Rawal Jaisal

Rawal Jaisal Bhati (1113–1168) was the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer from 1156 to 1168. Jaisal was a Rajput chief of the Bhati clan who lived during the 12th century, Jaisal rose to power in 1143 by defeating his nephew, Rawal Bhojdeo of Lodhruva, in battle and seizing his nephew's position as Rawal. Jaisal's descendants ruled Jaisalmer as Rawal, and later as Maharawal, until India's independence in 1947. Jaisal is also claimed to be the ancestor of the Phulkian dynasty and other notable families and individuals. The first monarch in Jaisal's ancestry to have the title of Rawal was Devraj of Lodhran, his ancestor in the 9th century. Devraj built the Derawar Fort in the modern-day Bahawalpur District, Punjab, Pakistan. They reportedly originated in Mathura through a common ancestor named Rao Bhati, a descendant of Pradyumna. According to the seventeenth-century Nainsi ri Khyat, the Bhatis after losing Mathura moved to Bhatner in Lakhi Jungle, and from there to other locations in western and northwestern India including Punjab. Rao Bhati conquered and annexed territories from 14 princes in Punjab, including the area of what is now modern-day Lahore. He is also credited with establishing the modern town of Bathinda in the Lakhi Jungle area in the 3rd century.

Mythological ancestry Jaisal and his descendants also claim direct descent from Yadu, a mythological Hindu king who, according to Hindu mythological texts, founded the Yadu dynasty branch of the legendary Lunar dynasty.

Early life and rise to power Jaisal was born in 1113. His father Dusaj, was the Rawal of Lodhruva. After Dusaj's death, his younger brother Vijayrao Lanjo (aka. Bijai Rai II) was appointed Rawal over Jaisal and his other elder brother. In 1156, Jaisal met a hermit named Eesaal, who told him a legend from the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. Eesaal told Jaisal that the Hindu deity Krishna, during the Kurukshetra War, wandered the desert with the Pandava Arjuna and prophesied that a citadel would be founded by a descendant of the Yadu dynasty on top of Trikuta Hill, a triple-peaked desert hill in what is now the modern-day city of Jaisalmer. The construction of Jaislamer Fort was completed under Salbahan II.

Legacy Rawal Jaisal was the founder of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer, which in 1818, became Jaisalmer State, a princely state in British India. His other direct descendants migrated to the region that became modern-day Punjab, Haryana, and Pakistan. Jaisal is also claimed to be the ancestor of the royal families of Patiala, Nabha, Jind, Kapurthala, and Faridkot through his younger son, Hem. Jaisal's descendants that had royal titles maintained them until 1971, when they were abolished in India by the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India.