Punyashlok ahilyabai holkar

Kingdom of Jaipur and Maratha part-3

After Victory of Battle of Rajmahal (Maharaja Sawai Ishvari Singh Kachwaha of Amber)

Battle of Rajmahal was a major victory for Jaipur. Madho Singh I, stepbrother of Ishvari Singh laid siege around Jaipur in 1747 with the combined forces of Holkar clan & Marathas, Mewar, Bundi, Kota and his supporters. Ishvari Singh and Narayanadas defeated the combined army at Battle of Rajmahal. The combined forces of Madho Singh I got a battering at the hands of Ishvari Singh. To commemorate the victory of the battle, Sawai Ishvari Singh Kachwaha built a second storied tower in 1749 which got the name Isar laat popularly known as Sargasuli near Tripolia Gate of City Palace in Jaipur. A person named Ganesh Khowal was entrusted with its construction. This tower was based on Qutub Minar and Kirti Stambha of Chittaurgarh. This tower was made as a 140-feet seven storeyed minaret. All the seven storeys of Isar laat/Sargasuli were made octagonal and after every two storeys, a round gallery was made. The entry of the tower was made through a small door, a round gallery was made that spirals upwards towards the mouth of the building. The dividers of the tower were composed in superb cross section work which offered air and light to the whole structure. Every floor of the tower had a door which opened up towards a balcony. Sargasuli tower/ Isar laat was/is known as Tower of Heaven. This tower was constructed following the rules of Vaastushaastra. This tower provided with a 360 degrees panoramic view of Jaipur due to which it also served as a watch tower for the palace. It was/is the tallest historical building in Jaipur.
(Just thoughts:
It is also said that Maharaja Sawai Ishvari Singh Kachwaha defeated Abdali in Battle of Manupur on 12 March 1748.
This tower might had been built as a watch tower for the security sake, so that they will have an edge over internal foes like Madho Singh I and external foes like Abdali).

After Defeat at Battle of Rajmahal (Madho Singh I)

When Jai Singh II Kachwaha died on 21 September 1743, his 25 year old son Ishvari Singh became Maharaja. However, Madho Singh I, another Jai Singh II's son from another wife, disagreed with his half-brother's accession to the throne and subsequent ruling of Jaipur. In 1747, he rose in revolt against his half-brother. In 1744, he was planning but his plan was spoiled by Ishvari Singh's hired Maratha assassins. Madho Singh I's revolt was defeated at Battle of Rajmahal (1747), but the claimant escaped and began to gather forces to assist him (Madho Singh I) in ousting his half-brother (Ishvari Singh).
Just over a year after his first invasion failed, Madho Singh I again invaded Jaipur. Unlike his previous invasion, Malhar Rao, a rival to the late  Jai Singh II, joined Madho Singh I's efforts to overthrow his half-brother, feeling he could benefit from Jaipur's weakness. Ummed Singh, the vanquished Raja of Bundi also joined, as he was eager to win back his kingdom. Madho Singh I's army also contained a large host of Marathas, Afghans and tribal mercenaries, Malhar Rao and soldiers from the Maratha Holkar clan, Hada Rajputs from Bundi and several Kachwaha nobles who defected. This alliance marched against Jaipur in August 1748. Malhar Rao took the lead and captured several strategic forts and towns of Jaipur.
In Jaipur, Ishvari Singh amassed his forces for battle; Ishvari Singh, unlike his father and half-brother, initially had no allies and was badly outnumbered by Madho Singh I's coalition. In desperation, Ishvari Singh asked Suraj Mal- a long time ally of his late father for aid.
(Background :
Jai Singh II, Maharaja of Jaipur and head of the powerful Kachwaha caste, was a geopolitical force in his lifetime. As a prominent figure within the Mughal Empire, Jai Singh II alligned himself with several other powerful Rajas; he was particularly close to Suraj Mal, Maharaja of Bharatpur, who considered Jai Singh II to be like a father.)
Suraj Mal readily accepted, personally leading his army of 10,000 men to Jaipur. Though still heavily outnumbered, the two defenders hoped to attack Madho Singh I's army before all of his forces had consolidated.