The Emergence of Jaipur State

Various pre-modern successor states and other polities arose during the period of Mughal decline after 1707. Jaipur was a prime example of a polity which developed from a patriarchal, clan-dominated entity into a more consolidated, centralized domain during the period of its subservience to Mughal rule. Its internal administration was shaped according to the Mughal model; but elements of informal, patriarchal relationships, although eroded, remained. Further centralization and territorial expansion occurred after 1707 when its talented ruler, Raja Savai Jai Singh, reshaped the boundaries of the polity. He utilized his influence at Delhi as well as his appointments to the governorships of Malwa and Agra to gain long-term assignments and leases. He also meddled in regional politics to gain control over other Rajput polities and branches of his own clan. However, his adherence to traditional Rajput marital alliances was deleterious to Jaipur's future stability and maturation as a state. While Awadh and Hyderabad enjoyed several generations of innovation and consolidation, Jaipur "state," beset by debilitating civil war and decades of Maratha raids after the Raja's death, remained inchoate.