The land area which is called jodhpur today was only
a small portion of the grand marwar state before independence.
Its borders touched Bikaner in the North, Jaipur in
the North-East, Ajmer Mewara in the East , Sirohi and
Palampur in the South cutting across the Thar of Sindh
province and Rann of Kutch and Jaisalmer State in North-West.
Before independence, its total area was as widespread
as 35,016 sq. miles.
Hundreds of centuries ago, before this expansive desert
came into existance, this area was a sea called Drumkulya.
Epics have it that an arrow bound fire shot by Lord
Rama burnt a large part of the sea and converted it
into a desert. This desert was called Maru Mandal, Marudhar,
Maruwar, Maru Desh and Marwar.
Rulers of Jodhpur : -
Rao Jodha, 1438-1488
Satal, 1488-1491
Suja, 1491-1515
Ganga, 1515
Ganga (II), 1515-1531
Maldeo, 1531-1583
Raja Udaya Singh, 1583-1594
Raja Sura Singh, 1594-1619
Raja Gajsingh, 1619-1637
Raja Jaswant Singh, 1637-1680
Raja Ajit Singh, 1680-1724
Maharaja Abhi Singh, 1724-1749
Maharaja Rama Singh, 1749-1750
Maharaja Bakht Singh, 1750-1752
Maharaja Bijej Singh, 1752 -1792
Maharaja Bhim Singh, 1792-1803
Maharaja Man Singh, 1803-1817
Maharaja Chatter Singh, 1817-1818
Maharaja Man Singh, 1818-1843
Maharaja Takht Singh, 1843-1873
Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, 1873-1895
Maharaja Sardar Singh, 1895-1911
Maharaja Sumer Singh, 1911-1918
Maharaja Ummed Singh, 1918-1947
Maharaja Hanwant Singh, 1947-1953
Maharaja Gajsingh II, 1952-Present
Hundreds of years later and after having undergone the
ravages of several Kings and their battles , under the
rule of king Rao Jodha of the Vikram Era (1510) , a
city was slowly established around the fort constructed
by King Rao Jodha. This fort was situated 6 miles south
of Mandore on a mountain called Chidiyanath ki Tonk.
This city came to be known as Jodhpur or Jodhana or
Jodhaji Ki Dhani and was the capital of the Marwar state
for five centuries. When Rao Jodha established the walled
city , it had four gates.As time passed , the city became
congested with increasing population and the boundaries
continued to expand. Today that area is called Old City
and has a 3 to 8 ft. wide and 15 to 30 ft. high wall
around it in the shape of a horse shoe . This wall has
six big gates called Chand Pol , Nagauri Gate, Merti
Gate , Sojati Gate, Siwanchi Gate and Jalori Gate. These
gates earlier had iron sheets fixed with nails.
The foundation of a beautiful palace on the Chittar
Hills , now called Umed Palace, was laid by the then
Raja Umed Singh on 18th November ,1929. During his reign
the biggest hospital in Marwar was made in Jodhpur,
with expenditure of 15 lacs , 80 thousand rupees, which
is now known as Mahatma Gandhi hospital. On 10th May
1933 , Marwar was officially renamed as Jodhpur state.
On 15th August 1947, India attained independence. Maharaja
Hanuwant Singh , who had succeeded Umed Singh, attended
the function wearing a black turban.He said, "
Today five hundred years old reign of my family has
come to an end , so I am, mourning." Thus seven
hundred years old Marwar state first merged with Indian
Union , and then into Rajasthan.
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