CHAPTER 8
We have thus developed the origin and progress of the Kachhwaha tribe, as well as its scions of Shaikhavati and Macheri. To some, at least, it may be deemed no uninteresting object to trace in continuity the issue of a fugitive individual, spreading, in the course of eight hundred years, over a region of fifteen thousand square miles; and to know that forty thousand of his flesh and blood have been marshalled in the same field, defending, sword in hand, their country and their prince. The name of ‘country’ carries with it a magical power in the mind of the Rajput. The name of his wife or his mistress must never be mentioned at all, nor that of his country but with respect, or his sword is instantly unsheathed. Of these facts, numerous instances abound in these Annals; yet does the ignorant Pardesi (foreigner) venture to say there are no indigenous terms either for patriotism or gratitude in this country.
Boundaries and Extent.
Population.
Classification of Inhabitants.
The Mīna Tribe.
Jāts.
Brāhmans.
Rājputs.
Soil, Husbandry, Products.
Farming System.
Revenues.
The following is the schedule of alienations:—
| 1. Kama[[10]] |  | Taken by General Perron, for his master Sindhia; since rented to the Jats, and retained by them. | ||||
| 2. Khori | ||||||
| 3. Pahari | ||||||
| 4. Kanti |  | Seized by the Macheri Rao [now in Alwar State] | ||||
| 5. Ukrod | ||||||
| 6. Pandapan | ||||||
| 7. Ghazi-ka-thana | ||||||
| 8. Rampara (karda) | ||||||
| 9. Ganwnri | ||||||
| 10. Reni | ||||||
| 11. Parbeni | ||||||
| 12. Mozpur Harsana | ||||||
| 13. Kanod or Kanaund[[11]] 14. Narnol |  | Taken by De Boigne and given to Murtaza Khan, Baraich, confirmed in them by Lord Lake. | ||||
| 15. Kotputli |  | Taken in the war of 1803-4, from the Mahrattas, and given by Lord Lake to Abhai Singh of Taken in the war of 1803-4, from the Mahrattas, Khetri. | ||||
| 16. Tonk 17. Rampura |  | Granted to Holkar by Raja Madho Singh; confirmed in sovereignty to Amir Khan by Lord Hastings. | ||||
It must, however, be borne in mind, that almost all these alienated districts had but for a comparatively short period formed an integral portion of Dhundhar; and that the major part were portions of the imperial domains, held in jaedad, or ‘assignment,’ by the princes of this country, in their capacity of lieutenants of the emperor. In Raja Prithi Singh’s reign, about half a century ago, the rent-roll of Amber and her tributaries was [434] seventy-seven lakhs: and in a very minute schedule formed in S. 1858 (A.D. 1802), the last year of the reign of Raja Partap Singh, they were estimated at seventy-nine lakhs: an ample revenue, if well administered, for every object. We shall present the chief items which form the budget of ways and means of Amber.
Schedule of the Revenues of Amber for S. 1858, (A.D. 1802-3),
the year of Raja Jagat Singh’s accession.
Khalisa, or Fiscal Land.
| Rupees. | ||||
| Managed by the Raja, or rented | 2,055,000 | |||
| Deori taluka, expenses of the queen’s household | 500,000 | |||
| Shagirdpesha, servants of the household | 300,000 | |||
| Ministers, and civil officers | 200,000 | |||
| Jagirs for the Silahposh, or men-at-arms | 150,000 | |||
| Jagirs to army, namely, ten battalions of infantry with cavalry | 714,000 | |||
| Total Fiscal Land | 3,919,000 | |||
| Feudal lands (of Jaipur Proper) | 1,700,000 | |||
| Udak,[[12]] or charity lands, chiefly to Brahmans | 1,600,000 | |||
| Dan and Mapa, or transit and impost duties of the country | 190,000 | |||
| Kachahri, of the capital, includes town-duties,fines, contributions, etc., etc. | 215,000 | |||
| Mint | 60,000 | |||
| Hundi-bara, insurance, and dues on bills of exchange | 60,000 | |||
| Faujdari, or commandant of Amber (annual fine) | 12,000 | |||
| Do. do. of city Jaipur | 8,000 | |||
| Bid’at, petty fines from the Kachahri, or hall of justice | 16,000 | |||
| Sabzimandi, vegetable market | 3,000 | |||
| Total Lakhs | 7,783,000 | |||
| Tribute | | Shaikhavati | 350,000 | |
| Rajawat and other feudatories of Jaipur[[13]] | 30,000 | |||
| Kothris of Haraoti[[14]] | 20,000 | |||
| Total Tribute | 400,000 | |||
| Add Tribute | 400,000 | |||
| Grand Total | Rs. | 8,183,000 | ||
[435].
