Brief History Of Jaipur - The Pink City
The historic city of Jaipur (The
City of Victory) was founded in 1727 A.D. by the great Kachhawah ruler Sawai
Jai Singh II (1700 - 1747 A.D.). The monarch was not only a great builder
but also a great poet and an astronomer. Under his aegis, the city was designed
by his talented architect Vidyadhar, who gave shape to the creative aspirations
of Sawai Jai Singh in the form of the dream city of Jaipur.
Jai Singh II was supremely talented - politically, intellectually and also
on the battlefield, He was also known as the warrior-astronomer. In 1696 he
had earned the title of ‘ Sawai ’ meaning ' One and a Quarter'
(Intelligence) from emperor Aurangzeb after the emperor was impressed by his
wit and pluck, a title which was proudly borne by all of Jai Singh's descendants.
The Kingdom of Kachhawahas spread a lot in the entire sphere, eventually encompassing
a large area which abutted the kingdoms of Mewar (Udaipur region) and Marwar
(Jodhpur region). The history of Kachhawahas can be traced back to Duleh Rai,
son of Sodh Dev, the Kachhawaha of ruler of Narwar (Near Gwalior), migrated
to Dausa.
Duleh Rai was a Kachhawahas who could trace his lineage to Rama, hero of
the sun-born dynasty immortalized in Ramayana. He was married to the daughter
of Chauhans of Ajmer. Duleh Rai’s also known as ' Tej Karan', his son
Kabil Dev is known to have established dynastic rule in Amber which was the
most important stronghold of the Minas.
Amber is situated 11 kms out of Jaipur in the route of Delhi. The Kachhawahas
originally hailed from Narwar (Near Gwalior) where they reigned for over 800
years. A martial alliance between to Kachhawahas prince, Tej Karan, and to
Rajput princess of Chauhans of Ajmer resulted in the capturing of the region
of Dausa. Tej Karan was able to defeat the Bargujras who ruled half of Dausa,
the other half being under the dominance of the Chauhans.
Tej Karan's descendants converted the hill top on which Fort Amber was later
built, recognizing its Virtue as a potential military stronghold. The original
Site was eventually princed from its inhabitants, the susawat Minas, and the
Minas were granted guardship of the Kachhawahas treasury in return.
The Kachhawahas, despite being devout Hindu belonging to the Kshatriya (warrior)
caste, recognized the expediency of aligning themselves with the powerful
Mughal Empire. They paid homage at the Mughal court, and cemented the relationship
with marital alliances. They were handsomely rewarded for their bravery defending
the mughals in their various skirmishes. With war loots they were able to
finance construction of the fortress palace at Amber, which began in 1592
by Maharaja Man Singh, the Rajput commander of Akbar's Army. Man Singh was
known to be a navratna (One of the Nine Jewels) in the court of Akbar.
Maharaja Man Singh
He ruled from 1590-1619 had a multi-faceted personality with varied interests.
He started workshops and departments devoted to art, crafts, literature and
the performing arts. Some of the Crafts Traditions for which Jaipur is famous
for are like Minachari, paper mashing and carpet weaving, were introduced
by him with craftsmen being brought in from Lahore, Sialkot, and Gujarat.
He patronized many poets, authors, and scholars at his court and was fond
of dance, music and drama.
Raja Man Singh is known to have brought these three deities of "Sangamar
ka Sanga Baba / Jaipur Ka Hanuman / Amber ki Shila Devi" as said in the
above popular saying. The sect of Sangababa is in Sanganer, the image of Hanuman
at the entrance of the gate of Chand pol bazar and the idol of Shila Devi
is at Amber.
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II
He had earned both the title of Maharaja in 1707 and Sawai in 1713. The Kachhawahas
recognized the expediency of aligning themselves with the powerful mughal
emperor. However Jai Singh incurred the displeasure of Aurangzeb successor
of Bahadur Shah, who came in 1707.
Bahadur shah's accession which controlled by his younger brother, Azam Shah
and Jai Singh unfortunately supported the younger brother's bid for power.
Bahadur shah, was eventually given the Delhi throne, retaliated by invading
Amber and ousting the Young Jai Singh and installing younger Vijay Singh into
his place. He regained the capital with the help of Udaipur and Jodhpur (marrying
one princes each form the states) in 1708, and eventually reconsolidate his
rule.
