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{{Short description|Maharaja of Jaipur from 1750 to 1768}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Sawai Madho Singh I
| title = [[Maharaja]] [[Sawai (title)|Sawai]] of [[Jaipur State|Amber]]
| image = Portrait of Savai Madho Singh of Jaipur.jpeg
| caption = Portrait of Sawai Madho Singh of Jaipur
| succession = 3rd [[Raja]] of [[Jaipur state|Jaipur]]
| reign = {{Nowrap|12 December 1750 – 5 March 1768}}
| predecessor = [[Ishwari Singh of Jaipur|Ishwari Singh]]
| successor = [[Prithvi Singh II]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1728|06|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Jaipur]], [[Jaipur Kingdom]], [[Rajputana]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1768|03|05|1728|05|20|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Jaipur]], [[Jaipur Kingdom]], [[Rajputana]]
| spouse = {{Unbulleted list|
|Chundawatji Kundan Kanwarji of [[Deogarh, Rajasthan|Devgarh]] in [[Mewar]]
|Sisodiniji Ratan Kanwarji of [[Banera]] in [[Mewar]]
|Bhatiyaniji
|Sisodiniji Braj Kanwarji of [[Banera]] in [[Mewar]]
|Rathorji Arjun Kanwarji of [[Jodhpur]]-[[Marwar]]
}}
| issue = {{Unbulleted list|
|Man Singh (died infant)
|Bhawani Singh (died infant)
|Raghubir Singh (died infant)
|[[Prithvi Singh II]]
|[[Pratap Singh of Jaipur|Pratap Singh]]
}}
| house = [[Kachhwaha]]
| father = [[Jai Singh II]]
| mother = Ranawatji Chandra Kanwarji d.of Maharana [[Amar Singh II]] of [[Udaipur]]-[[Mewar]]
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
}}

'''Sawai Madho Singh I''' (20 May 1728 – 5 March 1768) was the [[Kachwaha|Kachwaha Rajput]] ruler of the [[Jaipur State|Kingdom of Jaipur]]. He was the younger son of Maharaja Sawai [[Jai Singh II]] and younger half brother of Sawai [[Ishwari Singh of Jaipur|Ishwari Singh]]. He became ruler of Jaipur after his brother Sawai Ishwari Singh died in 1750. He established the city of [[Sawai Madhopur]] in 1763. He also allied with Vijay Singh Rathore against Ahmad Shah Abdali

== Biography ==

=== Succession dispute and rise to power (1748-1750) ===

Following the death of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in the year 1743, a succession dispute arose in Jaipur. The designated heir, Ishwari Singh, ascended the throne. However, Madho Singh, Jai Singh's younger son from a Mewar princess, contested the claim.

He based his claim on a historical agreement signed in 1708 between [[Maharana Pratap|Maharana Amar Singh II]] of [[Mewar]] and other [[Rajput]] states, including [[Kingdom of Amber]] (Jaipur's predecessor). This pact supposedly ensured succession for any son born of a Mewar princess, regardless of birth order. Upholding this tradition, [[Jagat Singh II|Maharana Jagat Singh II]] of Mewar supported his grand nephew Madho Singh, and launched a military campaign to enthrone him.

A decisive battle ensued near Rajamahal, where the Mewar forces under Maharana Jagat Singh II clashed with the [[Marathas]], who sided with Ishwari Singh at the [[Battle of Rajamahal]] in 1747. The Mewar army suffered defeat. Despite the setback, Ishwari Singh, emboldened by the initial victory, marched against and defeated the [[Hada Chauhan]] chiefs of [[Bundi]] and [[Kota state|Kota]] with Maratha assistance.

