ISBN: 9788184821352    Publisher: Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd. Year of publishing: 1974     Format:  Paperback No of Pages: 32        Language: English

The life of Durgadas was one of the most extraordinary in the history of Rajasthan. Women of Marwar were often blessed with the words, "May you have a son like Durgadas". In the words of Karnidhan, a bard of Rajasthan: "Mai eha put jin, Jeha Durgadas, Bandh Marudhara rakhiya, Vin thamba Akash" ("O Mother! Produce such sons as Durgadas, who held together the land of the Marus; a feat as difficult as holding the sky without a pillar"). The allusion of holding the sky without the support of pillars refer to the fact that Durgadas staked his all to preserve the throne of Jodhpur after the death of King Jaswant Singh. The young prince Ajeet Singh was kept safely hidden and the land was ably governed in his name by Durgadas. Durgadas was also known for his religious tolerance. It is said that when he returned the grandson of Aurangzeb, after holding him in custody for a number of years, the boy was found to be proficient in the Koran and Muslim theology. Durgadas was a model Rajput, as wise as he was brave and a saviour of his land. In the words of Colonel James Tod, "To his suggestion it owed the preservation of its prince and to a series of heroic deeds, its subsequent and more difficult salvation."
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