Maroth, Rajasthan

Maroth is located along State Highway Number 19, which links Jodhpur to Jaipur.[5] Maroth has one bus stop which connects the village to Kuchaman City and a railway station near the village in which trains going to Jodhpur from Jaipur stop.

In the Hammira mahakavya of Nayachandrasuri{14th century A.D.), its name is mentioned as Maharashtra- nagara. This Sanskritised name was used even up to the eighteenth century A.D. as is clear from the epigraphical and In Apabharihsa, it was known as Maharotha.

As Maroth is surrounded by hills, the ruling chiefs, seeing its strategical position, selected it for constructing forts. It is said that in the beginning, it was ruled by the Rajput clans such as the Chandellas, the Daliyas and the Dahiyas, who were all feudatories of the Chauhanas. It is believed that first, it was under the possession of the Chandellas. As the Chandellas were ruling over Revasa, a place near Maroth, in the eleventh and twelfth centuries as feudatories of the Chauhanas of Ajmer, it is not improbable that they might be also governing Maroth. Afterwards, it was probably ruled by the Dahiyas.

Then, Maroth was ruled by the Gaurs, who probably seized it from the Dahiyas. Maroth, and villages round it are still called Gaudati on account of their having been held by the Gaurs. It is said that Vachchharaja and Vamana, the ancestors of Gauda Rajputs came to Ajmer in the time of Prithviraja Chauhana III. In course of time, their descendants seized Maroth from the Dahiyas and began to rule over both at Maroth and Rajgarh, near Ajmer.

No definite information of the early Gaur rulers is available.During the reign of Jahangir, Gopaladasa the ruling chief of this place, was made Kiledar of Asera. He and his son Vikrama were killed in a battle of Thadha, which they fought in favour of Khuram (Shahjahan) against Jahangir.

After him, his son Bithaladasa, who was the most powerful ruler of this dynasty, became a ruler.He was made Hakim of Ranthambore in1630 A.D. by Shahjahan. After the death of Vajirkhan,Shahjahan appointed him as a Subedar and Kiledar of Agra in 1640 A.D. His near relative Biharldasa, in 1639 A.D., gave directions to the revenue collectors of Maroth known as Chaudharis, to rehabilitate the deserted Paraganas and emphasized,” As you serve, so shall you get the reward.”After him, his son Arjuna extended his kingdom because Malpura, now in Jaipur District, was ruled by him.It is clear from a Jaina inscription of 1653 A.D. (V.S. 1710) that Lalachanda performed a big installation ceremony of images at Malpura during the reign of Arjuna Gaur through Bhatfdraka Chandrakirti. Malpura was probably taken by him from the Kachhavahas of Amber.

The Gaurs were fond of buildings, and as such, they constructed fort and palaces at this place, the remains of which are still traceable. The temple of Lakshmlnarayana on the hill, which seems to be of the fourteenth century A,D. from the architectural point of view, is said to have been built by some Gaur chief. This temple was repaired from time to time. Though its major part has fallen, its old pillars and sikhara are still surviving. The Saiva temple is also attributed to them. A big garden, known as Naulakha with the income of nine lakhs was erected by these Gaur rulers.[6]

The Gaur rajputs ruled the region around Maroth for centuries. Over the course of history, they increased their influence and expanded their kingdom. The Gaur people fought alongside the Amber Kingdom early in their history. In the early 16th century, a man named Riddmal became the ruler of Maroth and the leader of the Gaur rulers of the region. Riddmal was a military commander of the Gaurs and fought several battles against local rival Rao Shekha, consolidating all the Gaur people under his control and killing Shekha.[7] However, Riddmal was forced to enter into a treaty with Raymal, the son of Rao Shekha.

The Gaurs of Maroth maintained a good relationship with Shah Jahan during his reign. They were influential in the early years of the Delhi Durbar, but lost much of their power in the assembly during Aurangzeb's era. Despite this weakness, the Gaurs were still able to resist an attack by Raghunath Singh Mertiya. Still, some of the Gaurs relocated to other villages outside of Maroth, such as Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Sopra.

Tazim Naresh RAJA RAGHUNATH SINGH established the Five Magnificent Forts in Maroth, better known as Panch Mahal Maroth. and his 5 sons took one fort each and established five Princely Thikanas in the nearby area of Nagaur, namely Minda, Abhaypura (Jiliya), Narayanpura, Panchota and Bhanwata. Kunwar Kishore Singh, the son of youngest Rani, was not given any share (thikana or fort). He became the ancestor of the Thakurs of Kuchaman (Kuchaman City), Bhagwanpura. He assisted Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur (1724-1749), and his son Thakur Zalim Singh established Thikana Kuchaman. Kuchaman's second last ruler Thakur Hari Singh (1919-1956), born 1912, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, was given the title of RAJA in 1931 by Maharaja Sir Umaid Singh of Jodhpur (1918-1947), born 1903, educated at Mayo College, Ajmer.

