PREDECESSORS and SHORT
HISTORY: Founded in 794 by Raja Chandrapal Dev, the clan is
named after his son Raja Bhado Rao who established the capital at
Bhadaura. Raja Shalya Dev 1194/1208, died in battle with Quttubuddin
Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi. His son Raja Rajju Raut 1228/1262,
re-established his rule at Hatkant. Two Bhadauria Maharajas, Badan
Singh and Maha Singh served with the Mughal armies in Afghanistan.
Maharaja Mahendra Gopal Singh greatly extended the boundaries of the
state during the decline of the Mughal empire. On his death in 1730,
the boundaries extended upto Gwalior in the south, Dholpur in the west
and Etawah and parts of Mathura and Kanpur in the east, an area of
close to 12000 sq kms. During the latter years of the 18th century the
Bhadaurias were attacked by the Marathas and many of their possesions
were lost, leaving the small principality as we see it today (1947).
The clan is one of the most loyal and illustrious and finds mention in
almost all sultanate and Mughal era texts. The total family tree is
spread over 56 generations as recorded over 1,300 years. Rulers
were....
- Raja MANIK RAE 720/794, he was the Chauhan ruler of
Sambhar, and is generally accepted to be the patriarch
of the age, the founder of the Chauhan power that would one day rule
Delhi. He became King when his brother, the King of Ajmer was killed
during the invasion of Mohammed bin Kasim, and he had to flee, later he
recovered Ajmer from
the Muslims in about 756, he married and had issue, ancestor of the 24
clans of the Chauhan dynasty.
- Raja CHANDRAPAL DEV 794/816, he was the 12th son and
established his rule at Chandwar around 793AD. He is
credited with constructing the massive fort at Chandwar, in present day
Firozabad. Chandwar remained in Bhadauria hands till 1208, he married
and had issue.
- Raja BHADO RAO 816/842, sometimes referred to as Bhado
Rana, succeeded his father in 816. He
constructed the township and fortress of Bhadaura on the banks of the
river Uttangan, in present day Ater tehsil. There is some confusion as
to the actual date of construction, with vansavali writers accepting
832AD while British historians R.Smeaton and W.H.L. Impey estimate 820
AD. It is from this celebrated Raja Bhado Rana and the village of
Bhadauragarh that this branch of Chauhans came to be called Bhadauria.
- Rao ALAM DEV 842/857
- Rao BHAGWAT DEV 857 (for 6 months)
- Rao BHAN DEV 857/858
- Rao PRAGYA DEV 878/889
- Rao KANKAR DEV 889/903
- Rao HASAN DEV 903/917
- Rao GOPAL DEV 917/933
- Rao KHARAG SEN 933/936
- Rao RAM SEN 936/950
- Rao VIJAY SEN 950/954
- Rao GUJARMAL DEV 954/970
- Rao BHOGMAL DEV 970/984
- Rao ARJUN DEV 984/1008
- Rao PAHAD SEN 1008/1025
- Rao KARAM SEN 1025/1048
- Rao TATTAR DEV 1048/1054
- Rao HARDOL DEV 1054/1066
- Rao TARACHAND DEV 1066/1081
- Rao TIHAR DEV 1081/1092
- Rao BILLOR DEV 1092/1123
- Rao KAJJAL DEV 1123/1163, he expanded the state to
include much of present day Bah tehsil of Agra,
capturing the fortress of Hatkant in 1153.
- Rao AASAL DEV 1163/1183
- Rao VISAL DEV 1183/1194
- Raja SHALYA DEV 1194/1208, referred to as Sella Deo by
British historians, he was one of
the most illustrious rulers of his age. Taking advantage of the
disorder prevailing in the country during Ghouri Shah's invasion, Raja
Shalya
Dev plundered Meerut and Farrukhabad. Qutubuddin Aibak marched on
Bhadaura in 1208, and in the great battle of Bhadauragarh, which was
accompanied by great slaughter, Raja Shalya Dev was slain. His pregnant
wife, who was the daughter of the Rao of Sikri escaped by concealing
herself in a gutter. She was taken to Sikri by two loyal servants, and
while crossing the Jumna, she gave birth to a boy, the future Rajju
Raut, who
would resurrect and re-establish his fathers lost kingdom; he married a
daughter of the Rao of Sikri and had issue. He died 1208.
