Topics cover:- Introduction of Paper, Matrimonial Alliances,

After Aurangzeb & Conclusion.

INTRODUCTION
The Mughal policy toward the Rajputs aided the Mughal Empire's expansion and
consolidation under Akbar and his successors. For a long time, it was assumed that the
Mughal alliance with the Rajputs was based on the individual monarchs' personal religious
convictions. On this basis, Akbar's liberalism and Aurangzeb's orthodoxy were held up as
benchmarks for their policies and political impact. However, the Mughal-Rajput interactions
have recently been researched within the context of Mughal nobility, as well as the tensions
within the nobility itself.
A centralised bureaucratic empire, such as the Mughals', had to deal with the issue of power
allocation among its numerous components. The battle for domination or autonomy between
the aristocratic components, i.e. the Mughal bureaucracy and the autonomous rajas and
zamindars, governed the political vicissitudes of the Mughal Empire to a significant extent.
The country's socio-cultural elements and geo-strategic setting are both significant factors to
consider.
Rajasthan (which was the connecting link between the Gangetic valley and the coastal region
of western India) and Malwa in Central India were crucial in deciding the early course of
political events in North India. The Mughal-Rajput conflict cannot be understood in isolation;
it must be viewed as part of a larger conflict. It arose in the aftermath of the fall of the Delhi
Sultanate and the establishment of a new state structure in Rajasthan, Malwa, and Gujarat

MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCE
In 1562, Akbar married Raja Bihari Mai of Amber's daughter (modern Jaipur). This queen gave
birth to Akbar's son Salim, who became known as Jahangir. He also married two additional
princesses, a Jodhpur princess and a Jaisalmer princess. He married the daughter of Raja
Bhagwan Dass, son of Raja Bihari Mai, to his son Jahangir. This princess gave birth to Khusrau,
another of Jahangir's sons.
The marriage of Akbar to a Jaipur household is seen as a significant event. According to Dr.
Beni Prasad. "It signified the beginning of a new age in Indian politics; it provided the country
with a dynasty of extraordinary sovereigns; and it ensured the services of some of the greatest
captains and diplomats that mediaeval India produced to the four generations of Mughal
emperors."
A personal bond was deemed a better guarantee of loyalty in a feudalized state.
Marriages between royal houses, on the other hand, were both a bond and a sign of
subordination in such a society. Akbar stressed his particular relationships with the family in
numerous ways after his marriage to Bhara Mal's daughter.

As a result, Bhagwant Das, the son of Bhara Mal, was always present with him during the
Uzbek insurrection. Later, Bhagwant Das was given the job of guarding the Imperial camp,
including the royal women, on several occasions, a position reserved for nobility who were
connected to the monarch or had his close confidence.

In 1569, the birth of Salim from a Kachhawahi princess filled Akbar with joy and brought him
closer to the Kachhawahi royal line.
When Akbar left for the Gujarat expedition in 1572, Bhara Mal was assigned to the city, Agra,
where all of the royal ladies resided.
When Akbar was in Nagor in 1570, Rai Kalyan Mal of Bikaner appeared before him with his
son, Rai Singh. Kahan, a daughter of Kalyan Mal's brother, married Akbar. Rawal Har Rai of
Jaisalmer also surrendered and proposed that the Emperor marry one of his daughters. All of
these rajas' kingdoms were returned to them, and Kalyan Mal and Rai Singh were both
accepted into the Imperial service. Chandrasen of Jodhpur also waited for Akbar and
submitted, and one of his daughters was supposedly married to Akbar at the time. Jodhpur,
which had been under Imperial rule since 1563, was not returned to him due to the opposition
of his elder brother, Ram Rai, and his younger brother, Uday Singh.
As a result, there was a long battle with Chandrasen, during which time the kingdom remained
under Imperial rule, or khalisa. Many people have misconceptions about Akbar's policy of
marrying Rajput rajas. These unions were political compromises and did not mean conversion
to Islam or abandonment of Hindu traditions. There was no special tie formed between
Rajputs and Mughals as a result of these events. These agreements with Rajputs were not
meant to confront refractory elements or to use the Rajputs for military purposes. There is
little reason to believe that these matrimonial alliances, and the earlier marriage of Bhara
Mal's daughter, were forced upon the Rajputs. It was more the force of circumstances, and a
realization on the part of the rajas the benefits these marriages might confer on them.

