BSNL JTO 2009 ANSWER KEY

In 1733 AD, Raja Badan Singh 's adopted son, Suraj Mal had shown signs of promise, when he captured the fort of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, the rival chief, whom he killed and thus laid the foundation of Bharatpur City.

Maharaja Suraj Mal displayed immense courage and carved a niche for himself in the midst of political disorder. Gathering around him fiercely martial Jat peasants, he went from one success to another. He accompanied Emperor Muhammed Shah against Ali Muhammed Ruhela and in 1748 AD, at the battle of Bagru he led the Jaipur vanguard against the Marathas. He also defeated the commander-in-chief of the Mughal emperor. Despite being a very religious man he was secular.

The history of Bharatpur dates back to the epic age, when the Matsya Kingdom flourished here in the 5th century BC The matsya were allies of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. According to tradition the name of Bharatpur is traced to Bharat, the brother of lord Rama of Ayodhya whose other brother Laxman was given the high place of family deity of the ruling family of Bharatpur. His name also appears in the state seals and coat-of-arms.Bharatpur, which is also called the Eastern gateway of Rajasthan, was found by Maharaja Suraj mal in 1733 AD. Raja Badan Singh’s adopted son, Suraj Mal had shown signs of promise, when he captured the fort of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, the rival chief, whom he killed and thus laid the foundation of Bharatpur City. Maharaja Suraj Mal displayed immense courage and carved a niche for himself in the midst of political disorder. Gathering around him fiercely martial Jat peasants, he went from one success to another. He accompanied Emperor Mohammed Shah against Ali Mohammed Ruhela and in 1748 AD, at the battle of Bagru he led the Jaipur vanguard against the Marathas. He also defeated the commander- in –Chief of the Mughal emperor.

Bharatpur is regarded as the ‘Eastern Gateway’ to Rajasthan, North India and is known for its famous Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary which is the finest in Asia. This National Park is situated at the border between the states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Created by the Maharajah of Bharatpur in the nineteenth century, Keoladeo was started as a shooting preserve, but was elevated to the status of a bird sanctuary in 1956 and upgraded to a national park in 1982 and is now a World Heritage site. The birdlife here includes several species of cormorants, egrets, pelicans, ibises, ducks and geese. Over 350 species of birds, migratory as well as local, inhabit the park. A distinguished annual visitor to the park is the rare Siberian crane. Keoladeo houses a wide variety of mammals and reptiles too.