Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer, in western Rajasthan, is famously known as the “Golden City” for its yellow sandstone fort and houses glowing in the desert sun. The city was founded in 1156 CE by Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput ruler, who shifted his capital from Lodhruva and built a new fort on the high Trikuta Hill; the town and later kingdom took the name Jaisal-mer (“hill of Jaisal”).

Strategically placed on caravan routes linking India with Central Asia and Persia, medieval Jaisalmer prospered by taxing camel caravans that crossed the Thar Desert. Its wealth is reflected in the richly carved Jaisalmer Fort, Jain temples and merchant havelis, all in golden stone.

The Bhati rulers often faced attacks from Delhi Sultans and other powers but retained autonomy as a Rajput state. In 1818, Jaisalmer became a princely state under British protection within the Rajputana Agency, its overland trade later declining as sea routes via Bombay rose.

After Independence, the princely state acceded to India and joined Rajasthan. Today Jaisalmer is a district headquarters, tourism hub and UNESCO-listed “living fort”, where thousands still reside inside the medieval ramparts.