[December 25] Suraq Mal, maharaja of Bharatpur

Local Name: महाराजा सूरज मल
Parents: Badan Singh, maharaja of Bharatpur, and Rani Devki of Jat
Date of Birth: February 1707
House: Sinsinwar Jat
Spouse(s): (1) Kishori, daughter of Chowdhary Kashi Ram Jat of Hodal, (2) Hansia, daughter of Chowdhary Rati Ram Jat of Salempur, (3) Ganga, (4) Kalyani, (5) Gauri, (6) Khattu, and others
Predecessor: Badan Singh
Reign: 1756 – 1763
Brief: The kingdom of Bharatpur was a recent creation of the Mughal Empire when Suraq Mal succeeded his father, who had served as the first raja. Suraq Mal entered history in 1730 building fortresses to protect the cities of Deeg and Kumher. He would continue these projects far into his reign. By 1746, Suraq Mal was the real power behind the throne and the leader of the Bharatpur army. He expanded outward from their small base, conquering and annexing large swaths of land in northwest India. By 1754, he had sacked Delhi but declined usurping the Moghul throne since he shared enemies with the Moghul emperor. He continued his fight against his neighbors for his entire life, eventually dying in an ambush. As maharaja, he brought wealth and prestige to the state and built many fortresses that still exist today. He never wavered in his resolve and some modern writers have called him "the Plato of the Jat people" and the "Jat Odysseus" because of his vast campaigns. Today, the Jat people can claim at least a part of their higher status in Indian society to the successes of Suraq Mal.

Date of Death: 25 December 1763

Successor: Jawahar Singh

Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Adrian I, pope of Rome (795)
• Leo V, emperor of Constantinople (820)
• Taisho, emperor of Japan (1926)