Raja Shri Man Singh Ji Saheb (
Man Singh I) (May 9, 1540- July 6,1614) was the Kacchwaha Rajah Saheb of
Amberthumb|right|300px|The fort in 1985Amber was a city of Rajasthan state, India, it is now part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. Founded by the Meena Raja Alan Singh , Amber was a flourishing settlement as far back as 967 AD. Around 1037 AD, it was conquered by the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs...
, a state later known as
JaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur...
. He was a trusted general of the
MughalThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
emperor Akbar, who included him among the
NavaratnasNavaratnas or Nauratan was a term applied to a group of nine extraordinary people in a king's court in India...
, or the nine gems of the royal court . However, he was a devotee of Shri Krishna, and not an adherent of Akbar's religion,
Din-i-IlahiThe Dīn-i Ilāhī , was a syncretic religious doctrine propounded by the Mughal emperor Jalālu d-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar intended to merge the best elements of the religions of his empire and thereby reconcile the differences that divided his subjects.Akbar...
.
Early life
He was the son of Rani Sa Bhagawati Ji Sahiba at Amber; his father was
Raja Bhagwant DasRaja Bhagawant Das was a Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. One of his descendants Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.-Life:...
of Amber. He was born on Sunday, December 21,1550. He was about eight years younger than Mughal Emperor Akbar who was born on November 23, 1542 and about ten years younger than Rana Pratap who was born on May 9, 1540, These three great personalities, of the same generation, had a great impact on sixteenth century India's polity, society, and history. They are remembered with reverence in India, although Rana Pratap fought unrelenting wars with both of them. Raja
BharmalRaja Bharmal or Biharimal was a Kachwaha ruler of Amber which was later known as Jaipur in the present day Rajasthan state of India. Bharmal is more known for marrying his daughter, Heera Kunwar or Mariam-us-Zamani to the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1562...
, the first
RajputA Rajput is a member of one of the major Hindu Kshatriya groups of India. They enjoy a reputation as formidable soldiers and it is common to find many of them serving in the Indian Armed Forces. The British Government also accepted them and recruited them heavily into their armies...
ruler to marry his daughter to a Mughal, was Man Singh I's grandfather.
Initially known as
Kunwar (prince), Man Singh received the title of
Mirza Raja and the
mansab (rank) of 5000 after the death of his father on December 10, 1589 from Akbar. 0n August 26, 1605, Man Singh became a
mansabdarMansabdar was the generic term for the military -type grading of all imperial officials of the Mughal Empire. The mansabdars governed the empire and commanded its armies in the emperor's name...
of 7,000, i.e., a commander of 7,000 cavalry in the Mughal forces, which was the maximum command for anyone other than a son of the Mughal emperor and the guardian of
KhusrauKhusrau Mirza was the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. His mother Manbai or Shah Begam was a Kachhwaha princess and the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das. Prince Khusrau was born in Lahore on August 16, 1587...
, the eldest son of Jahangir. Akbar called him "Farzand" (son). He fought many important campaigns for Akbar. Kunwar Man Singh led the Mughal army in the well-known
battle of HaldighatiThe Battle of Haldighati was fought between the Mughal Empire and the forces of Mewar on June 21,1576 at Haldighati in Rajasthan,India.It was a decisive victory for the Mughal Emperor Jalal ud-Din Muhammad Akbar's general Raja Man Singh against the Maharana Pratap Singh of Mewar- Background :Pratap...
fought in 1576 between the Mughal Empire and Maharana Pratap.
Conflict with Rana Pratap
Man Singh was sent by Akbar to persuade Rana Pratap to make a treaty with Akbar and accept Mughal sovereignty. But Rana Pratap, as a grandson of
Rana SangaMaharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, between 1509 and 1527...
, considered the Mughals invaders and intruders on Indian territory; he declined to accept Akbar's sovereignty. The great grandfather of Man Singh, Raja Prithviraj, was married to
Rana SangaMaharana Sangram Singh was the ruler of Mewar state, a region lying within the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, between 1509 and 1527...
's niece (Rana Raimal's daughter). Thus Rana Pratap was his relative.
