Dynasties of Rajasthan: Vagad, Jaisalmer, Karauli and Abu
In this article11
The edges of Rajasthan have their own dynasties. In the hills of the south, Sisodia branches built the states of Dungarpur, Banswara and Pratapgarh among the Bhils. In the western desert, the Bhatis raised a fort on Trikuta Hill that outlasted three sakas. In the east, the Yadavas of Karauli carried the memory of Mathura into the Bayana hills, and in the south-west the Paramaras ruled Abu from Chandravati. This is their story, from the founding of each state to its merger in 1948–49.
The states at a glance
| State | Dynasty | Founder and period | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungarpur | Guhila (Sisodia) | Samant Singh, 1197, in Vagad. Veer Singh Dev founded the town | Dungarpur |
| Banswara | Guhila (Sisodia) | Jagmal Singh, 1527 | Banswara |
| Pratapgarh | Sisodia | Surajmal, 1514 at Devgarh. Pratap Singh founded Pratapgarh | Devgarh, then Pratapgarh |
| Jaisalmer | Bhati, Yaduvanshi | Rawal Jaisal, 1156 | Jaisalmer |
| Karauli | Jadon, Yaduvanshi | Vijaypal, c. 1040 at Bayana. Arjun Pal, 1348 | Karauli |
| Abu (Chandravati) | Paramara | Early line from Dhumraj. Dharavarsha its greatest ruler | Chandravati |
Vagad: the Sisodias of Dungarpur and Banswara
Vagad (Bagar) is the hilly south of Rajasthan, the land of the Mahi, Som and Jakham rivers, and today’s Dungarpur and Banswara districts. Its people are mostly Bhils, and the Rajput states grew there by taking land from Bhil chiefs.
The coming of the Guhilas
In 1197, Samant Singh, the elder son of Karan Singh of Mewar, gave up his claim to the Mewar throne in favour of his younger brother and moved into Vagad. His family took control of the region over the next centuries.
Dungarpur
- Veer Singh Dev. Founded the state at its present site. He had the Bhil chief Dungaria killed and named the town Dungarpur after him, which means the town of the hills.
- Rawal Gopinath. Defeated Ahmad Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, and built Gaibsagar Lake at Dungarpur.
- Rawal Somdas. Turned back an invasion by Sultan Mahmud Shah and Ghiyasuddin.
- Maharawal Udai Singh I (to 1527). The most valiant ruler of Vagad. He joined Rana Sanga against Babur and was killed at Khanwa (1527).
The division of Vagad
After Udai Singh I’s death in 1527 his lands were divided between his two sons:
| Son | Share |
|---|---|
| Prithviraj (elder) | The western part, with the capital at Dungarpur |
| Jagmal (younger) | The eastern part, which became Banswara |
Dungarpur after 1527
| Ruler | Key points |
|---|---|
| Maharawal Askaran | Accepted Mughal suzerainty and became a vassal of the empire |
| Maharawal Punjaraj | Served Shah Jahan in the Deccan. Received the Mahi Maratib insignia, a mansab of 1,500 and 1,500 sawars |
| Maharawal Shiv Singh (1730–1785) | Became an ally of the Marathas |
| Maharawal Jashwant Singh (1808–1845) | Signed a treaty of perpetual friendship with the British on 11 December 1818 |
| Maharawal Udai Singh II (1846–1898) | Served the British loyally in 1857 |
| Maharawal Laxman Singh (1918–1947) | The last ruling Maharawal. Honoured with the KCSI (1935) and GCIE (1947). After independence he sat twice in the Rajya Sabha (1952, 1958) and was a member of the Rajasthan Assembly in 1962 and 1989 |
The Dungarpur Rajya Praja Mandal was formed in 1945, and a demand for responsible government followed in 1946. In March 1948 the ruler announced responsible government, but when the United State of Rajasthan was formed on 25 March 1948, the state’s own government ended and Dungarpur became a district.
Banswara
- Jagmal Singh founded Banswara in 1527 after he defeated and killed the Bhil chief Bansia (Wasna). The town takes its name either from the chief or from the bans (bamboo) forests of the area.
- Banswara became a British protectorate on 16 November 1818.
- It joined the United State of Rajasthan on 25 March 1948.
