Created by AyushAmar
Last edited March 24, 2026


Badanwara was an istimrari in Ajmer that belonged to the Rathore clan of Rajputs.

Description[edit | edit source]

The estate was located 14 miles south of Nasirabad.[1][2] It consisted of twenty-one villages.[1] It covered an area of 34,845 bighas (approximately 21,603.90 acres).[2]

History[edit | edit source]

Mokal Singh, the Maharana of Mewar, is said to have taken Ajmer and Sambhar from the Sultan of Delhi, and he granted the village of Badanwara for the maintenance of a temple of Eklingji.[3] Chandra Sen, an ancestor of the Rao of Badanwara, succeeded his father, Maldeo, as the Rao of Marwar.[3][4] He refused to acknowledge Akbar’s suzerainty and was ousted from Jodhpur by his son Udai Singh.[3][5] He attempted to recover Jodhpur but failed, and thereafter resorted to pillaging in areas acquired by the Mughal armies.[5] A grandson of Karma Sen, through his son Ugar Sen (also known as Agar Sen), came to Ajmer and was received with a feast by a Bhil who held eighty-four villages, including Bhinai.[3][6] However, Karma Sen killed his host and took possession of his host’s property.[3] Akbar later confirmed Karma Sen in this possession.[3]

The estate of Bhinai was partitioned several times, and in one generation from the founder of that estate came Udai Bhan.[3] He granted three villages of the estate to his adopted son, Narsingh Das, for his maintenance.[3][7] After his demise, his biological sons, Kesri Singh and Suraj Mal, quarrelled, and the estate of Bhinai was partitioned.[3][6] Suraj Mal received ten villages in his appanage and subsequently founded Bandanwara in 1667.[3]

Rulers[edit | edit source]

Name

(Birth – Death)

Term of office Note(s) Reference
Start date End date
Suraj Mal I He went to Delhi and entered the service of Aurangzeb in 1659.[3] He rendered valuable military service and was granted the mansab of 3,500 hazari along with an elephant.[3] Aurangzeb had Suraj Mal's paternal estate of Bhinai partitioned between him and his brothers.[3] Aurangzeb also granted him Ramsar and Srinagar as jagir.[3] These two were, however, later taken away by Ajit Singh of Jodhpur, as the Thakur of Bandanwara did not go in Peshwai.[1] [8]
Amar Singh He retained Bandanwara, and his younger brothers received Padlan, Jaola, Kalyanpura, Jotayan, and Amargarh.[3] Jaola reverted to Bandanwara when its Thakur, Lakshman Singh, died without an heir.[3]
Bahadur Singh
Akhay Singh
Abhay Singh
Pratap Singh
Suraj Mal II
Ranjit Singh

(? – 1894)

1894 His original name was Bharat Singh, and when he succeeded in Bandanwara by adoption from Kalyanpura to Suraj Mal II, he was renamed Ranjit Singh.[1] He received the title of Rao as a personal distinction in 1877 and served as an Honorary Magistrate and Munsif within the limits of his own estate.[1]
Gaj Singh

(1871 – 1916)

1894 1916 Educated at Mayo College in Ajmer.[1]
Rameshwar Singh

(1904 – 1935)

1916 1935 Educated at Mayo College in Ajmer.[9]
Chandra Singh 1935 1948
Harendra Singh

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Bayley, C. S. (2004). Chiefs and leading families in Rajputana. Public Resource. New Delhi : Asian Educational Services. p. 109. ISBN 978-81-206-1066-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  2. 2.0 2.1 Sherring, Herbert (1897). The Mayo College, "the Eton of India": A Record of Twenty Years, 1875-1895. Thacker, Spink and Company. pp. 192–193.
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Sarda, Har Bilas (1941). Ajmer: Historical And Descriptive. pp. 149–150, 292–294.
  4. Bhargava, Visheshwar Sarup (1966). Marwar And The Mughal Emperors (1526-1748). p. 44.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa & Company. p. 534. ISBN 978-81-291-0890-6.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Soszynski, Henry. "BHINAI". members.iinet.net.au. Archived from the original on 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  7. Soszynski, Henry. "TANTOTI". members.iinet.net.au. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  8. Archives, Royal (2021-08-25). "Badanwara (Istimrari)". Royal Archives. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
  9. Ajmer-Merwara (India) (1918). Report on the Administration of Ajmer-Merwara for. Superintendent Government Printing, India. p. 4.