Facing continued opposition from Mewar, Ishwari Singh sought additional Maratha support. However, [[Malhar Rao Holkar]] demanded a hefty sum and territorial concessions in exchange for aiding Madho Singh's claim. Unable to bear the pressure and fearing for his safety, Ishwari Singh committed suicide in 1750. This paved the way for Madho Singh's ascension to the throne of Jaipur as Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehta |first=Manu Nandshankar |url=https://indianculture.gov.in/rarebooks/hind-rajasthan-or-annals-native-states-india-0 |title=The Hind Rajasthan, Or, The Annals of the Native States of India |last2=Mehta |first2=Markand Nandshankar |publisher=Usha |year=1985 |volume=1 |location=New Delhi |pages=205}}</ref>

Madho Singh I was at [[Udaipur]] when his half brother Ishwari Singh committed suicide. Following this Madho Singh was crowned as the new [[Kachwaha]] ruler of Jaipur.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.32142/page/n261/mode/1up G.S. Sardesai, New History of Marathas Vol. II, Pg.238]</ref>

Madho Singh invited [[Jayappaji Rao Scindia|Jayappa Scindia]] who arrived in due time along with [[Malhar Rao Holkar]] to dinner where the Maratha sardars were served poisoned food which they detected and evaded in time. Next day on 10 January 1751, about 5,000 Marathas marched through Jaipur and started exploring the city's temples and monuments. Marathas seemed to have behaved towards Jaipur like city taken by storms. Suddenly the pent-up hatred of the Rajput gentry burst forth and a riot broke out at noon and citizens attacked unsuspected Marathas. Madho Singh I posted assassins along the escape routes to kill off the Maratha envoys calling for aid.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.32142/page/n261/mode/1up G.S. Sardesai, New History of Marathas Vol. II, Pg.239]</ref>
<ref>Sarkar, Jadunath (1994) A History of Jaipur, New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, {{ISBN|81-250-0333-9}}</ref>

He won several important battles against other rulers. He later reconciled with the Marathas after rewarding Holkar for his help in gaining the Jaipur throne by giving him the parganas of [[Rampura, Neemuch|Rampura]], [[Bhanpura]] and [[Tonk, India|Tonk]] in 1753.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sinh |first=Raghubir |title=Malwa in Transition Or A Century of Anarchy: the First Phase 1698—1765 |publisher=Kalpaz Publications |year=2017 |isbn=9789351289166 |editor-last=Sarkar |editor-first=Sir Jadunath |pages=302}}</ref> According to Vir Vinod which is 19th-century creation, Madho Singh gave poison to Maharaja [[Bakht Singh of Marwar]] but according to contemporary Persian sources Bakht Singh died due to cholera in 1752.<ref>Rajasthan Through the Ages By R.K. Gupta, S.R. Bakshi p.156</ref>

=== Conflict With Jawahar Singh ===
In December 1765, the Sikhs launched expeditions through Saharanpur, Delhi, and Rewari, causing significant destruction. During this period, Madho Singh was engaged in a conflict with [[Jawahar Singh]] of Bharatpur. To strengthen his position, Jawahir Singh hired 25,000 Sikh soldiers. After this truce, Jawahir Singh turned his attention to Dholpur, a region controlled by his step-brother Nahar Singh. He employed 7,000 Sikh soldiers, while Nahar Singh allied with the Marathas. A fierce battle followed on March 13-14, 1766, in which the Sikhs defeated the Marathas. Following their defeat, the Marathas withdrew their support, forcing Nahar Singh to seek refuge with Madho Singh in Jaipur. To avoid further conflict, Madho Singh bribed the Sikhs, who then left Jawahir Singh and returned to Punjab, concluding the hostilities.<ref>Gupta, Hari Ram. ''History of the Sikhs, Vol. III: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire, 1764-1803''. Munshilal Manoharlal. ISBN 978-81-215-0213-9. Page 56. Accessed 9 January 2025.</ref>

