Rajput Policy of Akbar

• Akbar was the first Mughal emperor who pursued a planned policy towards the Rajputs. Various factors participated in the formation of Rajput policy of Akbar. The contemporary Rajput states were seen to have developed traditional enmity against their neighbors. If this could be exploited as a part of the Mughal imperial policy, expansion of Mughal power could be rendered easy.
• Again, individually, the Rajputs were determined fighters, brave and courageous. Besides, they were also famous for their personal qualities of honesty, chivalry, and loyalty to the leader. Thus, the Rajputs were a better lot than the foreign levies on whom the Mughals relied. These foreign levies were often vain, cruel and ruthless and showed little loyalty to the sovereign and were often rebellious. With the support of the Rajputs, the problem of the foreign levies could be satisfactorily tackled. Thus, in his self-interest, Akbar felt that it was essential to obtain the support, goodwill and alliance of the Rajputs even on their terms.
• Akbar realized that without subduing or conciliating the Rajputs, his dream of an empire could not be built upon solid foundations. Further, the consolidation of the empire required a political and social synthesis that could not be achieved without the cooperation of the Rajputs. This factor could also help him shake off the foreign nature of his monarchy and convert it into a national one, which, in turn, could win him popular support and strengthen the rule of his dynasty.
• It is said that Akbar was born under the roof of a Rajput and hence he had a sense of gratitude and affection for the Rajput clan. By nature, he was a tolerant and broad-minded benevolent ruler who was keenly interested in cultivating friendships with Hindus who incidentally formed the majority.
  • The Rajputs were mostly followers of Hinduism. The liberal tendencies of his family and the influence of his tutors, especially Abdul Latif, made him generous towards them.
• Akbar always aimed at conciliation, yet, he did not want to convey the impression that this aim was born out of any weakness on his part. He wanted to demonstrate his overwhelming military superiority as the base of this policy of conciliation and friendship.
  • Those Rajput states which submitted to his suzerainty were treated generously. Those who chose to oppose him were defeated and their impregnable forts were captured.
  • Further, a ruler who submitted even after his defeat was again treated well, his family honor was respected and he was allowed to retain his former territory, permitted to enjoy full autonomy in his internal administration while Akbar guaranteed full protection against any outside aggression.
    • If some forts were seized and retained for reasons of imperial security, that ruler was given liberal compensation by the grant of Jagirs elsewhere.
• At the same time, the Rajputs were invited to share the burdens of the imperial government and the wars of conquest and those who agreed, were given high positions and ranks, proportionate to their ability and status. The highest mansab and governorships of provinces were offered to them.
  • With the intention of perpetuating friendly relations, he persuaded Rajputs to accept jobs in his civil and military organization and if, by chance, the ruler did not want such an honor and instead offered the services of his followers and relations, the Emperor readily accepted them.
• Akbar’s policy towards the Rajputs though, originated in his ambition, was far more generous and humane. Through his actions, he proved that he had no wish either to annex their states or interfere with their social, religious or economic life, but he only wanted their allegiance to the proposed imperial confederation, which was uppermost in his mind. This allegiance comprised four aspects.
  • The rulers had to pay some tribute as a part of their contribution to the empire.
  • The rulers had to surrender their own foreign policy and their right to settle disputes by mutual war.
  • They had to send a fixed military quota for imperial service, whenever required.
  • The rulers should consider themselves to be an integral part of the empire and not merely as individual units.
• Akbar, thus, treated Rajputs on a basis of equality and all imperial positions were thrown open to them. So allegiance to the Mughal Empire, in turn, meant peace, order and prosperity. It is this aspect that appeared to have been the deciding factor.
  • Most of the Rajput rulers declared their allegiance to the Mughal emperor and fought against the great Rajput warrior and hero, Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar, whose sole aim was, at best, regional independence and not the political unification of Rajputana.
• To bridge the gulf between the suzerain and the vassal, Akbar desired to establish matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs. The overall objective of such alliances was the Indianization of the Mughals while these gave the Rajputs the honor and distinction of becoming close relations of the Imperial House.
• Yet, the policy of matrimonial alliance was not devised by Akbar but had been used as an integral part of the smart statecraft all over the world and throughout the various periods of history. Humayun entered into matrimonial alliances with powerful zamindars and local rajas.
  • Akbar’s policy, when used as a statecraft, symbolized the dawn of a new era in the Indian political horizon and secured to the ensuing four generations of Mughal emperors, the services of some of the greatest stalwarts of Rajputs of medieval India.
  • Even to that extent, Akbar followed the policy of his father and grandfather who had used matrimonial alliances as a part of statecraft.
• Further, according to Dr. R.P. Tripathi, there is no historical evidence to show that matrimonial alliance was a part of a general policy of Akbar enforced ruthlessly or there was any great social upsurge or opposition to such an alliance.
  • In fact, there was no novelty attached to such relationships and the Rajputs were free to enter or not to enter into such alliances. However, Ishwari Prasad maintains that these matrimonial alliances were one-sided and frequently were the result not of choice but of necessity.
• Akbar’s relations with the Rajputs may now be reviewed against this background. Almost all the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan, with the exception of the ruler of Mewar, submitted to him. Raja Bharmal, the ruler of Amber (modern Jaipur), was the first Rajput ruler who submitted to Akbar in 1562 CE, while Akbar was proceeding to Ajmer on the pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti. He acknowledged Akbar’s suzerainty and offered his daughter in marriage to Akbar. This Rajput princess gave birth to the next Mughal emperor, Jahangir. Akbar took Bhagwan Das and Man Singh, the adopted son and grandson respectively of the Raja, into his service.

