History of Jaipur

Jaipur was born when Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, a Kacchawa Rajput decided to build a royal city that would serve as the capital of his kingdom in Amber. The Mughals bestowed Jai Singh with the title of Sawai that means 'the one who knows all'. Jaipur was the first city in Rajasthan that acknowledged Mughal presence and struck a political alliance with them.

A talented and famous architect of his times, Vidyadhar Chakravarti was commissioned by Maharaja Jai Singh to plan and build Jaipur.

According to the basic principles mentioned in the 'Shilpa Shastra' the ancient treatise on building, the Jaipur city was divided into nine blocks and the entire city was designed in a grid pattern. The roads and streets intercept each other at right angles.

The old city has straight broad avenues and is divided into nine chokris or sectors. The two main blocks consisted of the royal palace and official buildings that were out of bounds to the commoners.

A massive wall with seven gates surrounds the Old Jaipur city and the most remarkable thing about Jaipur is the fact that the construction of the complete city was accomplished within a period of 8 years.

After 43 years of prosperous reign, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur passed away and then ensued an ugly political strife for succession to the royal throne.