If this statement is correct, and we add thereto the Shaikhawat, Rajawat, and Hara tributes, the revenues fiscal, feudal, commercial, and tributary, of Amber, when Jagat Singh came to the throne, would exceed eighty lakhs of rupees, half of which is khalisa, or appertaining to the Raja—nearly twice the personal revenue of any other prince in Rajwara. This sum (forty lakhs) was the estimated amount liable to tribute when the treaty was formed with the British Government, and of which the Raja has to pay eight lakhs annually, and five-sixteenths of all revenue surplus to this amount. The observant reader will not fail to be struck with the vast inequality between the estates of the defenders of the country, and these drones the Brahmans,—a point on which we have elsewhere treated:[[15]] nor can anything more powerfully mark the utter prostration of intellect of the Kachhwaha princes, than their thus maintaining an indolent and baneful hierarchy, to fatten on the revenues which would support four thousand Kachhwaha cavaliers. With a proper application of her revenues, and princes like Raja Man to lead a brave vassalage, they would have foiled all the efforts of the Mahrattas; but their own follies and vices have been their ruin.
Foreign Army.
A detailed schedule of the feudal levies of Amber may diversify the dry details of these annals, obviate repetition, and present a perfect picture of a society of clanships. In this list we shall give precedence to the kothriband, the holders of the twelve great fiefs (barah-kothri) of Amber—
Schedule of the names and appanages of the twelve sons of Raja Prithiraj, whose descendants form the Barah-kothri, or twelve great fiefs of Amber[[18]] [436].
| Sons of Prithiraj. | Names of Families. | Names of Fiefs. | Present Chiefs. | Revenues. | Personal Quotas. | |
| 1. Chhattarbhuj | Chhattarbhujot | Pinar and | ||||
| Bhagru | Bagh Singh | 18,000 | 28 | |||
| 2. Kalyan | Kalyanot | Lotwara | Ganga Singh | 25,000 | 47 | |
| 3. Nathu | Nathawat | Chaumun | Kishan Singh | 115,000 | 205 | |
| 4. Balbhadar | Balbhadarot | Achrol | Kaim Singh | 28,850 | 57 | |
| 5. Jagmall his son Khangar | } | Khangarot | Thodri | Prithi Singh | 25,000 | 40 |
| 6. Sultan | Sultanot | Chandsar | — | — | — | |
| 7. Pachain | Pachainot | Sambra | Sali Singh | 17,700 | 32 | |
| 8. — | Gugawat | Dhuni | Rao Chand Singh | 70,000 | 88 | |
| 9. Kaim | Kumbhani | Banskoh | Padam Singh | 21,535 | 31 | |
| 10. Kumbha | Kumbhawat | Mahar | Rawat Sarup Singh | 27,538 | 45 | |
| 11. Surat | Sheobaranpota | Nindar | Rawat Hari Singh | 10,000 | 19 | |
| 12. Banbir | Banbirpota | Balkoh | Sarup Singh | 19,000 | 35 |
It will be remarked that the estates of these, the chief vassals of Amber, are, with the exception of two, far inferior in value to those of the sixteen great chiefs of Mewar, or the eight of Marwar; and a detailed list of all the inferior feudatories of each Kothri, or clan, would show that many of them have estates greater than those of their leaders: for instance, Kishan Singh of Chaumun has upwards of a lakh, while Beri Sal of Samod, the head of the clan (Nathawat), has only forty thousand; again, the chief of Balaheri holds an estate of thirty-five thousand, while that of the head of his clan is but twenty-five thousand. The representative of the Sheobaranpotas has an estate of only ten thousand, while the junior branch of Gura has thirty-six thousand. Again, the chief of the Khangarots has but twenty-five thousand, while no less than three junior branches hold lands to double that amount; and the inferior of the Balbhadarots holds upwards of a lakh, while the superior of Achrol has not a third of this rental. The favour of the prince, the turbulence or talents of individuals, have caused these inequalities; but, however disproportioned the gifts of fortune, the attribute of honour always remains with the lineal descendant and representative of the original fief.
