Raja Jagat Singh
Raja Jagat Singh was the great dogra ruler of Nurpur. He spent his time in expanding the boundaries of his state. He ruthlessly pursued the interests of Nurpur and as a result was on bad terms with the neighbouring states of Chamba, Basoli, Guler, Mandi and Suket. His forces conquered Basoli and Chamba and on 6 November 1620 they captured the Kangra Fort.
In 1622, Mughal Emperor Jahangir and his beloved wife Nur Jahan paid visit to Nurpur in spring season. Nur Jahan was so fascinated by the beauty of the place that she ordered construction of a palace for her at Nurpur. This did not appeal to Jagat Singh who considered the palace a hindrance to his freedom. Therefore, to dissuade Nur Jahan, he perpetrated the idea that the place did not have good weather and locals were prone to contracting the disease Goitre.
Raja Jagat Singh knew that in order to long run independent rule, he had to get prepared against the Mughals, as he devoted his full attention in repair and construction of new forts. Jagat Singh had been preparing for this emergency and strengthening the three principal forts in his territory, viz. Maukot, Nurpur and Taragarh and furnished them with all available weapons of war.
During the reign of Shah Jahah there was the longest possible siege of these forts separately. On 29 August 1641, Sayyid Khan Jahan in accordance of orders from the Emperor with his 35,000 soldiers marched towards the Nurpur. By night of 22 October 1641, after destroying numerous barricades and looting the villages nearby Nurpur, a bastion of Nurpur Fort was blown up by Mughal Army. More army was being invited from Islampur about 3000 on horses and as many on foot and was ordered by enemies to proceed for Mau. Prince Murad left with his contingent to seige Mau fort. Now the enemy had almost 50,000 soldiers surrounding the two forts. It would frighten any cheiftain but Raja Jagat Singh was the man of steel with dogra blood in his veins and he reacted sharply.
To avoid any harm to his family he sent them to Taragarh. He had very small forces numbering about 2000 men in comparison with huge army of Mughal. On 13 December 1641, Jagat Singh alongwith his soldiers left for Taragarh. When Rup Singh, son of Jagat Singh came to know about the seize, he evacuated the Nurpur fort and joined the Dogra forces at Taragarh. In the vernacular history, there is an interesting story regarding this siege that in this expedition Mughal lost several of their commanders. Khusru Beg, the Bakshi of Yamin-ud-Daula and Asaf khan and Khan-i-khanan were first victims. Thousands of mughal soldiers were killed when the men of Jagat Singh, finding an occasion, pounced upon the enemies. It is the fact that Taragarh fort was never captured or seized. It is said that when Mughals surrounded the fort for months, the dogra forces in fort were out of ration as all the ration supply was hindered by them; the sons and men of Jagat Singh were forced to eat vermin inside the fort as their rations finished. However, to deceive the enemies they collected the milk of a bitch and cooked a sweet pudding with the rice in it and threw it out the fort near by the camp of enemies. When Mughal soldiers saw this pudding and reported to the commander of cordoning forces who could not believe his eyes and was in shock. When this news reached the Mughal emperor that despite such a long siege the Raja and his men are still feasting on milk pudding he decided to negotiate with Jagat Singh who eventually opened the gates of Fort on his terms and thus Raja showed his efficiency. In this instance restored Jagat Singh and his sons to all their previous status and kingdom. The emperor knew that Jagat Singh could not be brow-beaten and that his services could be of use elsewhere. This shows that Jagat Singh knew how to get the work done especially in precarious conditions and proved himself the perfect strategy maker as well. He not just won battles within or against the other states but crossed the boundary lines of countries and established his supremacy in Minor Asia. He seized the Qabul, Kandhar and other important towns of Minor Asia.
In 1644 when Shahjahan sent his second expedition to Central Asia, he also accompanied the prince Murad Bakhsh to subdue Uzbegs and Badkhan and the Raja had recruited over 14000 men from his Dogra principality. Elphinstone speaking of this great Dogra conquest into Central Asia says: "the spirit of the Dogra never showed more brilliantly than in this unusual duty. They stormed mountain passes, made forced marches over snow, constructed redbonty by their own labour. The Raja himself taking the axe like the rest aud bore up against the tempest of frozen region as firmly as against the fierce and repeated attack of the enemy".
Jagat Singh and His son Rup Singh remained almost for twelve years out of their state in their whole lifetime to the expeditions to Kabul, Qandhar and other countries of the minor Asia and brought laurels to themselves. Jagat Singh died on the way to his home nearby Peshawar in January 1646 when he was returning from the battle.
#FascinatingFact :- One another fact about Jagat Singh was that he was favourite of the Nur Jahan who was the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir. She interceded on his behalf in 1624 by going against his own husband, when he joined a rebellion to dethrone Jahangir. Even the name of Nurpur state is on the name of Nur Jahan which was changed from Dhameri by Jagat Singh himself, as he did this in order to get the high offices of Nur Jahan in his favour as he knew she would be helpful to him in near future. He enjoyed a special confidence of Nur Jahan to the greater extent.
