JAUTS, a people of Hindustan, who have at different times made some figure in its annals. The first historical mention of them occurs at the beginning of the eleventh century, on the invasion of India by Mahmood the Gaznevide. That conqueror found them established on the eastern bank of the Indus, prepared to oppose his passage. For
this purpose they had mustered a large fleet of boats, to the number, according to some accounts, of eight thousand. They were completely defeated, however, and driven into the mountainous districts in the interior of India.
From this time the Jauts remained in obscurity till the reign of Aurungzebe. Churamana, a Jaut of some distinction, collected then some troops of handitti, with whom he began to commit depredations on travellers. Popular and enterprising, he gradually rose from a captain of robbers to be a powerful chieftain; and availing himself of Aurungzebe's absence in the Deccan, became the terror of the country round. He had even the audacity, on one occasion, to plunder the rear of that monarch's army; and, when pursued, took refuge among the mountains of Narwar, where he eluded all attempts to extirpate his force. Under the growing imbecility of Aurungzebe's successors, the Jauts continually extended their power, till at length, during the weak reign of Mohammed Shah, and under their enterprising head, Sooraje Mull, it rose to its utmost height. That chief wrested continually new concessions from the weak emperor, till he was able almost to dictate the counsels of the Mogul Court. A reverse, however, took place on the invasion of Northern India by Ahmed Shah, the sovereign of Cabul. Sooraje Mull, having opposed that invader, saw his territory overrun, and was obliged to seek aid from the Mahratta power. When the Mahrattas, however, invaded Delhi, the Jaut chief went over to Ahmed Shah, and offered to atone for former hostility by his services on that critical occasion. The battle of Panniput followed, in which the Mahrattas were totally routed, and their power for the time entirely broken. Ahmed Shah rewarded the services rendered by his new ally in this hour of need by the important cession of Agra and its district. Sooraje Mull, and his son Jowalier Sing, made repeated attempts to obtain possession of Delhi, but were always baffled by untoward circumstances. Jowalier Sing was assassinated by an impostor, who had undertaken to initiate him in the secret of the philosopher's stone. He left his son an infant; a circumstance which, affording an open field to the dissensions of the chiefs, weakened the Jaut power, and rendered it unable to contend with the other fierce competitors for the spoils of the Mogul. In their contests, particularly with Nujeeb Khan, they were gradually stripped of all their possessions, and at length reduced to the fortress of Bhurtpore, with a small surrounding district. When the British power became predominant in this part of India, Runjeet Sing, rajah of the Jauts, sought security by concluding a treaty with Lord Lake, by which, on engaging to assist Britain against all enemies, he not only retained the internal government of his territories, but was even exempted from paying any tribute.
Yet, in 1805, after the defeat of Holkar, he received that chief, with his discomfited army, into Bhurtpore. The place sustained a most desperate siege, and cost the British army an immense number of lives. At length the rajah, despairing of effectual resistance, agreed to compel Holkar to quit the place, and to give it up to the British, on condition of retaining the government of his territories and the fortress of Deeg. He was obliged, however, to pay twenty lacs of rupees, and to give ample security for a more faithful observance of this treaty than of the former. At a later period, disputes regarding the succession to the throne of Bhurtpore led to the interference of the British. The place was invested by a large force under Lord Combermere; and, on the 18th January 1826, the hitherto impregnable fortress was stormed and taken after a desperate resistance on the part of the Jauts.