Candyji's Classically Indian Times

Population 1 million
Jodhpur is the capital of the former princely state of Marwar, meaning the Land of the Dead. Marwar, the largest kingdom in Rajputana and the third largest of the Indian Kingdoms, after Kashmir and Hyderabad (prior to Independence) was named for the country that it covers which is a hostile desert. Surrounded by legends and myths, this city claims to trace its roots further back than most other Rajasthani kingdoms. Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by a local tribal chieftain – Rao Jodha, the then ruler of the Rathore clan (who traced their origins back to Rama, and the sun). Legend has it that a hermit used to meditate on the rocky hill where the fort now stands. Rao Jodha had him evicted, and was immediately cursed by the furious sage, who decreed that the land would be inflicted by drought and famine from then on. The chieftain and his people, overawed by the damnation, tried to pacify the hermit, but the curse was never completely lifted. To this day Jodhpur remains a dry area, suffering from drought time and again.
Rao Ganga Singh of Jodhpur (reigned 1516-32) fought alongside the army of the great warrior king of Mewar, Rana Sanga, against the first Mughal emperor, Babur. But over the next 50-odd years, the rulers of Jodhpur allied themselves with Babur’s grandson, Akbar. Several rulers of Jodhpur became trusted lieutenants of the Mughals. With the support of the Mughals, the court of Jodhpur flourished and the kingdom became a great center of the arts and culture. In 1657, after the alliance with the Mughals ceased to exist, Jodhpur formed a triple alliance with Udaipur and Jaipur, and together they defeated the Mughals. In the 17th century, Jodhpur, situated on the ancient silk caravan route linking Central Asia and North India with the sea ports of Gujurat, became a flourishing center of trade, and is still today a leading trade area for cattle, camels, wood, salt and agricultural crops.