Situated in the heart of Rajasthan, Jaipur, affectionately called the “Pink City,” is a testimony to India’s glorious history, culture, and architectural splendor. Jaipur, established by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, was planned as a meticulously planned city, blending ancient traditions with contemporary urban design. Before establishing Jaipur, the founder of Jaipur, Jai Singh II governed from Amber, which was a hilltop capital situated a mere 11 kilometers away. The new city was planned out strategically in the plains and grew as a walled town, ringed by hills on all sides but the south, providing both protection and grandeur.
After India’s independence in 1947, Jaipur was integrated into the Indian Union and, in 1949, was made the capital of the newly created state of Rajasthan—marking a significant moment in the history of Jaipur as it transitioned from princely rule to democratic governance. The former royal dynasty adapted gracefully to the democratic environment of the country. Through the centuries, Jaipur has grown to be a bustling city, culminating in its acknowledgement as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
Founding of Jaipur
Founded on November 18, 1727, Jaipur city was driven by the practical foresight of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the Kachhwaha Rajput ruler and the founder of Jaipur who ruled Jaipur from 1699-1743. With a growing population using up water supplies on the rocky hills of Amber, Jai Singh II wanted to build the new capital on the plains of the region. He was a visionary ruler and an avowed patron of the arts and sciences. He commissioned Vidyadhar Bhattacharya, a Bengali architect and scholar, to plan the city based on Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra. To assist with this huge undertaking, Vidyadhar consulted ancient Indian texts concerning astronomy and classical texts from the West including those by Ptolemy and Euclid. This resulted in Jaipur becoming India’s first planned city, based on a grid plan with wide roads and all the buildings aligning. Sawai Jai Singh II was deeply interested in astronomy, as evidenced by his commission of Jantar Mantar, where you can find a unique collection of architectural astronomical instruments found today within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Under his enlightened reign, Jaipur flourished as a center of learning, attracting scholars, artists, and craftsmen from across the region.
Architectural Marvels and Urban Planning
Jaipur is a city with a harmony of Hindu, Mughal, and Western architecture and is famous for its architecture and culture, attracting visitors globally. When the city was built starting in 1727, under the rule of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. It took about four years to build the main palaces and roads. Jaipur was divided into nine blocks, or chowkris—with two for state buildings and palaces and seven for residences for the public. A major feature of the city from a safety standpoint was having tall walls to surround the city, with seven large gates allowing access while protecting the people within. Squares were laid out as large public ways (chaurpas) for social and economic activities. The uniformity of the buildings in pink was a custom started in 1876 to welcome Queen Victoria’s son, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales; the color became a significant defining feature of the city’s identity. Since then, the city has been fondly known as the “Pink City,” a name that continues to reflect its legacy of warmth and grandeur. Overall, there are claims that Jaipur was the best-planned city in the Indian subcontinent at the time.
Jaipur under British Rule
Under British rule, Jaipur continued as a princely state, which had been a complicated political state of indirect rule. Jaipur signed, in 1818, a treaty after the Third Anglo-Maratha War with the English East India Company, becoming a princely state under British suzerainty. This marked a new chapter in the history of Jaipur. The maharaja, Sawai Ram Singh II, who ruled from 1835-1880, was a modern progressive ruler who implemented many more reforms than most of the princes of the time. Jaipur made administrative reforms, including reorganizing Jaipur into new zones, new districts, and parganas in 1840. He began to introduce judicial reforms, social reforms, and even abolished slavery and outlawed infanticide. What is remarkable is that during his minority, sati was legally banned in 1846.
Ram Singh II also emphasized infrastructure and education. He was responsible for building metalled roads, introducing a piped water supply system, and establishing important institutions like Mayo Hospital and the Maharaja School for Girls. His devotion to education was responsible for the formation of Maharaja’s College in 1844, which soon became well-known—its first batch wrote the matriculation exam for Calcutta University by 1867, and in 1875, its student roll had reached 800. He also established a Sanskrit college, a Rajput boys’ school in 1861, and the Maharaja’s School of Art and Crafts in 1857, making Jaipur a center of learning and cultural advancement.
Jaipur Today: A Living Heritage
Jaipur has evolved into a thriving urban center that maintains its past while welcoming the opportunities of a compressed future. Markets such as Johari Bazaar and Tripolia Bazaar are still places where traditional crafts such as jewelry, textiles, and handicrafts are found. Major attractions like City Palace, Hawa Mahal, and Amber Fort continue to bring tourists from all over the world to enjoy their splendor, as well as cultural events such as the Jaipur Literature Festival, which highlights the urging spirit of the town.
Complementing this cultural richness, the historic walled city of Jaipur received international recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019, showcasing its rich heritage and urban planning knowledge. UNESCO noted Jaipur as “an outstanding example of a planned city that brings together examples of ancient Hindu, Mughal, and Western forms of architecture.” There is a tremendous amount of investment occurring at the moment in Jaipur to preserve and build on this legacy, which includes funding to conserve many of its architectural wonders and revitalizing historic sites.
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