We shall further illustrate this subject of the feudalities of Amber by inserting a general list of all the clans, with the number of subdivisions, the resources of each, and the quotas they ought to furnish. At no remote period this was held to be correct, and will serve to give a good idea of the Kachhwaha aristocracy. It was my [437] intention to have given a detailed account of the subdivisions of each fief, their names, and those of their holders, but on reflection, though they cost some diligence to obtain, they would have little interest for the general reader.
Schedule of the Kachhwaha clans; the number of fiefs or estates in each; their aggregate value, and quotas of horse for each estate.[[19]]
| Names of Clans. | Number of Fiefs in each Clanship or Clan. | Aggregate Revenue. | Aggregate Quotas. | ||
| 12[[20]] |  | Chhattarbhujot | 6 | 53,800 | 92 |
| Kalyanot | 19 | 245,196 | 422 | ||
| Nathawat | 10 | 220,800 | 371 | ||
| Balbhadarot | 2 | 130,850 | 157 | ||
| Khangarot | 22 | 402,806 | 643 | ||
| Sultanot | — | — | — | ||
| Pachainot | 3 | 24,700 | 45 | ||
| Gugawat | 13 | 167,900 | 278 | ||
| Kumbhani [or Kumani] | 2 | 23,787 | 35 | ||
| Kumbhawat | 6 | 40,738 | 68 | ||
| Sheobaranpota | 3 | 49,500 | 73 | ||
| Banbirpota | 3 | 26,5756 | 48 | ||
| 4[[21]] |  | Rajawat | 16 | 198,137 | 392 |
| Naruka[[21]] | 6 | 91,069 | 92 | ||
| Bankawat | 4 | 34,600 | 53 | ||
| Puranmallot | 1 | 34,600 | 19 | ||
| 10[[22]] |  | Bhatti | 4 | 104,039 | 205 |
| Chauhan | 4 | 30,500 | 61 | ||
| Bargujar | 6 | 32,000 | 58 | ||
| Chandarawat | 1 | 14,000 | 21 | ||
| Sakarwar | 2 | 4,500 | 8 | ||
| Gujars | 3 | 15,300 | 30 | ||
| Rangras | 6 | 291,105 | 549 | ||
| Khatris | 4 | 120,000 | 281 | ||
| Brahmans | 12 | 312,000 | 606 | ||
| Musalman | 9 | 141,400 | 274 | ||
Ancient Towns.
Mora.—Nine coss east of Dausa or Daosa; built by Mordhwaj, a Chauhan Raja.
Abhaner.—Three coss east of Lalsont; very ancient; capital of a Chauhan sovereignty.
Bangarh.—Five coss from Tholai; the ruins of an ancient town and castle in the hills, built by the old princes of Dhundhar, prior to the Kachhwahas.
Amargarh.—Three coss from Kushalgarh; built by the Nagvansa.
Bairat.[[23]]—Three coss from Basai in Macheri, attributed to the Pandus.
Patan and Ganipur.—Both erected by the ancient Tuar kings of Delhi.
Kharar, or Khandar.—Near Ranthambhor.
Utgir.—On the Chambal.
