2402:8100:2183:A1A0:0:0:70F:2103 at 10:54, 2 July 2021

2021-07-02T10:54:06Z

New page

{{short description|Indian chieftain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}}
{{about||the ancient village|Gokul|the 2009 Indian Kannada-language film|Gokula (film)}}

'''Gokula Singh''' (also known as '''Veer Gokula''', or '''Gokal''' or '''Gokul Singh Jat'''; died 1670 AD) was a [[Jat people|Jat]] [[zamindar]] of [[Tilpat]], belonging to Haga(Agre/Agha) gotra,<ref>https://suryabulletin.com/2019/12/31/samar-veer-gokul-jat-ji-ke-bliban-subah-par-koti-moti-naman/</ref> in what is now the state of [[Haryana]], India.<ref>{{cite book |title=Essays in Indian History: Towards a Marxist Perception ; With, The Economic History of Medieval India: a Survey |first=Irfan |last=Habib |author-link=Irfan Habib |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2002 |page=251 |chapter=Forms of Class Struggle in Mughal India |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=foG83i6XPuMC&pg=PA251 |isbn=978-1-84331-025-9}}</ref> The second of four sons born to Madu, his birthname was Ola.<ref name="Narendra Singh Verma 1986, p. 5">Narendra Singh Verma: Virvar Amar Jyoti Gokul Singh (Hindi), Sankalp Prakashan, Agra, 1986, p. 5</ref> Gokula provided leadership to the Jats who challenged the power of the [[Mughal Empire]].

The first serious outbreak of anti-imperial reaction took place among the Jats of [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]] district, who had been challenged by the imperial [[faujdar]], Abdun-Nabi. In 1669, the Jats challenged Mughals under the leadership of Gokula, resulting in the death of the faujdar. The freedom of the district could not be maintained for more than a year, and they were suppressed by Hasan Ali Khan, the new faujdar, who was aided by the Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]]. Gokula was put to death for rebelling against the emperor and consequently for not accepting Islam. But he courageously taunted Aurangezeb to give his daughter in marriage in lieu of accepting Islam.<ref>[[R. C. Majumdar]], H.C. Raychaudhari, Kalikinkar Datta: [[An Advanced History of India]], 2006, p.490</ref>

==Gokula Singh left Sinsini==
Around 1650-51, Madu and his uncle Singha had fought against the [[Rajput]] ruler [[Jai Singh I]] with Mughal support. During the warfare, Sindhuraj died and thus Madu's second son, Ola, became his successor. After this war, Singha along with Ola and Jat families in the fortress of Girsa, moved beyond the [[Yamuna|River Yamuna]] to [[Mahavan]].<ref name="Narendra Singh Verma 1986, p. 5"/>

==Rebellion==
In early 1669, Aurangzeb appointed a strong follower of Islam, Abdunnabi, as faujdar of Mathura to curb the issues over land revenue and unrest among the Hindus in the area that had been ongoing since ShahJahan's reign. Abdun Nabi had also committed some excesses on the Jat Hindus, which incited the rebellion.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chandra|first=Satish|title=History of medieval India|publisher=Orient Blackswan}}</ref> Abdunnabi established a cantonment near Gokul Singh and conducted all his operations from there. Gokula Singh organised the farmers to withhold taxes from the Mughals, which caused the rulers to retaliate. Although dominated and led by Jats, the rebel forces led by Gokula Singh included other local communities such as the [[Meo (ethnic group)|Mev]], [[Meenas|Meena]], [[Ahir]], [[Gujjar]], [[Naruka]], and [[Panwar]].<ref>Ganga Singh, op. cit., I, p. 64-65</ref> They gathered at the village of [[Sahora]] where, During May 1669, Abdunnabi was killed while attempting to seize it. Gokula and his fellow farmers moved further, attacking and destroying the [[Sadabad, India|Sadabad]] cantonment. This inspired the Hindus to fight against the Mughal rulers, who were there to destroy all Hindu rebels in exchange of Gokula Land and territories.<ref>Narendra Singh Verma: Virvar Amar Jyoti Gokul Singh (Hindi), Sankalp Prakashan, Agra, 1986, p. 34</ref> The fighting continued for five months.<ref>Narendra Singh Verma: Virvar Amar Jyoti Gokul Singh (Hindi), Sankalp Prakashan, Agra, 1986, p. 35</ref><ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=188}}</ref> In the mean time, after Gokula's death, the Churamam had strengthened the Jat fort of Sinsani near Bharatpur, and they sacked regions around Agra and Delhi. Akbars tomb was looted and according to legends the grave of Akbar was dug up..<ref>{{Cite book|last=Reddy|first=Krishna|title=Indian History|publisher=McGrawHill|isbn=978-0-07-132923-1}}</ref>

