The Untouchable Jawar Fort in Hathras.
Jawar was the first capital of Thenua Jats.The Tappa of Jawar was carved out by Rawat Kare,Makhan Singh and there 6 brother(who were 3rd generation of Thenua settlers from Ajabgarh).The younger brother Thakur Makhan Singh was the cheif architect of Thenua stronghold over the Central Doab.He built the Fort at Jawar(The Tappa of Jawar then consisted of 40 villages).Out of 8 brothers the descendants of Makhan Singh became most powerful and important.It is said that there was 13 gen gap between Thakur Makhan Singh and Nandram(or Fauzdar Nandram the revolutionary from whom the ruling houses of Mursan,Hathras,Beswan and others are descended).The successor’s of Makhan Singh added more villages to the Tappa of Jawar(among the successsor’s Palu Thakur,Chotu Thakur and Sri Ram Singh Thakur did most of the conquest) .Hence when Nandram came to power he inherited 87 villages from his father Kanwar Sen Thenua.Veer Nandram enlarged his estates and made the Fort of Jawar formidable.He shifted his capital to Tocchigarh.
Jawar is also remembered as the place where the result of Jat-Mughal War(1688-96) was decided.Hari Singh Kangarot was the most successful Mughal general in the Jat -Mughal War.Because of him Mughals were able to capture 56 Jat stronghold.When 5 Jat Rulers(Rao Rao Churaman Singh Of Thun , Banarsi Singh Kuntal,Rao Amar Singh Nauhwar,Rai Rustam Singh Sogaria,Sardar Rai Maujh Singh Chahar) were forced to escape from there strongholds the Mughals moved towards Nandram the last Jat Cheif.Mughal won 4 Forts from the Thenua Jats Cheif under the command of Hari Singh and moved towards Jawar.At the Battle of Jawar, Zulkaran Singh(Ruling house of Mursan are descended from him) the eldest son of Fauzdar Nandram killed Hari Singh.This event changed the tide of victory towards Jats.However Mughal took the Fort of Jawar in the second Siege(Zulkaran was killed) but it was the last victory of the Mughals in the War.Mughal reached Tocchi after Jawar,they were not able to win the Fort of Tocchi and the Thenua Jats inflicted a crushing defeat on them,however Nandram died.Soon Jat regained all of there 52 strongholds.The Jat confedracy became the ruler of territory stretching from Delhi to Chambal and Hathras to the borders of Jaipur.
Written By :-
Mr. Shubham Singh Punia.