One of the last instances of honourable rajput tradition of "शरणागत की रक्षा" i.e. giving asylum to needy who came for refuge from some stronger enemy is of Maharaja Man Singh of Marwar giving refuge to King of Nagpur, a maratha, Appaji (Mudhoji) Bhosale against British. (1/12)
We have seen many such instances in history and one of the best known example is of Hammirdeva Chauhan who gave refuge to rebel mongol soldiers of Alauddin Khilji. But this is lesser known, Appaji was put on the throne of Nagpur by the help of British in 1816 but he tried (2/12)
to conspire against British in contrast with the treaty. British arrested Appaji and put him in the jail but he escaped and went in hiding in jungles of central india. British pursued him and combed the whole jungle. Appaji fled from there and went to punjab under Maharaja (3/12)
Ranjit Singh, and then went to simla hills, but nowhere he could find permanent residence as fearing British wrath nobody provided him with shelter. Even Maratha state like Gwalior didnt help him cause of British. Finally in 1829 he asked Marwar ruler Man Singh for (4/12)
for protection. Man Singh true to his rajput nature couldn't refuse a request for asylum even though it was against the mighty British. Man Singh provided Appaji residence at Man Mandir in Jodhpur. British were furious at this development. They asked Man Singh to handover (5/12)
Appaji to them. Man Singh politely refused, saying its his dharma to defend someone who came under his protection. British tried all methods diplomatic or otherwise but Man Singh was adamant. His all anti British activity including conspiring with other states like Punjab, (6/12)
Baroda to form an anti British alliance made British more suspicious of him, his activity to help the cause of Appaji to re-install him on Nagpur throne also made British anxious. Finally British threatened to attack Marwar, Man Singh too started preparing for war and (7/12)
fortified the Mehrangarh Durg. After repeated unsuccessful demands by British Governor General, finally British AGG Sutherland attacked Marwar. British brought some of Jodhpur nobles on their side and espoused the cause of Dhonkal Singh and got his help to place him on (8/12)
the throne. This greatly weakened Man Singh's situation and AGG Sutherland occupied Jodhpur fort, even then Man Singh didn't surrender Appaji to British. Man Singh proposed that Appaji should be given territory in Nagpur to which British didn't agree. (9/12)
Later British tried to lure out Appaji from Marwar's territory by saying that he will be given protection in British territory. Appaji refused to entertain such request as he considered it better to live in Marwar than in British territory. After spending almost a decade (10/12)
in Jodhpur, Appaji finally died in 1839. Till his death Man Singh gave his support to Appaji to re-take his throne. There was even a proposal to place Thakur Sabal Singh of Sanderao (now in Pali district of Rajasthan) to place on the throne of Nagpur (11/12)
as heir-apprent of Appaji. It's probably due to the fact that Sanderao thikana of Marwar was of Sisodia of Ranawat clan and Bhosale believed themselves as descendants of Sisodias. Maharaja Man Singh's struggle against British went on in many forms till his own death. (12/12)
Errata: Sheonath Singh s/o Sanderao Thakur Sabal Singh was to be made heir-apprent not Sabal Singh.
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