Jodhpur, Former capital of Marwar state, retains much of it medieval character. Begining in 1549, When the city was called
jodhgarh, the Rathore clan of Rajputs fought and ruled from the virtually invincible fort until their territory covered around 90.000 sq. Km. making it the largest Rajputs state.
According to Rathore tradition, the clique traces its orgins back to the Hindu Lord Rama and thence to the sun, So the Rathore belong to the Suryavansha, an of shoot of the kshatriyas, The warrior caste of Hindus. Later breaking into historical reality, in 470 AD, Nayal Pal conquered the kingdom of
kanauj near modern Kanpur in UP.
After seven centuries Kanauj fell in to the hands of Mohammed Ghouri, the avaricious Afgan
ruler. The fleeing ruler, Jai Chand, drowned in to the river. Siahji. his grandson and one of the successful descendants, moved west in to the Thar Desert and defeated the local solanki chieftain. He later became an independent ruler around the wealthy trading centre of Pali, just south of Jodhpur.