900."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.

4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs.

Battle Honours.—"Leswarree," "Bhurtpore," "Kabul 1842," "Ferozeshah," "Sobraon," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings black.

7th Duke of Connaught's Own Rajputs.

Badge.—The Duke of Connaught's Crest and Cypher.

Battle Honours.—"Moodkee," "Ferozeshah," "Aliwal," "Sobraon," "China 1858/59," "Egypt 1882," "Tel-el-Kebir," "Pekin 1900."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.

8th Rajputs.

Battle Honours.—"Sobraon," "Afghanistan 1879/80."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings yellow.

13th Rajputs. (The Shekhawati Regiment.)

Battle Honours.—"Aliwal," "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Chitral."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings blue.

16th Rajputs. (The Lucknow Regiment.)

Battle Honours.—"Lucknow" (with a Turreted Gateway), "Afghanistan 1879/80," "Burma 1885/87."

Uniform.—Scarlet, facings white. In

The Rajput Regiment is one of the oldest infantry  regiments of the Indian Army tracing its origins to 1778 with the raising of the 24th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry. The 1st battalion of the regiment was formed in 1798.

Rajput soldiers of the British Indian Army. Left to right: 13th Rajputs, man and havildar from the 7th Duke of Connaught's Own Rajputs, Subadar and servant from the 16th Rajputs, 8th Rajputs, 11th Rajputs, 2nd Queen's Own Rajput Light Infantry. Water colour by AC Lovett (1911)

When the Indian Army was reformed following the First World War, most all Rajput regiments became battalions of the one large 7th Rajput Regiment. These included the 2nd Queen Victoria's Own, 4th Prince Albert Victor's, 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) 11th Rajputs

Indian troops(Muslim Rajputs) of 5th Light Infantry await execution in Singapore after their refusal to fight against the Ottoman Caliphate on religious grounds. Dated - March 1915, WW1

Prior to independence, the class composition of the regiment was Rajput and Punjabi Muslims  (including Niazi Pathans). The regimental insignia is a pair of crossed Rajputi Katars flanked by three Ashoka leaves on either side. This is mounted by the Lion Capital of Ashoka and a scroll below with the words 'The Rajput Regiment'.

Most of the Rajput battalions saw action during the First World War. The 1st battalion fought at the Battle of Dujailah in Mesopatamia, where it was nearly annihilated. The 3rd battalion fought the Battles of Qurna and Kut-al-Amara against the Turks. In one of the battles, the Turks had invaded both the flanks of the 3rd Rajput, during which Jemadar Sital Baksh was severely wounded. 

A platoon of the 1/2 Rajputs (51 Brigade, 17th Division) passing a heavy artillery battery in action at Samarra in Mesopotamia during the First World War.

Sepoy Jhandu Singh rushed to his rescue, the Jemadar ordered him to leave him behind but the sepoy lifted him on his back and started moving through the marshlands. Soon both the rescuer and the rescued became targets of the Turks and were riddled with bullets. Sepoy Jhandu Singh was awarded a posthumous Indian Order of Merit and Médaille militaire.

Subedar Major Lakshman Singh Rathore, Rajput Regiment. British-IndianArmy  Dated - 1900

In 1922 the infantry regiments of the British Indian Army were reorganised and all the Rajput regiments (with the exception of 13th (Shekhawati) Rajput Infantry, which became the 10th battalion of the 6th Rajputana Rifles) were amalgamated to become battalions of the new 7th Rajput Regiment as follows:

1st battalion: from 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry (1911–1922)

2nd battalion: from 4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs (1901–1922)

3rd battalion: from 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajput Infantry (1903–1922)

4th battalion: from 8th Rajput Infantry (1901–1922)

5th battalion: from 11th Rajput Infantry (1901–1922)

10th (Training) battalion: from the 16th Rajput Infantry (The Lucknow Regiment) (1901–1922)

Also the one class character of most of the infantry regiments were changed and the Rajputs introduced a company each of Punjabi Muslims and Hindustani Muslims in each of their battalions.

