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Kingdom of Jaisalmer

Coordinates:26°55′N70°54′E/ 26.92°N 70.9°E/26.92; 70.9
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Kingdom of Jaisalmer
1156–1947
Flag of Jaisalmer
Flag
Coat of arms of Jaisalmer
Coat of arms

Location of Jaisalmer withinRajputanacirca 1525, with neighbouring polities.[1]
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
Kingdom of Sambhar
Indian Union
Today part ofRajasthan,India
Coat of arms based onThe Princely Armory.Publ. by The Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. Calcutta. 1877
Map of Jaisalmer State with theduchiesof Satto, Pithala, Loharki, Lakhmana, Didhu, Kanod, Tota, Bhadariya, and Nachna
This is the royal standard of erstwhile Jaisalmer Princely State.[2]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 ofJaisalmer Fort.

TheKingdom of Jaisalmerwas a kingdom ofBhatiRajputsin the far-western part of present-dayRajasthan, India,from the mid-12th century CE until 1947. In 1156 CE,Rawal Jaisalmoved his capital fromLodhruvatoJaisalmerbecause 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 ofsubsidiary alliancewith theBritish East India Companybringing 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]

History

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One Rupee coin of 1756, from the Princely state of Jaisalmer, minted during the reign of Ranjit Singh.

Early history

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The royal dynasty of Jaisalmer claims to be descended from the deified heroKrishna.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-dayGhazniin Afghanistan, while Cunningham identifies it as modern-dayRawalpindi.

His descendant Rawal Salivahan is believed to have founded the city ofSialkotand made it his new capital. Salivahan defeated theSaka Scythiansin 78 CE at Kahror, assuming the title of Saka-ari (foe of theSakas). Salivahan's grandsonRao Bhatticonquered several neighbouring regions. It is from him that the Bhati clan derives its name.[4]

Medieval history

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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 fromGhazni[6]in modern-day Afghanistan toSialkot,LahoreandRawalpindiin modern-day Pakistan[7]toBhatinda,Muktsar&Hanumangarhin 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 builtDera Rawal / Derawar.[10]Jaisalmer was the new capital founded in 1156 byMaharawal Jaisal Singhand the state took its name from the capital.

Jaisalmer Fort,built in 1156 AD by theRajputRawal (ruler)Jaisal.

Modern history (Princely state of Jaisalmer)

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On 11 December 1818 Jaisalmer became aBritish protectoratein theRajputana Agency.[11][10]

Traditionally, in the Middle Ages, the main source of income for the kingdom was levies oncaravans,but the economy was heavily affected whenBombayemerged 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 severedroughtand the resultingfaminefrom 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 ofRajputana,especially the neighbouring state ofJodhpur.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 anInstrument of Accessionto the newUnion of India,while retaining some internal autonomy until the 1950s.

List of rulers

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Rawals

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  • Gaj Sen (said to have foundedGhazni)
  • Shalivahan I (194-227) said to have foundedSialkot
  • Balbandh (227-279)
  • Bhatti (279-297) the dynasty gets its name from Raja Bhatti
  • Bhupat (295-338) foundedBhatner
  • Bhim (338-359)
  • Sat Rao (359-397)
  • Khemkaran (397-425)
  • Narpat (425-465)
  • Gaj (465-474)
  • Loman Rao (474-482)
  • Ran Si (482-499)
  • Bhoj Si (499-519)
  • Mangal Rao (519-559) ruled from Mumunwahan
  • Mandh Rao (559-610) ruled fromMaroth
  • Sur Sen (610-645)
  • Raghu Rao (645-656)
  • Mulraj I (656-682)
  • Udai Rao (682-729)
  • Manjh Rao (729-759)
  • Kehar I (759-805) ruled fromTanot
  • Tan Rao (805-820)
  • Vijay Rao I (820-841)
  • Rawal Devraj (852-965) ruled fromDerawarfirst to adopt the title of "Rawal"
  • Rawal Mundhji (965-978) ruled fromLodhruva
  • Rawal Meghji (978-1056)
  • Rawal Vachhji (1056-1098)
  • Rawal Dusajji (1098-1122)
  • Rawal Vijay Rao II (1122-1147)
  • Rawal Bhojdev (1147-1152)

Rawal Jaisal Singh(1153–1168) ruled from Jaisalmer,the official founder of the kingdom