The wealth of the kingdom increased exponentially, and this together with
the need to accommodate the ever burgeoning population and paucity of water
at the old capital Amber, prompted the Maharaja in 1727 to commence work on
a new City he named after himself -- Jaipur.
It was a collaborative endeavor, the synthesis of union of the Maharaja and
the impressive expertise of his chief architect, Vidyasagar. Jai Singh's Strong
grounding in the sciences is reflected in the precise symmetry of the new
city which, as appeared to the other unplanned and labyrinthine cities which
predominated in North India at that time, was laid out according to the strict
principles of town planning set down in the "Shilpa Shastra" an
ancient Hindu creative architecture. In the year 1728 - 34 he built the Jantar
Mantar (j(y)antra = instrument, device; mantra = magic formula) his open air
observatory or outside astronomical instrument. In mathematics and astronomy,
as in war and town- planning, Jai Singh did nothing by halves -- his scientific
inventiveness were supposed to property emerged when, aged 13, he devised
an irrigation system to water the hanging gardens of Amber Fort.
The most central of the seven right-angled comprises of city Palace complex,
containing the Palace itself, the administrative quarters, the Jantar Mantar
(Jai Singh' S remarkable observatory) and the janana mahals or the women’s
Palaces, where the maharajas held dubious honor of maintaining more wives
than any of his predecessors, although most of these alliances were motivated
more by political expediency than by amorous compulsions.
As ardent of Vaishvanite in 1714 he reinstated the image of Govind dev, removing
it from the impressive red sandstone temple built by his ancestor Raja Man
Singh, at Vrindavan and later installed it in 1719 within the city Palace
complex.
The City was not an first year aesthetic Triumph; its stout walls served
to protect its in inhabitants from invaders, encouraged merchants and trades
people to flock here and further serving to enhance -- the city' s growth
and prosperity. Jai Singh’s Interest in the Arts, Sciences and Religion
fostered to their development in Jaipur, and the royal court became a centre
of an intellectual and artistic endeavor. As a scholar and owner of Arts,
He attracted some of the most learned scholars, astronomers, teachers, writers,
poets, architects, lawyers, painters and preachers to his court. An extraordinary
amount of literary activities took place in his reign, surpassing in its ranges
and volume any of his predecessors of successor.
Sawai Pratap Singh
Sawai Pratap Singh became the Maharaja at the Age of 14 after the death of
his brother Prithivi Singh. He ruled from 1778 to 1803. His 25 year rule witnessed
many spectacular achievements and strategic failures. Being constantly goaded
by the Marathas and the mughals He had to face repeated threats and has heavy
drainage of funds. He is known as the great ruler of Jaipur for his sincere
devotion to Lord Krishna. The fountains behind the Govind Dev temple are credited
to him, his poetic talent and patronage of Arts and Crafts. The finest example
of his connoisseur ship is the single and unique monument of Hava Mahal--the
Palace of the Winds. Writing under the penname Brijnidhi, He composed many
poems and songs in broad variety of meters.
Sawai Ram Singh II
He ruled from 1835 till 1880, He was known as the colorful Maharaja, He was
different from his ancestors in most regards and was an ardent Vaishaivite.
He was a Shaivite, year burning devotee of Shiva. He had some very modern
stretches, enjoyed photography and is the very first great premium who martyred
ball room dancing. Ram Singh II was a great connoissor of Music and was adept
at playing the Veena - a multi stringed instrument. He was also a reformist
and it was in his reign that slavery, child infanticide and the cruel custom
of Sati were officially abolished in Jaipur in 1839. The City of Jaipur benefited
largely from his closed rapport with the British which constructively manifested
itself in the toilets works, the gas lights, roads, Sanskrit collages as well
as The Maharaja School of Arts and Crafts and the medical college. The Ram
Nivas garden was laid out in his time with the Albert hall museum at its heart.
