The fostering of the ruler of the Rathore clan in Aurangzeb's loyally Muslim household was not acceptable to the kinfolk. It is said that Maharajah Ajit Singh along with his mother Queen was staying at a place known as "Bhuli Bhatiyari" near Jhandewalan of modern Delhi. Durgadas and others of the assignment resolved upon getting Maharajah Ajit Singh out of Delhi. Even as they approached the border of the city, the Mughal guard fell in hot chase of them. Durgadas and his 300 men, noteworthy among them was Raghunandan Bhati, who had to make their escape while combating hand-to-hand with the much larger Mughal guards. Every so often, some 15-20 Rajputs would fall behind to verify the Mughal pursuers, in the process getting them killed, thus allowing the forward party to create some distance between Maharajah Ajit Singh and the Mughals. This sustained till the evening; Durgadas was left with only seven men out of the 300 he started with, but he managed to convey the infant Maharajah Ajit Singh to safety in Jaipur. Later, the infant was taken to a safer place at Aravalli hills near Abu Sirohi, a remote town on the southern bounds of Marwar, and grew up in secrecy. For 20 years after this event, Marwar remained under the direct control of a Mughal governor. During this period, Durgadas carried out a persistent struggle against the absorbing forces. Trade routes that crossed the region were plundered through the guerilla attacks and they also looted various treasuries in present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. These disorders unfavorably impacted the finances of the empire. Aurangzeb died in 1707 and he was probably the last of the great Mughals. Durgadas took advantage of the strife following this death to get hold of Jodhpur and eventually throw out the occupying Mughal force. Maharajah Ajit Singh was proclaimed as the Maharaja of Jodhpur and he rebuilt all the temples that had been desecrated by the occupying Muslims. |