Which Jat ruler of Bharatpur, known for his wisdom and political skill, was called the 'Plato of the Jat tribe' by historians?

Maharaja Suraj Mal (ruled about 1756-1763), the Jat ruler of Bharatpur, was called the "Plato of the Jat tribe" by historians, because of his wisdom, political skill and administrative ability.

The rise of the Jats:

• The Jats were a community of peasants living in the region around Delhi, Agra and Mathura.
• In the late 17th century, they rebelled against the Mughals under leaders such as Gokula and Rajaram.
• Churaman and Badan Singh built up Jat power in the early 18th century; Badan Singh founded the Jat kingdom of Bharatpur.

About Suraj Mal:

• He was born in 1707, the son of Badan Singh.
• He extended the Jat kingdom to include Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Mewat, Rohtak and parts of the Doab.
• He captured Agra in 1761, and took control of its fort.
• He built strong forts, especially the Lohagarh Fort ("iron fort") at Bharatpur, which the British could not capture easily in 1805.
• He was an able administrator, who encouraged agriculture and maintained good relations with the peasants.
• He was known as a skilled diplomat, who maintained his independence among the Mughals, the Marathas, the Afghans and the Rohillas.

The Third Battle of Panipat (1761):

• Suraj Mal advised the Maratha commander Sadashivrao Bhau to leave the women and heavy baggage behind and use guerrilla tactics against Ahmad Shah Abdali.
• When his advice was rejected, he withdrew from the Maratha camp.
• After the Maratha defeat at Panipat, he gave shelter and help to the retreating Maratha soldiers.

His death:

He was killed in an ambush near Delhi on 25 December 1763, in a battle with the Rohilla chief Najib-ud-Daula.

His successors:

His son Jawahar Singh succeeded him, but the Jat power declined after Suraj Mal.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Churaman, Badan Singh and Jawahar Singh were other Jat leaders; the title "Plato of the Jat tribe" was given to Suraj Mal.