In late 1936 and 1937, the 3rd battalion ( 3/7 Rajput), was posted to Waziristan in what is now the tribal areas of Pakistan. During that time, they were employed against Afghan insurgents and criminal gangs raiding across the border

An infantry section of the 2nd battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment about to go on patrol on the Arakan front, 1944.

A number of Rajput battalions participated in World War 2:

The 1st battalion was in the Arakan during the Burma campaign and then took over the defence of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The 2nd battalion was also in the Arakan area and a number of actions were fought by it. The capture of Point 551, also called Rajput Hill was the most important. The Japanese holding this feature had turned back repeated attacks by other battalions but the Rajputs carried the day winning an Indian Order of Merit, five Military Crosses and two Military Medals for this action.

The 3rd battalion was shipped by convoy to Egypt  in August and September 1940. Their convoy was attacked several times by Italian bombers operating out of Ethiopia. The battalion's Bren guns were deployed for air defence and on one occasion are believed to have brought down an Italian aircraft. The battalion was at Suez and Egypt and was sent to defend Cyprus after the German attack on Crete as part of Indian 5th Infantry Division's 161st Indian Infantry Brigade. Here, they were mainly used in an anti-parachute role, supported by elements of Australian armour. Later, they returned to Egypt and participated in fierce fighting around Deir el Shein and Ruweisat Ridge including a particularly difficult offensive on 21/22 July 1942 where they took many casualties including the commanding officer. On 6 August, Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, Premier of the Punjab, visited the battalion and having inspected the P.M.s of the battalion addressed them. He spoke mainly on what the Indian Army had done and was doing, and also generally on the condition in the Punjab. Later in the year the battalion participated in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

Subedar Major Ranjit Singh, 21st Native Infantry 

Artist Colesworthey Grant, Year of Publication 1844 

He was native of Gorakhpur and in the army of English East India Company.

The 4th battalion was also involved in the Western Desert Campaign at Sidi Barrani and El Alamein and on its return to India was posted to the Kohima front.

The 5th battalion fought in the Battle of Hong Kong. The action against the invading Japanese was short and swift with heavy casualties to the battalion. The battalion along with the British garrison was forced to surrender and the men became prisoners of war and had to undergo great hardships. 130 men of 5/7 Rajput were either beaten or starved to death or died because of a lack of medical care. The Japanese wanted Capt. Mateen Ahmed Ansari of the battalion to renounce his allegiance to the British, but he refused. For five months he was subjected to brutal beatings and treatment, as a result of which he could not walk. He was then sent to live with the other ranks instead of the officers. Capt. Ansari remained true to the regiment and organised a system for helping escapees. He was again put in jail and tortured but refused to be broken. In the end the Japanese executed him. Capt. Ansari was awarded the George Cross for his heroism.

The honours and awards tally for the Rajput Regiment is as follows:

Pre-Independence: 1 VC, 1 GC, 10 DSO, 33 MC, 10 IOM, 27 MM and 46 IDSM.

2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajputs Light Infantry

The 200 years of history of the battalion commences with its raising at Badgaon on 30 Nov. 1798 as 1/16 Bengal Native Infantry. In the course of the next 152 years, this designation was to be altered eight times - in 1824 as 33rd Bengal Native Infantry, in 1861 as the 4th Bengal Native Infantry, in 1885 as 4th Regiment of Bengal Infantry, in 1890 as 4th (Prince Albert Victor's) Bengal Infantry, 

Rajput Regiment of the Bengal Infantry, British-IndianArmy Dated - 1890

In 1897 as 4th (PAV) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Infantry, in 1921 as 2/7th Rajputs, in 1945 as 2nd Battalion The Rajput Regiment (PAV) and finally as 2nd Battalion The Rajput Regiment in 1950.