Evolution of Akbar’s Rajput Policy

Akbar tried to befriend the Rajputs and at the same time desired to bring them under his suzerainty.

Merta

• Merta was ruled by Jai Mal, a vassal of Rana Udai Singh of Mewar. It was attacked in 1562 CE by Mirza Sharafuddin, a Mughal Officer in Akbar’s service.
• Jai Mal abandoned the fort which was defended by the Rajputs under the leadership of Dev Das.
• However, the Rajputs were defeated and slaughtered and the fort fell into Mughal hands in 1562 CE.

Mewar

• Mewar had on its North, the kingdoms of Jaipur and Ajmer, on the South Pratapgarh and Dungarpur, on the East Kotah and Bundi and on the West Marwar. Mewar was rich in natural resources, its people were hardy mountaineers and were acclaimed as brave fighters. The ruling family of Mewar, the Sisodia were the most respected family among the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan.
• The Rana of Mewar was an acknowledged leader of Rajput chivalry. The power and prestige of Mewar had suffered a setback after the death of Rana Sangram Singh. The then ruler of Mewar, Rana Udai Singh was doing his best to regain Mewar’s lost prestige.
• The reasons why Akbar was attracted to the kingdom of Mewar are as follows:
  • Mewar was economically and politically important. Economically, it commanded the trade route from North India to the sea ports of Gujarat while politically Akbar realized that, in order to fulfil his aim of the conquest of Northern India, the capture of the famous fortresses of Chitor and Ranthambhor was necessary.
    • So, the conquest of Mewar was, but, a part of a larger enterprise, as a stepping-stone to Akbar’s further conquests in the realization of his ultimate dream of a united Hindustan.
  • The Rana looked down with contempt the Raja of Amber for his submission to Akbar and his entering into a marriage alliance.
  • He refused to accept Akbar’s suzerainty.
  • He offended Akbar by giving shelter to the fugitive ruler of Malwa, Baz Bahadur, and by helping the rebellious Mirzas.
  • The Rana’s second son Shakti Singh, after offending his father, had joined the service of the Mughals.
• The capital city of Chitor, Mewar, occupied a strategic position. Situated on a rocky hill, at an elevation of 150 metres from the plains, it was surrounded on all sides by dense forests and deep ravines which made it difficult for an invader to climb up to the summit, except from its Southern side.
  • The only entrance to the fort was by a zigzag road, cut through the rock itself and an invader could possibly reach the summit only by passing through seven successive gates.
• Akbar besieged the fort of Chitor in 1567 CE. On the advice of his nobles, Rana Udai Singh went into the forest for safety leaving the defense of the fort to Jai Mal and Fatta or Fateh Singh. The Mughal siege went on for more than five months. One night, when Jai Mal was supervising some repairs of the ramparts of the fort, he was seriously wounded by a gun shot from Akbar.
  • With his fall, the Rajputs became disheartened the women committed jauhar and the following day, all the Rajputs including the wounded Jai Mal fought to the last man and died on the battlefield.
