Battle of Rajamahal
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| Battle of Rajamahal | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of Jaipur |
 Kingdom of Mewar Supporters of Madho Singh Holkar State Kingdom of Bundi Kingdom of Kota | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Ishwari Singh Narayandas |
Jagat Singh Madho Singh Khanderao Holkar Ummed Singh of Bundi Bhupati Ram Charan of Kota (WIA) Durjansal of Kota | ||||||
The Battle of Rajamahal was a military engagement fought in 1747 in Jaipur, India. The battle was fought between the forces of Sawai Maharaja Ishwari Singh and Maharana Jagat Singh, who wanted to make his nephew Madho Singh the Maharaja of Jaipur or secure a Jagir for him, he built an alliance with the Maratha's under Khanderao Holkar and the Hada clan of Bundi and Kota. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for Ishwari Singh's forces.[1]
During the early 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur rose to power in India.[2] A member of the prominent Kachwaha caste, Jai transformed his domain into a powerful geopolitical force within the Mughal Empire. However, his death in 1743 resulted in a succession crisis to break out among the Kachawas.[2] Jai's eldest son, Ishwari Singh, was named as the Maharaja of Jaipur per Kachwaha tradition;[1] however, due to a treaty Jai had signed with his second wife's father-in-law, his youngest son Madho also had a claim to the throne.[1]
Despite having a claim to the throne of Jaipur, Madho Singh initially lacked the support to challenge Ishwari's rule. However, when his brother traveled to Delhi to make his introductions to Emperor Muhammad Shah, Madho revolted with the help of his uncle, Jagat Singh. The two began to gather forces around Jahajpur, where they remained for several weeks.[1] Ishwari was alerted to the rebellion and had quickly returned to Jaipur city. He also paid Maratha soldiers so that they would support him if a battle broke out.[1]
Before a battle could take place, both sides agreed to reach a peaceful settlement. Under the terms of this agreement, Madho was given lands in Tonk and Toda to rule over on the condition that he not rebel against his brother. Representatives from both parties signed the peace accord on 19 December 1744, and so Jagat and Madho began to disband their army. However, Jagat Singh was unwilling (and possibly unable)[1] to pay the Maratha mercenaries he had hired; these Maratha mercenaries attacked Madho Singh and burned their supplies, greatly weakening the pair and forcing Madho and Jagat to retreat to Udaipur.[1] Seeing his brother's weakened position, Ishwari reneged on his earlier agreement and returned to Jaipur city, while Madho began to gather support among the Rajputs for a renewed attempt to overthrow his brother.[1]