Govind Guru and the Mangarh massacre (1913)
The Bhils of Vagad produced one of the great movements of the early 20th century.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| The leader | Govind Guru (Govindgiri) Banjara, born in 1858 at Bansia village in Dungarpur |
| Sampsabha (1883) | The organisation he founded to unite and serve the tribal people |
| Bhagat movement | Taught vegetarianism and abstinence from liquor. It grew into a movement against forced labour (begar) and heavy taxes |
| The reaction | The states of Dungarpur, Banswara and Sunth were alarmed. Dungarpur arrested him in 1913 and then exiled him |
| Mangarh hill | In October 1913 his followers gathered on Mangarh hill, on the border of Banswara and Gujarat, for the annual fair. The British called on them to leave by 15 November |
| The massacre (17 November 1913) | The Mewar Bhil Corps and the forces of Dungarpur, Banswara and Sunth opened fire. Over 1,500 Bhils were killed. Govind Guru and his aide Dhirji Punja were captured |
| Afterwards | He was given a life sentence and released some years later. The site is now Mangarh Dham, and a tribal university in Banswara bears his name |
The massacre is often called the Jallianwala of Rajasthan, six years older than the Amritsar killing.
Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh, also called Kanthal (the land on the kantha, or bank, of the Mahi), came from a quarrel inside Mewar’s ruling house.
- Kshemkarn. A younger brother of Rana Kumbha. Expelled from Mewar, he took refuge in the southern Aravalli.
- Surajmal (1514). Kshemkarn’s son became ruler of Devalia (Devgarh) and made it the capital of Kanthal.
- Maharawat Pratap Singh (1673–1708). Found Devgarh unsuitable and raised a new town nearby between 1689 and 1699. He named it Pratapgarh.
- Salim Singh (1756–1774). With the permission of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, he issued a local coin, the Salimshahi, minted at the Partabgarh Taksal.
- Samant Singh (1774–1844). The north-west of the state was thickly forested, and a separate forest department was set up in 1828.
- Uday Singh (1864–1890). Set up civil courts, ran relief works in the Great Famine of 1876–78, opened fair-price shops and exempted some taxes.
- British treaty. Pratapgarh came under British protection in 1818.
- Merger. The last ruler was Ambika Pratap Singh (1940–1948). The state joined the Rajasthan Union on 25 March 1948.
Pratapgarh is known for Thewa, the art of fusing fine gold sheet with patterns onto coloured glass.
The Bhattis of Jaisalmer
Origin
The Bhatis trace their descent to the Chandravanshi Yadavas and to Krishna. Their early seat was Lodurva (Lodrawa), a town of Jain temples about 15 km from the present Jaisalmer.
Rawal Jaisal and the founding of Jaisalmer (1156)
- The end of Lodurva. Lodurva was raided by the Ghurids, and Bhoj died fighting them. Rawal Jaisal succeeded him.
- The new capital. In 1156, Jaisal built a new capital on Trikuta Hill, a high triangular rock rising from the sand, and named it Jaisalmer. It is a safer and more defensible site.
- The fort. Jaisalmer Fort (Trikutgarh, the Sonar Qila) is the second oldest fort of Rajasthan, after Chittorgarh. It is one of the hill forts of Rajasthan inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2013. For much of its history the fort was the city.
- The legend of Eesul. A sage named Eesul, living on the hill, is said to have told Jaisal that the fort would be sacked two and a half times. The prophecy is remembered in the Adhai Saka of Jaisalmer.
The Adhai Saka of Jaisalmer
| Saka | Period | Ruler and enemy | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| First saka | 1295 | Mularaj against Alauddin Khalji, after a siege of about eight years | The men died fighting and the women performed jauhar. The fort fell |
| Second saka | 14th century | Rawal Duda against Firoz Shah Tughlaq | Jauhar and a battle to the death |
| Third saka (half saka) | 1550 | Rawal Lunkaran against the Afghan chief Amir Ali of Kandhar | Amir Ali, given refuge by Lunkaran, asked to send his women to visit the Bhati queens. He sent armed men instead and took the guards by surprise. Seeing no hope, Lunkaran killed his own women. Reinforcements then arrived and Amir Ali was defeated, so the jauhar was never completed. This is the half saka |
Jaisalmer and the Mughals
- Harraj (Hararai) Bhatti. At the Nagaur Darbar of 1570 he accepted Akbar’s suzerainty and gave his daughter to him in marriage.
- Sabal Singh. Won the favour of Shah Jahan for his part in the Peshawar campaign.
- Akhai Singh (1722–1762). Made peace with Bikaner.
The British period and the merger
- Mulraj II (1762–1819). In his time the power in the state passed to the minister Salim Singh Mehta, who built the Salim Singh ki Haveli. Mulraj signed a treaty with the East India Company on 12 December 1818, and the state became a protectorate with internal autonomy.
