Raja Mal Dev of Jammu

Raja Mal Dev of Jammu :

In 850 AD a new ruling dynasty ushered in jammu history, the name of its ruler was suffixed with “Dev”,  so it was called as  “dev” dynasty.  The first ruler was Suraj Dev son of Bajar Dhar. Dev dynasty ruled from their imperial seat in the inner mountains of jammu, most probably Babbapur and Jammu remained as a strong outpost of dogra dev ruler .

 Contemporary prevailing situations :

The Punjab and north west India was badly suffered due to Islamic attacks on Hindu rulers.  Now this area was under Muslim rulers. Tribes like khokhar Gurjjar , Awan  migrated toward jammu to save their life. This leaded to upheaval in the Jammu region. In Punjab, Muslim rulers  in name of jihad  were killing innocent Hindus, they were forced to migrate toward  Jammu. 

Raja Mal Dev :

 Raja  Mal Dev succeeded his father Raja Jodh dev , to the “Gaddi”  of Dogra raj , his tenure varies from 1332 to 1361 , according to local ballad  and “pakhan”. But he was a contemporary of Timur so his accession took place around 1360 and ruled till 1400 AD . He shifted his capital from Babbapur , to Jammu.  Later he ascended the throne in Mohalla  Kali Janni,  near it  a new Rajput colony was established, where many refugee Hindus of Punjab  and megh settled  and accepted Raja Mal Dev as their rightful lord and king. In 1397, he defeated Raja of Nurpur’s Rana Kailasha, a Pathania Rajput.  His fort was dismantled and ransacked, the bricks were used to make palace at Purani Mandi.

Due to this quest,  bitterness build up  between Raja of Jammu and Sultan of Delhi,  and a battle  happened between duos. Raja Mal Dev defeated them, but to treachery by his half brothers Jankar Dev and Inder Dev, he was put to confinement. Later by showing his superpower in a bout to sultan he restored his freedom and power . He attacked and extended his empire in all sides upto river Beas  and south of Sialkot and  beyond river Chenab.
He had bitter relation with Khokhar tribe of Salt Range.

Timur Invasion :

 In 1397, Amir Timur attacked India and in December 1398, he occupied Delhi.  In January 1399, he marched towards jammu to teach a lesson to disturbing Hindus.  On rout to jammu he had a battle with the raja of Nagarkot , and In February, he entered jammu at Shahpur Kandi on the bank of Ravi  and marched through Basohli to Mansar.  He also defeated Babor and Thalora,  which were under Khokhars. He killed 2000 people their. Later he  reached Bella village  and passed to Parmandal and Utterbehni.They plundered  grain, sugar and oil. On 24 February,  he camped near Balol river near Kalluchak , here he met with envoy of Sultan Sikandar of Kashmir. On 26th,  he camped in Satwari plains which was a fertile area. On 27th he attacked and plundered village of Manu and town of Jammu and secured enormous booty in grain, good and cattle later his soldiers ambushed raja Maldev party and he was put to confinement .

Conversion to Islam :

To save his skin , he proposed to Amir Timur, that he will convert to Islam and Timur accepted it. He taught the creed  to him, then he became a mohamdan  and he made him to eat  cow meat, as it was a crime among the Hindu . Then he honoured him with a robe and royal favors . According to Malfuzat –e-Timuri and according to local believes, folklore he never converted to Islam and even defeated Amir Timur.

Maharaja Mal Dev was  a bright Star and a warrior in the history of jammu, who  fought  many war  with the mighty rulers . He was a just ruler  for his subjects, without any discrimination of  caste, creed, colour.