Udai Singh Rathore: The ruler of Marwar, who was maternal grandfather of Shah Jahan

Udai Singh Rathore ruled Marwar, which eventually became Jodhpur (current day Rajasthan) , from 1583 to 1595. He was also known as Mota Raja (the fat king), and he was born on 13 January 1538. He was also an ancestor of all succeeding monarchs and the maternal grandfather of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal Emperor.

Maldeo Rathore, Raja of Marwar, and Rani Swarup Deviji were the parents of Udai Singh. He was also elder and only full-brother of Chandrasen, successor of Maldeo.

Udai Singh caused some commotion when Rao Maldeo proposed his younger brother Chandrasen for the throne. His mother ordered Maldeo to give him Phalodi to calm him down.

Chandrasen succeeded to the Marwar kingdom after Rao Maldeo's death.

Udai Singh waged a revolt against Chandrasen on the advise of Chiefs and Nobles of Chandrasen, however ended up losing the war. After being weakened by war against Udai Singh, Marwar soon fell under Mughal Forces.

In August 1583, Akbar granted the throne of Jodhpur to Udai Singh. Thereafter, Udai Singh carried out several expeditions for Mughal Empire.

In Marwar, respite architecture and art were created under Udai Singh's rule. The nation, which had been in ruins prior to the Raja, was starting to expand quickly.

On October 18, 1592, Udai Singh was dispatched to the Deccan with Prince Murad following his victory over Rao Surtan of Sirohi. He was chosen by Akbar to oversee the activities in Lahore at the end of 1592. He was once more tasked with defeating Rao Surtan in 1593. Udai Singh conquered Siwana and left for Lahore on December 15th, 1594.

On July 10, 1595, at Lahore, Punjab, he passed away from a heart attack.

Published on: Thursday, January 12, 2023, 03:19 PM IST