- Gaj Singh (1820–1846), Ranjit Singh (1846–1864), Bairisal Singh (1864–1891) and Shalivahan Singh III (1891–1914) followed. The last ruler was Maharawal Jawahar Singh (1914–1949).
- Merger. Jaisalmer joined Greater Rajasthan on 30 March 1949.
Lakes, forts and havelis
| Monument | Details |
|---|---|
| Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Qila) | Founded 1156. A living fort, with Jain temples inside |
| Gadisar Lake | Built by Rawal Gadsi in 1367. For centuries the main water source of the city |
| Patwon ki Haveli | Built from 1805 by the Patwa merchant Guman Chand Patwa |
| Salim Singh ki Haveli | Built about 1815 by the minister Salim Singh Mehta, famous for its peacock-shaped roof |
| Nathmal ki Haveli | Built about 1885 by the minister Nathmal. The architects were the brothers Hathi and Lulu |
| Lodurva | The old capital, with Jain temples |
Bhatner (Hanumangarh)
Bhatner was a kingdom of the Bhati Rajputs on the Ghaggar river.
- The fort. Bhatner Fort is said to have been built in 295 CE by Bhupat, a son of the Bhati king, in memory of his father. It stands on the Ghaggar and is among the oldest forts in India. It is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari and in Timur’s memoirs.
- Sieges. Sher Khan, a cousin of the Sultan Balban, held it in the 13th century, and his tomb is inside the fort. Timur took it in 1398 after tough resistance from the Bhati king Rai Dul Chand, and left it burnt and wasted.
- The Bikaner conquest (1805). Surat Singh of Bikaner defeated the Bhattis at Bhatner in 1805. The victory fell on a Tuesday, the day of Hanuman, and Surat Singh renamed the town Hanumangarh.
The Yadavas of Karauli
The rulers of Karauli, the Jadons, belong to the Yadava line of the Shurasena branch of Mathura and trace descent from Shri Krishna.
| Ruler | Key points |
|---|---|
| Vijaypal | Founder of the line. Moved from Mathura and built the fort of Vijaymandirgarh at Bayana around 1040. Bayana became the capital |
| Tahanpal (Tribhuvanpal) | Built the fort of Tahangarh (Timangarh). His power is seen in the title Parama-bhattaraka Maharajadhiraja Parameshvara |
| Kunwarpal | In 1196 Muhammad of Ghor took Bayana and then Tahangarh, and the Jadon lands passed to him |
| Arjun Pal | Won back much of the lost land and in 1348 founded Kalyanpuri, named after the temple of Kalyanji. The name became Karauli |
| Dharmapal II | Made Karauli the capital in the 17th century |
| Gopal Singh (1724–1757) | Built the Madan Mohan Ji temple at Karauli, bringing the image from Jaipur. Received the Mahi Maratib (fish) insignia from Delhi |
| Harbaksh Pal (1805–1837) | Signed a treaty with the East India Company in November 1817, which freed Karauli from the exactions of the Marathas and brought British protection |
- Karauli’s temples. Kalyanji, Madan Mohan Ji and Kaila Devi, the goddess of the Jadons, whose fair is one of the great fairs of eastern Rajasthan.
- Merger. The last ruler was Ganesh Pal (1947). Karauli joined the Matsya Union with Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur on 18 March 1948.
The Paramaras of Abu and Chandravati
The word Paramara means the destroyer of enemies. The Paramaras of Abu ruled the Arbuda (Abu) mountain and the land around it from Chandravati, at the foot of the mountain, in the 10th to 13th centuries. Their territory took in parts of southern Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. As the power of the Pratiharas faded, the Paramaras grew.
| Ruler or event | Details |
|---|---|
| Dhumraj and Utpalraj | Dhumraj is named as the founder of the Abu line. Utpalraj begins the recorded genealogy |
| Struggle with Gujarat | As neighbours, the Paramaras were in constant conflict with the Chaulukyas (Solankis) of Gujarat |
| Vimal Shah (1031) | The minister of Bhima I of Gujarat. He was sent to Abu, made its governor, and built the Vimal Vasahi (Adinath) temple at Dilwara |
| Dharavarsha (1163–1219) | The most powerful Paramara ruler of Abu. He commanded the army of Gujarat against Muhammad of Ghor (1178), later threw off the Solanki overlordship, and kept Prithviraj Chauhan’s attack on Abu at bay. His two queens were daughters of Kelhana of Nadol. His court poet was Someshwara. A statue of Dharavarsha as an archer, with three buffaloes in front of him, stands near the Achaleshwar temple |
| Prahladana | Dharavarsha’s younger brother. Founded Palanpur and wrote the play Partha-Parakrama-Vyayoga |
| Somsimha | Dharavarsha’s son. His minister Tejpal, with his brother Vastupal, built the Luna Vasahi (Neminath) temple at Dilwara in 1230 |
| The end (1311) | Rao Lumba, the Chauhan ruler of Nadol, took Chandravati and set up Chauhan rule |
The Dilwara temples. Five Jain temples in marble, near Mount Abu. The Vimal Vasahi (1031) is the earliest and the Luna Vasahi (1230) is the finest, with its carved dome and its hanging lotus. Both are masterpieces of the Maru-Gurjara style.
