The Sun City Jodhpur

The Sun City Jodhpur was founded by Rao Jodha, a chief of the Rathore clan, in 1459. Jodhpur is also known as Marwar which is the biggest Riyasat ( King-dome) of Rajasthan. Sun City Jodhpur is also the second largest city of Rajasthan. In Present Maharaja Gaj Singh own the throne of Marwar Riyasat. Now the city is divided into two part one is the old Jodhpur which surrounded by 10 km long wall which has eight entrance and New city is outside the walls.


Jodhpur’s founder

The city of Jodhpur was founded in 1459 AD by Rao Jodha, the chief of the Rajput clan. The city has got its name from him only. Rao Jodha successfully conquered the surrounding territory of present-day Jodhpur and founded a state called Marwar. Initially, Mandore, the nearby town from where Jodha came from, served as the capital of the Marwar kingdom. However, soon Jodhpur took over and became the capital of Marwar.

Statue of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur

The city’s location facilitated trade

Jodhpur was located on the strategic road, which linked Delhi to Gujarat. This location made Jodhpur profit from flourishing trade in different goods such as opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms and coffee.

Jodhpur flourished under Mughals

In its early history, Jodhpur came under the Mughal Empire as a fief, where the Rajput rulers led the state but they owed fealty to the Mughals. The Rathores of Jodhpur enjoyed good relations will all Mughals, except Aurangzeb. Because of their good terms with the Mughals, the state flourished. Jodhpur also gave Mughals several notable generals such as Maharaja Jaswant Singh, who supported Shahjahan in his struggle for succession to the throne. This also opened opportunities for local tradesmen to trade across northern India.

A rare photograph of the Mehrangarh Fort

In 1679, Mughal ruler Aurangzeb took possession of the state. But after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the rightful Rajput ruler Maharaja Ajit Singh was restored to the throne of Jodhpur by Veer Durgadas Rathore. However, the story of a great struggle of 30 years lies behind it. Jodhpur grew into a fine modern city under the reign of Maharaja Umed Singh.

Collapse of the Mughal Empire

Soon after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal empire started collapsing gradually. Jodhpur rulers should have benefitted from the decline of the Mughal empire but they rather goth into conflicts of disagreement and invited the intervention of the Marathas. As a result, the Marathas soon superseded and replaced the Mughals and gained great power over the whole region. This was followed by 50 years of wars and treaties that totally abandoned the peace, atability and wealth of the state.

Jodhpur during the British Raj

The princely state of Jodhpur then fell into subsidiary alliance with the British in the year 1818. This was the beginning of a good time for the Jodhpur state, which had the largest land area in Rajputana during British Raj. The state flourished in peace and stability with lots of good trade. Jodhpur had a total land area of 23,543 sq mi (60,980 km2) and its population in 1901 was recorded to be 44,73,759.

Trade flourished so much that the state enjoyed earning an estimated revenue of £35,29,000. The Marwari merchants and traders gained name and a position of dominance in trade across all of India.

Jodhpur in Independent India

At the time of partition in 1947, Jodhpur’s ruler Hanwant Singh didn’t want to join the union of India. But Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the then Home Minister at the center, convinced Jodhpur ruler to join India. The princely state of Jodhpur was thus merged into the union of India. It was made part of the state of Rajasthan after State Recognition Act, 1956. And that’s how Jodhpur became the second largest city of Rajasthan, India.