== [[Battle of Tilpat]] ==
In 1669, Gokula Singh with 20,000 followers rushed forward to face the Mughals, 20 miles from [[Tilpat]]. Abdunnabi attacked them. At first he appeared to be gaining ground, but in the middle of the fighting he was killed on 12 May 1669 (21st Zil-Hijja, 1079 A.H.).<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web|last1=Sarkar|first1=Jadunath|title=Maasir-i-Alamgiri A history of emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir|url=https://archive.org/stream/Maasir-i-alamgiriAHistoryOfEmporerAurangzebAlamgir/Maasir-i-alamgiriAHistoryOfEmporerAurangzebAlamgir_djvu.txt|website=AhleSunnah Library|access-date=19 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111095728/http://archive.org/stream/Maasir-i-alamgiriAHistoryOfEmporerAurangzebAlamgir/Maasir-i-alamgiriAHistoryOfEmporerAurangzebAlamgir_djvu.txt|archive-date=11 November 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ojha|first1=Dhirendra Nath|title=Aristocracy in medieval India|year=1993|publisher=Orient Publications|page=100|isbn=9788185294056|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xINHAAAAMAAJ&dq=Battle+Tilpat&q=Tilpat|access-date=28 Aug 2007}}</ref> Both sides suffered many casualties but the rebels could not cope with the trained Mughals and their artillery. They retreated to Tilpat, where Hasan Ali followed and besieged them with the reinforcement of 1000 Musketeers, 1000 [[Mysorean rockets|Rocketmen]], and 25 artillery pieces. Amanulla, the [[Faujdar]] of the environs of [[Agra]] were also sent to reinforce Hasan Ali.{{cn|date=April 2018}} Fighting continued for 96 Hrs/four days in which muskets and bows were used by the contestants. On the fourth day, the Mughal forces charged the jats from all sides and having made a breach in the walls entered Tilpat.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sharma|first1=Gautam|title=Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army|date=1990|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=9788170231400|pages=152–153|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLrTzZd0j1kC&pg=PA152&dq=aurangzeb+Tilpat#q=aurangzeb%20Tilpat|access-date=19 November 2015}}</ref>
Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] himself marched on 28 November 1669 from [[Delhi]] to curb the Jat threat. The Mughals under Hasan Alikhan attacked Gokula Singh. <ref>Narendra Singh Verma: Virvar Amar Jyoti Gokul Singh (Hindi), Sankalp Prakashan, Agra, 1986, p. 39</ref>

==Death==
Gokula Singh and his two associates were captured alive through the efforts of Shaikh Razi-ud-Din, the peshkar of Hassan Ali. They and other prisoners were presented to the Emperor.<ref>Narendra Singh Verma: Virvar Amar Jyoti Gokul Singh (Hindi), Sankalp Prakashan, Agra, 1986, p. 50</ref> Gokula was killed brutally for treason on 1 January 1670.{{cn|date=February 2021}}

==See also==
* [[Raja Ram Jat]] nemesis of [[Aurangzeb]]
* [[Suraj Mal]] Jat king

==References==
<references/>

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| title=Bharatpur ruler
| before=--
| after=[[Raja Ram Jat|Raja Ram]]
| years=? – 1670 AD
}}
{{s-end}}

[[Category:Medieval India]]
[[Category:History of Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Rulers of Bharatpur state]]
[[Category:Deaths by blade weapons]]
[[Category:1670 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

Gokula - Revision history

2402:8100:2183:A1A0:0:0:70F:2103 at 10:54, 2 July 2021