In 1803, a mere five years after its raising, the battalion fought its first battle at the pass of Leswaree ousting the French from North India. The battle honour 'Leswaree' was conferred on the unit .Thereafter, the unit participated in numerous campaigns, the battles of Kalenjra, Kalunghar, Nahun, Rampore and Gwalior being the most prominent. The seize and capture of Bharatpur Fort alongside 1 Rajput in 1825 earned the battalion its second battle honour 'Bharatpur'.

British and Indian Officers, 1st Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment, Hyderabad, 1928.

The battalion earned its third battle honour 'Kabul 1842' operating as the vanguard of the British Expeditionary Force during the First Afghan war. During the period 1845 to 1846, the unit was again in the forefront of the First Sikh War, where it earned its fourth and fifth battle honours- 'Ferozeshah' and ' Sobraon’. The sixth battle honour -' Afghanistan 1870 - 80 ' was conferred on the unit during the second Afghan war. Thereafter, for its impressive performance in the upper Burma Campaign, the seventh battle honour' Burma 1885- 87 ' was awarded. figures of 4 officers, 7 JCOs and 270 OR killed in this action is an imprint of its valour and gallantry.

Men from 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry in action at Flanders, Belgium during the Great War, 1914-17. These men in the pic are manning the famous Benet-Mercier machine gun during the winter of 1914–15.

The 2nd Queen Victoria's own Rajput light infantry march  through Baghdad.

Mesopotamia ,1917.

It was 1944 and Gorkha soldiers had been unable to crack the defences of the Japanese perched on a seemingly invincible hill in Burma (now Myanmar).

Eventually the task was handed to 2 Rajput. The Gorkha CO was sceptical. If you capture it, I’ll give you my backing, he told the Rajputs.

Backing or chindi refers to the cloth backing under the shoulder titles an officer wears on his uniform.

When 2 Rajput captured the hill, the Gorkha officer took off the black backing and handed it over.

While the rest of the Rajput Regiment wears a blue backing, this battalion has a kali chindi.

4th Prince Albert Victor's Rajputs

The battalion, which is also known as the Fighting Fourth, was raised as 1/30th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry in East India Company in 1815 at Danapur in Bihar. One of the oldest units of the Indian Army, 4th Battalion of The Rajput Regiment, which has the distinction of having taken part in almost every operation or war ever since its raising, In February 1845, 4 Rajput was among the units of the 7th Brigade of 3rd Division which fought in the Battle of Sobraon in Punjab in an action in which only bayonets were used. The unit earner the Battle Honour ‘Sobraon’ for its feats.

During the Second Afghan War from 1878 to 1880, the battalion helped in keeping open the Khyber Line to Kabul and fought Garra Heights in Kam Dakka area across Kabul river and won its second Battle Honour ‘Afghanistan’ in July 1881.

In the 20th century, in World War 1, 4 Rajput took part in operations in Hafiz Khor in Persia, Aden, Mesopotamia, Suez Canal, Macedonia, Tigris and North West Frontier in India securing a total of ten Battle Honours. In between the two world wars the unit was engaged in quelling Arab rebellion and saw active service in the Second World War, in Middle East and fought battles in Siddi Barani and El Alamein. A senior officer of the regiment informed that the unit also fought against the Japanese in Burma and again won ten battle honours in the Second World War.

The battalion has a large number of gallantry awards to its credit which include two Distinguished Service Orders, 14 Military Crosses, five Order of British Empire and 17 Indian Distinguished Service Medal in pre-Independence era.

7th Duke of Connaught's Own Rajputs

The 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs were an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1798, when they were the 1st Battalion, 24th Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years the regiment became known by a number of different titles. The 69th Bengal Native Infantry 1824–1828, the 47th Bengal Native Infantry 1828–1861, the 7th Bengal Native Infantry 1861–1883, the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Bengal Native Infantry 1883–1893, the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajput Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry 1893–1903 and finally after the Kitchener reforms  of the Indian Army when the names of the presidencies were dropped 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs. 

