Sinsinwar

The name Sinsinwar literally mean ‘sons of Sinsini/Surseni’. The Sinsinwar clan trace their origin Maharaj Shursain of Vrishni clan. Vrishni was a clan of the ancient Yadu tribe. The Ancient Vrishni clan founded the kingdom of Suirsani in the Braj region. They abandoned the Braj region due to the frequent raids of Jarasanda( the King of Magadha) and under the leadership of Krishna migrated to the city of Dwarka(located on the Saurashtra coast). When the city of Dwarka submerged in the sea, a group of Vrishnis migrated to the Lower Sindh Valley. By the 3rd century A. D, the Vrishni made themselves master of a tract of country around Ludhiana,Punjab(several Vrishni coins dating to that era are discovered from Sunet, Ludhiana). During the 9th century this group resettled in the Braj region and made Bayana their headquarters. The Ghaznavid attacked and conquered the Bayana fort in the 11th century. The surviving Vrishnis settled at Usrani(32.5 km northwest of Bharatpur). Under the leadership of Sua/Sobhu Thakur, they defeated the Kalals(or Chandars) and annexed their land. Sobhu Thakur established the temple of Sursain/Sinsina(his ancestor) in the newly conquered territory and the estate came to be known as Surseni/Sinsini(25.9 km northwest of Bharatpur). During,the 14th and 15th century the clan expanded in the Kated region and several Sinsinwar warriors founded new estates chief among them were Kasot, Awar, Raesees and Jharsuli. In the of 17th century the Sinsinwars started to rebel against the Mughal Empire and increased there patrimony. The house of Raesees captured the paragana of Nadbai, Thakur Alia of Awar took control of Helak and adjoining parganas.

In the 1670s, Thakur Braj Raj of Sinsini conquered the pargana of Au and founded the independent principality of Sinsini. He perished in the year 1681, defending the fort of Sinsini against the Mughal army , he was succeeded by his nephew Raja Ram. Raja Ram reconquered Sinsini and Au in the year 1682. He defeated several celebrated Mughal commanders including Nawab Zafar Jang Kokaltash(Uncle of Aurangjeb) , Mir Ibrahmin/Mahabat Khan,Saista Khan(Governor of Agra) and Bidar Bhakt(Grandson of Aurangjeb) , and conquered several districts, eventually bringing end to Mughal rule in a large portion of the province of Agra. Raja Ram met his end at the battlefield of Bijal in the 4th of July, 1688. He was succeeded by his elder son Zorawar Singh , who was captured by the Mughal army after the Siege of Sinsini(January 1690) . He refused to comply with the Mughal demands and was killed in a brutal fashion by his captors. Zorawar Singh was succeeded by his younger brother Fateh Singh. Fateh Singh was brave but a man of mediocre ability. He kept the struggle against the Mughal Empire alive until finally abducting the throne in favour of Churaman(a grandson of Braj Raj) and received the the jagir of Ajau instead. Rao Churaman was a man of extraordinary ability he made the fort of Thun the new capital and was successful in reconquering Sinsini(1705). He enlarged his territories and also nominally allied himself with the Mughal Emperor. Several important Sinsinwar chiefs emerged during this time , Thakur Gaj Singh founded the Garoo jagir, Thakur Gopal Singh established the large estate of Dahra, Thakur Atiram Singh established himself at Halena and took control of 250 villages including the town of Bhusawar , Aniram and his brother Rup Singh established their supremacy over the parganas of Kumher, Deeg and parts of Sahar. Soon, Rao Churaman became the de facto ruler of the country between the city of Delhi and the river Chambal. He died in the year 1721,after swallowing a dose of poison. He was succeeded by his eldest son Mukham Singh.

Raja Mukham Singh was very unpopular among the Sinsinwars, he was challenged by his causin Badan Singh of Deeg. Badan Singh made an alliance with the Mughal authority and was finally able to defeat Mukham Singh in 1721(Siege of Thun) . He was crowned the next king and laid the foundation of the what would came to be known as the kingdom of Bharatpur. 18 sons survived Badan Singh. 16 of them were given 16 forts and adjoining villages in jagir , their descendants are still to this this date known as the ‘Kotariband Thakurs’. The youngest Pratap Singh was given the the title of ‘Raja’ and the semi independent kingdom of Weir. It was around this time that Shardul Singh (one of the sons of Thakur Atiram of Halena) took control of Pathena jagir and established the Pathena house. Badan Singh was succeeded on the throne by his eldest son Sujan Singh who is most popularly known as Maharaja Surajmal. He was a man of extraordinary ability and under him the Sinsinwars saw their golden days. His kingdom included Eastern Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh. He was one of the greatest rulers of his time. Suraj Mal was mortally wounded during a skirmish with the Mughal forces near Shahadara. He was succeeded by his son Jawahar Singh. Maharaja Jawahar Singh expanded the territory and captured territory as far as Kalpi in the east and Bhiwani in the west. He was assassinated near Agra. He was shortly followed by Maharaja Ratan Singh who was then followed his minor son Maharaja Kehri Singh. A civil war took place for the regency of the minor king, taking advantage of which the Mughals and Maratha both invaded the Bharatpur kingdom and reduced it to it lowest. Kehri Singh died of an unknown disease and was followed by Ranjit Singh who was then the only surviving son of Maharaja Surajmal. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was able to take reconquer of some of the lands held by his father. In the year 1805, the Britishers under Lord Lake attacked Bharatpur, however they were defeated. A peace treaty was finally signed between the kingdom of Bharatpur and the Britishers after the war. Bharatpur became a princely state of the British Empire and the Sinsinwar Dynasty ruled over it till independence.