Far East Kingdoms

Jat Kings of Gohad
AD 1505 - 1805

The Jats came to prominence in the seventeenth century, when they rebelled against the atrocities carried out by the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb and formed a powerful kingdom at Bharatpur. However, even before the rebellion took place, the Jats were quietly asserting themselves and founding various small kingdoms in the region. Gohad become one of the major kingdoms along with Bharatpur itself.

The region of Gohad lies in the present day state of Madhya Pradesh. Today it is a town (near Gwalior) belonging to the Bhind district. The town's origins run back to 1505, when the Bamraulli clan of Jats under Singhandev II settled in this area and constructed the fort of Gohad.

(Information by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha.)

1505 - 1524

Singhandev II

1524 - 1535

Devi Singh

1535 - 1546

Udyaut Singh

1546 - ?

Anup Singh

? - 1604

Shambhu Singh

1604 - 1628

Abhaychandra

1628 - 1647

Ramchandra

1647 - 1664

Ratan Singh

1664 - 1685

Uday Singh

1669 - 1670

Gokul of Bharatpur leads the Jats in an uprising against the local Muslim officer, Abdul Nabi, killing him and looting his tehsil at Sadabad. Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb orders the destruction of the Keshav Dev temple in retaliation in 1670, which further inflames the Jats. Around 20,000 of them attack Moghul posts, prompting Aurangzeb to confront them at the Battle of Tilpat. Gokul is captured and put to death and his followers are punished severely.

1685 - 1699

Bagh Raj

1686

The Jats rise up again under a new leader. Rajaram is killed two years into the uprising, but it continues under the leadership of his younger brother. However, the Moghul army under the Rajput Kachwaha general, Bishan Singh, attacks the Jat territories. Around 1500 Jats are said to be massacred in comparison to the Moghul and Rajput casualty list of nine hundred.

1696

The Jat leader, Churaman, is determined to clear Jat lands of the Moghuls. A large number of Jats gather under his leadership, and he generates additional funds by raiding the regions of Bundi and Kota. He soon wrests Sinsini and Amber from the Moghuls, and in the process forms a powerful regional kingdom at Bharatpur.

1699 - 1704

Gaj Singh

1704 - 1707

Jaswant Singh

1707 - 1756

Bhim Singh

Died childless.

1740 - 1756

Bhim singh wins the fort of Gwalior from the Moghuls in 1740. Later, in alliance with Jai Singh, king of Jaipur, and Surajmal, Jat king of Bharatpur, he also defeats the Marathas at Malwa. The fort of Gwalior is retained until 1756, when the Marathas under Mahadji Scindia attack it. In the battle, Bhim Singh is wounded and soon succumbs to his injuries.

1756 - 1757

Girdhar Pratap

Son of family friend Samantrao Balju, but died within a year.

1757 - 1785

Chhatar Singh

Son of Kunwar Mujlu and distant relative of Bhim Singh.

1760 - 1761

Bharatpur is prepared to help the Marathas in their fight against the Afghan king, Ahmad Shah Abdali, but differences over powersharing in Delhi arise between Surajmal and the Maratha commander, Bhausaheb. As a result, the necessary help on the battlefield is not forthcoming and the Marathas lose the Third Battle of Panipat.

1785 - 1803

Chhatar Singh wins back Gwalior fort but it is again retaken in 1785. Gohad is also captured, heralding a period of anarchy for the Jats of Gohad, especially when their king is apparently captured through treachery and soon dies, allegedly through poisoning. Finally, in 1803, the Jats are able to declare Kirat Singh to be their new king.

1803 - 1805

Kirat Singh

Son of Samant Trarachand, a cousin of Chhatar Singh.

1805

Gohad is given to the Marathas in return for other territory, and the three hundred year-old kingdom of Gohad is exchanged for the new one based at Dholpur.

Jat Kings of Dholpur
AD 1805 - 1947

The Jats joined the British East India Company in their war against the Marathas so that both allies were able to see Maratha power humbled. The Anglo-Jat alliance won back Gohad and Gwalior. The British retained Gwalior while Gohad was returned to the Jats. However in 1805, a treaty was agreed between the Marathas under Mahadji Scindia and the British, and Gohad was given to the Marathas while the Jats were compensated with the state of Dholpur (along with Badi and Rajakheda). Kirat Singh therefore became the first Jat ruler of Dholpur (a part of Rajputana and in the present day state of Rajasthan).

1805 - 1835

Kirat Singh

Previously king of Gohad.

1836

Rana Pohap Singh

Son. Died within nine months of becoming king.

1836 - 1873

Rana Bhagwant Singh

Brother.

Kulender Singh

Adopted son. Predeceased his father.

1873 - 1901

Rana Nihal Singh

Son.

1901 - 1911

Ram Singh

Son.

1911 - 1948

Rana (Sir) Udaybhanu Singh

Brother.

1947

The dominion of India is formed on 15 August 1947 following the official handover of power by the British. The kingdom is subsumed within the republic and its ruler left with just his title.

Dholpur was in Jat hands from 1805 onwards

Hereditary Jat Kings of Dholpur
AD 1947 - Present Day

The creation of the dominion of India on 15 August 1947 changed everything for the Jat kings. It achieved what centuries of Moghul, Maratha and British rulers had not by sweeping away the old order of princes and kings. As with the Jat kings of Bharatpur, the Jats of Dholpur were left with only their title.

1948 - 1954

Rana (Sir) Udaybhanu Singh

King of Dholpur (1911-1948).

1954 - Present

Rana Hemant Singh

Grandson.

Rana Hemant Singh is the estranged husband of Maharani Vasundhara Raje, the daughter of the scion of the Scindia royal family of Gwalior and the former chief minister of Rajasthan (between 2003-2008). The couple have a son who is in charge of the Dholpur properties.

Rana Dushyant Singh

Son.