On the day of their meeting Rana Pratap invited Man Singh for dinner. Rana Pratap deliberately avoided attending the dinner in person and sent his son "Kunwar" Amar Singh to dine with "Kunwar" Man Singh (as a custom Rajput men are called "Kunwar" in the life time of their father). The attitude of other Rajput nobles was also discouraging. They were secretly making mockery of Man Singh as his aunt Hira kunwar or Jodhabai was married to Akbar. Man Singh took this as an insult to Akbar and himself. He knew Rana Pratap was making an excuse to avoid him. He refused to dine with Amar Singh. He remarked, "I will come again and then will have a dinner". Understanding the hidden meaning a noble of Pratap remarked "well, don't forget to bring your uncle Akbar". This laid the foundation of war between the Mughals and Rana Pratap, who already had many decades of rivalry and enmity.
Appointed by Akbar to lead the Mughal Army against Rana Pratap, Kunwar Man Singh started from
AjmerThis article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region, see Ajmer region.Ajmer , formerly written Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan state. Ajmer is a very beautiful city, surrounded by the spectacular Aravalli Mountains. Ajmer, also known as Ajaymeru,...
on 3 April 1576. A gruesome battle was fought on June 18, 1576 at Haldi Ghati. Rana Pratap personally attacked Man Singh, who defended himself by ducking. Man Singh's "
MahoutA mahout is a person who drives an elephant. The word mahout comes from the Hindi words mahaut and mahavat, derivatives of the Sanskrit word mahamatra, meaning "[one] having great measure."-Description:...
" (the driver of his elephant) was killed. Rana Pratap's famous warhorse "Chetak" was mortally wounded. Rana Pratap, himself, amazingly survived this battle. A nobleman, Jhala Man Singh, who pretended to be Rana Pratap, was killed by the Mughal forces. Jhala Man Singh put the helmet of Rana Pratap on his head, though he knew he would be killed soon by doing this. Ultimately, the Mughal army won the battle. The next day Man Singh advanced and captured
GogundaGogunda is a small town located about 35 km from Udaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is situated on a high mountain in Aravalli hills and is reached by crossing a difficult mountain pass. The great Mewar king Maharana Pratap's Raj Tilak was performed at Gogunda...
, the seat of Pratap's coronation. But the geographical situation of
MewarMewar is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand and Udaipur. The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom that later became a princely state under the British...
was such that Rana Pratap could hide between hills. He exploited this and began guerrilla warfare. Ultimately Pratap was able to liberate all of Mewar except the fort of Chittor. Despite his success Akbar was not happy with Man Singh, and stopped conversing with him for some time. Perhaps he thought Man Singh was responsible for Pratap's escape from the battlefield. Conspirators also fed this to his ears, but Akbar's doubts cleared when he visited
AjmerThis article is about a city in central Rajasthan, for the historical region, see Ajmer region.Ajmer , formerly written Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan state. Ajmer is a very beautiful city, surrounded by the spectacular Aravalli Mountains. Ajmer, also known as Ajaymeru,...
's shrine of Khwaja
Moinuddin ChishtiSultan-ul-Hind, Hazrat Shaikh Khwaja Syed Muhammad Mu'īnuddīn Chishtī was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz , or 'Benefactor of the Poor', he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishtī Order of South Asia. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
the following year.
In the Battle of Haldighati, despite exaggerated figures, it is estimated that Rana Pratap had 3,000 horsemen, some elephants and the same number of
BhilBhils are a tribal people of Central India. They speak Bhil languages, a group of Indic languages.Bhils are a scheduled tribe in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan in western and central India, as well as in Tripura in far-eastern India, on the border...
warriors under
Rao PoonjaRana Poonja was a Solanki Rajput ruling the state of Panarwa. Panarwa is the biggest fiefdom of the Bhomat area of Mewar. The family's subject comprises of Bhils.He is known for his valiance in the Battle of Haldighati where he fought along with Maharana Pratap against the forces of Akbar in 1576...
or Rana Poonja. A small artillery unit was also with him under
Hakim Khan SurHakim Khan Sur was Afghan warrior and chief of artillery of Rana Pratap, and fought with him in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576....
. The force was divided into five wings. Advance wing was under
Hakim Khan SurHakim Khan Sur was Afghan warrior and chief of artillery of Rana Pratap, and fought with him in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576....