7th Rajputs, IndianArmy, Members of the 7th Rajputs British Indian Army guarding the Temple of Heaven in Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion.(Photo by Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images), Dated: 1901

During this time the regiment took part in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Second Opium War, the Sudan Campaign, the Boxer Rebellion and World War I. After World War I the Indian government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. the 7th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Rajputs now became the 3rd Battalion 7th Rajput Regiment. 

Engagements:-

Moodkee

Ferozeshah

Aliwal

Sobraon

1858 - 59 China

1882 Egypt

1882 Tel-el-Kebir

1900 China

8th Rajputs

The 8th Rajputs was an infantry battalion of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1798 when they were the 1st Battalion, 30th Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years the regiment became known by a number of different titles. The 59th Bengal Native Infantry 1824–1861, the 8th Bengal Native Infantry 1861–1897, the 8th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry 1897–1901, the 8th Rajput Infantry 1901–1903 and finally the 8th Rajputs after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During this time the regiment took part in the First Afghan War, the First Sikh War and World War I. After World War I the Indian Government reformed the Indian Army again, moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 8th Rajputs now became the 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment.

11th Rajputs

The 11th Rajputs was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army and later of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1825, when they were the 2nd Extra Battalion, Bengal Native Infantry. In 1828 they were renamed the 70th Bengal Native Infantry and a number of changes in name followed the 11th Bengal Native Infantry 1861–1885, the 11th Bengal Infantry 1885–1897, the 11th (Rajput) Bengal Infantry 1897–1901, the 11th Rajput Infantry 1901–1903. Finally in 1903, after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army the 11th Rajputs.

During this time the regiment took part in the Second Anglo-Sikh War in the Battle of Chillianwala and the Battle of Goojerat (or Gujrat, Gujerat), the Second Opium War in China, the Third Afghan War, the Third Anglo-Burmese War and World War I. During World War I the regiment was first assigned to the Presidency Brigade, 8th Lucknow Division on internal security duties. They then served in the 33rd Indian Brigade, 12th Indian Division during the Mesopotamia Campaign.

After World War I the Indian government reformed the army again moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 11th Rajputs now became the 5th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment.

Indian gunners manning a 9.2 inch naval artillery gun at Mount Davis Battery on Hong Kong Island.

The 5th Battalion fought in the Battle of Hong Kong, which was the most gruesome of all the battles fought by the Regiment in the war.

16th Rajputs ( The Lucknow Regiment )

The famous Bailey Guard Paltan was formed in Cawnpore in 1857 from the loyal Brahmins and Rajputs of the 13th, and the Sikhs of the 48th and 71st Bengal Native Infantry. The badge of the 16th is the turreted gateway surmounted by the number 16. This represents the Bailey Gate in the Lucknow Residency, better known in the regiment as Aitken's Post after the officer of that name who commanded the 13th.

The reformed regiment was designated The Regiment of Lucknow and received the number 16 in 1861. Since then, they have taken part in five major campaigns:

Duffla Hill Expedition - 1874-75

Afghanistan - 1880

Upper and Lower Burma - 1886 and 1887

Malakand - 1897

Campaign against the Bunerwals - 1898

In 1900 the regiment was based at Agra and the majority of recruits were drawn from farming Rajputs of the Bundelkhund district. It was a class regiment, by which is meant that all the Indians in the regiment, all eight companies, were of the same ethnic group or type ie. Rajputs. In 1914 they were based at Fort William. Their WW1 service was in India and Persia.

In 1922 they became the 10th or training battalion of the 7th Rajput Regiment based at Fatehgarh.

Subedar Hari Singh of 16th Rajputs (Lucknow Regiment )...He was the defender of Afifabad in Middle East during ww1 which he held against a determined attack in June 1918. He is photographed standing against one of the towers of the village.