Kachawas Rajputs were the rulers of Gwalior in central India. They are believed to be the descendants of the sun through
Kush, the son of
Lord Ram, the hero of the epic
Ramayana. In AD 986, Ishwar Das, the king of Gwalior renounced his throne and set off for the
Himalayas in search of a spiritual life.
His sons were driven out of Gwalior by their uncle, and they found resort in Rajputana. Ishwar Das's son Sodh Rai conquered the area of Dausa by attacking and killing the Mina tribal chiefs. The Kachawas Rajputs came to be known as the Rajas of Dausa after this conquest, and when the capital of the Kachawas kingdom was moved to Amber they were known as the Rajas of Amber.
In the 18th century, the capital of the kingdom was moved to Jaipur and the Rajas of Amber became the Maharajas of Jaipur. The Maharaja of Jaipur is the titular head of the Kachawas Rajput clan. The Maharana of Udaipur is the titular head of all thirty six Rajput clans, which makes him the most important of rulers in Rajputana (Rajasthan).
Raja Bhar Mal who reigned from 1548 to 1573, made an alliance with the Mughals through marriage when his daughter, Jodha Bai, married Emperor Akbar on February 6, 1562. After converting to Islam, Jodha Bai was known by the name Wali Nimat Miriam uz-Zamani Begum. Many of the Rajas of Amber received honors from the Mughal emperors, in accordance with their achievements. Some of the Rajas were members in the military service of the Mughal rulers.
The city of Jaipur derives its name from Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who ruled from A D 1700 to 1743. The Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II himself planned and built the city. The capital of the Kachawas rulers was moved from Amber to Jaipur during this time. The title of "Sawai" (one and a quarter) was given to the Maharajas of Jaipur at this time by Emperor Aurangzeb.
Maharaja Sawai Shri Bhawani Singh ascended the throne in 1970 and continues to be the present king of Jaipur. He has adopted his grandson Padmanabh, son of his daughter Princess Diya Kumari, as his heir.
