Durgadas Rathore

Durgadas Rathore (13 August 1638 – 22 November 1718) was a Rathore Rajput general and statesman of the Kingdom of Marwar, in present-day Rajasthan, India. He is remembered for safeguarding the infant Ajit Singh of Marwar following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in 1678 and for leading a prolonged resistance against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb during the Rathore rebellion (1679–1707). Combining guerrilla warfare with diplomatic alliances, he preserved Marwar’s independence until Ajit Singh was restored to the throne after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707.

Durgadas also played a significant role in the Rajput Rebellion (1708–1710), collaborating with leaders such as Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, and supported the Maratha ruler Sambhaji during the Siege of Janjira against the Siddis. He was elected as the leader of the revolt along with Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. He won several victories against the Mughals and compelled many Mughal officers to pay tribute in the form of chauth.

Early life Durgadas was the son of Askaran Rathore, a jagirdar (feudal lord) of Drunera and a Rajput minister under Jaswant Singh, the ruler of Marwar. He was a distant relative of the royal family, being a descendant of Karana, a son of Rao Ranmal.

Military career

Safeguarding Ajit Singh (1679–1681) Jaswant Singh was campaigning in Afghanistan when he died in December 1678, leaving no heir. Aurangzeb took the opportunity to intervene by imposing his direct rule over Marwar. Soon after Jaswant Singh's death two of his ranis (queens) each gave birth to male children. One of these sons died soon after his birth, leaving the other – Ajit Singh – as sole heir.

Aurangzeb ordered the infant, Ajit Singh, to be brought to Delhi where he was kept in Noorgarh under house arrest. Durgadas Rathore and other nobles of Jodhpur made a daring attack on the Mughal contingent of Delhi and rescued Ajit Singh and the widowed ranis of Jaswant Singh. Aurangzeb ordered Tahir Beg and Inder Singh Rathore to capture Durgadas, but they both failed, resulting in a long struggle between Durgadas and Aurangzeb. Fatuhat-i-Alamgiri noted that "all the Rajput households of Marwar had made preparations to challenge the imperial writ". Durgdas thus had the support of the Rajput clans of Marwar.

The infant Ajit Singh was taken to safety in Balunda, where the wife of one of the delegation kept the child for almost a year. Later, he was moved to the safety of the Aravalli Hills near Abu Sirohi, a remote town on the southern fringes of Marwar. There Ajit Singh grew up in anonymity. Rana Raj Singh I also offered refuge to Ajit Singh after which he was hidden in Nandlai, a village in Mewar.

The victory of Ajit Singh was the culmination of Durgadas and other loyal courtiers who chose to remain loyal throughout the Rathore rebellion, however Durgadas was soon exiled by Ajit Singh and his name was erased from the Marwari chronicles after the Battle of Sambhar, in which Durgadas and Jai Singh II won a notable victory against the Mughals.

The government of India released a commemorative postage stamp for Durgadas Rathore in 1988.

Durgadas Rathore on a postage stamp of Rs. 0.60 released on 26 August 1988

In 2003, the Government of India issued commemorative coins of ₹1, ₹10, and ₹100 in honor of Durgadas Rathore. A road in Ujjain named after him (Veer Durgadas Marg).

In popular culture Paintings of Durgadas by painter Archibald Herman Müller (1893) at Mehrangarh Museum, Jodhpur and the Government Museum, Bikaner. Durgadas is a children's literature novel written by Premchand based on his struggle. A play depicting the life of Durgadas was conducted in Jodhpur in October 2017. Indian films based on his life include the silent feature Veer Durgadas (1924) by Bhagwati Prasad Mishra and the 1960 biographical film Veer Durgadas by Ramchandra Thakur, starring Paidi Jairaj in the titular role. Amar Chitra Katha Comics have a great biographical comic on his name https://digital.amarchitrakatha.com/id005835307/Durgadas