Rajasthan is full of tales of how the Rajputs were always engaged in wars within their tribes. The settlement of Bundi is a living example where the Rajputs of different clans were regularly fighting with themselves for power. The history of Bundi dates back to 1193 when Chauhan nobles sought shelter in Mewar and became the allies of the Rana. The other young warriors moved towards the Chambal valley and overpowered the tribes, thus establishing their own kingdom of Hadoti in 1342. These incidents occurred after the fall of Prithviraj Chauhan. One of the descendants of the ruler of Hadoti, Asthtipal, was Rao Deva Hada. It was he who founded the Bundi as the capital state of the Hadoti kingdom.
The rulers of Bundi fought fierce battles on behalf of the Mughals sacrificing royal princes and heads of Hada clan. Bundi could not gain political stability before the 17th century. During this time Emperor Shahjahan awarded Rao Chhatar Sal the governorship of the imperial city of Delhi, a rare privilege for his services and loyalty.
Besides winning battles for the Mughal Empire they were continually at war with the Maharanas of Mewar and later the kingdom of Amber who repeatedly tried to annex Bundi`s territories. The adjoining state of Kota was held as a fief by the younger Bundi Prince until about 1580, when the 14-year-old Bundi Prince, Madho Singh, gallantly fighting on behalf of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, was awarded permanent possession of the area. However by 1818 AD Bundi was under the British Raj.
The history of Bundi is similar to several Rajputana kingdoms that have witnessed clamor and turmoil. Yet Bundi stands out amongst the ancient states of Rajputana as a dynasty that had good terms with the Mughal Empire.