, Bhim Singh Dodiya, and Ramdas Rathore. The right wing was under
BhamashahBhamashah was a remarkable character of Indian history who gave his whole wealth to Maharana Pratap, the ruler of Mewar, to fight Mughal Emperor Akbar. He set up an example of love and sacrifice for the country of highest order....
and
Ramshah Tanwar- Ramshah Tanwar :Ramshah Tanwar was the last Tomar king of Gwalior. He was ousted by Akbar and sough refuge at his maternal home in Mewar which at the time was the only state who refused Akbar as head of state. Ramshah and 300 of his followers spilled their blood in battle of Haldighati. Only one...
. The left wing was under Jhala Man Singh. Rana Pratap was in the centre. Behind him was
Rao PoonjaRana Poonja was a Solanki Rajput ruling the state of Panarwa. Panarwa is the biggest fiefdom of the Bhomat area of Mewar. The family's subject comprises of Bhils.He is known for his valiance in the Battle of Haldighati where he fought along with Maharana Pratap against the forces of Akbar in 1576...
with his
BhilBhils are a tribal people of Central India. They speak Bhil languages, a group of Indic languages.Bhils are a scheduled tribe in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan in western and central India, as well as in Tripura in far-eastern India, on the border...
warriors.
The Mughal army had 10,000 horsemen, some elephants and infantry. Among the horsemen 4,000 were
KachwahaThe Kuchwaha are a Suryavanshi Rajput clan who ruled a number of kingdoms and princely states in India such as Alwar, Maihar, Talcher, while the largest kingdom was Jaipur...
Rajput warriors. One thousand other Hindu warriors and rest were Uzbeks, Turks, Kazzakhs, Saiyads and other Muslims. This force divided into five wings. There were two advance wings. The first was under Sayyad Hashim Barah Jagganath Kachwaha and Asaf Ali Khan. The second advance troop was under Madho Singh Kachwaha. Behind this was Man Singh. To his right was Mulla Kazikhan Badkhsi and to left were Sayyads of Barah. At first Rana Pratap attacked and scattered the advance and left wings of the Mughal army. Jagnnath Kachwaha killed Ramshah Tanwar. Rajput warriors of both sides engaged in fierce battle. The Mughal army could not distinguish between friend and foe and killed Rajputs of both sides. The Mughal army surrounded Rana Pratap; so to save his life Jhala Man put the Rana's helmet on his head and died in his place. This provided Rana Pratap a chance to escape. After this, Rana's army dispersed. The Mughal Army, expecting another attack, remained vigilant all night. Only in the morning they were able to judge their success. Almost half of Rana's army was finished. The battle was won but the Rana had survived.
Expedition to Kabul
In 1580 CE some prominent Muslim officers of Akbar, displeased with his liberal religious policies, started to conspire against him. One Qazi Muhammad Yazdi declared it the duty of every Muslim to rebel against Akbar. In
BiharBihar is a state in eastern India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi , and 3rd largest by population. Close to 85 percent of the population lives in villages...
and
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
they declared Mirza Hakim, Akbar's stepbrother and Governor of
KabulKabul , is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of over 2.5 million, and is located in the province of Greater Kabul...
, to be the emperor. Akbar sent armies to
BiharBihar is a state in eastern India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi , and 3rd largest by population. Close to 85 percent of the population lives in villages...
and
BengalBengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent...
to crush this rebellion, while he himself started towards Kabul; Man Singh was with him. On March 8, 1581 Akbar reached Macchiwara and soon arrived on the banks of river Indus. Here he sent an advance force led by Man Singh to Kabul. Although Akbar's army was hesitating to cross the swelling Indus River, Man Singh was able to cross it first followed by troops. Hearing the news Mirza Hakim fled to Gurband. Following the army, Akbar himself arrived at Kabul on August 10, 1581. Hakim was pardoned by Akbar but his sister "Bakhtunissa Begum" was appointed Governor of Kabul. Akbar returned to
Fatehpur SikriFatehpur Sikri is a city and a municipal board in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The historical city was constructed by Mughal emperor Akbar beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear...
. After the return of Akbar, Bakhtunissa remained as the nominal head of state while Hakim acted as the Governor in fact. Hakim died in July, 1582. Kabul was annexed by the Mughal Empire and Man Singh was appointed Governor. He remained there for some years and built a fortress there, used by succeeding Mughal Governors. Man Singh brought many talented men with him when he returned from Kabul. Some of their descendants still live in Jaipur.