Amber, or Ambikeswara, a title of Siva, whose symbol is in the centre of a kund or tank in the middle of the old town. The water covers half the lingam; and a prophecy prevails, that when it is entirely submerged the State of Amber will perish! There are inscriptions [439].
[1]. [The area of the Jaipur State, according to the last surveys, is 15,579 square miles.]
[2]. [According to the census of 1911, the population of Jaipur State was 2,636,647, 169 per square mile.]
[3]. [The proportion of Rājputs to the total population was, in 1911, 45 per 1000.]
[4]. [The present order, in numbers, of the castes is—Brāhmans, Jāts, Mīnas, Chamārs, Banias or Mahājans, Gūjars, Rājputs, Mālis. Dhākar Rājputs are found in the Central Ganges-Jumna Duāb, and in Rohilkhand (Elliot, Supplementary Glossary, 263). There are now 89,000 Dhākars in Rājputāna. Kirār is a term generally applied in the Panjāb to traders to distinguish them from the Banias of Hindustān, and the name has no connexion with the Kirāta, a forest tribe of E. India (Rose, Glossary, ii. 552; Russell, Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces, iii. 485 ff.).]
[5]. [The Mīnas are a notorious criminal tribe (M. Kennedy, Notes on the Criminal Tribes in the Bombay Presidency, 207 ff.; C. Hervey, Some Records of Crime, i. 328 ff.).]
[6]. [In 1911 there were 96,242 Kachhwāhas in Rājputāna, of whom about two-thirds are in Jaipur.]
[7]. [Reference may be made to the artistic industry in brass-work (Hendley, Jaipur Museum Catalogue; Journal Indian Art, 1886, i. No. 12, 1891, i. No. 11).]
[8]. [Chabūtra, the platform on which the Kotwāl or chief police officer does business. For the cry dohāi see Yule, Hobson-Jobson, 2nd ed. 321.]
[9]. [The normal revenue is now believed to be about 65 lakhs of rupees, roughly speaking, £433,000 (IGI, xiii. 395).]
[10]. [This may possibly be Kamban in Bharatpur State.]
[11]. Kanod was the fief of Amir Singh, Khangarot, one of the twelve great lords of Amber.
[12]. [Udaka means the rite of offering water to deceased relations; hence, assignments of lands to Brāhmans at such rites (H. T. Colebrooke, Essays on the Religion and Philosophy of the Hindus, ed. 1858, p. 115; Monier-Williams, Brāhmanism and Hinduism, 4th ed. p. 304).]
[13]. Barwara, Khirni, Sawar, Isarda, etc., etc.
[14]. Antardah, Balwan, and Indargarh.
[15]. See Dissertation on the Religious Establishments of Mewār, Vol. II. p. [590].
[16]. [See pp. [1416], [1422].]
[17]. [At present the military forces of the State consist of about 5000 infantry, 5000 Nāgas, 700 cavalry, 860 artillery-men, and 100 mounted on camels (IGI, xiii. 397).]
[18]. [There have been several changes in this list of fiefs since the Author’s time. A later, but apparently inaccurate, list is given in Rājputāna Gazetteer, 1879, ii. 139. An earlier list, made in 1790 by W. Hunter, appears in “A Narrative of a Journey from Agra to Oujein,” Asiatic Researches, vi. 69.]
[19]. [A fuller and more correct list will be found in Rājputāna Census Report, 1911, i. 255.]
[20]. The first twelve are the Barah-kothris, or twelve great fiefs of Amber.
[21]. The next four are of the Kachhwaha stock, but not reckoned amongst the Kothribands.
[22]. The last ten are foreign chieftains, of various tribes and classes.
No doubt great changes have taken place since this list was formed, especially amongst the mercenary Pattayats, or Jagirdars. The quotas are also irregular, though the qualification of a cavalier in this State is reckoned at five hundred rupees of income.
[23]. [Forty-two miles N.N.E. of Jaipur city, the ancient Vairāta (IGI, vi. 217; ASR, ii. 242 ff.).]
RAGHUBĪR SINGH, MĀHĀRAO RĀJA OF BŪNDI.
To face page 1441.