MARWAR ranks among the states of Rajput aua next in importance to Mewar and Jeypore. Tradition ascribes its foundation to Jodha, a de scendant of the Rahtor Rajput kings of Kanouj, who is said to have founded its capital, the city of Jodhpur, about A.D. 1459.
Marwar is bounded on the N.W. and N. by Jey sulmir, Bikanir, and Shekawati ; on the E. by Jeypore, Kishengarh, Ajmir, and Mewar ; on the S. by Udaipur and Sirohi ; and on the W. by the Runn of Cutch and Sind. It lies between lat. 24° 36' and 27° 42' N., and long. 70° 6' and 75° 24' E., and has an area of 35,672 square miles. Revenue, 17f lakhs, with a population about 2,850,000. Its capital is Jodhpur, in lat. 26° 19' N., long. 73° 8' E., and is a walled city ; the buildings within are all of stone,• with terraced roofs. The palace is built on an abrupt sandstone ridge, commanding the town.
Marwar is a corruption of Maroo-war, classic ally Maroost'hali or Mooroost'han, the region of death. It is also called Maroo-desa, whence the Mardes of the early Muhammadan writers. The bards frequently style it Mard'lur, which is syn onymous with Maroo-desa, or, when it suits their rhyme, simply Maroo. Though now restricted to the country subject to the Rahter race, its ancient application comprehended the entire desert, from the Sutlej to the ocean. The sac'-hm or branches of the Raptor early spread over the desert. The fabulous genealogy of the Raptor deduces their origin from the rapt or spine of Indra, their nominal father beiiig Yavan-aswa, prince of Paili pur, which they say was somewhere in the north. This indicates their Scythic origin.
The river Looni, rising on the eastern frontier at Poshkur, and pursuing a westerly course, nearly bisects the country, and forms the boundary be tween the fertile and sterile lands of Maroo.
The districts of Deedwanoh, Nagore, Mairta, Jodhpur, Palli, Sojut, Godwar, Sewanoh, Jhalore, Beenmahal, and Sanchore, are the more fertile and populous, with a population of eighty souls to the square mile. The N.E. portion includes a portion of Nagore, the large towns of Filodi, Pokurn, etc., and may be calculated at thirty ; the remaining space to the S.W., as Godadeo-ka-thul or desert of Goga, Sheo, Barmair, Kotra, and Chotun, can scarcely be allowed ten.
The Jat constitute five-eighths, the Raj puts two eighths of the population, while the remaining classes, Bishnavi, Mena, Bhil, Bhat, Charan, with a few Muhammadans, sacerdotal, commercial, and servile, make up the integral number. The Jat are the industrious class. The Rahtor character stands deservedly high in the scale of the thirty six royal Rajput tribes, but is debased by the abuse of opium. The Rahtor cavalry was formerly the best in India. At one time there were several horse - fairs, especially those of Blialotra and Poshkur, where the horses of Cutch and Kattya war, the jungle, and Multan were brought in great numbers. Valuable horses were also bred on the western -frontier, on the Looni, those of Raydurro being in high estimation.
The family gave several daughters in marriage to the imperial family of Dehli, and furnished some distinguished generals to the imperial army. By the 8th Article of the Treaty of 1818 with Mann . Singh, the Jodhpur State was bound to furnish a contingent of 1500 horse. Under this article a demand was made in 1832 for a force to co-operate against freebooters who occupied Nuggur Parkar. The contingent proved perfectly useless, and in 1835 the obligation to furnish the contingent was commuted to an annual payment of Rs. 1,15,000 towards the Jodhpur Legion, which was then raised. This legion mutinied in 1857. Maharaja Takht Singh did good service during the mutinies, received the right of adoption, and is entitled to a salute of seventeen guns. The troops kept up by the state do not exceed 6000 men. The Political Agent is also President of the Marwar Interjuris dictional Court of Vakeels, which decides all border disputes arising between Bikanir, Jeysul mir, Kishengarh, Sirohi, Pahlunpore, and Jodh pur. The court is composed of vakeels from these states and from Udaipur, Jeypore, and Seekur. It meets once a year at Ajmir, Balmir, Nagore, and Mount Abu. At the commencement of 1869 the Political Superintendent of Sirohi discovered that both in that state and the practice of Samadh, or burying alive, prevailed to a con siderable extent, though confined almost entirely to persons in the last stage of leprosy, by whom it was practised to put an end to their sufferings. As it was thought probable that in some cases priestly influence, and in others the desire of the other members of the family to rid themselves of • the presence of a nuisance, might have induced the self-sacrifice, the Political Agent considered ' it advisable to bring to the notice of the darbar of His Highness the Rao of Sirohi, that Government regarded the commission of a Samadh in the same light as a sati, and that they would expect His highness to use his best endeavours to put a stop to it. It was also notified that in case of his not doing so, he would incur the displeasure of Government, and the number of guns with which ho was saluted would be reduced. His highness at once issued a proclamation declaring that Samadli was forbidden, and that any one assisting at any case in future would bo liable to imprison ment extending to ten years ; that the jaghirdar on whose estate it took place would be liable to the same punishment and the forfeiture of his estate; and any raj official, through whose culpable. neglect a case might occur, would also incur the same liability. The maharaja of Marwar was also addressed on the same subject, although the Political Agent of that province could not hear of any eases having occurred.—Treaties, Engage ments, and Sunnuds, iv. pp. 41-45 ; Torl's Rajasthan, ii. pp. 9, 162-64.