Chapter 12

Ram Singh succeeds—His impetuosity of temper—His uncle,
Bakhta Singh, absents himself from the rite of
inauguration—Sends his nurse as proxy—Construed by Ram
Singh as an insult—He resents it, and resumes the fief of
Jalor—Confidant of Ram Singh—The latter insults the chief
of the Champawats, who withdraws from the court—His
interview with the chief bard—Joins Bakhta Singh—The chief
bard gives his suffrage to Bakhta—Civil war—Battle of
Merta—Ram Singh defeated—Bakhta Singh assumes the
sovereignty—The Bagri chieftain girds him with the
sword—Fidelity of the Purohit to the ex-prince, Ram
Singh—He proceeds to the Deccan to obtain aid of the
Mahrattas—Poetical correspondence between Raja Bakhta and
the Purohit—Qualities, mental and personal, of Bakhta—The
Mahrattas threaten Marwar—All the clans unite round
Bakhta—He advances to give battle—Refused by the
Mahrattas—He takes post at the pass of Ajmer—Poisoned by
the queen of Amber—Bakhta’s character—Reflections on the
Rajput character—Contrasted with that of the European
nobles in the dark ages—Judgment of the bards on
crimes—Improvised stanza on the princes of Jodhpur and
Amber—Anathema of the Sati, wife of Ajit—Its
fulfilment—Opinions of the Rajput on such inspirations 1054