RAJPUTS AND THE HISTORY OF RAJPDTANA. 



97 



site of some charming little shrine, and every hill is crowned 

 with some romantic castle, all such buildings giving the lie to 

 the idea that the Hindu does not love beauty, and, in choosing 

 the situations oi' his buildings, that he is only moved by 

 considerations of comfort or perhaps of coolness or security. 

 Some of the views which are shown to-day will, in a faint 

 measure, help those who look at them to realize the beauties of 

 a few of these places. 



Few countries can produce such a long roll of eminent men 

 as Eajputana. To begin with Meywar, there have been few 

 greater warriors than banga liana, who at the time of his death 

 was only the fragment of a man, having lost an eye and an arm, 

 besides having received no fewer than eighty wounds in the 

 cause of his country. No less great was Kambhu, of whom the 

 Mohammedan historian, after relating his victory over the King 

 of Malwa, dilates on his greatness ot soul in setting his enemy 

 at liberty, not only without ransom but with gifts. The life-long 

 struggle with the Moghul empire of Par tap will never be for- 

 gotten by his race, and the beautiful letter of Eana Raj Singh 

 to Aurangzeb, remonstrating on behalf of his nation against the 

 intolerant persecution of that bigot, has often been quoted with 

 admiration. Marwar produced so long a line of valiant princes 

 that an exception is almost unknown. Especially famous were 

 Sur Singh, Gaj Singh, Jaswant Singh, and Ajit Singh. Some of 

 these were viceroys of the emperors in distant lands and patrons 

 of art and literature, but in the latter capacity none equalled the 

 famous founder of Jaipur. Siwai Jai Singh, who reformed the 

 calendar, wrote histories, built observatories the remains of 

 which exist to this day, and was, in addition, one of the most 

 skilful generals and greatest politicians of his age. Eaja Man 

 Singh of the same royal house was, in succession, viceroy for 

 the Moghuls of Kabul, Bengal and Orissa. In two battles 

 twelve of the royal blood of tJundi and Kotah died, with the 

 heads of every Hara clan, to maintain their promised fealty to 

 the Delhi house. It is unnecessary to pursue this theme, but 

 one can only wonder that it was followed by so much decay. 

 That this was due, in a very large measure, to the shrewd action 

 of the Mahrattas in employing European adventurers to organise 

 their forces on modern principles cannot be doubted, but the 

 folly of the Eajputs led, in the first instance, to the interference 

 of the Mahrattas themselves in Eajputana affairs, and the 

 beginning was due to the jealousy of the rulers of Jaipur and 

 Marwar, who were both candidates for the hand of Krishan 

 Kumari, the beautiful daughter of the Maharana of Udaipur. 



