Jaisalmer State

Last updated

Kingdom of Jaisalmer
1156–1947
Jaisalmer Flag.svg
Flag
COA of Jaisalmer State.svg
Coat of arms

Location of Jaisalmer within Rajputana circa 1525, with neighbouring polities. [1]
Jailsalmer within Rajputana.jpg
Jailsalmer State (orange) within Rajputana (yellow), 1909.

Area 
 1931
41,600 km2 (16,100 sq mi)
Population 
 1931
76,255
History 
 Established
1156
1947
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Blank.png Kingdom of Sambhar
Indian Union Flag of India.svg
Today part of Rajasthan, India
Coat of arms based on The Princely Armory. Publ. by The Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. Calcutta. 1877
Map of Jaisalmer State with the duchies of Satto, Pithala, Loharki, Lakhmana, Didhu, Kanod, Tota, Bhadariya, and Nachna Jaisalmer and Neighbours.svg
Map of Jaisalmer State with the duchies of Satto, Pithala, Loharki, Lakhmana, Didhu, Kanod, Tota, Bhadariya, and Nachna
This is the royal standard of erstwhile Jaisalmer Princely State. It continues to be royal flag of Bhatis. The flag still fly over the Jaisalmer fort and private properties of Bhati Rajputs. Jaisalmer Flag.svg
This is the royal standard of erstwhile Jaisalmer Princely State. It continues to be royal flag of Bhatis. The flag still fly over the Jaisalmer fort and private properties of Bhati Rajputs.
Maharawal Jaisal Singh, founder of Jaisalmer Fort. Jaisalmer founder.JPG
Maharawal Jaisal Singh, founder of Jaisalmer Fort.

The Kingdom of Jaisalmer was a Bhati Rajput kingdom in the far-western part of present-day Rajasthan, India, from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. In 1156 CE, Rawal Jaisal moved his capital from Ludarva to Jaisalmer because the former was vulnerable to attacks from Turko-Afghan and Baloch tribes. The descendants of Jaisal continued to exercise absolute control over Jaisalmer until 1818 CE, when a treaty of subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company bringing under British protection and sphere of influence. Known as the Maharawal, the native ruler of the princely state was entitled to a 15-gun salute. [3]

Contents

History

One Rupee coin of 1756, from the Princely state of Jaisalmer, minted during the reign of Ranjit Singh. One Rupee coin of 1756, from the Princely state of Jaisalmer, minted during the reign of Ranjit Singh, photographed from a personal collection, May 7, 2024.jpg
One Rupee coin of 1756, from the Princely state of Jaisalmer, minted during the reign of Ranjit Singh.

Early history

The royal dynasty of Jaisalmer claims to be descended from the deified hero Krishna. The Bhati rulers originally ruled parts of Afghanistan; their ancestor Rawal Gaj is believed to have founded the city of Gajni. According to James Tod, this city is present-day Ghazni in Afghanistan, while Cunningham identifies it as modern-day Rawalpindi.

His descendant Rawal Salivahan is believed to have founded the city of Sialkot and made it his new capital. Salivahan defeated the Saka Scythians in 78 CE at Kahror, assuming the title of Saka-ari (foe of the Sakas). Salivahan's grandson Rawal Bhati conquered several neighbouring regions. It is from him that the Bhati clan derives its name. [4]

Medieval history

The Bhati kingdom, marked as Multan in 800 CE Asia 800ad.jpg
The Bhati kingdom, marked as Multan in 800 CE

The state of Jaisalmer had its foundations in what remains of the Empire ruled by the Bhati dynasty from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. [5] Early Bhati rulers ruled over large empire stretching from Ghazni [6] in modern-day Afghanistan to Sialkot, Lahore and Rawalpindi in modern-day Pakistan [7] to Bhatinda, Muktsar & Hanumangarh in Modern day India. [8] The empire crumbled over time because of continuous invasions from the central Asia. According to Satish Chandra, the Hindu Shahis of Afghanistan made an alliance with the Bhati rulers of Multhan, because they wanted to end the slave raids made by the Turkic ruler of Ghazni, however the alliance was defeated by Alp Tigin in 977 CE. [9] Bhati dominions continued to be shifted towards the South as they ruled Multan, then finally got pushed into Cholistan and Jaisalmer where Rawal Devaraja built Dera Rawal / Derawar. [10] Jaisalmer was the new capital founded in 1156 by Maharawal Jaisal Singh and the state took its name from the capital.

Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 AD by the Rajput Rawal (ruler) Jaisal. Jaisalmer forteresse.jpg
Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 AD by the Rajput Rawal (ruler) Jaisal.

Modern history (Princely state of Jaisalmer)

On 11 December 1818 Jaisalmer became a British protectorate in the Rajputana Agency. [11] [10]

Traditionally, in the Middle Ages, the main source of income for the kingdom was levies on caravans, but the economy was heavily affected when Bombay emerged as a major port and sea trade replaced the traditional land routes. Maharawal Ranjit Singh and Bairi Sal Singh attempted to turn around the economic decline but the dramatic reduction in trade impoverished the kingdom. A severe drought and the resulting famine from 1895 to 1900, during the reign of Maharawal Salivahan Singh, only made matters worse by causing widespread loss of the livestock that the increasingly agriculturally based kingdom relied upon.

The attempts of Maharawal Jawahir Singh (1914–1949) at modernization were also not entirely successful in turning the kingdom's economy around, and the drylands of Jaisalmer remained backward compared with other regions of Rajputana, especially the neighbouring state of Jodhpur. Nonetheless, the extensive water storage and supply, sanitation, and health infrastructures developed in the 1930s by the prime minister Dewan Bahadur Brijmohan Nath Zutshi provided significant relief during the severe droughts of 1941 and 1951. Maharawal During 1930–1947, Jawahir Singh and his ministers also promoted technical education and the academic disciplines of civil and mechanical engineering in the state.

After the departure of the British from India in 1947, the Maharawal signed an Instrument of Accession to the new Union of India, while retaining some internal autonomy until the 1950s.

List of rulers

Rawals

(1153–1168), official founder of the kingdom

Maharawals

Titular rulers

Dewans

  1. Mohata Nathmal (1885–1890)
  2. Thakur kado singh (1890-1895)
  3. Mehta Jagjiwan (1895–1903)
  4. Thakur Kushal Singh (acting) (1890?–1900)
  5. Rawatmal Purohit Khetrapalia (acting) (1900–1909)
  6. Lakshmi Das Sapat (1909–1911)
  7. Mohammed Niyaz Ali Kazi (1911–1912)
  8. Murarji Rooji (1912–1930)
  9. M.L. Khosala
  10. Pandit Jamana Lal
  11. Munshi Nand Kishore
  12. Lala Rakhpat Raj
  13. P.K. Shurugula
  14. Brij Mohan Nath Zutshi
  15. Anand Swaroop
  16. Onkar Singh
  17. Lakhpat Rai Sikund (1940–1942)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thar Desert</span> Large arid region in India and Pakistan

The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-largest hot subtropical desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajputana Agency</span> Former political office of the British Indian Empire

The Rajputana Agency was a political office of the British Indian Empire dealing with a collection of native states in Rajputana, under the political charge of an Agent reporting directly to the Governor-General of India and residing at Mount Abu in the Aravalli Range. The total area of the states falling within the Rajputana Agency was 127,541 square miles (330,330 km2), with eighteen states and two estates or chiefships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaisalmer</span> City in Rajasthan, India

Jaisalmer, nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located 575 kilometres (357 mi) west of the state capital Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer District. Before Indian independence, the town served as the capital of the Jaisalmer State, ruled by the Bhati Rajputs. Jaisalmer stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples of both the fort and of the town below are built of finely sculptured yellow sandstone. The town lies in the heart of the Thar Desert and has a population, including the residents of the fort, of about 78,000. Jaisalmer ranked 9th on Booking.com's Top 10 The Most Welcoming cities in the world. It is the only Indian city on the list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marwar</span> Region in Rajasthan, India

Marwar is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. The word 'maru' is Sanskrit for desert. In Rajasthani languages, "wad" means a protected area. English translation of the word 'marwar' is the region protected by desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanumangarh</span> City in Rajasthan, India

Hanumangarh is a city and municipal council in the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar also identified as ancient Sarasvati river, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative headquarter of Hanumangarh District. The city was once called Bhatner because it was founded by king Bhupat in 255 AD. It remained in the control of the Rajputs of Bhati clan and faced a historic siege by Timur in 1391, during which the Bhati Raput king Dulachand lost the fort for a short time. The fort was later occupied by Rao Jetsa of Bikaner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhati</span> Rajput clan

Bhati is a clan of Rajputs. The Bhati dynasty historically ruled over Jaisalmer, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maldeo Rathore</span> Rao of Marwar (1511–1562)

