| Beni Singh | |
|---|---|
| Thakur | |
| Thakur ofMaihar | |
| Reign | c. 1770 – 4 July 1788 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Successor | Rajdhar Singh |
| Died | (1788-07-04)4 July 1788 |
| House |  Maihar |
Beni Singh (sometimesBeni Hazuri,Beeny Huzzoory orBenny Huzzcory) was theThakur ofMaihar from 1770 until his death in 1788.
Singh was the grandson of Bhim Singh, who served underChhatrasal.[1] He began his career from humble beginnings.[1]Hindupat Singh, theRaja ofPanna, appointed him as hisDiwan and granted himMaihar as ajagir in 1770.[2]Hindupat also conferred upon him the title ofRais.[3]
Upon the death ofHindupat Singh, he and Khemraj became the guardians of the minorAnirudh Singh, whomHindupat had named as his successor to the throne ofPanna, bypassing his eldest son, Sarnet Singh.[4][5] Meanwhile, he madeMaihar independent ofPanna suzerainty.[2] When Col. Leslie fell atChhatarpur in 1778, his successor, Col. Goddard, sought permission from Beni to pass throughPanna, but Beni refused.[6] Goddard later obtained permission from Khemraj.[2][6]
Both he and Khemraj were ambitious and warlike, and it did not take long for them to fall out.[4][5] Each of them wanted sole control over Panna, but Beni held the upper hand in state affairs.[7] The rivalry between them not only caused strife and tension inPanna but also fostered jealousy and distrust among the rulers acrossBundelkhand, leading to a series of wars of succession throughout the region.[7][8] Each ruler, whether ofPanna,Charkhari,Jaitpur, orBanda, aspired to bring about the ruin of the others.[8] Khemraj took up arms in support of Sarnet, fought Beni nearChitrakoot, and defeated him.[5] However, whenAnirudh died, they set aside their differences and backedDhokal Singh’s succession to the throne ofPanna.[5] As he was a minor, they could wield power during his minority.[5]
When Sarnet Singh sought the help of Arjun Singh, a renowned warrior and general who was the guardian of Bakht Singh (or Madhukar Shah) of Banda, Arjun readily set out to fight on his behalf.[5][7] His forces and those of Arjun Singh confronted each other at Gathewara nearChhatarpur.[7] His army comprised 7,000 cavalry, 1,000 infantry, and two battalions with five cannons, while Arjun's force had 7,000 cavalry, 5,000 infantry, and 15 cannons.[7] The battle took place on 4 July 1788 and lasted for nearly six hours.[7] During the fight, he was killed.[5][7] He left behind many monuments of his generosity throughoutBundelkhand in the form of numerous tanks and buildings.[9]
His son,Rajdhar Singh, succeeded him as theThakur ofMaihar.[9]