Again in 1585 CE some Afghan tribes rose against the Mughal empire. The "Yusufzai" and "Mandar" tribes were the main ones among them. Akbar sent an army under Zain Khan, Hakim Abul Fateh and Raja
BirbalRaja Birbal was the Grand Vizier of the Mughal court in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the navaratna, a Sanskrit word meaning nine jewels...
to control these revolting tribes. However they failed to control the revolting Afghans and Raja
BirbalRaja Birbal was the Grand Vizier of the Mughal court in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the navaratna, a Sanskrit word meaning nine jewels...
, friend of Akbar and one of his
NavratnasNavratnas was the title given originally to nine Public Sector Enterprises or PSE, identified by the Government of India in 1997 as its crown jewels or the most prestigious PSEs, which allowed them greater autonomy to compete in the global market ....
was also killed in the battle with Afghans. Akbar then sent
Raja Todar MalRaja Todar Mal was born at Lahore . He rose to become the Finance Minister in Akbar's Darbar. Todar Mal overhauled the revenue system of Akbar's Mughal empire. He was from the Khatri community of Punjab but some consider him to be belonging to Kayastha community...
to crush the revolt and called Raja Man Singh to help Todar Mal. Todarmal had some success in controlling the rebellious Afghan tribes. But the real source of the revolt was behind the
Khyber PassThe Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass that links Pakistan and Afghanistan.Throughout history it has been an important trade route between Central Asia and South Asia and a strategic military location...
. It was hard to cross this pass which was dominated by Afghan "Kabailies". Man Singh was accompanied by "Rao Gopaldas" of
NindarThis is the name of village given in succession as Jagir to Rao "Shivbramh" or "Sheobramh",the fourth son of Raja Udaikaran of Amber .The descendants of Rao Sheobramh are known as Sheobramhpota.It is situated about 10 Kilometers west of Amber and two KM away from NH 11 in Jaipur district of...
in this expedition, who bravely made way for Mughal army in the pass. After crossing the pass Man Singh decisively defeated five Major tribes of Afghans including "Yusufzai" and "Mandar" tribes. The flag of Amber was changed from "Katchanar" (green climber in white base) to "Pachranga" (five coloured) to commemorate this victory. This flag continued in use until accession of Jaipur state in India. This permanently crushed the revolt and the area remained peaceful thereafter.
In 1586 CE Akbar sent another army under
Raja Bhagwant DasRaja Bhagawant Das was a Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. One of his descendants Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.-Life:...
, father of Kunwar Man Singh to win
KashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent...
. Kashmir was included in the Mughal Empire and made a Sarkar (district) of Kabul province. Man Singh and his father Raja Bhagwant Das are reputed to have brought the technology of cannon production from Kabul and Lahore to Amber.
Conquest of Orissa
In 1588 Man Singh was appointed Governor of
BiharBihar is a state in eastern India. Bihar is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi , and 3rd largest by population. Close to 85 percent of the population lives in villages...
. In 1590, "Qatlu Khan Lohani" of Orissa declared himself independent and assumed the name of "Qatlu Shah". Raja Man Singh started an expedition against him. Before facing Man Singh, Qatlu Shah was killed by Rao Gopaldas of
NindarThis is the name of village given in succession as Jagir to Rao "Shivbramh" or "Sheobramh",the fourth son of Raja Udaikaran of Amber .The descendants of Rao Sheobramh are known as Sheobramhpota.It is situated about 10 Kilometers west of Amber and two KM away from NH 11 in Jaipur district of...
. Qatlu Khan's son Nasir Khan, after little resistance, accepted Mughal sovereignty. Nasir Khan was then appointed Governor of Orissa. Nasir Khan remained faithful to the Mughal empire for two years but after that he violated the conditions of his treaty and seized the Jagannath temple of Puri, which was Mughal territory. Man Singh again attacked Orissa and decisively defeated Nasir Khan on April 9, 1592 in a battle near the present day Medinipur town and ousted him from Orissa. Orissa then was annexed to the Mughal Empire and included in Bengal "Subah" (Province).
Governor of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa
On March 17, 1594 Raja Man Singh was appointed
SubahdarSubahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
(Governor) of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. He made his headquarters in
RohtasRohtas can refer to:*Rohtas, Pakistan, a village located in Rohtas Fort, Pakistan*Rohtas Fort, Pakistan*Rohtas District, a district in Bihar, India....