Madao Singh II
He was the next ruler after Maharaja Ram Singh II got expired in 1880 and
he died heirless, as per the tradition if any King of Jaipur died heirless
the adoption of the first family would be from the Thakur of Thilai. But this
tradition was forsaken by ram Singh II when he chose the second so of the
Thakur of Isarda. At the Time of his adoption, Kayam Singh (Later Madho Singh
II) was employed in the Tonk cavalry as a sepoy. There am was about 18 years
old. Madao Singh II was devoutly religious. Despite his five marriages and
his 18 official mistresses, he was heirless. We can see the clothes and other
items of Madho Singh II at the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II museum, one remarkable
exhibit in Seth of voluminous clothes of Madho Singh II who was over two meters
tall, 1.3m wide and weighed 225 kg. He had made a lot of Progress to the State
of Jaipur and was rewarded by the British for his loyalty, he was made Honorary
Colonel of the 13th Rajputs. There was to lot of development in the state,
he had built a meter gauge live from Sangama to Sawai Madhopur which helped
Jaipur to get connected to various commercial centers. Many Hospitals, universities,
The Secretariat, residential colonies and colleges were built as well. Madho
Singh like his adoptive father had repeated history by adopting his Nephew
from Isarda, Kanwar Mormukat Singh, the younger of the two sons of Thakur
Sowai Singh of Isarda. Kanwar Mormukat Singh was later known as Sawai Man
Singh II.
Sawai Man Singh II
Sawai man Singh ruled from 1922 till 1949 when India gained Independence.
He was born on 21st August 1911 as MorMukut Singh son of Sawai Singh the Thakur
of Isarda and was chosen by Maharaja Madho Singh II to be the adopted heir
to the throne of Jaipur on 24th March 1921. The Viceroy of India later accepted
the adoption and he was named Sawai Man Singh II. Man Singh II was educated
in Jaipur itself, at Mayo College for Indian chiefs, at Ajmer and in England
where he gained an up-to-date knowledge of Modern militiary science at the
Royal Militiary Academy, Woodwich. He improved the water supply by building
RamGarh that supplied water to Jaipur. and lightening opened the state janana
hospital the Lady Wellingdon at Sanganer which was outside the capital. During
his reign, civic buildings such as schools, hospitals and secretariats were
built outside the original walls. Following the independence in 1947, the
status of the princely states was to change forever. In March 1949, Jaipur
merged the Rajput states of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner, Becoming Greater
Rajasthan. Jaipur was honored above the other states when the title Raj Pramukh
was conferred on Man Singh II who was inverted with administrative supervisor
of the new province. The title was later revoked, and Man Singh II was posted
as Indian ambassador to Spain. In 1956, Jaipur became the capital of the state
of Rajasthan. Horse Polo was very popular amongst the Maharajas, especially
during the British Raj. Man Singh II was the finest and most dashing Polo
player in the world, whose Polo team was champion in the European Polo circuit
in the 1930s. The Polo victory cinema in Jaipur, built by his Polo stick maker
commemorated a world record in the Sport. The "Big Four' consisting of
Maharaja Man Singh, Maharaja Prithvi Singh, Rao Raja Hanut Singh and Rao Raja
Abhey Singh had won DE hat the open tournaments Record which has never been
equaled. Man Singh actually hat died playing the loved Sport He, at Spiel
Polo in England in 1970.
Brig. H.H Sawai Bhawani Singh
PRESENT RULER: HH Sri Sawai Maharaja BHAWANI SINGH Bahadur, 11th Maharaja
and 39th Head of the Kachhawa Rajputs (1970/-) Born 22nd October 1931 in Jaipur,
educated in Kashmir, Dehradun and then at Harrow School (UK) 1946/1950, commissioned
into Indian Army in the 3rd Cavalry regiments as a Second Lieutenant in 1951,
selected for the Presidents bodyguard in 1954, posted to HQ 50 (Indep.) Para
Brigade in 1963, selected and posted as Adjutant, Indian Military Academy,
Dehradun 1964/1967, volunteered for the new Para Commando Unit and was posted
to 10 Para Commando as 2nd-in-command in June 1967, became the commanding
officer he in the following year, awarded the second highest gallantry award
"Mahavir Chakra" in 1971, for his part in the Indo-Pak war, took
voluntary retirement in 1974, was granted rank of Brigadier for life, served
as the first Resident High Commissioner to the State of Brunei from July 1993
to January 1997, married 10th March 1967, HH Maharani Saheba Padmini Devi
Prakash of Sirmur.