Kingdom of Amber

Jaipur State was a princely state in India during East India Company rule and thereafter under the British Raj. It signed a treaty creating a subsidiary alliance with the Company in 1818, after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. It acceded to independent India in 1947 and was integrated into India by 1949. Upon integration, the ruler was granted a pension (privy purse), certain privileges, and the use of the title ''Maharaja of Jaipur'' by the Government of India. However, the pension, privileges, and the use of the title were ended in 1971 by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.

History

Jaipur's predecessor state was the Kingdom of Dhundhar founded in 1093 by Dullah Rai, also known as Dulha Rao. The state was known as Amber between the fourteenth century and 1727. In that year, a new capital was built and named Jayapura, when the kingdom was renamed as Jaipur.

Mythical accounts

The Kachwaha Rajputs claim descent from Kusha, son of the legendary Rama. Their ancestors allegedly migrated from Rama's kingdom of Kosala and established a new dynasty at Gwalior. After 31 generations, they moved to Rajputana and created a kingdom at Dhundhar.

In 11th century, Dullah Rai, one of the ancestors of the Kachwaha rulers, defeated the Meenas of Khoh and Manchi and later completed the conquest of Dhundhar by defeating the Bargurjars of Dausa and Deoti.

Amber Kingdom

Amber was a Meena state, which was made the capital of Dhundhar after Khoh by Kakil Deo, the son of Dulherai, after defeating the Meenas.

The rulers of Amber fought as generals in the army of Prithviraj Chauhan and later under the banner of Rana Sanga against the Mughals under Babur. The small kingdom of Amber was later conquered by Maldev Rathore and became feudatories of Marwar for a while. In 1562, Raja Bharmal Kachhwaha, sought alliance with Akbar to gain his political and military support against the Mirza Sharfuddin Husain and his own divided clansmen. He was invested into the Mughal nobility and his daughter's marriage was fixed to Emperor Akbar. Raja Bharmal's daughter, Mariam-uz-Zamani, who married Akbar, later became the mother of the
fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir. She gained prestige in the Mughal court both during the reign of her husband and that of her son as Empress and Queen mother respectively. The Rajas of Amer also gained significant prominence in the Mughal court due to Akbar's need of trustworthy generals against his treacherous Uzbek and other turkic generals and Afghan Rebels.

The son of Raja Bharmal, Bhagwant Das and his grandson Kunwar Man Singh were given service in Mughal Empire and Raja Bharwal Returned to his kingdom.

The ruling dynasty of Amber prospered under Mughal rule and provided the Mughal Empire with some distinguished generals. Among them were Bhagwant Das, Man Singh I, Jai Singh I and Jai Singh II.

Jaipur Kingdom

Jai Singh I was succeeded by Ram Singh I, Bishan Singh and Jai Singh II. Jai Singh II, also known as Sawai Jai Singh, ruled the state from 1699 to 1743 and was a famous mathematician and astronomer. During his rule, the new capital city of Jaipur was founded in 1727.

Throughout the disintegration of the Mughal Empire, the armies of Jaipur were in a constant state of warfare. Towards the end of the 18th century, the Jats of Bharatpur and the Kachwaha chief of Alwar declared themselves independent from Jaipur and each annexed the eastern portion of Jaipur's territory. This period of Jaipur's history is characterised by internal power-struggles and constant military conflicts with the Marathas, Jats, other Rajput states, as well as the British and the Pindaris. Jaipur defeated Maratha forces of Mahadji Scindia in the Battle of Lalsot 1787 suffered against the Rathors of Marwar in the Battle of Gangwana with appalling losses. The kingdom again suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Maratha forces of Mahadji Scindia in the Battle of Patan in 1790, forcing the rulers of Jaipur to pay heavy tributes. Nevertheless, enough wealth remained in Jaipur for the patronage of fine temples/palaces, continuity of its courtly traditions and the well-being of its citizens and merchant communities. Jaipur fought the army of Mahadji Scindia's successor Daulatrao in 1800 in alliance with Marwar, but were defeated again at the Battle of Malpura. The Jaipur rulers also made large scale ''punya-udik'' (charitable) grants to many Charans, Brahmans, Bhats (bards) and various Vaishnavite institutions. A treaty was initially made by Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh and the British under Governor General Marquis Wellesley in 1803, however the treaty was dissolved shortly afterwards by Wellesley's successor, Lord Cornwallis. In this event, Jaipur's Ambassador to Lord Lake observed that "This was the first time, since the English government was established in India, that it had been known to make its faith subservient to its convenience".

In 1818, after the Third Anglo-Maratha War Jaipur became a British protectorate by entering into a subsidiary alliance. In 1835 there was a serious disturbance in the city because of a false rumour that the British had murdered the infant raja to ensure the annexation, after which the British government intervened. The state later became well-governed and prosperous. During the Indian rebellion of 1857, when the British invoked the treaty to request assistance in the suppression of rebellious sepoys, the Maharaja opted to preserve his treaty, and thus sent in troops to help to subdue the uprisings in the area around Gurgaon.

Jaipur state had a revenue of Rs.65,00,000 in 1901, making it the wealthiest princely state in Rajputana.

Jaipur's last princely ruler signed the accession to the Indian Union on 7 April 1949.