, in Bihar. He built a Haveli (Palatial House) in
Rohtas FortRohtas Fort is a garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful amalgamation of Pukhtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian Subcontinent....
. During his tenure as Governor Man Singh further expanded the Mughal Empire by defeating and subduing the old kingdoms of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. He defeated the Raja of Jessore, now part of Bangladesh, and brought the famous idol of "
Shila DeviShila Devi is famous idol of Durga.Her temple is located in Amber fort.The idol was brought by Raja Man Singh I of Amber from Jessore, now in Bangladesh.On the sixth day of winter Navratris, special prayers are offered to this goddess.Lakhs of people from Jaipur and surrounding areas come here to...
" to Amber. The temple of this goddess is still present in Amber fort. During Navratris lakhs of people gather here. Raja Man Singh served three successive terms as Governor of this area, in 1594-98, 1601-1605, 1605-1606.
Jahangir and twilight of Man Singh I
Prince Salim was born after many prayers. But he soon became addicted to alcohol and opium. He disobeyed royal orders and became infamous for torture. He had
Abul FazalShaikh Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak also known as Abu'l-Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami was the vizier of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, the third volume is known as the Ain-i-Akbari and a Persian translation...
murdered. Akbar tried hard to reform him. Salim had a son, Khusrau. Two of Akbar's sons, Murad and Danial, died in his lifetime. The royal court was divided into two factions, one favouring Khusrau and the other Salim to be the next emperor. Raja Man Singh and Mirza Ajij Koka were in Khusrau's favour. In 1605, when Akbar fell ill, he appointed Salim to be his heir. Though Man Singh opposed Salim's accession to the throne during Akbar's lifetime, he never opposed Jahangir after his coronation. After Akbar's death,
JahangirNur-ud-din Salim Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death...
(Salim) became emperor. Man Singh was initially sent as
SubahdarSubahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
of Bengal on November 10, 1605 for a short period, but soon he was replaced by Qutb-ud-Din Khan Koka on September 2, 1606. Jahangir also ordered removal of some of the modifications which had been made by Raja Man Singh to his palace at
AmberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since neolithic times. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewelry...
. But in 1611 CE the southern provinces of Ahmad Nagar, Berar and Khandesh defied Mughal sovereignty under
Malik AmbarMalik Ambar was an Ethiopian born in Harar, sold as a child by his parents due to poverty and rose to the level of Prime Minister of Ahmadnagar in India. He eventually arrived in India, where he was educated and given opportunities, but he remained a slave. Nevertheless in time he created an...
.
JahangirNur-ud-din Salim Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death...
sent Raja Man Singh and others to crush the revolt.
Man Singh died a natural death on July 6, 1614 at Ellichpur. Following his death, he was succeeded by his son Mirza Raja Bhau Singh. His direct descendants became known (to this date) as the
RajawatRajawat is the name of the senior sub-clan of the Kachwaha, Suryavanshi rajputs. Descendants of Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber, India...
s who had the privilege to the Gaddi (throne) of
Amberthumb|right|300px|The fort in 1985Amber was a city of Rajasthan state, India, it is now part of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. Founded by the Meena Raja Alan Singh , Amber was a flourishing settlement as far back as 967 AD. Around 1037 AD, it was conquered by the Kachwaha clan of Rajputs...
and subsequently
JaipurJaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Jaipur is the former capital of the princely state of Jaipur...
.
Cultural achievements
Raja Man Singh was a devotee of Shri Krishna. He had a seven-storey temple of Krishna constructed at for Srila
Rupa GoswamiRupa Goswami is a devotional teacher, poet, and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Alongside Sanatana Goswami he was considered the leader of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan - a highly influential group of devotees made up from a number of disciples of the Vaishnava saint,...
, disciple of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in
VrindavanVrindavan , or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is the region where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. It lies in the Braj region...
. The cost of construction was one crore rupees at that time. Akbar is also believed to have donated the red sandstone for this temple.
AurangzebMuhi ud-din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, more commonly known as Aurangzeb Muhi ud-din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, more commonly known as Aurangzeb Muhi ud-din Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I, more commonly known as Aurangzeb ( (full title: Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan...
later demolished three storeys of this temple. The four-storey temple is still present at
VrindavanVrindavan , or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is the region where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. It lies in the Braj region...
