Udai Singh of Marwar


Udai Singh, also known by the sobriquet Mota Raja, was the Rathore ruler of Marwar, which was later known as Jodhpur.

Life

After the death of his father Rao Maldeo on 7 November 1562 a fratricidal war for succession started and his younger brother Rao Chandra Sen crowned himself in the capital Jodhpur. However Chandrasen had no allies and all of his brothers and fellow rajput chieftains stood against him. Chandrasen was left completely isolated in the war with the Mughal empire. Akbar's army occupied Merta in the same year and the capital in 1564. After Chandrasens death in 1581, the Marwar kingdom was broken and given to several Rajput chieftains who had helped Mughals against Chandrasen. The Raja of Bikaner was made the governor of Marwar, while the sons of Maldev were cast aside. Udai Singh later gained the favour of the Emperor and was made the Raja of Marwar in 1583. Most of the core territories of Marwar were given back, while other districts were given to the rajas of Amber and Bikaner for their loyalty. Unlike his predecessors, Udai Singh submitted to the Mughal emperor Akbar and joined in his service. He also had his daughter Jagat Gosain married to the Mughal crown prince Jehangir. He did not find the marriage to be degrading as Jehangir had Rajput blood in him from his mothers side.

Kalyandas Rathore

Historian Norman P. Ziegler relates two accounts of the death of Kalyandas Rathore. The version from the Rathore genealogy says Kalyandas took offence at Udai Singh giving his daughter, Jagat Gosain, to Jahangir in marriage, and threatened to kill both men. According to Ziegler, if this is true, the most likely explanation for Kalyandas' opposition is that the marriage implied a subservience that violated the Rajput code of honor. In this version of events, when news of Kalyandas's threats reached Akbar, the emperor ordered Udai Singh to kill Kalyandas. Whatever the cause of the break between Kalyandas and the Mughals, he fled to fort Siwana. Udai Singh pursued him and captured the fort in 1589. Kalyandas died in the fighting.

Death

Udai Singh died in Lahore, Punjab on 10 July 1595. He was succeeded by his son Sur Singh.