Padmanabh Singh is the current head of the erstwhile royal family that once ruled Jaipur. Estimates of the royal family's wealth vary, but Singh is estimated to control a fortune of between $697 million and $2.8 billion.

List of rulers

The rulers are Rajputs of the Kachwaha clan. The list of rulers and titular rulers are as follows:

Rulers

* 27 Dec 966 – 15 Dec 1006 Sorha Deva (d. 1006)
* 15 Dec 1006 – 28 Nov 1036 ' Dulha Rao' (d. 1036)
* 28 Nov 1036 – 20 Apr 1039 Kakil (d. 1039)
* 21 Apr 1039 – 28 Oct 1053 Hanu (d. 1053)
* 28 Oct 1053 – 21 Mar 1070 Janddeo (d. 1070)
* 22 Mar 1070 – 20 May 1094 Pajjun Rai (d. 1094)
* 20 May 1094 – 15 Feb 1146 Malayasi (d. 1146)
* 15 Feb 1146 – 25 Jul 1179 Vijaldeo (d. 1179)
* 25 Jul 1179 – 16 Dec 1216 Rajdeo (d. 1216)
* 16 Dec 1216 – 18 Oct 1276 Kilhan (d. 1276)
* 18 Oct 1276 – 23 Jan 1317 Kuntal (d. 1317)
* 23 Jan 1317 – 6 Nov 1366 Jonsi (d. 1366)
* 6 Nov 1366 – 11 Feb 1388 Udaikarn (d. 1388)
* 11 Feb 1388 – 16 Aug 1428 Narsingh (d. 1428)
* 16 Aug 1428 – 20 Sep 1439 Banbir (d. 1439)
* 20 Sep 1439 – 10 Dec 1467 Udharn (d. 1467)
* 10 Dec 1467 – 17 Jan 1503 Chandrasen (d. 1503)
* 17 Jan 1503 – 4 Nov 1527 Prithviraj Singh I (d. 1527)
* 4 Nov 1527 – 19 Jan 1534 Puranmal (d. 1534)
* 19 Jan 1534 – 22 Jul 1537 Bhim Singh (d. 1537)
* 22 Jul 1537 – 15 May 1548 Ratan Singh (d. 1548)
* 15 May 1548 – 1 June 1548 Askaran (d. 1599)
* 1 June 1548 – 27 Jan 1574 Bharmal (d. 1574)
* 27 Jan 1574 – 4 Dec 1589 Bhagwant Das (b. 1527 – d. 1589)
* 4 Dec 1589 – 6 Jul 1614 Man Singh (b. 1550 – d. 1614)
* 6 Jul 1614 – 13 Dec 1621 Bhau Singh (d. 1621)
* 13 Dec 1621 – 28 Aug 1667 Jai Singh I (b. 1611 – d. 1667)
* 10 Sep 1667 – 30 Apr 1688: Ram Singh I (b. 1640 – d. 1688)
* 30 Apr 1688 – 19 Dec 1699: Bishan Singh (b. 1672 – d. 1699)
* 19 Dec 1699 – 21 Sep 1743: Jai Singh II (b. 1688 – d. 1743)
* 1743 – 12 Dec 1750: Ishwari Singh (b. 1721 – d. 1750)
* 1750 – 5 Mar 1768: Madho Singh I (b. 1728 – d. 1768)
* 1768 – 13 Apr 1778: Prithvi Singh II (b. 1762 – d. 1778)
* 1778 – 1803: Pratap Singh (b. 1764 – d. 1803)
* 1803 – 21 Nov 1818: Jagat Singh II (b. ... – d. 1818)
* 22 Dec 1818 – 25 Apr 1819: Mohan Singh (regent) (b. 1809 – d. ...)
* 25 Apr 1819 – 6 Feb 1835: Jai Singh III (b. 1819 – d. 1835)
* Feb 1835 – 18 Sep 1880: Ram Singh II (b. 1835 – d. 1880)
* 18 Sep 1880 – 7 Sep 1922: Madho Singh II (b. 1861 – d. 1922)
* 7 Sep 1922 – 15 Aug 1947 (subsidiary): Sawai Man Singh II (b. 1912 – d. 1970)
* 15 Aug 1947 – 7 Apr 1949 (independent): Sawai Man Singh II (b. 1912 – d. 1970)
''He merged Jaipur State in Union of India in 1949 CE.''

Titular rulers

The titular rulers of the Jaipur State includes:

* 7 Apr 1949 – 24 Jun 1970: Sawai Man Singh II
* 24 Jun 1970 – 28 Dec 1971: Sawai Bhawani Singh
* June 2011 - Present: Sawai Padmanabh Singh (b. 1931 – d. 2011)

Other family members

* Diya Kumari

Jaipur Residency

The Jaipur Residency was established in 1821. It included the states of Jaipur, Kishangarh and Lawa. The latter had belonged to the Haraoti-Tonk Agency until 1867.Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 16, p. 156.
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See also

* History of Jaipur
* Jaipur

Notes

References

{{Authority control

History of Jaipur
Princely states of Rajasthan
Rajputs
Rajputana Agency
1128 establishments in Asia
1949 disestablishments in India
12th-century establishments in India
Rajput princely states