Akbar didn't regard such a pact as a test of devotion or surrender. As a result, no marriage
links with the Hadas of Ranthambhor were developed. Surjan Hada rose to the level of 2000
after serving in Gujarat and other places.
No matrimonial links were established with the monarchs of Sirohi and Banswara when they
submitted. Matrimonial relationships were not uncommon before Akbar's time, and they
were equally common during his reign. All the subordinate rajas were expected to provide a
daughter to the Imperial house-hold, according to the Allahabad pillar inscription of
Samudragupta (5th Century A.D.). Although the early Turkish rulers did not require that the
subject Hindu rajas create marriage links with them, this mentality continued. However, we
have seen numerous marriages between Muslim and Hindu governing houses over time.
Alauddin Khalji's marriage to a daughter of Ram Deo, the ruler of Deogir. In 1406 Firuz Shah
Bahmani married Deo Ray of Vijaynagar's daughter. Marriages between Rajput rajas and
Muslim monarchs have also been documented throughout this period. The majority of these
weddings occurred as a result of unusual circumstances, such as an invasion or the need for
assistance fighting an adversary. Such unions had not resulted in a stable connection between
the partners.

AFTER AURANGZEB
Mughal-Rajput ties changed for a half-dozen years after Aurangzeb's death, signalling a return
to the posture seen near the conclusion of Akbar's reign. An attempt was made to make the
position during Bahadur Shah's reign, attaining it near the conclusion of Aurangzeb's reign
and even extending Mughal dominance over the principal Rajput states. Initially, during
Bahadur Shah's reign (1707-12), an attempt was made to maintain the position achieved near
the conclusion of Aurangzeb's rule, and even to extend Mughal influence over the key Rajput
territories. During the succession wars following Aurangzeb's death, Ajit Singh held Jodhpur,
failed to greet Bahadur Shah on his accession to the throne, and ignored summons to the
court. He had also snatched some valuables intended for the court. As a result, Bahadur Shah
decided to punish him while travelling to the Deccan to deal with his younger brother, Kam
Bakhsh, who had declared independence.
To summarise, Jai Singh and Ajit Singh were able to reclaim their capitals from the Mughal
faujdars, while Rana Amar Singh II's soldiers drove the Mughal faujdar Feroz Khan out of
Mandal, Bidnur, and Mandalgarh, the parganas seized in place of Jizyah. "Efforts at
reconciliation were renewed from both sides with the return of Bahadur Shah from his
victorious campaign against Kam Bakhsh."By design, foresight, or a sense of envy, Jai Singh
refused to support Ajit Singh in his design of expelling the Mughal subahdar, Shujaat Khan,
from Ajmer."
Bahadur Shah was eager to use the Rajputs in his war against Banda Bahadur, a Sikh chieftain.
Rajput rajas, on the other hand, demanded high mansabs of 5000 rupees or more, as well as
the award of subahdaris in important provinces like Gujarat and Malwa. The Rajput rajas'
demand for the award of subahdaris of significant provinces demonstrates that the subahdari
of subahs was seen as a symbol of the Rajputs being more than just friends, but partners in
the empire's government. Munim Khan, the imperial wazir, was ready to appoint the Rajput
rajas to Gujarat as well as Kabul or a province in the east.
Their demand for large mansabs was turned down. Ajit Singh and Jai Singh appeared at the
court in Lahore near the end of 1711, after much persuading, and were assigned to guard the
outpost of Sadhaura against the guru. Jai Singh was appointed faujdar of Chitrakut in Malwa,
and Ajit Singh of Sorath in Gujarat, shortly after. The Rajput rajas requested and were granted
leave to return home because these appointments fell far short of their expectations.

CONCLUSION
Mughal alliance with the Rajputs did create an atmosphere of interaction between Hindus
and Muslims but it was limited in scope. It basically served the purpose of realpolitik for both
the Rajputs and Mughals, but it did not succeed in extending the social base of the Empire
which was the need of the times. Recourse to religion was by and large a measure of political
expediency.