Treaties and merger at a glance
| State | British treaty | Merger |
|---|---|---|
| Karauli | November 1817 | Matsya Union, 18 March 1948 |
| Banswara | 16 November 1818 | Rajasthan Union, 25 March 1948 |
| Dungarpur | 11 December 1818 | Rajasthan Union, 25 March 1948 |
| Jaisalmer | 12 December 1818 | Greater Rajasthan, 30 March 1949 |
| Pratapgarh | 1818 | Rajasthan Union, 25 March 1948 |
Timeline at a glance
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 295 CE | Bhatner Fort built by Bhupat |
| 1031 CE | Vimal Vasahi at Dilwara |
| c. 1040 | Vijaypal builds Vijaymandirgarh at Bayana |
| 1156 CE | Rawal Jaisal founds Jaisalmer |
| 1163–1219 | Dharavarsha rules Abu |
| 1196 CE | Bayana and Tahangarh fall to Muhammad of Ghor |
| 1197 CE | Samant Singh settles in Vagad |
| 1230 CE | Luna Vasahi at Dilwara |
| 1295 CE | First saka of Jaisalmer |
| 1311 CE | Rao Lumba takes Chandravati |
| 1348 CE | Arjun Pal founds Kalyanpuri (Karauli) |
| 1367 CE | Gadisar Lake |
| 1398 CE | Timur takes Bhatner |
| 1514 CE | Surajmal at Devgarh |
| 1527 CE | Udai Singh of Vagad dies at Khanwa. Vagad divided. Jagmal founds Banswara |
| 1550 CE | Half saka of Jaisalmer |
| 1570 CE | Harraj Bhatti at the Nagaur Darbar |
| 1699 CE | Pratapgarh built |
| 1805 CE | Surat Singh takes Bhatner. Hanumangarh |
| 1817–1818 | British treaties |
| 1913 CE | Mangarh massacre |
| 1948–1949 | Mergers |
Conclusion
The dynasties of the borderlands lived in the shadow of larger neighbours, and each found a way to last. The Guhilas of Vagad entered a land of Bhil chiefs, built Dungarpur and Banswara after the death of Udai Singh I at Khanwa, and later faced the Bhil movement of Govind Guru, which ended at Mangarh in 1913. Pratapgarh grew out of a quarrel at Chittor and gave Rajasthan its Salimshahi coin and Thewa art. In the desert, the Bhatis moved from Lodurva to Trikuta, held their fort through three sakas and made a place for themselves under the Mughals and the British. In the east, the Jadons of Karauli, driven from Bayana and Tahangarh in 1196, rebuilt their state at Kalyanpuri in 1348. In the south-west, the Paramaras of Abu rose under Dharavarsha, and the Dilwara temples are the finest monument of the age. By 1949 the last of these states had merged into Rajasthan.
Practice questions
Q1. Consider the following statements about Vagad.
- Rawal Udai Singh I of Vagad fought alongside Rana Sanga at Khanwa and was killed.
- After his death, his elder son Prithviraj kept Dungarpur and his younger son Jagmal founded Banswara.
- Dungarpur was founded by Jagmal Singh.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a). Dungarpur was founded by Veer Singh Dev, and Jagmal founded Banswara.
Q2. Assertion (A): Govind Guru’s Bhagat movement alarmed the princely states of Dungarpur, Banswara and Sunth.
Reason (R): It joined social reform, including vegetarianism and abstinence from liquor, with resistance to forced labour and heavy taxes.
- (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c) A is true, but R is false
- (d) A is false, but R is true
Answer: (a)
Q3. Match the saka of Jaisalmer with its enemy or event.
| Saka or event | Enemy or event |
|---|---|
| A. First saka (1295) | 1. Alauddin Khalji |
| B. Second saka | 2. Firoz Shah Tughlaq |
| C. Third saka (half saka, 1550) | 3. Amir Ali, against Rawal Lunkaran |
| D. Nagaur Darbar (1570) | 4. Harraj Bhatti accepts Akbar’s suzerainty |
- (a) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
- (b) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (c) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
- (d) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
Answer: (a)
Q4. Consider the following statements about Bhatner (Hanumangarh).
