Raja Churaman

Raja Churaman Sinsinwar (1695 - 1721)

Raja Churaman was Zamindar (collected taxes off peasants) of Sinsini and the real founder of Jat state of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India. He was son of Bhajja Singh and younger brother of Raja Ram. He was the first unanimously elected leader of Jats in 1695. He made Jats a political power in India.

After the untimely death of Raja Ram in the war of Bijal between Shekhawats and Chauhans on 4th July 1688, old father of Raja Ram, Bhajja Singh became the leader of Jats. Aurangzeb played a trick. He appointed Raja Bishan Singh of Amber as Faujdar of Mathura. Kachwahas were bent upon to subjugate the Jats, who were fighting for freedom from Mughal rule. Bishan Singh gave a written promise to destroy the fort of Sinsini. Mughal and Rajput armies jointly attacked Sinsini and captured it after a struggle of five months, in the month of January 1690. In this war 200 Mughals and 700 Rajputs were killed against 1500 Jats.

Churaman Expanded His Base

In 1702 after the death of Bhajja Singh, Churaman came on front. Within a short period Churaman gathered 500 horse riders and thousands of soldiers. Nand Ram, the Zamindar of Hathras, also joined him along with 100 horse riders. Churaman recruited the famous brigand of Mendoo and Mursan in his army. He constructed a fort at a place known as 'Thoon'. Within a short span there were eighty villages under the Thoon state. There was an army of fourteen to fifteen thousand.

Such a big army needed a lot of money. Churaman decided to gather booty from rich states of Kota and Bundi. He acquired Sinsini from the Mughals in 1704. In 1705 there was a war with Mughal Subadar Mukhtar Khan of Agra and with Rajabahadur in 1707 at Sinsini. In the second war at Sinsini one thousand Jats were lost but they got the victory.

The Battle Of Jajau & Rise Of Churaman

Aurangzeb died in 1707. Taking advantage of the weakness of Mughal rule Churaman planned to expand his state. His rise started from the battle of Jajau in 1707. After the war was over he looted both armies of Azam as well as Muazzam. Churaman showed wisdom and decided to be honest to the new Mughal ruler with a view to protect huge wealth of booty. He appeared before Bahadurshah on 15 September 1707 and presented gifts in his honour.

In January 1709 Churaman entered into an agreement with Jay Singh, looking to the possibilities of victory of Rajputs in wars of Sambhar and Kaman and Bahadurshah's intention to compromise with them. Under the garb of agreement Churaman intensified his campaign to abolish Rajput Zamindars and capturing back the Jat areas occupied by Kachwahas. He succeeded in getting back Sogar, Bhusawar, Kaman, Khohari, Kot, Khunthare, Ithera, Jadila and Chaugdar. In 1710 Churaman joined Bahdurshah in his Sikh campaign. He took part in Sadhaura and Lohagarh wars and went up to Lahore with Bahadurshah. Churaman was excused unconditionally and returned his old Mansab.

After the death of Bahadurshah his son Jahandarshah became the successor. In 1713 when there was a war between Jahandar and Farrukhsiyar, Churaman looted both after the war. This way he got a lot of wealth in booty. Similarly he captured elephants off the Royal Army in the Hasanpur war.

Rahjan To Rahdar

Farrukhsiyar appointed Raja Chhabilaram Nagar and later Khan-a-dauran as Subadar of Agra with orders to punish Churaman. Khan-a-dauran and Amir-ul-Umra, who had acquired Faujdari of Mathura wanted to maintain piece in their areas and prepared Churaman to appear before the Royal Darbar. On 27 September 1713 Churaman appeared before the Mughal ruler as a result of which his status was raised, he was awarded with the title of Rao and Rahdari of Royal Highways from Barapula to Sikandara.

In 1715 Farrukhsiyar gave Ikram, Aghapur, Malah, Badhagaon, Bharatpur and Rupwas parganas in Jagir. Even after this, Churaman continued to sack, along with Rustam and Khemkaran Sogaria. With such allurement also Farrukhsiyar could not curb the activities of Churaman so he sent Raja Jaisingh of Jaipur for subjugation in 1716. Churaman won the war. Rajput and Mughal armies returned back.

In 1719 when there was a war between Nikosiyar and Shamsherkhan, Churaman helped Shamsherkhan under the leadership of Govind Singh, the son of Nand Ram of Hathras. On 13 November 1720 he looted Abdullakhan and got 20 lakh gold coins in the booty. This way Churaman had become the real ruler from Delhi to Chambal on the land west of Yamuna.

Churaman had organized his state with great labour, tact and struggle. He was not having the formal title of Raja but the real undisputed ruler of area under his occupancy.

Badan Singh, the nephew of Churaman, was always with Churaman in every campaign. Badan Singh wanted the Jagir of Sinsini to support his increasing family. However, Mohkam Singh, the ambitious son of Churaman was not in favour of giving the Jagir of Sinsini to Badan Singh. The conflict between the ambitions of Mohkam Singh and Badan Singh became the cause of death of Churaman, who consumed poison and died on 20 September 1721.

Founder Of Jat State Bharatpur

Churaman had amazing organizational capacities, wonderful political vision and cunningness of a great Raja. With these qualities he could convert the Jat rebellion started by Gokula into a form of a powerful state. Churaman was in real sense the founder of Jat state Bharatpur.