Though the news of the death of Raja Jai Singh (28th August 1667), whose services to Aurangzeb and his kingdom were known to the whole country, caused sorrow to everybody, the ungrateful Aurangzeb rejoiced, and rid of a Rajah whose influence might have been dangerous to his kingdom, declared that very hour an open war against Hinduism. He sent orders at once for the destruction of the fine temple called ‘Yalta’, in the neighourhood of Delhi. He also ordered every viceroy and governor to destroy all the temples within their jurisdiction. Among others was destroyed the great temple of Mathura.
Maharaja of Jaipur
Jai Singh II (3 November 1688 – 21 September 1743) was the ruler of the Kingdom of Amber, who later founded the fortified city of Jaipur and made it his capital. He was born at Amber, the capital of the Kachwahas. He was the 29th Kachhwaha ruler. He became ruler of Amber at the age of 11 after his father Raja Bishan Singh died on 31 December 1699.
From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Alternative Names:
Maharaja of Jaipur Jai Singh II
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Sawai Jai Singh II
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Sawai Jai Singh
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Majaraja Jai Singh II
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Raja Jai Singh II
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Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II
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maharaja of Jaipur Jai Singh II
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It is no exaggeration to say that the death of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber, on 28th August 1667 removed from his path an effective restraint on his hostile attitude towards the Hindus clothed till then in several layers of pretence but which exposed itself in all its nakedness in the coming years.
When Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur was informed about the death of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, he is said to have expressed his feeling through the following couplet:
GhanÔa na bÁje DevarÁn, sank na mÁne SÁh,
Ye karsÁn phir Ávjyo, MÁhÚrÁ JaisÁh.
As Raja Maha Ringh’s son Wai Ringh is no more, Aurangzeb has no fear – he has stopped arti, puja and blowing of conch in the temples. Had he been alive today, he would not have allowed such a thing to happen.‛
Sawai Jai Singh’s forceful representation to the Emperor seeking abolition of Jizya is very significant and helpful in understanding the feelings of the Hindus regarding this unjust tax. Shiv Das in ShÁhnÁma Munawwar KalÁm has thus described the historic scene. He writes that on account of chaos, famine and high prices of grain in that year (1720 A.D.), the people were experiencing much distress which was further accentuated by the measures taken for realization of Jizya by the Wazir Muhammad Amin Khan. In such a situation, the mahÁjans (bankers), beopÁrÍs (merchants and traders) and businessmen belonging to the Hindu community ‚assembled together of their own accord, and with full agreement of all, lodged complaint and closed their shops in the capital. They thus revealed the injustice and oppression on the part of the Wazir Amin Khan.‛ He further writes that Rajadhiraj Jai Singh Sawai interceded on their behalf. He represented to the Emperor thus: ‚In this land of Hindustan, there are two tÁ’ifat (nations or communities)- Hindus and Musalmans. Hindustan had been formerly inhabited by the Hindus, but afterwards, through jihÁd of the mujtahidÍn, the religion of Islam got currency.‛ The Rajadhiraj further said, ‚Your Majesty is the Sovereign of Hind (India) and the people of both the firqa (communities) equally offer prayers for your Majesty’s welfare, nay the Hindus do it more, for the Musalmans are of same religion and of the same faith as your Majesty, whereas Hindus enjoy repose and tranquility under the shadow of protection of their land, and offer their prayer before the threshold of Him who listens to them and grants the petition of his supplicant for the stability of the Empire and health and safety of the sacred Majesty.‛ He then described how after the assassination of Saiyad Hussain Ali and before the battle with Abdulla Khan, he had summoned all parganas and made Emperor, and that he had given them solemn assurance that after the Emperor’s victory, he would first make supplication and secure Emperor’s orders for ‚exemption and remission of Jizya and then secure (for them) daily allowance and revenue grants (madad-i-ma‘Ásh). Raja Girdhar Bahadur, the NÁzim of Awadh province, made a similar request whereupon Emperor Muhammad Rhah ‚remitted Jizya upon all the Hindus which amounted to four crores of rupees in all the territories under the imperial jurisdiction. Orders were issued that Jizya on this community (Hindus) be deemed to have been abolished till the existence of the Empire and its sense of justice remains.‛ Accordingly, it was ordered that the nobles, the accountants and officers responsible for State affairs ‚shall on no account or the Hindus from villages, towns and them all pray for the victory of the any excuse hinder or meddle with the Hindu community with regard to the realization of Jizya.‛