Aspirant Academy

History

Hadas of Bundi-Kota and Bhatis of Jaisalmer

Political and Cultural Achievements of Rulers (up to 18th Century)

Paper I · Unit 1 Section 7 of 16 0 PYQs 49 min
Topic Preview Subject Inventory

Public Section Preview

Hadas of Bundi-Kota and Bhatis of Jaisalmer

Hadas of Bundi-Kota

The Hada Chauhans established themselves in the Chambal valley (present-day Bundi and Kota districts) by the early 13th century CE. Hara Deva conquered Bundi from the Meena tribe around 1241 CE. The dynasty split into Bundi and Kota branches in 1631 CE when Shah Jahan separated Kota as a distinct jagir.

Bundi Cultural Achievements

  • Bundi Fort and Palace: Construction began under Rao Surjan (r. 1554–1585 CE) and was expanded by Chattar Sal (r. 1631–1658 CE); the palace's Chittrasala (open-air gallery) contains Rajasthan's finest surviving palace fresco cycle depicting Rasamanjari and Ragamala themes
  • Bundi School of Painting (c. 1600–1750 CE): Distinct for deep indigo and emerald green palette, elongated female figures, and lush landscape backgrounds; considered the most lyrical and nature-focused of all Rajasthan's painting traditions
  • Step-wells: Bundi has over 50 baoris — more per sq km than any other Rajasthan city; the Raniji ki Baori (1699 CE) is 46 metres deep with 3 storeys and sculpted niches, considered the finest in Rajasthan

Bhatis of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer State was founded by Rao Jaisal (r. 1156–1168 CE) of the Bhati clan, who moved the capital from Lodurva to a new fort on Trikuta Hill. The Bhati Rajputs claimed descent from the Yadava clan through Bhati, a descendant of the moon-god Soma.

Jaisalmer Fort (founded 1156 CE)

  • Built on a 250-feet-high sandstone outcrop in the Thar Desert
  • The living fort — approximately 4,000 people still live within its walls, making it the world's largest inhabited fort
  • Contains 99 bastions (burj), of which 92 remain intact
  • Jain temples (12th–15th century CE): 7 interconnected temples built by the merchant community (mahajan), including the Chandraprabhu temple (1509 CE), Parshvanath temple, and Sambhavnath temple; feature intricate sandstone jali lattice work and torana arches; represent merchant-patron relationships distinct from the ruler-patron model seen elsewhere

Cultural Contributions of Bhatis

  • Patronised the Dhadhi bardic tradition — Muslim bards who sang praises of Bhati rulers in a syncretic Rajasthani-Saraiki musical style
  • The Moomal-Mahendra folk romance originates in the Jaisalmer-Sindh cultural zone and is associated with Bhati court traditions