Brief Notes on Akbars Relations with the Rajputs

Akbars relations with the Rajputs have to be seen against the wider background of Mughal
policy towards the powerful rajas and zamindars of the country.
When Hymayun came back to India, he embarked upon a deliberate policy of trying to win
over these elements. Abul Fazl says that in order to soothe the minds of the zamindars, he
entered in to matrimonial relations with them.
Thus when Jamal Khan Mewati, who was one of the great zamindars of India, submitted to
Humayun, he married one of his beautiful daughters himself and married the younger sister to
Bairam Khan. In course of time, Akbar expanded and elaborated this policy.
When Akbar assumed throne he made deliberate attempt to win Rajputs to his side and
enlisted their support in expansion and consolidation of Mughal rule in India. He met with
tremendous success in his endeavor. It also brought decline in the number and magnitude of
revolts of Rajputs.
Akbar could concentrate more on his administrative and other reforms. Thus Akbars regime
marks the beginning of friendly relations of Mughals and Rajputs. The relationship of
religious conflict between ruling elites was replaced by that of cooperation and friendliness.
The ruler of Amber, Raja Bharmal was the first one to establish friendly relation with Akbar
in 1562. The younger daughter of Bharmal, Harkha Bai, was married to Akbar. Akbar gave
complete religious freedom to his Hindu wives and gave an honored place to their parents
and relations in the nobility.
Bharmal was made a high grandee. His son, Bhagwan Das, rose to rank of 5000 and his
grandson, Man Singh to rank of 7000. Akbar emphasized his special relationship with the
Kachhawaha ruler in other ways as well.
The infant prince Danyal was sent to Amber to be I brought up by Bharmals wives. But
Akbar did not? Insist upon matrimonial relations as a precondition. No matrimonial relations
were entered in to with HadasT of Ranthombhor yet they remained high in Akbars I favour.
Similarly no matrimonial relations were entered1} in to with rulers of Sirohi and Banswara
who submit- : ted to Akbar later on.
Following the conquest of Chittor most of the leading Rajput rulers had accepted Akbars
suzerainty) and paid personal homage to him. The rulers of Jaisalmer and Bikaner had also
entered in to matrimo- i nial relations with Akbar. The only state which had stubbornly
refused to accept Mughal suzerainty was.
Mewar although Chittor and the plain area around it a had come under Mughal domination,
Udaipur and the hilly area which formed the larger part of Mewar had remained under the
control of the Rana. Akbar even > adopted a hardliner approach to deal with Mewar.

He re-imposed Jaziya and declared war against Rana as Jehad. But his reliance on religion to
tackle Mewar menace failed to yield decisive result. Then after the battle of Haldighati in
1576, Mughals could not establish their complete authority over Mewar. This clearly
indicates that had Akbar not adopted a broad based, tolerant, friendly approach with Rajputs,
it would not have been possible for him to control Rajasthan.
By 1585-86 Akbars Rajput policy had developed; completely. His relation with Rajputs was
stable and balanced by now. Rajputs were not only friends but partners in the Mughal
Empire. Ain-iAkbari lists names of 24 Rajput mansabdars. Raja Todarmal was made the head
of revenue department.
Akbars Rajput policy proved extremely success- ; ful for Mughal Empire and is considered
as the best examples of his diplomatic skills. He formed strong and stable empire with the
help of Rajputs, a martial clan among Hindus and he could get rid of the influence of his own
conspirator nobles and kinsmen.
Politically, despite the military reverses and the mistakes of Aurangzeb, the Mughal dynasty
still retained a powerful hold on the mind and imagination of the people. As far as Rajputs
were concerned the breach with Marwar was not due to an attempt on Aurangzebs part to
undermine the Hindus by depriving them of a recognized head, but to a miscalculation on his
part; he wanted to divided the Marwar state between the two principal claimants, and in the
process alienated both, as also the ruler of Mewar who considered Mughal interference in
such matters to be a dangerous precedent.
After the death of Jaswant Singh Rathore, the Raja of Marwar in 1678, and Aurangzeb
ordered that the whole of Marwar be resumed as the crown land. Two queens of Jaswant
Singh gave birth to two sons. The elder was Ajit Singh and Rathores demanded that he be
recognized as Raja. Aurangzeb offered to grant him the title when he assumed adulthood on
condition that he was raised as a Muslim.
Rajputs rejected the offer and united under the table leadership of Durgadas Rathore and
rebelled against Mughal Authority. Rajput rebellion became very powerful when Mewar ruler
Raj Singh decided to put his weight behind Ajit Singh. After the death of Raj Singh,
Aurangzeb succeeded in negotiating peace with Jai Singh. The rebellion weakened, but
continued till the death of Aurangzeb and ended only in 1769, when Bahadurshah accepted
Ajit Singh as the ruler.
The breach with Mewar and the long drawn-out war which followed damaged the moral
standing of the Mughal state. However, the fighting was not of much consequence military
after 1681. It may be doubted whether the presence of Rathore Rajputs in larger numbers in
the Deccan between 1681 and 1706 would have made much difference in the outcome of the
conflict with the Marathas.

In any case, the demands of the Rajputs related to grant of high mansabs as before and
restoration of their homelands. These demands having been accepted within half a dozen
years of Aurangzebs death, the Rajputs ceased to be a problem for the Mughals. They played
no active role in the subsequent disintegration of the empire, not help in arresting the process
of decline.