In December 1767, Jawahar Singh fought Madho Singh in a Maonda. The Rajputs suffered around 3,000 casualties, while the Jats lost nearly 2,000 men. Jawahar Singh’s army included trained troops with artillery, led by two European officers, Walter Reinhard (known as Sombre and the husband of Begum Samru) and Rene Madec. After this, Madho Singh reorganized his forces and invaded Jawahir Singh’s territory with 16,000 soldiers. In response, Jawahar Singh recruited 10,000 Sikhs. The two armies clashed at Kama on February 29, 1768, where Jawahir Singh was defeated, losing 400 soldiers. The Jats and Sikhs fled, but Jawahir Singh recruited an additional 10,000 Sikhs, bringing his total force to 20,000 at a cost of seven lakh rupees per month. With this reinforced army, he advanced again, causing the Rajputs to return to Jaipur to take a fortified position and await a military response by the Sikhs and Jats who were too afraid to launch another attack,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Herrli|first=Hans|url=https://archive.org/details/TheCoinsOfTheSikhs/page/n4/mode/1up|title=The Coins of the Sikhs|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal publishers Pvt ltd, New Delhi|year=2004|edition=2nd|pages=233|quote=In December 1765 Jawahir singh marched against Jaipur with 25000 sikhs who were bought off by Raja Mado Singh, but in March 1768 Jawahir Singh, supported by 20000 Sikh mercenaries, again attacked and routed Mado Singh”|orig-year=1993}}</ref><ref name="Rima Hooja">{{Cite book |last=Hooja |first=Rima |title=A History of Rajasthan |publisher=Rupa Publication |year=2006 |location=New Delhi |pages=726, 736}}</ref><ref>Gupta, Hari Ram. ''History of the Sikhs, Vol. III: Sikh Domination of the Mughal Empire, 1764-1803''. Munshilal Manoharlal. ISBN 978-81-215-0213-9. Page 56. Accessed 9 January 2025.</ref>

== Death==
He died in 1768 after a rule of 17 years after contracting dysentery after a battle with [[Jawahar Singh]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Gupta |first1=R. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DLQeSBLpUwsC&dq=madho+singh+chundawat&pg=PA211 |title=Rajasthan Through the Ages |last2=Bakshi |first2=S. R. |date=2008 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-841-8 |pages=211 |language=en}}</ref> Madho Singh's queen, Chundawatji who belonged to the [[Chundawat]] clan, was the daughter of Rawat Jaswant Singh of [[Deogarh, Rajasthan|Deogarh]], ruled Jaipur along with her father following her deceased husband's death as the new ruler, [[Prithvi Singh II|Sawai Prithvi Singh II]] was only five years old at the time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tillotson |first=Giles Henry Rupert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kmfxexeX3pIC&dq=madho+singh+chundawat&pg=PA49 |title=Jaipur Nama: Tales from the Pink City |date=2006 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-400100-2 |pages=49 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Following Prithvi Singh's death, her second son [[Pratap Singh of Jaipur|Sawai Pratap Singh]] succeeded to the throne.

==Cultural contributions==
His contribution to the field of art, architecture, town-planning, literature and religion was remarkable. He founded the well planned walled-city of [[Sawai Madhopur]] and the well planned town of [[Sri Madhopur]], built several palaces including Madho Niwas in the Chandra Mahal complex of the [[City Palace, Jaipur|City Palace]], Madho Vilas the leisure palace in the centre of Jai Mahal, the [[Sisodiya Rani Bagh|Sisodia Rani Bagh]] (Queens' Gardens) as well as several temples. The painting atelier (''surathkhana'') was rejuvenated and a variety of court scenes and several portraits were painted there. He patronized Sportsmen of his State and even sent them to other places within the country to take part in competitions. Likewise, he sent artists from his State to other places to exhibit their skills and produce. He was fond of watching elephant fights, bullfights and other similar sports. He had Shaikh Sadi's Gulistan translated into Sanskrit. A few Sanskrit works were also attributed to him. Many dramas and poetic works were written under his patronage such as Veli Rukmani, Madhav Natakam, Madahava Vijaikavyama, Rajaritinirupana, [[Shataka|Sataka]], etc. Greatest contribution, at the end of his reign was political stability in the state of Jaipur.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

==See also==
*[[Kachwaha]]

==References==
<references />

{{Maharajas of Jaipur}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madho Singh 01}}
[[Category:Maharajas of Jaipur]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:1728 births]]
[[Category:1768 deaths]]

Madho Singh I - Revision history

Michaelevansnet at 18:06, 3 February 2026