INTERREGNUM
1208/1228
- Raja RAJJU RAUT 1228/1262, born posthumously in 1208, he
re-established Bhadauriya rule by ejecting the Meo's. In 1246 he
stormed the fort of Hatkant, killing the dreaded Mewati chief Hatiyameo
Beg. By 1258 he was again in possession of all his land. Emperor
Nasiruddin confirmed him in posession of Bhadawar and granted him the
title of
Raja. He married 1stly, a daughter of Rao Khir Samad of
Barsala
Pinahat, married 2ndly, a daughter of Rao Gumam Singh Tomar of Asa
Morena, married 3rdly, a daughter of Rao Gyan Singh Gaur of Narkejri
in Rajasthan, married 4thly, a daughter of Raja Karan Singh Kachwaha of
Lahar, and had issue. He died 1262.
- Kunwar Baamdeo (by 1st marriage), ancestor of the Raut
Bhadaurias, also sometimes called
Rawat Bhadaurias.
- Kunwar Maan Singh (by 2nd marriage), ancestor of the
Mainu Bhadaurias.
- Kunwar Tas Singh (by 3rd marriage), ancestor of the
Tasela
Bhadaurias.
- Raja UDAI RAJ (by 4th marriage) (qv)
- Raja UDAI RAJ 1262/1296
- Raja MADAN SEN 1296/1328
- Raja ABHAI CHANDRA 1328/1371, a celebrated Rajput ruler, he
led, along
with Rai Sabir Chauhan of Etawa, Raja Surysen Dev of Chakarnagar, Raja
Bir Bhan of Mainpuri and Raja Jit Singh Rathor of Rampur Etah, the
great Rajput rebellion in 1371. At Chandwar, Rajput forces almost
overwhelmed
the Imperial army, but Raja Abhai Chandra was treacherously killed by
the
Imperial general Malik Muqarrab-ul-mulk during a diplomatic conference
at Kannauj.
- Raja RATAN SEN 1371/1427
- Raja JAIT SINGH 1427/1464, he led the Bhadauria
forces that fought Emperor Mubarak Shah at Hatkant, but was handed a
crushing defeat, as a result, Jait Singh lost his capital for some time
in 1428, but
recovered it later in 1434. In 1440, the Nawab of Kalpi invaded the
Kachwaha
kingdom of Lahar, when the Raja of Lahar appealed to Jait Singh for
aid, Jait Singh sent his brother Bhao Singh with 5,000 horsemen. At
Gopalpura, Bhadauria soldiers thouroughly annihilated the Muslims.
After killing the nawab, Bhav Singh seized the crown or kulha of the
nawab. Thus Bhav Singh's descendents are known as Kulhaiya Bhadaurias.
Jait Singh founded the modern day township of Jaitpur.
- Raja CHANDRASEN
1464/1480, he invaded and annexed
Pinahat in 1470 and constructed a fort there in 1474. After the battle
of Rapri, Raja Chandrasen sacked the camps of the imperial armies.
- Raja KARAN SINGH 1480/1509
- Raja PRATAP RUDRA 1509/1549, married 1stly, a daughter of
Raja Shyam Singh
Chandel of
Shivrajpur, married 2ndly, a daughter of the Raja of
Lahar, married 3rdly, a daughter of Raja Madan Singh
Parihar of Ramgarh
Eta, married 4thly, a daughter of Rao Jayant Singh
Tomar of Asa
Morena, and had issue, fourteen sons.
- Kunwar Hriday Narayan (by Rani Chandeliji), became the
first Dewan of Parna around 1550.