#D565
In 1622, Mughal Emperor Jahangir and his beloved wife Nur Jahan paid visit to Nurpur in spring season. Nur Jahan was so fascinated by the beauty of the place that she ordered construction of a palace for her at Nurpur. This did not appeal to Jagat Singh who considered the palace a hindrance to his freedom. Therefore, to dissuade Nur Jahan, he perpetrated the idea that the place did not have good weather and locals were prone to contracting the disease Goitre.
Raja Jagat Singh knew that in order to long run independent rule, he had to get prepared against the Mughals, as he devoted his full attention in repair and construction of new forts. Jagat Singh had been preparing for this emergency and strengthening the three principal forts in his territory, viz. Maukot, Nurpur and Taragarh and furnished them with all available weapons of war.
During the reign of Shah Jahah there was the longest possible siege of these forts separately. On 29 August 1641, Sayyid Khan Jahan in accordance of orders from the Emperor with his 35,000 soldiers marched towards the Nurpur. By night of 22 October 1641, after destroying numerous barricades and looting the villages nearby Nurpur, a bastion of Nurpur Fort was blown up by Mughal Army. More army was being invited from Islampur about 3000 on horses and as many on foot and was ordered by enemies to proceed for Mau. Prince Murad left with his contingent to seige Mau fort. Now the enemy had almost 50,000 soldiers surrounding the two forts. It would frighten any cheiftain but Raja Jagat Singh was the man of steel with dogra blood in his veins and he reacted sharply.
To avoid any harm to his family he sent them to Taragarh. He had very small forces numbering about 2000 men in comparison with huge army of Mughal. On 13 December 1641, Jagat Singh alongwith his soldiers left for Taragarh. When Rup Singh, son of Jagat Singh came to know about the seize, he evacuated the Nurpur fort and joined the Dogra forces at Taragarh. In the vernacular history, there is an interesting story regarding this siege that in this expedition Mughal lost several of their commanders. Khusru Beg, the Bakshi of Yamin-ud-Daula and Asaf khan and Khan-i-khanan were first victims. Thousands of mughal soldiers were killed when the men of Jagat Singh, finding an occasion, pounced upon the enemies. It is the fact that Taragarh fort was never captured or seized. It is said that when Mughals surrounded the fort for months, the dogra forces in fort were out of ration as all the ration supply was hindered by them; the sons and men of Jagat Singh were forced to eat vermin inside the fort as their rations finished. However, to deceive the enemies they collected the milk of a bitch and cooked a sweet pudding with the rice in it and threw it out the fort near by the camp of enemies. When Mughal soldiers saw this pudding and reported to the commander of cordoning forces who could not believe his eyes and was in shock. When this news reached the Mughal emperor that despite such a long siege the Raja and his men are still feasting on milk pudding he decided to negotiate with Jagat Singh who eventually opened the gates of Fort on his terms and thus Raja showed his efficiency. In this instance restored Jagat Singh and his sons to all their previous status and kingdom. The emperor knew that Jagat Singh could not be brow-beaten and that his services could be of use elsewhere. This shows that Jagat Singh knew how to get the work done especially in precarious conditions and proved himself the perfect strategy maker as well. He not just won battles within or against the other states but crossed the boundary lines of countries and established his supremacy in Minor Asia. He seized the Qabul, Kandhar and other important towns of Minor Asia.
In 1644 when Shahjahan sent his second expedition to Central Asia, he also accompanied the prince Murad Bakhsh to subdue Uzbegs and Badkhan and the Raja had recruited over 14000 men from his Dogra principality. Elphinstone speaking of this great Dogra conquest into Central Asia says: "the spirit of the Dogra never showed more brilliantly than in this unusual duty. They stormed mountain passes, made forced marches over snow, constructed redbonty by their own labour. The Raja himself taking the axe like the rest aud bore up against the tempest of frozen region as firmly as against the fierce and repeated attack of the enemy".
Jagat Singh and His son Rup Singh remained almost for twelve years out of their state in their whole lifetime to the expeditions to Kabul, Qandhar and other countries of the minor Asia and brought laurels to themselves. Jagat Singh died on the way to his home nearby Peshawar in January 1646 when he was returning from the battle.
#FascinatingFact :- One another fact about Jagat Singh was that he was favourite of the Nur Jahan who was the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir. She interceded on his behalf in 1624 by going against his own husband, when he joined a rebellion to dethrone Jahangir. Even the name of Nurpur state is on the name of Nur Jahan which was changed from Dhameri by Jagat Singh himself, as he did this in order to get the high offices of Nur Jahan in his favour as he knew she would be helpful to him in near future. He enjoyed a special confidence of Nur Jahan to the greater extent.
#D565
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