Durgadas Rathore

Durgadas Rathore (13 August 1638 – 22 November 1718) was the Rathore Rajput General of the Kingdom of Marwar. He is credited with having preserved the rule of the Rathore dynasty over Marwar, India, following the death of Maharaja Jaswant Singh in the 17th century. In doing so he had to defy Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor. He commanded the Rathore forces during the Rajput War (1679–1707) and played a major role in the Rajput Rebellion (1708–1710) which became one of the main reason of decline of Mughal Empire. He was elected as the leader of the revolt along with Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur.[1] He won a number of victories against the Mughals and forced many Mughal officers to pay tribute to him in the form of chauth.

Quotes

• A soul of honour, he kept the deserted daughter of Akbar free from every stain and provided her with every facility for Islamic religious training in the wilderness of Marwar. Fighting against terrible odds and a host of enemies on every side, with distrust and wavering among his own country-men, he kept the cause of his chieftain triumphant. Mughal gold could not seduce, Mughal arms could not daunt that constant heart. Almost alone among the Rathors he displayed the rare combination of the dash and reckless valour of a Rajput soldier with the tact, diplomacy and organizing power of a Mughal minister of State. No wonder that the Rathor bard should pray that every Rajput mother should have a son like Durgadas.
  • Sarkar, Jadunath, ed. (1971), "Durgadas", History of Aurangzeb Vol 3, Orient Longman Limited [1]

• He was fiercely loyal to the royal throne of Marwar. He is an embodiment of the fiercest bravery, valor and loyalty. In real life, such a selfless man as him is very hard to find. But in Indian history there was a fierce warrior, a very able strategist and loyal to the extent that he spent all his life saving the royal family he served and kept it safe when it was in grave danger of becoming extinct or converted to another faith. This man never assumed power although he was revered even more than the king. He was Durgadas Rathore. He protected and served the royal family of Jodhpur and kept the Marwar flag flying high when it was in dire straits.
  • Rawal M. S. & Rawal Y. S. (2019). Saffron swords. Garuda Prakashan.