Thakur Lakhteer Singh of Thikana Jadawata went to battle with Maharaja Madho Singh of Jaipur (Amber) (1880/1922) and got Gangadwari village near Bandikui as prize. He married and had issue, one son.

1. Thakur Kishan Singh ji, married Ladariya Thikana (Jodhpur), married and had issue, two sons.
   1. Pane Singh (qv)
   2. Gopal singh

Thakur Sahib Pane Singh, famous for mastery in Ancient Indian Vedic and Medicinal Knowledge and the art of Puppetry, married Kesar Kanwar Baisa of Thikana Dobri and had issue, three daughters.

1. Ba-Sahiba Baijilal UMAID Kanwar Baisa, married Thakursa of Kumana, a Princely Thikana of 14 Villages located at Lunkaransar Tehsil of Bikaner District of Rajasthan.
2. Ba-Sahiba SAUBHAGYA Kanwar Baisa married to the Thakursa of Princely Thikana Narayanpura of Nagaur District of Rajasthan. (Narayanpura Fort, Kuchaman Block, Nagaur, Rajasthan)
3. Ba-Sahiba LAD Kanwar Baisa, married Thakur Sahib Bijay Singhji Rathore, Tazeem Naresh of Panch Mahal Maroth, Princely Thikana Jiliya Abhaypura (14 villages) of Nagaur District in Rajasthan. (Jiliya Fort, Nagaur, Rajasthan)

Thakur Gopal Singh (qv), married firstly Mayapur Thikana of Marwar, married secondly Cheevli Thikana of Jaipur, and had issue, 7 sons and 2 daughters.

Abhaypura was one of the 24 villages in the Princely Thikana Abhaypura of Marwar which is now called as Thikana Jiliya and has 14 villages. The rulers of Abhaypura or Jiliya are the descendents of the Mertia Rathore ruler Rao Duda, the 4th son of Rao Jodha and his wife Rani Chauhanji of Jalore. Rao Duda, born 15th June 1440 at Mandaur. Rao Duda established the independent State of Merta in year 1518 of Vikram Samvat (A.D. 1461) by conquering the Merta region from the Khilji Badshah of Mandu. His descendent Raja Raghunath Singh established the Five Magnificent Forts in Maroth near Nawan (better known as Panch Mahal Maroth), married and had issue, eight sons (three died young), the Raghunathsinghot branch of the Mertia Rathores. During the battle of Dharmat (year 1715 of Vikram Samvat) he conquered Maroth Pargana from the Gaur Rajputs, and in A.D. 1658 established an independent Maroth State having around 155-160 villages, thus popularly called as ‘Gaurati Nath’ (Lord of the Land of Gaurs); he received the Title of RAJA and Mansab of 500 Horses from Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. At the time of Rathore-Mughal struggle when Aurangzeb was promoting anti-hindu and inhuman activities like large scale infant killings, cow-slaughter and temple destruction in Marwar, he fought with him to protect the people, hindu culture and religion. In Maroth State, he gave land to all on secular principles to promote trade and agriculture and liberated common man. For his 5 sons he established five magnificent palaces and five Thikanas in Maroth, namely:

The Five sons of Raja Raghunath Singh established 5 Thikanas in Nagaur around Maroth and each took a palace in Maroth. Their title is 'Tazim Naresh of Panch Mahal Maroth'.

1. Thikana Minda (seniormost) - in the East of Maroth, near Mendhawa river.
2. Thikana Abhaypura (Jiliya) - Took equal share with Minda, later reduced to 12 villages. Towards the North-West of Maroth. Jiliya Fort (गढ़) is presently the residence of the erstwhile royal family of Jiliya.
3. Thikana Narayanpura - 12 villages, to the South-West of Maroth, near Kuchaman Railway Station.
4. Thikana Panchota
5. Thikana Bhanwata - 31 villages

1. Kunwar Rao Ajay Singh (1497-1537)
2. Rao Man Singh (1537-1542)
3. Rao Pan Singh (1542-1559)
4. Rao Josal Singh (1559-1580)
5. Rao Kanha Deo (1580-1584)
6. Rao Satal Singh (1584-1590)
7. Rao Suja Singh (1590-1632)
8. Rao Keshav Das (1632-1667)
9. Rao Amar Das Singh (1667-1702)
10. Gulab Singh
11. Hari Singh
12. Kan Singh
13. Anand Singh