Page:A History of Hindi Literature.djvu/96

 82 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE Amar Singh quarrelled with his father and was exiled. He went to the court of the Emperor Shah Jahan, but in revenge for a slight he attempted to murder the Emperor, and was cut down after killing a number of courtiers. Among the poets patronised by Amar Singh were Banwdrl Lai, who wrote a panegyric of his patron, and Raghu Nath Ray, both of whom flourished about 1634. Maharaja Ajit Singh, of Jodhpur in Marwar (1681-1724), had a work written entitled the Raj Rupakakhyat, which contains a history of his family from the commencement of the solar race to 1724. Karan was the poet and bard of Jodhpur at the time of Maharaja Abhay Singh (1724-1750), son of Ajit Singh. In his poem, called the Surya Prakds, he wrote a history of the period from 1638 to 1731 in 7,500 lines. Maharaja Vijai Singh, who reigned at Jodhpur from 1753 to 1784, was himself a poet, and he also had a work written, entitled the Vijai Bilds, which gives an account in 100,000 couplets of the war between Vijai Singh and his cousin Ram Singh. Bards at Other Courts.— Other courts also had their poets. The rebellion of Jagat Singh, of Mhow, against Shah Jahan was celebrated by a bard named Gambhir Ray (fl. 1650). In honour of Rav Ratan (fl. 1650), great-grandson of Raja Uday Singh, an anonymous bard wrote a history called Rav Ratari Rdysd. Jai Singh Sawdt, of Jaipur (reigned 1699-1743), was not only a patron of poets but wrote his own autobio- graphy, entitled Jai Singh Kalpadrum Jai Singh Sawai's brother-in-law, Buddh Rav, Raja of Bundi, was also a poet and a patron of poets. Jodhrdj (fl. 1728) was a Brahman, who wrote the Hammlr Kdvya at the orders of the Maharaja of Nimrana, which deals with the same incidents formerly described by the bard Sarang Dhar, who lived in the fourteenth century. Ghan Sydm Sukla (fl. circ. 1680) attended the court of the Raja of Rewah and wrote in his praise. He also attended the court of the Raja of Benares. His poems are considered to be of great merit. Harikesh (fl. 1731) attended the court of Raja Chhatrasal, of