Súraj Mal, however, had several sons, among whom Jawáhir Singh, the most sagacious, succeeded him. To avenge the death of his father, Jawáhir Singh marched with a considerable force against Najíbu-d daula, accompanied by Malhár Ráo Mahratta and a body of the Panjáb Sikhs. Najíbu-d daula, taking shelter in the fort of Dehlí, applied himself to strengthen the bastions and gates of the fort and city. Jawáhir Singh encamped round the tank of Kishan Dás, ten miles distant from Dehlí, and laid siege to the city. Cannonading and musketry continued for four months, when the report of the arrival of the Abdálí troops disposed Najíbu-d daula to purchase peace, and he offered concessions to the Mahrattas. The peace was concluded through the inter­position of Malhár Ráo, and both parties remained in their independent positions.

Late in the year 1179 A.H. (1766 A.D.) Raghú Mahratta came from the Dakhin, besieged Gohad, and demanded tribute from Jawáhir Singh, which obliged the latter to depute to him, for the purpose of negociating peace, Gosain Himmat Bahádur and his brother Amráo Gír, who had formerly, on the defeat of Nawáb Shujá'u-d daula by the English, left the Nawáb's service, and entered that of Jawáhir Singh. They now, from avaricious motives, excited by the bribes offered them by the Mahrattas, deviated from rectitude, and promised Raghú to betray Jawáhir Singh into his hands. Jawáhir Singh, on learning of this treachery, despatched a portion of his army in which he could place confi­dence, with instructions to fall on them unawares, with a view to bring them to their senses. The two brothers, seeing the arrival of the troops in a hostile spirit against them, gave up all for lost, and took to flight with some of their immediate attendants. Their equipage and baggage were all carried off as plunder.

In short, Rája Jawáhir Singh became master of most of the neighbouring territories. But in consequence of his having attained such glory and power, his pride was heightened into vanity, and his mind exalted with the imagination of extending his conquests far and wide. In the year 1182 A.H. (1768 A.D.) he called on Rája Mádhú Singh, son of Rája Jai Singh Sawáí, to surrender the parganas in the neighbourhood of Bhartpúr.* But as Rája Mádhú Singh did not attend to his call, Jawáhir Singh quarrelled with him, and fitted out a large expedition. Under pre­tence of performing ablution in the lake near Ajmír, he marched in that direction. Mádhú Singh, however, being aware of his hostile intentions, placed a select body of his troops under the command of Harsaháí Khatrí, a confidential dependent, with instructions to oppose Jawáhir, who was prepared to take the field without any provocation. This Rájpút force met Jawáhir Singh in the neighbourhood of Jainagar while on his way back from the lake. An obstinate battle took place, and the gallant charges made by both parties occasioned numbers of slain.

In consequence of the bold and vigorous attacks of the valiant Rájpúts, Rája Jawáhir Singh's troops could not stand their ground. Rája Harsaháí, Gunsaháí (his brother-in-law), and most of the brave Rájpúts displayed their valour, but fell at last on the field of battle. Confidence and courage failed Jawáhir Singh. With a dejected heart he retreated towards Bhartpúr, and became, in consequence of his ineffectual encroachment and disgraceful return, the subject of public ridicule. He at last glutted his vengeance by wresting the territory of Kámún from. Rája Mádhú Singh. He then proceeded from Bhartpúr to Ágra, where a villain, whose name is not known, put him to death while engaged in viewing an elephant-fight.

Jawáhir Singh's brother, Ratan Singh (another son of Súraj Mal), succeeded him. This Prince remained constantly in a state of intoxication, and wasted his precious moments in pleasure and indolence. A few days after his accession, he felt seriously disposed to gain a knowledge of alchemy, and with this view made over a large quantity of gold to a darwesh of the name of Rúpánand, who had given out that he was a very skilful alche­mist. This individual, however, appropriated the gold to his own use, amusing Ratan Singh with evasive stories. When sub­terfuges on his part exceeded their reasonable bounds, Ratan Singh threatened him with punishment; and the impostor, being apprehensive of the loss of his honour, if not his life, con­ducted him unattended by any servants to his own place, under pretence of showing him the alchemical discoveries made by him. On his arrival there, he put Ratan Singh to death by stabbing him with a knife. This event coming to the knowledge of the adherents of Ratan Singh, they immediately killed the darwesh. Ratan Singh ruled only nine months.

