MEWAR, an independent principality in Raj putana, often called by the name of its present capital, Udaipur. It is ruled by a maharana, in alliance with the British Government. The capital is in lat. 24° 37' N., and long. 37° 49' E., and is 2064 feet above the sea. The territory lies between lat. 46' and 25° 56' N., and long. 72° 50' and 75° 38' E., with a population of 1,443,144 souls. Mewar is the most ancient but not the most powerful state of Rajputana. The Mewar ruler is the elder branch of the Suryavansi, or children of the sun. Another patronymic is Raghuvansi, derived from a predecessor of llama ; but Rama is the focal point of each scion of the Solar race. To him, the conqueror of Lanka, the genealogists endeavour to trace the Solar lines.
The ruling chief is considered by Hindus to be the direct representative of Rama, from whom was descended Kanak Sen, who was the founder of the Udaipur family about A.D. 144. The families of Dungarpur, Sirohi, and Partabgarlt are offshoots from the same line. The titles of several Rajput claimants are disputed ; but the Hindu races yield unanimous suffrage to the prince of Mewar as the legitimate heir to the throne of Rama, and style him Hindua Suraj, or Sun of the Hindus. Hindu-pati, chief of the Hindu race, is a title appertaining to the ranas of Mewar, but was assumed by Sivaji and many vassal Rajputs.
The Mewar ruler is universally allowed to be the first of the 36 royal tribes, nor has a doubt ever been raised respecting his purity of descent. Many of the royal tribes have been swept away by time, but the genealogist has filled up their place with others, mere scions of some ancient but forgotten stem. With the exception of Jeysulmir, Mewar is the only dynasty of these races which has outlived eight centuries of foreign domination in the same lands where conquest placed them. The ruler still possesses nearly the same extent of territory which his ancestors held when Mahmud of Ghazni first crossed the Indus to invade India ; while the other families now ruling in the north west of Rajasthan are the relics of ancient dynasties driven from the pristine seats of power, or their junior branches, who have erected their own fortunes. This circumstance adds to the
dignity of the maharana of Afewar, and is the cause of the general homage which the maha ranas receive, notwithstanding diminution of their power. The capitals of Mewar have been Chitore and Udaipur. After the destruction of the Balhara monarchy of Saurashtra, and two centuries' sojourn of the family in the Bhander desert, Bapli or Bappa conquered Chitore, and founded a dynasty in A.D. 727. The hereditary title was changed from Gehlot to Aditya. The title of the family has, however, undergone many changes. It was first Suryavansa, then Grahilot or Gehlot, then Aharya, and now Sesodia. These changes arise from revolutions and local circumstances.
It was by Bappa Rawal that Muhammad Kasim, the lieutenant of the khalif Walid, is supposed to have been defeated upon his advance to Chitore after the conquest of Sind. Between Bappa and the accession of Samarsi to the throne of Udaipur a period soniewhat exceeding four centuries intervened. In 1193, the sovereignty of Chitore was given to the younger branch ; the elder having been expelled, fled to the wilds, founded the city of Dungarpur, and became the ancestor of the ruling family of that state. In 1201, Rahup was in possession of Chitore. Ile changed the title of his family and tribe from the clan name of Gehlot to the subdivisional name of Sesodia, and that of its prince from Rawal to Rum. From Rahup to Lakumsi nine princes of Chitore were installed. In the rule of this last-named prince (a.n. 1275-1290), Ala-ud-Din besieged Chitore; and in A.D. 1303 the imperial forces captured and sacked it. It was, however, almost immediately afterwards recovered by llamir, who then ruled in Mewar. On the 15th of March 1527, Baber drew up his army in front of the entrenchments. A desperate conflict ensued for several hours, in which Baber ultimately obtained a decisive victory, and Rana Sanga retired with the wreck of his gallant army towards the hills, resolved never to enter his capital except in triumph.