Ram Singh I | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mirza Raja of Hindustan | |||||
Reign | 1667–1688 | ||||
Coronation | September 10, 1667 | ||||
Predecessor | Jai Singh I | ||||
Successor | Bishan Singh | ||||
Born | 1640 Amber |
||||
Died | April 1688 (48) Kohat |
||||
Issue |
One son: Kunwar Kishan Singh (died 1682) Kunvri Shivanshi(1667-1672) Total 8 sons and 3 daughters |
||||
|
|||||
Dynasty | Kacchwaha | ||||
Religion | Hindu |
Full name | |
---|---|
Mirza Raja Ram Singh Bahadur Khan |
One son: Kunwar Kishan Singh (died 1682) Kunvri Shivanshi(1667-1672)
Mirza Raja Ram Singh I was the elder son Mirza Raja Jai Singh I and was ruler of Amber (now part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation), and head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan, from 1667 to 1688. He was subehdar of Kashmir from 1675-1680.
Kunwar Ram Singh had served in the campaigns of his great father Jai Singh I and by 1654 had acquired a rank of commander of 3000 (cavalry) in the Mughal nobility. His first independent campaign was in 1660, after the accession of Aurangzeb as emperor, when he led an army against the hill-state of Srinagar(Uttarakhand). Jai Singh took his younger son Kirat Singh on his last campaign to the Deccan (1664–67) leaving Ram Singh to be his representative at the Mughal court. When Jai Singh sent the Maratha hero Shivaji, to meet Aurangzeb (1666), he took an oath to be responsible for his safety at the Mughal court, and made Ram Singh Shivaji's caretaker.
Shivaji, accompanied by his son Sambhaji and other officials and servants, was received by Kanvar Ram Singh at his military camp in the suburbs of Agra city (12 May 1666). Ram Singh escorted them to meet the emperor at the Diwan-e-khas (hall of special audience) in Agra fort. Here they gave a customary present (nazara) of 1,500 gold pieces (mohurs) at which, Aurangzeb cried out, "Come up Shivaji Raja!"
Shivaji was taken to his place among the nobles who stood in two parallel columns in front of the throne. Shivaji didn't receive any gift or honor from the emperor nor had there been any serious negotiations for his position.
It happened to be the emperor's birthday and robes of honor were given to the high ranked nobles like the prime minister Jafer Khan and Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur (commander of 6000. But the highest ranking Mughal noble was Raja Jai Singh I, a commander of 7000). All this while Shivaji had been forgotten. Shivaji was deliberately made a commander of 5000 by Aurangzeb and was made to stand behind mansabdārs (military commanders) of his court. Moreover, the noble in front of him was Rai Singh, also a commander of 5000 but of a higher grade. The nobles in front of Shivaji were the ones whom Shivaji had comprehensively defeated in the past. Shivaji Maharaj took offense at this seeming insult. His loud voice and angry gestures caused a minor commotion...Ram Singh came to him and tried to calm him down but the Maratha king couldn't be pacified. Shivaji stormed out of the court and was promptly placed under house arrest in Ram Singh's camp, under the watch of Fulād Khān, Kotwal of Agra.