Suraj Mal - Early Life

Early Life

Surajmal was born on February 1707 in Bharatpur, India. He was eldest son of the Jat emperor of Bharatpur, Maharaja Badan Singh, and his wife Rani Devki of Jat family from Kama.

He had 14 Queens, of whom six have been described by Fransoo. He enumerates them as below :

1. Maharani Kishori, the daughter of Chowdhary Kashi Ram Jat of Hodal.
2. Rani Hansia, the daughter of Chowdhary Rati Ram Jat of Salempur. She died childless.
3. Ganga Rani, who hailed from a village Bichawindi.
4. Kalyani Rani, who came from the village Nahani Jhansi and was the mother of Nahar Singh.
5. Rani Gauri, who originated from Gori clan of Rajputs of Amahand and was mother of Jawahar Singh and Ratan Singh.
6. Rani Khattu, who was the khas wife of Suraj Mal.

From his four wives, he left five sons: Jawar Singh, Ratan Singh, Nawal Singh, Ranjit Singh and Nahar Singh. The first two were born of a lady, popularly reputed to have been a Rajputni, possibly of Gaurua clan, the third was son of a Malin mother, the last two, Ranjit Singh and Nahar Singh were born of his own Jat tribe. But the mother of none of these enjoyed the particular affection of the King, who loved most dearly his masculine and barren wife, the famous queen Maharani Kishori. Jawahar Singh was fortunate enough to be adopted by this lady, whose influence and affection shielded the rebellious youth from the worst effects on the wrath of his father.For various political reasons, Suraj Mal also had 24 mistresses each from a different cast, so as to gain popularity within a cast.

He was eldest of 30 sons of Maharaja Badan Singh,of which only 20 survived. Out of his surviving sons Surahmal and his brother Pratap Singh were popular and competent for throne of Bharatpur. To avoid any future family feud Badan Singh constructed two separate forts and palaces,at Kumher for Surajmal and at Weir for Pratap Singh.Due to his health conditions Badan Singh handed over the state of Weir to Pratap Singh around 1738-40 and declared Suraj Mal as successor for the rest of state and handed over the administration to him. Due to untimely death of his son Pratap Singh on 2 November 1745 and severety of his eye problem he decided to retire from active royal affairs.He had virtually exercised the sole management of the affairs of the state of Bharatpur for over twenty years before and after the death of Badan Singh.On November 1745 Suraj Mal became the ruler of Jat Empire.