Rao Maldeo Rathore was a king of the Rathore dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Marwar in present day state of Rajasthan. Maldeo ascended the throne in 1531 CE, inheriting a small ancestral principality of Rathore's but after a long period of military actions against his neighbours, Maldeo swept significant territories which included parts of present day Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Sindh. He refused to ally with either the Sur Empire or the Mughal Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaisalmer Fort</span> Fort in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is one of the very few "living forts" in the world, as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides within the fort. For the better part of its 860-year history, the fort was the city of Jaisalmer. The first settlements outside the fort walls, to accommodate the growing population of Jaisalmer, are said to have come up in the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bada Bagh</span> Garden complex with royal chhatri cenotaphs in Rajasthan, India

Bada Bagh, also called Barabagh is a garden complex located about six kilometers north of Jaisalmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Overlooking a mango grove sits a set of royal chhatri cenotaphs constructed by the Maharajas of the Jaisalmer State in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Rajasthan</span> Brief history of the Indian state of Rajasthan

The history of human settlement in the western Indian state of Rajasthan dates back to about 100,000 years ago. Around 5000 to 2000 BCE many regions of Rajasthan belonged as the site of the Indus Valley Civilization. Kalibangan is the main Indus site of Rajasthan, here fire altars have been discovered, similar to those found at Lothal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Jaisalmer</span> Aspect of history

Jaisalmer state is a region of Western Rajasthan state in western India. It lies in the southern part of Thar Desert.

Rawal or Raol is a regional variation of the Hindi princely ruler title Raja/Radjah used in some princely states in Rajputana and Western India, and is now also used as a caste designation or surname by several communities in Southern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karauli State</span> Indian princley state (1348 - 1949)

Karauli State was a princely state in the north eastern edge of modern day Rajasthan, India from 1348 to 1949. It is located in the cultural Braj region. Karauli city was the capital while Mandrayal or Mandrail was another important town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dungarpur State</span> Historical state

Dungarpur State was a princely state during the British Raj. Its capital was the city of Dungarpur in the southernmost area of present-day Rajasthan State in India. In 1901 the total population of Dungarpur State was 100,103, while that of the town was 6,094.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodhruva</span> Place in Rajasthan, India

Lodrawa is a village in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, India. It is located 15 kilometers to the north-west of Jaisalmer. Lodrawa was the ancient capital of the Bhati Rajputs until Rawal Jaisal founded the Jaisalmer state and moved the capital to Jaisalmer in 1156 CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill Forts of Rajasthan</span> UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern India

Hill Forts of Rajasthan are six forts, spread across Rajasthan state in northern India. They have been clustered as a series and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. The hill forts series include—Chittor Fort at Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort at Rajsamand, Ranthambore Fort at Sawai Madhopur, Gagron Fort at Jhalawar, Amer Fort at Jaipur and Jaisalmer Fort at Jaisalmer.

Malika Jahan was a Jaisalmer princess, and wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lodhurva Jain temple</span> Jain temples in the state of Rajasthan

Lodhurva Jain temple is a Jain temple in the Lodhruva village of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan.

Ratnu, also spelt as Ratanu or Ratnoo, is a major clan of the Charanas in Rajasthan.

References

  1. Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 147, map XIV.4 (a). ISBN   0226742210.
  2. "Jaisalmer". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  3. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 24, p. 386.
  4. "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 14, page 2 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library".
  5. Sukhdev (2 October 2023). "Which dynasty ruled to Jaisalmer princely state?". Studentera. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  6. "Rajasthan or the Central and Western Rajpoot States, Volume 2, page 197-198". Higginbotham And Co. Madras. 14 August 2018.
  7. "Imperial Gazetter of India, Volume 21, page 272 - Imperial Gazetteer of India - Digital South Asia Library". Dsal.uchicago.edu. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  8. "Bhatinda Government: District at A glance- Origin". Bhatinda Government. 14 August 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  9. Medieval India 1206-1526 part one, pg.17 by Satish Chandra
  10. 1 2 "Provincial Gazetteers Of India: Rajputana". Government of India. 14 August 2018.
  11. Princely States of India
  12. "Chaitanya Raj Singh becomes the 44th Maharawal of Jaisalmer". firstindia.co.in. Retrieved 11 September 2022.

26°55′N70°54′E / 26.92°N 70.9°E / 26.92; 70.9