- Bhatner Fort on the Ghaggar was built by Bhupat, a Bhati prince.
- Timur attacked and sacked Bhatner in 1398.
- Bhatner was renamed Hanumangarh by Rawal Jaisal after his conquest of it.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a). It was Surat Singh of Bikaner who took Bhatner in 1805 and renamed it Hanumangarh.
Q5. Consider the following statements about Karauli.
- Vijaypal built the fort of Vijaymandirgarh at Bayana around 1040.
- Arjun Pal founded Kalyanpuri, which became Karauli, in 1348.
- The Madan Mohan Ji temple at Karauli was built by Arjun Pal.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a). The Madan Mohan Ji temple was built by Gopal Singh (1724–1757).
Q6. Arrange the following events in chronological order.
- Capture of Bhatner by Surat Singh of Bikaner
- Founding of Jaisalmer
- Founding of Kalyanpuri (Karauli)
- Fall of Tahangarh to Muhammad of Ghor
- (a) 2, 4, 3, 1
- (b) 4, 2, 3, 1
- (c) 2, 3, 4, 1
- (d) 4, 2, 1, 3
Answer: (a)
Q7. Which of the following statements about the Paramaras of Abu is NOT correct?
- (a) Their capital was Chandravati.
- (b) Dharavarsha was their most powerful ruler.
- (c) The Luna Vasahi at Dilwara was built in 1230 by Vastupal and Tejpal.
- (d) The Vimal Vasahi at Dilwara was built by Tejpal in 1230.
Answer: (d). The Vimal Vasahi was built by Vimal Shah in 1031. Tejpal and Vastupal built the Luna Vasahi.
Q8. Match the monument or coin with its builder or issuer.
| Monument or coin | Builder or issuer |
|---|---|
| A. Gadisar Lake | 1. Rawal Gadsi |
| B. Gaibsagar Lake | 2. Rawal Gopinath |
| C. Luna Vasahi | 3. Vastupal and Tejpal |
| D. Salimshahi coin | 4. Salim Singh of Pratapgarh |
- (a) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
- (b) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
- (c) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
- (d) A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1
Answer: (a)
Q9. Describe the sakas of Jaisalmer and explain why the third is called a half saka. (250 words)
Answer pointers: the foundation on Trikuta Hill in 1156 and Eesul’s prophecy; the first saka under Mularaj against Alauddin Khalji after an eight-year siege; the second under Rawal Duda against Firoz Shah Tughlaq; the third under Lunkaran against Amir Ali (1550), with the trick of the armed men sent as women, the killing of the women and the late arrival of reinforcements, so that the jauhar was not completed; Harraj’s submission to Akbar in 1570.
Q10. Examine the Mangarh massacre of 1913 and the role of Govind Guru. (250 words)
Answer pointers: Govind Guru’s birth at Bansia and the Sampsabha of 1883; the Bhagat movement and its themes of reform, forced labour and taxes; the alarm of Dungarpur, Banswara and Sunth; his arrest and exile in 1913; the gathering at Mangarh hill; the ultimatum of 15 November; the firing of 17 November by the Mewar Bhil Corps and the state forces; over 1,500 killed; his capture, sentence and release; the memorial at Mangarh Dham.
Q11. Discuss the rise of the Paramaras of Abu under Dharavarsha and the importance of the Dilwara temples. (150 words)
Answer pointers: Chandravati and the Paramaras’ conflict with the Solankis; Vimal Shah and the Vimal Vasahi (1031); Dharavarsha’s reign (1163–1219), his command of the Gujarat army against Muhammad of Ghor, his independence from the Solankis and his defence of Abu; Prahladana and the Partha-Parakrama-Vyayoga; Tejpal, Vastupal and the Luna Vasahi (1230); the Maru-Gurjara style; Rao Lumba’s conquest of Chandravati in 1311.
Q12. Trace the history of the Sisodia houses of Vagad and Pratapgarh from their founding to 1948. (250 words)
Answer pointers: Samant Singh in Vagad (1197); Veer Singh Dev and Dungaria; Gopinath and Gaibsagar; Udai Singh I at Khanwa and the division between Prithviraj and Jagmal; Askaran and Punjraj under the Mughals; the treaties of 1818; Kshemkarn and Surajmal at Devgarh; Pratap Singh and Pratapgarh; Salimshahi coins; the Praja Mandal of Dungarpur; the merger of 25 March 1948.
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