• Rajput resistance under Jai Mal and Fatta angered Akbar to such an extent that on entering the fort, Akbar ordered a general massacre.
  • However, he appears to have felt sorry later and paid homage to the brave leaders by erecting statues of Jai Mal and Fatta mounted on elephant back and in full regalia at the gate of the Agra fort to commemorate their heroism.
  • Akbar left for Ajmer after appointing Abdul Majid Asaf as the Governor of Chitor.
• Colonel Tod has described Udai Singh as a weak and cowardly ruler. But, modern historians do not subscribe to this point of view, since there is evidence that Rana Udai Singh left the fort only on the advice of his nobles and for the safety of the ruling family. Further, he never submitted to Akbar while he suffered hardships throughout the rest of his life.
• Though the Mughals succeeded in capturing the capital and the fort of Chitor, yet a greater territory of Mewar still remained in Rana Udai Singh’s possession. Rana Udai Singh died in 1572 CE and was succeeded by his son Rana Pratap Singh who vowed to recapture his capital as well as the fort. All attempts by Akbar to make him accept his suzerainty failed and in 1576 CE, Akbar deputed Man Singh and Asaf Khan to attack Mewar.
  • Rana Pratap fought against them in the famous Battle of Haldighati on June 18, 1576 CE. In comparison with the Mughal army, the Rana’s army was small, yet the attack was so furious that the Mughal army became desperate.
  • However, Rana was hard pressed from all sides by the Mughals who enjoyed numerical strength, endangering his life. At that time, one of the Rana’s nobles Bida Jhala, snatched away the Rana’s Crown and wore it himself.
  • The Mughals mistaking him for the real Rana, surrounded him which gave Rana Pratap a chance to escape from the battlefield. Though the Rajputs were defeated, the Mughals became exhausted and did not have the energy to pursue the escaping Rana. Gogunda was occupied by the Mughals but they could not achieve any further.
  • Both Man Singh and Asaf Khan were opposed to any indiscriminate plundering of the Rana’s territory and hence were sent in pursuit of the success recalled.
• Other Mughal officers were sent in pursuit of Rana but they too, were unsuccessful. Though the whole of Mewar was ravaged by the Mughals. The Rana, forced to seek the shelter of the hills, did not lose his spirit to fight and continue his resistance. He never accepted Akbar’s suzerainty and before he died in 1597 CE. He had succeeded in recovering a large part of Mewar from the Mughals. Rana Pratap’s struggle against Akbar is considered as a glorious chapter in Indian History.

Ranthambhor

• The ruler of Ranthambhor Raja Surjan Rai was a Rajput of Bundi and a vassal of Mewar. Akbar’s army marched against the ruler’s forces and attacked the fort of Ranthambhor in 1569 CE and after a siege of one and a half months, the Raja surrendered. He accepted Akbar’s suzerainty and entered his imperial service. Later on, he was appointed as governor of the Benares province and the fort of Chunar.

Kalinjar

• Kalinjar was ruled by Raja Ram Chand of Rewa. Akbar sent his army against Kalinjar in August 1569 CE. The Raja had already heard about the fall of Chitor and Ranthambhor and surrendered without a fight.

