- Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana
Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana (1707-1756) was the most powerful ruler of princely state
Gohad in northwesternMadhya Pradesh ,India . According toAlexander Cunningham andWilliam Cook ,Bamraulia gotra jats from village Bamrauli (nearAgra ) in 1505 founded the city Gohad near Singhandev was the founder of Gohad state. Later it developed into an important Jat State. The Jat rulers of Gohad were awarded the title of Rana.Alliance with Maharaja Suraj Mal
Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana played an important role in keeping a power balance in
Malwa . TheDelhi Mughal ruler sentJay Singh ofJaipur assatrap of Malwa in 1729.Malharrao Holkar ,Udaji Panwar andKanthaji Panwar encountered Jay Singh at theMandavgarh fort . Jay Singh succeeded in defeating theMarathas , with the help ofMaharaja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur state.Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana helped
Suraj Mal in this mission. This alliance made them the enemies of the Marathas.Captures Gwalior fort
Bhim Singh Rana increased his powers and was planning to expand his territories. He marched to Malwa in 1736 but came back and targeted the Gwalior Fort. Marathas were also in race to win the Gwalior Fort. The weak and easy-going Mughal
satrap Alikhan, looking to the power of Jats, surrendered the fort to Bhim Singh Rana. Meanwhile there was a severe fight between Marathas and Jats to win the Gwalior Fort but Jats won and the Gwalior fort came under Jats.Bhim Singh Rana occupied the Gwalior fort from 1740-1756. [
Dr Natthan Singh (2004) : Jat-Itihas, Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad, Gwalior,p.359]Death
In 1756 Marathas attacked the Gwalior Fort under the leadership of Great Warrior Mahadji Rao Sahev Shinde, Yammaji Rahalkar and Motiram Bani with a huge army. There was a severe war between the Jat Army and the Maratha Army down below the fort. At one time Bhim Singh Rana was not riding horse at that time Maratha Atrao attacked Rana with sword. Bhim Singh Rana was wounded and carried out of the war site by his soldiers. He died after three days on Chaitra sudi nawami (Ram nawami) in 1756. His queen Roshani became sati. The fort came in occupation of Marathas. [
Dr Natthan Singh (2004) : Jat-Itihas, Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad, Gwalior,p.359]Constructed historical monuments
Maharaja Bhim Singh had constructed a historical monument Bhimtal in 1754 on the Gwalior fort. His successor Maharaja Chhatra Singh Rana constructed a grand
Chhatri near Bhimtal in memory of Maharaja Bhim Singh on the Gwalior Fort.Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad Gwalior organizes a fair on Gwalior fort onRam Navami every year in honour of Maharaja Bhim Singh Rana. [Dr Natthan Singh (2004) : Jat-Itihas, Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad, Gwalior,p.360]Assessment by Maratha historian
The
Maratha Historian Srimant Balwantrao Bhaiya SahebSindhia [Historian Balwantrao Bhaiya SahebSindhia ,Gwalior ke Qile ka Itihas,Mumbai, 1890] , appreciated the bravery of Rana Bhim Singh and has written about Bhim Singh Rana in his book “History of Gwalior fort” as under::“They (Kishwar Ali Khan and his people) decided to surrender the fort to Rana Bhim singh. Accordingly some 300 men of Rana were allowed to enter the fortress by the way of Kabootar Khana. They were soon followed by Rana Bhim Singh himself, who accompanied with soldiers on foot and on horse back and took up a position at the village of Goorganwan.
:The Rana being armless in the midst of the field of battle performed prodigies of valour and receiving wounds retired to Citedal, where he expired and three days after was cremated near the great Tank built by him in accordance with Hindu rites.” [Jat Vir Smarika 2005,p.6]
His successor
Rana Bhim Singh had no son.
Girdhar Pratap Singh became his successor in 1755. Girdhar Pratap Singh was son of Samant Rao Balju, a family friend of Rana Bhim Singh. Girdhar Pratap Singh could not rule Gohad for long as he died in 1757. His successor was RanaChhatar Singh (1757-1785). [Dr. Ajay Kumar Agnihotri (1985) : Gohad ke jaton ka Itihas (Hindi), Nav sahitya Bhawan, New Delhi,p.25]----
References
Further reading
* Dr. Ajay Kumar Agnihotri (1985) : Gohad ke jaton ka Itihas (Hindi), Nav sahitya Bhawan, New Delhi.
*
Dr Natthan Singh (2004) : Jat-Itihas, Jat Samaj Kalyan Parishad, Gwalior.
*Jat Samaj, Agra: October-November 2004
*Dr Natthan Singh (2005): Sujas Prabandh (Gohad ke Shasakon ki Veer gatha – by Poet Nathan), Jat Veer Prakashan Gwalior
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