- Kunwar Dalpat Rae (by Rani Chandeliji)
- Kunwar Bhopat (by Rani Chandeliji)
- Kunwar Kesri Shah (by Rani Chandeliji)
- Kunwar Hodal Shah (by the Lahari Rani)
- Kunwar Sahab Rae (by the Lahari Rani)
- Kunwar Mitra Sen (by the Lahari Rani)
- Kunwar Angad
Rae (by the Lahari Rani)
- Raja MUKUTMAN (by Rani Parihariji) (qv)
- Kunwar Jamniman (by Rani Parihariji)
- Kunwar Mangat
Rae (by Rani Parihariji)
- Kunwar Indrajit Singh (by Rani Tomariji)
- Kunwar Bhadai Singh (by Rani Tomariji)
- Kunwar Hira Singh (by Rani Tomariji)
- Raja MUKUTMAN
1549/1590, he succeeded his father in preference to eight older
brothers whose descendants are known as
Athbhaiya Bhadaurias. In 1558, the Mughal army under Padshah Akbar's
foster
brother, Adham Khan, invaded Bhadawar and subdued the country.
Afterwards, like many other Rajput princes, Mukutman became a mansabdar in the Mughal army with a
rank of 1,000; he married 1stly, a daughter of Raja Dharmangad Chauhan
of
Mainpuri, married 2ndly, a daughter of Raja Radha Singh
Kachwaha of
Toda
Tank, and had issue.
- Raja Mahendra BIKRAMADITYA (by Rani Kachwahaji) (qv)
- Raja Mahendra BIKRAMADITYA 1590/1617, like his father
before him, he was a Mughal mansabdar
and general. He
commanded the Bhadauria contingent against Bir Singh Deo Bundela in
Orchha, against Maharana Amar Singh in Mewar and against rebels in
Gujrat. He was granted the hereditery title of Mahendra (Lord of the Earth) by
Padshah
Jahangir Shah, Emperor of Delhi; he married 1stly, a daughter of Raja
Keerat Singh Rathor of
Rampur
Etah, married 2ndly, a daughter of Raja Shobh Singh Parmar of
Garhwal
(Srinagar), and had issue.
- Raja Mahendra BHOJ SINGH (by Rani Parmariji) (qv)
- Kunwar Vijay Singh (by Rani Parmariji)
- Raja Mahendra BHOJ SINGH
1617/1623, he commanded his contingents in the Deccan campaign; married
1stly, a daughter of Raja
Dalpat Singh
Chauhan of Mainpuri, married 2ndly, a daughter of Raja Madho Singh
Sikarwar of
Pahargarh, and had issue.
- Raja Mahendra KISHAN SINGH (by Rani Sikarwarji) (qv)
- Raja Mahendra KISHAN SINGH 1623/1637, he was a prominent
Mughal general enjoying a rank of
1000/600. He commanded his contingents during the first Bundela
campaign under Mahabat Khan, in the Deccan during the capture of
Daulatabad in 1633, against Jhujhar Singh Bundela of OrcHha with Raja
Amar Singh Rathor of Jodhpur and Indrasal Hada of Bundi. He married (as
his only wife), a daughter of Raja Bahadur Singh Sisodia of
Shahpura, and had issue.
- Raja Mahendra MANGAT RAY (qv)
- Raja Mahendra MANGAT RAY
1637/1638, married (as his only wife), a daughter of Raja Kirat Singh
Sengar of
Bhaderwah, and had issue.
- Raja Mahendra KEERAT SINGH (qv)
- Raja Mahendra KEERAT SINGH 1638/1643, married 1stly, a
daughter of Raja Madho
Singh Parihar of
Ramgarh, married 2ndly, a daughter of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I Bahadur of
Amber (Jaipur).
- Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Mahendra BADAN SINGH
1644/1654, he was one
of the foremost Rajput rulers of the age. There is a famous incident
mentioned about him in the Badshahnaama, when during a carnival in
1648, he single handedly attacked a mad elephant and
rescued an attendant from the elephants tusks. For his exemplary
bravery, he was rewarded with a remission of 50,000 rupees from the
200,000 rupees that Bhadawar annually paid as assesment. In 1644 he
commisioned the construction of the fort of Ater - one of the most
magnificent forts in the country. In 1649 he built the 1.5 km long dam
across the river Jumuna and a 27 km long diversionary canal and built
the town of Bateshwar and 101 Shiv temples on this dam. Bateshwar is
now famous for the largest cattle fair in India; married 1stly, a
daughter of Raja Manohar Singh Rathor of Shamshabad, married 2ndly, a
daughter of Raja Mangal Singh Gaur of Shyampur, married 3rdly, a
daughter of Raja Pratap Singh Chauhan of Mainpuri, married 4thly, a
daughter of the Raja of Banelu (?), and had issue. He died while
commanding the Mughal armies in Kandahar, Afghanistan with Dara
Shukoh.
- Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Mahendra MAHA SINGH (by Maharani
Rathoriji) (qv)
- Kunwar Pratap Singh (by Maharani Rathoriji)
- Rao Bhagwat Singh (by Maharani Gauriji), recieved Nowgaon
in appanage.
- Kunwar Kuchatr Singh (by Maharani Chauhaniji), recieved
Barasav in appanage.
- Kunwar Gaj Singh (by Maharani Chauhaniji), recieved
Ahroli in appanage.
- Kunwar Bakhtawar Singh (by the Baneli Maharani), recieved
Pachera in appanage.
- Maharajadhiraj Maharaja Mahendra MAHA SINGH
1654/1684, completed the construction of the fort at Ater. He also
constructed the fort at Bhind in 1656, the Gauri tal lake at Bhind and
the Bankhandeshwar temple. He commanded the Mughal armies in
Afghanistan during the Yusufzai rebellion in 1667. He married 1stly,
Maharani Raj Kunwar, daughter of Raja Kishore Singh Kachwaha of
Lahar, married 2ndly, Maharani Sobha Kunwar, daughter of Raja Sripal
Singh Jadon of
Karauli, and had issue.
- Maharaja Mahendra UDOT SINGH (by Maharani Raj Kunwar) (qv)
- Kunwar Bhao
Singh (by Maharani Sobha Kunwar)
- Rao Ajab Singh (by Maharani Sobha Kunwar), Rao of
Kachaura.
- Kunwar Amar Singh (by Maharani Sobha Kunwar)
- Maharaja Mahendra UDOT SINGH 1684/1694, Governor of Chittor
(Mewar) from 1680 to 1684 and secretly
assisted Maharana Raj Singh I during the Rajput rebellion. He also
commanded his contingents in the Golconda campaign and played a
prominent part in the capture of Ibrahimgarh in 1686. He enjoyed the
high rank of 1500/1500. He married 1stly, a daughter of Raja Raj Singh
of
Pratapgarh, married 2ndly, a daughter of Raja Ratan Singh Chauhan of
Rajaur, married 3rdly, a daughter of Raja Harchand Singh Chauhan of
Mainpuri, married 4thly, a daughter of Raja Maharay Singh Gaur of
Syampur, and had issue.
- Maharaja Mahendra KALYAN SINGH (by the Pratapgarh Rani)
(qv)
- Rao Sujan Singh (by the Rajauri Rani), 1st Rao of Para
and ancestor of the
Para and Jiwasa family (#2).
- Kunwar Surat Singh (by the Syampuri Rani), ancestor of
the Vijaygarh family.
- Kunwar Anand Singh (by the Syampuri Rani), ancestor of
the Madhyapura family.
- Kunwar Raghunath Singh (by the Syampuri Rani), ancestor
of the Barh-ke-pura family (Barhpura).
- Maharaja Mahendra KALYAN SINGH 1694/1707, he was a military
genius
and is credited with the
establishment of the township of Bah in 1700. In 1707, Kalyan Singh
commanded the Bhadauriya troops in person during the 1st Jat campaign.
Taking the Jat army by surprise at Dholpur, he inflicted on them a
sound
thrashing and wrested control of Dholpur. The Dholpur fort was held by
the Bhadauriya garrisons until 1761; he married (as his only wife),
Maharani Hira Kunwar, daughter of Raja Surat Singh Gaur of Shyampur,
and had issue.
- Umara-i-Uzzam Maharaja Mahendra GOPAL SINGH (qv)
- Rani Dwand Kunwar, married Raja JAIT SINGH Rajawat of Kama.
