Page:Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan Vol 3.djvu/315

Rh confined for his genius, which required a wi der field for its display, and might have controlled the destinies of nations. Zalim Singh Jhala. — Zalim Singh is a Rajput of the Jhala tribe. He was born in S. 1796 (a.d. 1740), an ever memorable epoch (as already observed) in the history of India, when the victorious Nadir Shah led his hordes into her fertile soil, and gave the finisliing blow to the dynasty of Timur. But for this event, its existence might have been protracted, though its recovery was hopeless : the principle of decay had been generated by the policy of Aiu-angzeb. Muhammad Shah was at this time emperor of India, ^ and the vaUant Durjansal sat on the throne of Kotah. From this period (a.d. 1740) five princes have passed away and a sixth has been enthroned ; and, albeit one of these reigns endured for half a century-, Zalim Singh has outlived them all,'^ and though blind, his [518] moral perceptions are as acute as on the day of Bhatwara. ^Vliat a chain of events does not this protracted hfe embrace ! An empire then dazzling in glory, and now mouldering in the dust. At its opening, the highest noble of Britain would have stood at a reverential distance from the throne of Timur, in the attitude of a suppUant, and now — None so poor To do him reverence. To do anj-thing like justice to the biography of one who for so long a period was a prominent actor in the scene, is utterly impossible ; this consideration, however, need not prevent our attempting a sketch of this consummate politician, who can scarcely find a parallel in the varied page of history. The ancestors of ZaUm Singh were petty chieftains of Halwad,^ in the district of Jhalawar, a subdivision of the Saurashtra peninsida. Bhao Singh was a younger son of this family, who, Avith a few adherents, left the paternal roof to seek fortune amongst the numerous conflicting armies that ranged India during the contests for supremacy amongst the sons of Aurangzeb. His son, Madho Singh, came to Kotah when Raja Bhim was in the zenith of his power. Although he had only twenty-five horse ^ [The Empire was now breaking up, and his dominions were gradually reduced to the region held by the later Tughlak djTiasty.] - This was written in a.d. 1821, when ilaharao Kiahor Singh [died 1828] succeeded. 3 [Formerly capital of Dhrangadhra State in Kathiawar {IGI, xiii. 13).]