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Warrior

Durgadas Rathore

Saved Marwar’s heir from Aurangzeb

1638—1718

1638–1718 CE

Durgadas, son of Askaran, carried the infant Ajit Singh out of Delhi in 1679 when Aurangzeb tried to seize him, and fought for nearly thirty years until Ajit Singh entered Jodhpur as Maharaja in 1707.

01Out of Delhi, 1679

Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Marwar died in Mughal service at Jamrud in December 1678. Two sons were born to his queens after his death; one survived, Ajit Singh. Aurangzeb occupied Jodhpur, had temples there pulled down, and ordered the infant and the queens brought to the imperial household. In July 1679 Mughal troops surrounded the Rathore mansion in Delhi. While Rathore warriors held the street, Durgadas and a small band got the child and queens away and rode for Marwar. The Maasir-i-Alamgiri records the fight and the escape.

02Thirty years’ war

Ajit Singh was hidden in the hills of Sirohi while Durgadas led the Rathores in a long guerrilla war, joined for a time by Mewar. In 1681 Aurangzeb’s son Prince Akbar rebelled with Rathore support; when the revolt failed Durgadas escorted the prince across India to Sambhaji’s court in the Deccan. He also kept Akbar’s children safe for years and returned them to the emperor with honour, the girl having been taught the Quran. After Aurangzeb died in 1707, Ajit Singh entered Jodhpur. Durgadas, estranged from the king he had saved, spent his last years at Ujjain and died there on 22 November 1718; his chhatri stands on the Shipra.

Delhi (Indraprastha)
Place · Indraprastha of the Pandavas; Lal Kot c. 1052 by the Tomara Anangpal; many cities sinceDelhi (Indraprastha)The Pandavas’ Indraprastha stood on the Yamuna where the Purana Qila now stands, and the Tomaras and Chauhans built the first walled Delhi at Mehrauli. Seven or more cities have risen on the same ground since.Read →

Battles

The Rathore War for Marwar

When Maharaja Jaswant Singh died in 1678, Aurangzeb took Marwar under direct rule. Durgadas Rathore smuggled the dead king’s infant son out of Delhi and fought for him until he had his throne.

1679–1707 CE

Places

Delhi (Indraprastha)Standing
The long resistance: Sindh to Tarain

Delhi (Indraprastha)

The Pandavas’ Indraprastha stood on the Yamuna where the Purana Qila now stands, and the Tomaras and Chauhans built the first walled Delhi at Mehrauli. Seven or more cities have risen on the same ground since.

Mahakaleshwar, UjjainRebuilt
Maratha ascendancy and the Sikh empire

Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain

The Jyotirlinga of Avantika, one of the seven moksha-giving cities, where Shiva is worshipped as Mahakal, Lord of Time and Death. The only Jyotirlinga facing south, and the only one bathed in ash at the dawn aarti.

Mehrangarh, JodhpurStanding
Sultanates, Vijayanagara and the kingdoms that stood

Mehrangarh, Jodhpur

The Rathore fortress on Bhaurcheeria hill, about 125 m above Jodhpur. Rao Jodha moved here from Mandore in 1459; the fort was held by the Mughals from 1679 until Ajit Singh and Durgadas Rathore won Jodhpur back in 1707.

On the timeline

  • 1679 CE

    Durgadas Rathore rescues the infant Ajit SinghResistance

    When Aurangzeb tries to take Marwar after Maharaja Jaswant Singh’s death, Durgadas Rathore smuggles the infant heir Ajit Singh out of Delhi. The Rathores fight on for nearly thirty years until Ajit Singh takes Jodhpur in 1707.