On his death, Kherí Singh, his son, only five years of age, was installed by the ministers of the State, and Nuwul Singh, son of Súraj Mal, was appointed regent; but one month after­wards, when Kherí Singh died, Nuwul Singh became indepen­dent, and placed himself on the gaddí.

This Prince, being desirous of extending his territories, wrested, in the year 1196 A.H. (1774 A.D.), the fort of Balamgarh from Ajít Singh, son of Bagú Ját. He also overcame the Imperial force which had been ordered to give support to Ajít Singh, and he became master of Sikandrá and several other places belong­ing to the crown. These conquests made him assume an air of haughtiness, until Najaf Khán,* by command of His Majesty Sháh 'Álam, hoisted the banner of bravery for his expulsion, and succeeded in wresting from him the possession of Farídábád. He waged war with Nuwul Singh in the neighbour­hood of Hadal and Barsáná. He was so fortunate that, notwith­standing a forest being situated to his disadvantage, he gained a complete victory over Nuwul Singh, who being thus doomed to sustain a defeat, fortified himself in the fort of Díg. Najaf Khán, in a short time and with little opposition, effected the restoration of all the usurped territories which were in possession of Nuwul Singh, even to the very walls of Akbarábád, and afterwards marched to besiege the fort of Díg. When the fort had been in a state of siege for two years, Nuwul Singh died.

Ranjít Singh, son of Súraj Mal, who was then at Bhartpúr, on hearing of his brother's death, hastened to Díg, applied himself to strengthening the gates and bastions of the fort, and animated the courage of the besieged. He killed Mullá Ahmad Khán Rohilla, who had been employed by Nuwul Singh to protect the fort, but on Nuwul Singh's death aspired to the possession of it himself. It is through the exertions of Ranjít Singh, that the besieged held out for eleven months more, when, on the failure of supplies, Ranjít Singh, seeing the desperate state of his affairs, surrendered. A few days afterwards, Najaf Khán captured the fort of Kumbher; but the forts of Bhartpúr and Waira, with some other places, remained in the possession of Ranjít Singh.

After the death of Najaf Khán, when the Mahrattas obtained a footing in his territories, Ranjít Singh professed subjection to Sindhia Patel, the commander-in-chief of the Mahratta force. Sindhia, being pleased with him, committed to his charge, on the occasion of the march of his army in the direction of Jainagar, the forts of Díg and Kumbher, which Najaf Khán had annexed to his own territories.

When, in the year 1218 A.H. (1803 A.D.), the British overcame the Mahrattas, and took possession of their territories, Ranjít Singh was prudent enough to acknowledge ostensibly the supremacy of the British; but in the following year, on the occasion of the march of the united force of the Mahratta chiefs, Daulat Ráo Sindhia and Jaswant Ráo Holkar, against the British, he joined the Mahrattas, in gratitude for their former good will and regard for him. When, in the latter part of the year, the British, after reducing, through the wisdom of their policy and sagacity, the strong forts of Díg and Kishangarh, gallantly determined to take the fort of Bhartpúr, he with a valiant body of Játs marched boldly to resist them.

It is said that these Játs, in spite of the superior strength of the British, fell upon them regardless of life as moths of fire, committed great slaughter, and thus displayed their valour to the admiration of all who witnessed or heard of the fact. But when the rulers of Bengal and Bihár, the potentates of the Dakhin such as Haidar and Típú Sultán, the Mahrattas and others equal to Rustam and Isfandiyár, have been worsted by the British army, what could be expected from that poor and helpless body? Their fight with the English is just as that of a musquito with an elephant, or of a moth with fire, a parrot with a hawk, or a goat with a lion! Indeed, these Englishmen emulate the great heroes who figure in ancient history.