In 1714, Raja Desing (Tej Singh), the young and fiery successor to his father Swarup Singh as commander of Gingee Fort, faced a mounting crisis. His refusal to surrender the fort to Nawab Sadatullah Khan, the Faujdar of the Carnatic, set the stage for a dramatic confrontation. Drawing from Narayana Pillai’s Chronicle and Tamil ballads, this blog post explores the preparations for war as Sadatullah Khan mobilized a formidable army and Desing stood firm, highlighting a pivotal moment in Gingee’s storied history.
Todar Mall’s Warning and Sadatullah Khan’s Mobilization
After Raja Desing rejected the imperial farman and Nawab Sadatullah Khan’s inayatnama, refusing to relinquish Gingee Fort, Todar Mall, the Mughal sheristadar, reported back to the Nawab in Arcot. He warned that any attempt to forcibly take the fort would lead to a fierce battle, noting Desing’s confidence backed by 350 cavalry and 500 soldiers under his command. This defiance, rooted in Desing’s belief that his father Swarup Singh’s miras (hereditary right) from Emperor Alamgir entitled him to rule without external approval, prompted swift action from Sadatullah Khan.
The Nawab, as the Faujdar of the Carnatic, mobilized a formidable army to enforce Mughal authority. Within a month, he assembled 5,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, supplemented by contingents from regional allies: Bangaru Yachamanayaka of Venkatagiri, the Nayak of Kalahasti, poligars, Bommaraja, and other killedars. This combined force totaled 30,000 troops, equipped with all necessary materials for a prolonged campaign. The army’s review took place in the plains of Timiri, signaling the scale of the impending conflict.
The March to Arni and Chetput
Sadatullah Khan advanced to Arni, where he was met by the local killedar, Venkat Rao, who presented the customary nazar (tribute) and peshkash (gift) and joined the Nawab with his contingent. After a 15-day encampment, the army moved to Chetput, the stronghold of killedar Salabat Khan. Salabat Khan paid his dues and joined the campaign, hosting the Nawab for about 10 days. During this time, Todar Mall rejoined Sadatullah Khan, bringing updates from Gingee and reinforcing the need to address Desing’s defiance.
A Final Appeal in Gingee
Back in Gingee, Payya Ramakrishna, the vaknavis (record-keeper), and other faujdari officials made a last-ditch effort to dissuade Desing from his hostile stance. They emphasized the gravity of the situation: Sadatullah Khan, authorized to oversee all killedars, jaghirdars, and Rajas in the Carnatic, was marching with a massive army to enforce the Mughal farman. They reminded Desing that his father’s takid farman granted Gingee’s killedari, but his refusal to seek approval from the Mughal court or Sadatullah Khan risked disaster. “Even now,” they urged, “if you visit the Faujdar and pay your respects, he would recommend to the headquarters and obtain the killedari for you.”
Despite their plea, Desing remained silent, unwavering in his belief that Gingee was his by right. His fiery temperament and confidence in his small but loyal force—350 horse and 500 soldiers—set the stage for an inevitable clash with Sadatullah Khan’s overwhelming army.
Raja Desing’s brief rule, lasting just 10 months from January to October 1714, was defined by his bold defiance of Mughal authority. His refusal to surrender Gingee, a fort central to the Carnatic’s power dynamics, echoed his father Swarup Singh’s struggles with unpaid arrears of 70 lakhs of rupees. The preparations for war, driven by Sadatullah Khan’s mobilization and Desing’s unyielding stance, highlight the tensions between local rulers and Mughal overlords in a region fraught with competing interests, including those of the English at Fort St. David.
The lack of detailed Madras records for his rule, compared to Swarup Singh’s, underscores its brevity, but Narayana Pillai’s Chronicle and Tamil ballads preserve the tale of his courage. The impending battle would test Desing’s resolve, shaping Gingee’s legacy as a battleground of valor and tragedy.
Note: This post draws on Narayana Pillai’s Chronicle and Tamil ballads for a comprehensive account of the war preparations against Raja Desing in 1714.
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