Bundi- erstwhile capital of Hada Rajput province

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A brief history of Bundi

• Bundi erstwhile capital of Hada Rajput province known as Hadauti located in south-eastern Rajasthan, is one such place.
•  Bundi is also known as City of stepwalls, blue city and also as Chotti Kashi. 
• In ancient times, the area around Bundi was apparently inhabited by various local tribes, of which the Parihar Tribes, Meena was prominent. 
• Later the region was governed by Rao Deva, who took over Bundi from Jaita Meena in 1242, renaming the surrounding area as Haravati or Haroti.
•  For the next two centuries, the Hadas of Bundi were the vassals of the Sisodias of Mewar and ruled by the title of Rao until 1569, when Emperor Akbar conferred the title of Rao Raja upon Rao Surjan Singh after the surrender of Ranthambore Fort and his submission. 
• In 1632, Rao Raja Chattar Sal became the ruler, he was one of the most valiant, principled and just kings of Bundi. 
• He built the temple of Keshavarao at Keshoraipatan and Chathra Mahal at Bundi. 
• He became king of Bundi after his grandfather Rao Ratan Singh, as his father Gopinath died while Ratan Singh was still ruling. 
• Rao Chattar Sal died fighting valiantly as the head of his Hada Rajput troopsin the Battle of Samugarh in 1658 along with his youngest son Bharat Singh Rao Bhao Singh, the eldest son of Chhattar Sal succeeded his father to the throne of Bundi.

History of Bundi- Post Mughal Period

• In 1804 Rao Raja Bishan Singh  gave valuable assistance to Colonel Monson in his disastrous retreat before Holkar, in revenge for which the Maratha Empire and Pindaris continually ravaged his state and forced the kingdom to pay tribute up to 1817. 
• Consequently, Bishan Singh made a subsidiary alliance with the British East India Company on 10 February 1818, which brought him under its protection.   
• He was responsible for the creation of the pleasure palace of Sukh Niwas on the outskirts of Bundi.
• He initiated economic and administrative reforms and established schools for the teaching of Sanskrit. 
• On the throne for 68 years, he was described as a grand specimen of the Rajput gentleman and “the most conservative prince in conservative Rajputana. 
• At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the British abandoned their soverignity over the princely states, which were left to decide whether to remain independent or to accede to the newly independent Dominion of India or to Pakistan. 
• The ruler of the state of Bundi decided to accede to India, which later became the Union of India. 
• This brought the internal affairs of Bundi under the control of Delhi. Bundi’s last ruler signed the accession to the Indian Union on 7 April 1949.

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