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Inhabited about eight
hundred years ago, Jhajjar city has many pages of history engulfed in it , Historical
buildings, mausoleums, water-pools having at their banks give the reflection of
the historical tradition of this city . At the time of Gori 's attack on the king
Prithvi Raj in 1191 A.D., the area of Jhajjar was a deserted forest. There was a
town named Malokan in the east of present Jhajjar city, mostly inhabited by Jats.
Delhi and its adjoining area was affected worst in the battle between Gori and Prithvi
Raj . Most of the villages were deserted adjoining area of Delhi by the devastation
of war. Malokan was also among there ill-fated villages. Having left their homes
and belongings, the residents of Malokan started living here and there. The rule
of Gori was well established in Delhi. Villages started inhabiting again.
Brave Chajju Jat, resident of Malokan village
made an appeal to Emperor Shabuddin Gori to rehabilitate the village . Malokan village
had fought bravely to defend the country against the Goris, probably due to that
the emperor rejected the appeal of the residents of Malokan and ordered to rehabilitate
the village somewhere else, and with this order foundation of Jhajjar city was laid
by Chajju Jat. During the medieval in the rule of Delhi Sultanate and Tuglak dynasty
, this area used to be given as feudatory to the different regional feudal lords.
During this period Sultanate and Mugal rulers started digging canals in the area
of Haryana .It is said, Feroj Tuglak got created five canals. One of these canals
brought -water from Sutlej to Jhajjar. During the rule of Akbar , this area was
a part of Delhi province.
After the fall of Mugal empire, there was again an atmosphere of political turmoil.
Farukhsheer handed over this area to his minister Ruknudeen in 1718. Even Ruknudeen
could not handle it and after some years he handed it over to Nawab of Farukh Nagar
. Most area of present - Haryana including Rohtak came under the control of Nawab's
family of Farukh Nagar. During this period, Raghu Nath Rao and Malhar Rao Holkar
with the helps of Maratha military, attacked on Nawab and charged the heavy tax.
Linder the leadership of Maharaja Suraj Mal, Jats defeated the Nawab of Farukh Nagar
and established their rule. After that , from 1785 to 1803, it was the period of
instability. On the one hand, Muslim Amiss and Nawabs etc, were making efforts to
maintain their rule and on the other hand they had to face the attacks of jats,
Marathas and Sikhs constantly .
At this point of time, we must necessarily mention
the person who left irrevocable effect on the pages of history. This person was-George
Thomas, Born in a simple family in Ireland, he was an extremely courageous person
. He came to India in a mercantile marine in about 1780 and cane in to contact with
Scendhia feudal lord Appa Kandi Rao who adopted him as his son impressed by his
bravely. In the due course of time, Appa Kandi Rao offered the area of Jhajjar,
Beri,Mandothi, Patoda to George Thomas. George Thomas made Jhajjar his headquarter
and in view of security constructed a fort at some distance and named it Georgy
garh (modern Jahazgarh). Feeling happy at his military services, Marathas offered
the area of Panipat, Sonepat and Karnal to him. Intoxicated with the increasing
power, he declared himself independent of Scendhias. With the aim to establish his
independent rule in the whole Haryana ,he changed his capital from Jhajjar to Hansi,
Having seen the increasing force of George Thomas,Sindhia asked General Paron who
was the governor of Ganga Doab, to attack on George Thomas. George could not bear
it, at last left his rule and went towards Calcutta in 1801.
Within a period of two years after the desertion of George Thomas the increasing
power of Scindhias was destroyed by the British army under the leadership of General
lake. As a result of treaty after Second Maratha was in 1803 this area came under
the control of East-India company, General lake was of the opinion that they should
not hold under control the area in the west of Yamuna. He decided that they should
establish small feudatories, in the middle of the area between the Sikh and East
-India company ruled area, which should safeguard the area of the company . As a
result this area was distributed as feudatories among the Nawabs and Amirs who had
been loyal to company.
In this distribution the area of Rohtak,Beri
and Meham was given to the Nawab of Dujanas Abdusamad Khan .The area of Jhajjar
was given to Nawab Nijabat Alikhan and the area of Bhadurgarh was given to his brother
Nawab Ismail Khan Lohari , Patoda and Kheri village were given as feudatory of Faiz
Muhammed Khan, the son of Ali Khan. The Nawab of Dujana could not hold this large
area under control consequently his control contracted to Dujana and Meharana village
only. For the proper administration of the area left by him, district Rohtak was
a constituted which consisted of Gohana, Kharkhoda, Rohtak, Meham and Bhiwani tehsils.
Nawab Nijabat Ali Khan lived in Delhi. He handed
over the responsibility of the administration of Jhajjar to his son Faiz Muhammed
Khan in 1813. Faiz Muhammed Khan took interest in the progress of Jhajjar. He got
construction many buildings the work of salt-making was started, many deserted villages
were rehabilitated and a dam was constructed near Badli village. On the one hand,
he gave new direction to the development and on the other hand he gave shelter in
his court to many poets and scholars to promote art and culture. After the death
of Muhammed Khan in 1835 his son sat on the throne. His administration lasted only
for ten years and during these ten years, the progress achieved during the reign
of his father was mitigated by his cruel and luxurious nature. The last Nawab of
Jhajjar Abdur Rahman sat on throne in 1845. Following the virtues of his grandfather,
Abdul Rahman got constructed a beautiful palace in Jhanara. He got constructed a
palace in Chuchhakwas village which is being used as rest house at present.
In 1857 the collectors of Rohtak requested the
Nawab for military help to crush the revolutionists. On the other hand Emperor Bahadur
Shah also wanted the Nawab to participate in the revolution Nawab declined the request
of the collector and supported the revolutionists and sent his military in their
support. The collector of Rohtak was compelled to run away on foot because of the
revolt of the Indians in British army.
It was not the proper time for the freedom of
India, so the English captured the Delhi again. The Nawab had to surrender before
Colonel Lawrence on 18th October 1857 in Chuchhakwas. He was trailed before the
Military commission where he was sentenced to death on14th Dec.1857. He was hanged
to death on 23rd Dec.1857 in front of Red Fort in Delhi.
The Nawab of Bhadurgarh also surrendered before
the English. He was not hanged due to his ole age but his property was forfeited
and he was sent to Lahore on monthly pension.
In this way after the struggle of 1857, Jhajjar
came under the direct British Rule, after that the provinces and districts were
reconstituted and Jhajjar was reconstituted as a new district which consisted of
the area of Narnaul and Dadri. But after sometime, its status as district was forfeited
and as a tehsil it was annexed to district Rohtak.
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