  • Rawal Shalivahan Singh II (1168–1200)
  • Rawal Bijal Singh (1200–1200)
  • Rawal Kailan Singh (1200–1219)
  • Rawal Chachak Dev Singh (1219–1241)
  • Rawal Karan Singh I (1241–1271)
  • Rawal Lakhan Sen (1271–1275)
  • Rawal Punpal Singh (1275–1276)
  • Rawal Jait Singh I (1276–1294)
  • Rawal Mulraj Singh II (1294–1295)
  • Rawal Durjan Sal (Duda) (1295–1306)
  • Rawal Gharsi Singh (1306–1335)
  • Rawal Kehar Singh II (1335–1402)
  • Rawal Lachman Singh (1402–1436)
  • Rawal Bersi Singh (1436–1448)
  • Rawal Chachak Dev Singh II (1448–1457)
  • Rawal Devidas Singh (1457–1497)
  • Rawal Jait Singh II (1497–1530)
  • Rawal Karan Singh II (1530–1530)
  • Rawal Lunkaran Singh (1530–1551)
  • Rawal Maldev Singh (1551–1562)
  • Rawal Harraj Singh (1562–1578)
  • Rawal Bhim Singh (1578–1624)
  • Rawal Kalyan Das (1624–1634)
  • Rawal Manohar Das (1634–1648)
  • Rawal Ramchandra Dev (1648–1651)
  • Rawal Sabal Singh (1651–1661)

Maharawals

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  • Maharawal Amar Singh (1661–1702)
  • Maharawal Jaswant Singh (1702–1708)
  • Maharawal Budh Singh (1708–1722)
  • Maharawal Akhai Singh (1722–1762)
  • Maharawal Mulraj Singh III (1762–1820)
  • Maharawal Gaj Singh (1820–1846)
  • Maharawal Ranjit Singh (1846–1864)
  • HH Rukn-ud-Daula Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Param Bhattarak Shri Maharawalji Bairi Sir Bairi Sal Singh Dev Bahadur Yadukul Chandra Bhal Muzaffar Jung Bijaimand (1864–1891)
  • HH Rukn-ud-Daula Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Param Bhattarak Shri Maharawalji Bairi Sir Shalivahan Singh Dev Bahadur III Yadukul Chandra Bhal Muzaffar Jung Bijaimand (1891 –1914)
  • HH Rukn-ud-Daula Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Param Bhattarak Shri Maharawalji Bairi Sir Jawahar Singh Dev Bahadur Yadukul Chandra Bhal Muzaffar Jung Bijaimand (1914–1949) last ruler of the state.
  • HH Rukn-ud-Daula Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Param Bhattarak Shri Maharawalji Bairi Sir Girdhar Singh Dev Bahadur Yadukul Chandra Bhal Muzaffar Jung Bijaimand (1949–1950) he was instrumental in merging his former state withRajasthanUnionin the year 1949 formingGreater Rajasthanin 1950.

Titular rulers

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Dewans

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  • List ofDewans(chief ministers)
  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

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References

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  1. ^Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978).A Historical atlas of South Asia.Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 147, map XIV.4 (a).ISBN0226742210.Archivedfrom the original on 25 February 2021.Retrieved24 January2023.
  2. ^"Jaisalmer".www.crwflags.com.Archivedfrom the original on 21 April 2021.Retrieved16 April2021.
  3. ^"Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 24, p. 386".Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2021.Retrieved20 February2021.
  4. ^"Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 14, page 2 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library".Archivedfrom the original on 11 January 2021.Retrieved17 August2019.
  5. ^"Q. Which dynasty ruled to Jaisalmer princely state?".2 October 2023.Retrieved20 September2024.
  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.Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2013.Retrieved22 November2013.
  8. ^"Bhatinda Government: District at A glance- Origin".Bhatinda Government. 14 August 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 10 January 2011.Retrieved14 August2018.
  9. ^Medieval India 1206-1526 part one, pg.17 by Satish Chandra
  10. ^ab"Provincial Gazetteers Of India: Rajputana".Government of India. 14 August 2018.
  11. ^"Princely States of India".Archivedfrom the original on 20 May 2013.Retrieved14 August2018.
  12. ^"Chaitanya Raj Singh becomes the 44th Maharawal of Jaisalmer".firstindia.co.in.Retrieved11 September2022.
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26°55′N70°54′E/ 26.92°N 70.9°E/26.92; 70.9

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