- Umara-i-Uzzam Maharaja Mahendra GOPAL SINGH 1707/1730,
he was appointed governor of Narwar in 1707. In 1708 he captured the
Jat
fort of Gohad and in 1712 stormed the fort of Rampura. He enjoyed
a high rank of 4000/4000 in the Mughal court which later became
5000/5000 and was thus titled Umara-i-Uzzam.
He commanded the Mughal
armies during the seige of Gurdaspur in 1715. In 1719 he was appointed
the governor of Agra province and held the post till 1720. But Agra
became the centre of rebellion when the new governor, Ghairat Khan took
over
and Gopal Singh played a pivotal role in retaking Agra fort. At the
Battle of Hasanpur in 1720 between Muhammad Shah and Abdullah Khan,
Gopal Singh commanded the imperial rear and prevented Churaman Jat from
attacking the rear. In 1724, again Gopal Singh was sent against Ajit
Singh of Jodhpur and in 1729 against Hinduput Singh of Chachendi. At
this time the Bhadauriya state covered some 30,000 sq kms in area i.e.
the
tehsil Bah in Agra, large parts of Bhind, Gwalior, Dholpur and Etawah;
he married 1stly, Maharani Surat Kunwar, daughter of Raja Sonpal Jadon
of Byangarh or Vaiyangarh, married 2ndly, Maharani Phul Kunwar,
daughter of Raja Udot Singh Chauhan of
Mainpuri, married 3rdly, Maharani Sobha Kunwar, daughter of Maharaja
Abhay Singh Rathor of Jodhpur, married
4thly,
Maharani Sardar Kunwar, daughter of Raja Man Singh Sengar of
Ruru, married 5thly, a daughter of Raja Madho Singh Sirnet of
Bansi, married 6thly, Maharani Dhir Kunwar, daughter of Rao Karan Singh
Jadon of Madrayal(?), and had issue.
- Umara-i-Uzzam
Maharaja Mahendra ANIRUDDH SINGH (by Maharani Surat Kunwar) (qv)
- Raja Mahendra BAHADUR SINGH (by Maharani Surat Kunwar)
(qv)
- Raja Mahendra HIMMAT JAI SINGH (by Maharani Phul Kanwar)
(qv)
- Maharajkumari Kanak Kunwar (by Maharani Phul Kanwar),
married Raja Chattar Singh Kachwaha of
Narwar.
- Maharajkumari Basant Kunwar (by Maharani Sobha Kunwar),
married Raja Kumer Singh Sisodia of Banera.
- Maharajkumari Ratan Kunwar (by Maharani Sardar Kunwar),
married Maharana Raj Singh II of Udaipur.
- Maharajkumar Maharay Singh (by Maharani Sardar Kunwar)
- Maharajkumari Sagun Kunwar (by the Bansi Maharani),
married Maharaja Abhyadut Singh Baghel of Rewah.
- Umara-i-Uzzam
Maharaja Mahendra ANIRUDDH SINGH 1730/1741, enjoyed the exalted rank of
6000/6000 and was also
Governor of Kannauj. He commanded the Bhadauriya army during the
Maratha war. His forces consisted of 20,000 infantry, 7,000 cavalry and
45 elephants while the Maratha host numbered 100,000 horse under Peshwa
Baji Rao. After facing the Marathas in the field, he retired to Ater
where he resisted them for some time. He sued for peace after a month
of
fighting and had to pay 2,000,000 rupees as indemnity as well as ten
elephants, he married 1stly, Maharani Ser Kunwar, daughter of Raja
Mangal Singh Bisen of Gonda, married
2ndly, Maharani
Tej Kunwar, daughter of Raja Pahar Singh Solanki of
Chitrakoot, married 3rdly, Maharani Raj Kunwar, daughter of Rao Khusal
Singh Rajawat of Jhalai in Jaipur,
married
4thly, Maharani Pehop Kunwar, daughter of Rao Ram Singh Rathor of
Banbarha in Jodhpur, married 5thly, Maharani Hem Kunwar, daughter of
Raja Surat Singh of Shyampur (?), married 6thly, Maharani Gyan Kunwar,
daughter of Raja Prathipat Singh Bisen of Mankapur,
married 7thly,
Maharani Devi Kunwar, daughter of Rajkumar Dariyav Singh Sengarh of
Bayavli(?), married 8thly, Maharani Chandra Kunwar, daughter of Raja
Hinduput Singh Chandel of
Chahendi, married 9thly, Maharani Man Kunwar, daughter of Raja Anuradh
Singh Sengarh of
Bhareh, married 10thly, a daughter of the Raja of Khwasa (?), and had
issue. He died 1741.