Marwar

• The surrender of Chitor and Ranthambhor demoralized the Rajput rulers. Akbar’s conciliatory policy made them accept his suzerainty. So, Akbar did not encounter any resistance from other rulers.
• In 1570 CE the rulers of Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer accepted his suzerainty. By 1570 CE with the exception of Mewar and a few of its tributary states, the whole of Rajasthan submitted to Akbar and his success against the Rajputs was complete.
• Akbar came into contact with three distinct types of Rajputs:
  • Those like the ruler of Amber who easily submitted to the Mughal ruler and were readily assimilated into the Imperial system;
  • Those who put up a decent fight or came to an honorable settlement with the conqueror, like Ranthambhor and;
  • Those who refused to be assimilated and sought refuge either in fight or persistent fight, like the Rana of Mewar.
• The first two, by their very submission, displayed a spirit of compromise and assimilation which was quite necessary for the building up of a united nation towards which Akbar was bending the whole might of his genius, The last by his eternal hatred, unconquerable pride and indomitable courage, never to submit or yield, contributed his own quota to the strength and nobility of our national character.

Results of Akbar’s Rajput Policy

• Akbar’s Rajput policy has been praised by most of the contemporary and later historians. Its critics have been Badauni, in the earlier days and Qureshi, among the modern historians, condemn it and hold it to be responsible for hastening the collapse of the Mughals in India. However, these critics are biased.
• The Rajput policy was beneficial both to the Mughal Empire as well as to the Rajputs for more than a century. The Rajput’s friendship and cooperation provided the necessary security and permanence to the Mughal rule. Through active participation in all Governmental activities, the Rajputs contributed most to the economic prosperity and the cultural renaissance, helping to bring about a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim cultures.
• To the Rajputs, this policy brought peace to their region. They continued to enjoy internal autonomy; they had the freedom to practice their religion, celebrate their festivals and continue with their traditional laws; and were also assured of their hereditary claims to their principalities. Viewed from these overall benefits derived from both, this policy proved to be successful.

Summary

• Akbar was the first Mughal emperor who pursued a planned policy towards the Rajputs.
• Various factors contributed to the formation of Rajput policy of Akbar.
• Akbar was impressed by the chivalry, faithfulness, dareness, fighting skill etc. of the Rajputs.
• Akbar realized that without subduing or conciliating the Rajputs, his dream of an empire could not be built upon solid foundations.
• Further, the consolidation of the empire required a political and social synthesis that could not be achieved without the cooperation of the Rajputs.
• The liberal tendencies of Akbar’s family and the influence of his tutors, especially Abdul Latif, made him generous towards the Raputs.
• Those Rajput states which submitted to his suzerainty were treated generously. Those who chose to oppose him were defeated and their impregnable forts were captured.
• A ruler who submitted even after his defeat was again treated well, his family honor was respected and he was allowed to retain his former territory.
• Rajputs were invited to share the burdens of the imperial government and the wars of conquest and those who agreed, were given high positions and ranks, proportionate to their ability and status.
• Most of the Rajput rulers declared their allegiance to the Mughal emperor.
• To bridge the gulf between the suzerain and the vassal, Akbar desired to establish matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs. The overall objective of such alliances was the Indianization of the Mughals.
• Almost all the Rajput rulers of Rajasthan, with the exception of the ruler of Mewar, submitted to Akbar.
• Raja Bharmal, the ruler of Amber (modern Jaipur), was the first Rajput ruler who accepted Akbar’s suzerainty and offered his daughter in marriage to Akbar in 1562 CE.
• Akbar captured Merta in 1562 CE.
• Rana Pratap, the Sisodia ruler of Mewar refused to accept Akbar’s suzerainty.
• Akbar besieged the fort of Chitor in 1567 CE.
• In the famous Battle of Haldighati fought on June 18, 1576 CE between Rana Pratap of Mewar and Akbar’s forces under Man Singh, Rana Pratap was defeated.
• However, Rana Pratap managed to escape and never accepted Akbar’s suzerainty.
• The ruler of Ranthambhor, Raja Surjan Rai and ruler of Kalinjar, Raja Ram Chand was defeated by Akbar’s army in 1569 CE.
• In 1570 CE the rulers of Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer accepted Akbar’s suzerainty.
• The Rajput policy of Akbar was a grand success.