Jhajjar

History

Jhajjar is listed in the Ain-i-Akbari as a pargana under Delhi sarkar, producing a revenue of 1,422,451 dams for the imperial treasury and supplying a force of 1000 infantry and 60 cavalry. Jhajjar was founded by a Gahlawat Jat, Chaudhary Chajju Singh in medieval era. The town was destroyed in 12-century by Muhammad Ghori during his Indian invasions and later refounded by a Jat clan. In1762, Jat ruler Suraj Mal of Bharatpur State conquered the region. After the death of Jat ruler Jawahar Singh, his successor Nawal Singh allotted Jhajjar to Walter Reinhardt in recognition of his military services. In 1771, Mahadji Scindia of the Maratha Empire restored the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II to Delhi and Jhajjar came under the control of the Marathas. In 1793, the Scindias appointed Apa Khande Rao as their military governor in the Haryana region. Apa Khande Rao recruited the Irish adventurer George Thomas and as payment for military service, Apa Khande Rao granted George Thomas the jagirs of Beri and Jhajjar in 1794, while Apa himself continued to hold authority as the Scindia representative. After the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803, Jhajjar region was granted to Najabat Khan by the British East India Company in recognition of his services to them during the war of 1803 against the Marathas. His son, Faiz Muhammad Khan did extensive development in region. However, the estate was confiscated by the British in 1857 as the ruling chief, Nawab Abdur Rahman Khan, who was hanged for taking part in the Indian rebellion of 1857. Thereafter Jhajjar municipality was created in 1867.