- Raja Mahendra BAHADUR SINGH 1741/1743
- Raja Mahendra HIMMAT JAI SINGH 1743/1755, married 1stly,
Rani Fateh Kunwar, daughter of Raja SURTAN SINGH of Banera, married 2ndly, Rani Syoraj Kunwar,
daughter of Raja Marikhram Singh Kachwaha of Bakawat (?). He died sp 1755.
- Raja Mahendra BAKHAT SINGH 1755/1803, adopted from Jiwasa,
he lost Bah to the Jat Raja Jawahar Singh of Bharatpur in 1767, but
recovered it in
1770, married Rani Saubhagya Kumari, third daughter of Raja SARDAR
SINGH of Banera.
- Maharaja Mahendra PRATAP SINGH 1803/1820, adopted from
Para, married and
had issue.
- Maharaja Mahendra SIRNET SINGH (qv)
- [?Daughter, married
Raja DEVI BAKSH SINGH of Gonda.]
- Maharaja Mahendra SIRNET
SINGH 1820/1839, died sp 1839.
- Maharaja Raja Mahendra Sir
MAHENDRA SINGH 1839/1902, C.I.E, K.C.S.I. [cr.1892], born 26th
September 1835 (#1),
adopted from Para, Chief of the Bhadauriya sept of the Chauhan clan,
granted the title of
Maharaja on 25th July 1881 as a personal distinction, married the
daughter of Raja BHAWANI SINGH Sahib Bahadur C.S.I. of Mainpuri, and had issue. He died 1902.
- Maharaj
Kumar Samarth Singh, born 11th October 1875, married 1stly, 1894, a
daughter
of
Raja Rup Shah of Jagmanpur, married
2ndly, a daughter of the Raja of Manda,
and had adoptive
issue. He
died vp 1896.
- (A) Lt. Maharaja Mahendra MAAN SINGH (qv)
- Hon. Lt. Maharaja Mahendra MAAN SINGH 1902/1942, adopted
from Para and brought up by the widow of Maharajkumar Samarth Singh; he
was granted the rank of honourary lieutenant for his support of the
British government in 1940; co-founder of the Central Cooperative Bank
(Parna) and honourary magistrate within Bhadawar; he was also allowed
to maintain his own police force; married 1stly,
the niece of HH Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh of Bikaner,
married 2ndly, the daughter of Raja Udit Narayan Singh of Tirwa,
married 3rdly, the
daughter of HH the Maharaja of Shahpura,
and had issue. He died 1942.
- Maharaja Mahendra RIPUDAMAN SINGH (qv)
- Maharajkumari Chandraprabha (by the Tirwar Rani), married
Rao Bahadur Raja
YADVENDRA SINGH Judeo of Alipura, and
has issue.
- Maharaja Mahendra RIPUDAMAN SINGH 1942/1991, elected as
M.L.A. in 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982; Minister for Tourism,
Forests, Sports and Youth affairs from 1977 to 1979; he married
Maharani Braj Shree
Devi, daughter of HH Maharaja Sir
RAJENDRA NARAYAN SINGH Deo of Patna, by
his wife, HH Maharani Kailash Kumari Devi, and
had issue. He died 1991.
- Maharaja Mahendra ARIDAMAN SINGH (qv)
- Maharajkumari Madhulika Kumari, born 1951, married
Maharajkumari
Shiladitya Singh of Narsinghgarh,
and has issue, two daughters.
- Maharaja Mahendra ARIDAMAN SINGH (see above)
The help of Raj Kumar Tripurdaman Singh is gratefully
acknowledged, January 2007. |