. He also constructed a temple of Krishna at his capital,
AmberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since neolithic times. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewelry...
. The place is now known as "Kanak Vrindavan" near Amber Ghati of Jaipur. He constructed the temple of Shila Devi at Amber Fort. He also constructed and repaired many temples at Benaras, Allahabad and various other places. He added much beautification to his palace at
AmberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since neolithic times. Good quality amber is used for the manufacture of ornamental objects and jewelry...
. When Akbar called a meeting of his nobles at Fatehpur Sikri in 1582, to discuss
Din-i-IlahiThe Dīn-i Ilāhī , was a syncretic religious doctrine propounded by the Mughal emperor Jalālu d-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar intended to merge the best elements of the religions of his empire and thereby reconcile the differences that divided his subjects.Akbar...
,
Raja Bhagwant DasRaja Bhagawant Das was a Kacchwaha ruler of Amber. One of his descendants Jai Singh II founded Jaipur.-Life:...
was the only man to oppose this religion. Later Man Singh also refused to convert to
Din-i-IlahiThe Dīn-i Ilāhī , was a syncretic religious doctrine propounded by the Mughal emperor Jalālu d-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar intended to merge the best elements of the religions of his empire and thereby reconcile the differences that divided his subjects.Akbar...
. It is believed his son Jagat Singh I received education from Goswami
TulsidasTulsidas Devanāgarī: तुलसीदास) was a great Awadhi bhakta , philosopher, composer, and the author of Ramacharitamanasa, an epic poem and scripture devoted to the Hindu god Rama.-Birth:Tulsidas was born on the Shraavan Shukla Saptami, Vikrami Samvat 1554 in Degana, ,Rajasthan, India...
and Man Singh himself used to attend his religious lectures.
TulsidasTulsidas Devanāgarī: तुलसीदास) was a great Awadhi bhakta , philosopher, composer, and the author of Ramacharitamanasa, an epic poem and scripture devoted to the Hindu god Rama.-Birth:Tulsidas was born on the Shraavan Shukla Saptami, Vikrami Samvat 1554 in Degana, ,Rajasthan, India...
was a contemporary of Akbar and author of Ramcharit Manas, known as Tulsi Ramayana, and much other famous poetry devoted to
RamaRama or Ramachandra is the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a legendary king of Ayodhya in ancient India...
and
HanumanHanuman , known also as Anjaneya or Maruti , is one of the most popular concepts of devotees of God in Hinduism and one of the most important personalities in the Indian epic, the Ramayana...
. He used to be accompanied by
CharanChāraṇ is the term for a caste living in the Gujarat and Rajasthan states of India. Members of this caste are highly revered for their unflinching readiness for martyrdom, bravery in war, high literary sense and deep loyalty to patrons.Ain-e-akbari states that Charans were good poets and better...
poets. There are two occasions when these poets inspired Man Singh by their Poetry:
When the Mughal army was hesitating to cross the Indus River at
AttockAttock , the headquarters of Attock District, is a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan, and also a border district on the river Indus. It lies at the end of a natural corridor formed by the Kabul River where it flows into the Indus. The city lies on the bank of...
, the poet said:
- Sabe bhumi Gopal ki, ya men Atak kahan
- Ja ke man men Atak hai, so hi Atak raha
.
Hearing this, Man Singh crossed the river first, followed by the army. It is believed after winning Orissa Man Singh wanted to create a naval force and attack "Shri Lanka". But a poet said:
- Raghupati dino dan, vipra Vibhishan janike
- Man mahipat man, diyo dan kimi lijiye
- (Lord Rama had given Lanka (in donation) to Vibhishana as a Brahmin
Brahmins have historically been the class of educators, scholars and preachers in Hinduism. They are considered as belonging to the "forward castes" of the four varnas of Hinduism....
.
- O Raja Man Singh, stop! How can something, once (donated) given, be taken back)?
(Shri Lanka was won by Shri Rama, forefather of Man Singh. Rama appointed Vibhishana, brother of Rawana, to rule it). It is believed that he dropped the idea of winning Lanka, perhaps because the lack of a naval force was a weak point of the Mughal empire.
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