The city of Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II (r. 1699-1743), leader of the Kachhwaha clan of Rajputs. In the first part of his reign, like his ancestors before him, Sawai Jai Singh ruled from the old state capital at Amber, five miles to the north. Filled with beautiful temples and palaces and protected by steep hills and fortified walls, Amber is typical of many ancient Rajput strongholds. But as Mughal authority waned, Sawai Jai Singh sought a new site where there would be more room for expansion. He established Jaipur not just as a new capital but as a new kind of royal city: one that was open to trade and to diverse settlers. It is also famous as a rare example of a planned city with the major streets forming a grid.

From the time of its foundation, the wealth and distinct character of Jaipur has depended on the trades it fostered, notably the jewellery business, and arts and crafts. The main markets and bazaars were constructed at State expense and merchants and bankers from different communities were invited to set up business in the city.
Sawai Jai Singh’s successors on the throne of Jaipur continued and expanded this policy. Despite the political upheavals of the late 18th century across northern India, the arts continued to flourish in Jaipur in the reign of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh (r. 1778-1803). He was responsible for adding the Hawa Mahal, an iconic feature of the city and one of India’s best-known buildings.

In the early 19th century Jaipur entered into a strategic alliance with the East India Company of Great Britain, and – after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 – with the British Crown. During the period of the British Raj in India, Jaipur was able to position itself as one of the leading autonomous ‘Princely States’, and continued to be ruled by Maharajas and their ministers. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II (r. 1835-1880) was a modernizer who established schools and hospitals, introduced street lighting and modern water supply systems, and built roads and railways across the state. He began the process of taking Jaipur’s celebrated arts to the common people, by founding a School of Arts that trained craftsmen to manufacture products that would be affordable to every household. His successor, Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II (r. 1880-1922) continued this process by opening the Albert Hall Museum in the city, which showcased local products and disseminated knowledge of Jaipur’s arts to visitors and residents alike.

From the time of its foundation, the wealth and distinct character of Jaipur has depended on the trades it fostered, notably the jewellery business, and arts and crafts. The main markets and bazaars were constructed at State expense and merchants and bankers from different communities were invited to set up business in the city.
Sawai Jai Singh’s successors on the throne of Jaipur continued and expanded this policy. Despite the political upheavals of the late 18th century across northern India, the arts continued to flourish in Jaipur in the reign of Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh (r. 1778-1803). He was responsible for adding the Hawa Mahal, an iconic feature of the city and one of India’s best-known buildings.