Abhai Singh of Marwar

The Six Sons of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur on a Visit

Abhai Singh was crowned on the death of this father Maharaja Ajit Singh who himself was killed by a conspiracy of Abhai Singh and Bakht Singh. He was nonetheless as fearless as his father.

In 1726, Maharaja Abhai Singh of Marwar granted the estate of Khejarli to Thakur Surat Singh, who he became the first 'Thakur of Khejarli'.

In 1730, under his order, a minister Giridhar Bhandari, led a royal party to the Khejarli village with the fell done Khejari trees.

A local woman called Amrita Devi Bishnoi protested against the tree-felling because such acts were prohibited by the Bishnoi's religion. The feudal party said that they would only cease if she paid them a bribe, which she refused to do because she saw that as ignominious and an insult to her faith. She said that she would rather give away her life to save the trees. She and her three daughters (Asu, Ratni and Bhagu) were then killed by the party.[3]

News of the deaths spread and summons to a meeting were sent to 84 Bishnoi villages. The meeting determined that one Bishnoi volunteer would sacrifice their life for every tree that was cut down. Older people began hugging the trees that were intended to be cut and many were killed.[3]

These efforts failed to have the desired impact and Bhandari claimed that the Bishnois were sacrificing ageing people whom they no longer saw as useful to society. In response to this, young men, women and children began to follow the example of the old. 363 Bishnois died in the incident.[3]

The development shocked the tree-felling party. The group left for Jodhpur with their mission unfulfilled and the Maharaja Abhai Singh of Marwar subsequently ordered that no more trees should be felled.[3][4][5]

In 1730 due to a taxation depute with Sarbuland Khan, Abhai Singh led his men towards Ahmedabad.[6] On his way to Ahmedabad, Abhai first met the Jaipur prince at Pushkar. After defeating Sher Vallabh Abhai Singh took route to Jalore whose king (Thakur) presented his daughter in marriage to Abhai Singh, Ram singh was scion born of this wedlock.[7]

The Battle with Sher Vallabh:[1][8] Shervallabh's plans of defense are minutely detailed. At each gate he posted two thousand men and five guns manned by Europeans of whom he had a body of musketeers round his person. The cannonade had been kept up three days on both sides in which the son of Sher Vallabh was killed. At length Bakht Singh led the storm when all the ots and awaits performed prodigies of valour.

The Rajpurohit Akherajot warrior Kesari Singh Akherajot[9] of khedapa and Jai singh jatiyawas son of Akheraj Singh Rajpurohit of Tinwari Marwar were the first to be carried to the immortal abode & the sun stood still to see the deeds of the sons of Harnath, we cannot particularize the bard's catalogue of heroes transferred to Suryaloka. Most importantly the great warriors Hari Singh(Harji ji) gallantly (heroically) beheaded the Badshah of Ahmedabad Sher Vallabh. He was great devoted of Lokdevta Pabuji Rathore. And it is said that it was all the miracle or please of Pabuji Rathore that Harji ji was able to beheaded the Sher Vallabh.Harji ji was worshipping Pabuji Rathore at small temple near Dechu in Sagran village (at present) where only a small culpture of Pabuji Rathore is placed where he used to worshipping Pabuji rathore everyday in the morning .People of Dechu and descendants of Harji ji believe that it was as the blessings of Pabuji Rathore so Harji ji fought the war and beheaded Sher Vallabh and won the war.Harji ji(He was thakur of Dechu) was really a great warrior of his time played most important role in win the war for Jodhpur . On this day when the best blood of Rajputana was shed on the walls of Ahmadabad Both the princely brothers had their share in the play of swords and each slew more than one leader of note, Amra who had so often defended Ajmer slew five chiefs of the grades of two and three thousand horse.[10]

One hundred and twenty of Abhai Singh's chieftains of note with five hundred horse were slain . Abhai Singh of Marwar now ruled over the seventeen 17 thousand towns of Gujarat and the nine thousand of Marwar besides one thousand elsewhere. The princes of Idar, Bhuj, Parkar, Sind, Sirohi, the Chalukya Ran of Fatehpur, Jhunjunu, Nagor, Dungarpur, Banswara, Lunawara and Halwad every morning bowed their heads to Abhai Singh, Thus in the enlightened half of the moon on the victorious tenth VS 1787 / AD 1730 the day on which Ramachandra captured Lanka the war against Sher Vallabh an Omrah lord of twelve thousand was concluded.[11]

The various cadet branches of the Rathore clan lost several important leaders. The Champawats bore the brunt and lost Karan of Pali, Kishan Singh of Sandri, Gordhan of Jalor and Kalyan. The Kumpawats lost also several leaders of clans as Narsingh, Surtaan Singh, Padma son of Durjan. The Jodha tribe lost three leaders namely Hayatmall, Ghuman and Jogidas. The brave Mertias also lost three Bhum Singh, Kushal Singh and Gulab son of Hathi. The other chieftains the Jadons, the Sonigiras the Dhondals and Khichis had many brave men carried to Bhanuloka and even bards and purohits were amongst the slain.[12]

Abhai Singh wanted to take over Bikaner and this was not what his brother Bakht Singh wanted since Bikaner was also a Rathore state, thus a collateral branch who would serve Marwar in times of peril,but abhay singh sent a large troops to bikaner and were almost successful.The troops of marwar surrounded the fort of bikaner, consisting of Maharaja Zorawar Singh of Bikaner and his sons, zorawar singh sent a letter to his Army General, Jagram Singh Rajpurohit of Desalsar,who was in his village during that duration. After receiving letter from the Royal family, he soon march diagonally to Bikaner and reached at the auspicious day of Holi, and declared a war against the army of marwar. Bakhth schemed with Vidyadhar, a minister with Jai Singh of Amber and the result was that Amber marched against Marwar. After getting the news, Abhay singh recalled his troops, So, there started a panic between army and Jagraam with his mates and sons killed many of the army personnel. During this battle, Jagraam singh got a arrow on his stomach but he fought till his last breath and when troops of marwar ran back to marwar, He came back to Zorawar singh and declared the victory of Bikaner over Marwar. By seeing his valour, Maharaja Zorawar Singh ran to him and hugged the man who saved the kingdom, its pride and heritage and his family,but Jagraam loses his breath on the shoulder of his maharaja,Maharaja Zorawar Singh ordered to build a chhatri where his friend took his last breath but after some discussion a chhatri was built near the residential palace of maharaja in Junagarh fort. So, that he can watch it out everyday and a village was gifted to his son Devkaran, which was later called Rasisar. At Battle of Gangwana it was left to Bakht Singh to save Rathore grace and he did so with only 1,000 Rathores against an army of 100,000 Mughals and Rajputs. Relations were later restored.

His son Maharaja Ram Singh succeeded him but was soon deposed by his uncle Bhakt Singh.

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