Inside City Palace Jaipur: The Kachwaha Dynasty, Sawai Man Singh II, and How the Jaipur Royals Transitioned from Kings to Modern Heirs Like Padmana...

Walk

through the arched gateway of City Palace, and you feel time shift under your feet — stone courtyards whispering of Mughal courtiers, painted ceilings humming with Rajput pride, and a living family tucked behind one ornate screen who, for centuries, have shaped the city’s story. This is Jaipur’s heartbeat: the Kachwaha dynasty that founded and ruled the region, the colourful reign of Sawai Man Singh II in the 20th century, and the very modern chapter now being written by heirs such as Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh. Room by room—historically and imaginatively — this is how palace, dynasty, and descendants evolved from sovereign rule to cultural stewardship in the 21st century.

The Kachwaha roots: from Amer to the Pink City

The family, now inseparable from Jaipur, belongs to the Kachwaha Rajput clan. Their story predates Jaipur itself. Long before the Pink City was conceived, the Kachwahas ruled from Amer, establishing control over the Dhundhar region and forging powerful alliances, including with the Mughal Empire. This relationship shaped much of their architecture, court culture, and administrative style.

Jaipur was founded in the early 18th century by Sawai Jai Singh II, a visionary ruler who moved the capital from Amer to a newly planned city. Jaipur was one of India’s earliest planned capitals, with broad avenues, symmetrical blocks, and the City Palace positioned at its centre. The palace was designed not merely as a residence but as the political, cultural, and ceremonial heart of the kingdom — a role it continues to play in a different form today.

City Palace: a lived museum

City Palace is not a relic frozen in time. It is a functioning royal residence as well as a public museum. Its courtyards, gates, and halls — including the Mubarak Mahal, Chandra Mahal, and the famously photographed Peacock Gate — house collections of royal costumes, weapons, manuscripts, and paintings that reflect centuries of Kachwaha rule. What makes City Palace unusual is its dual identity. While tourists can access some sections, parts of the complex remain private. The family still lives there. Family traditions, rituals, and daily life continue behind high walls and carved doors. This balance between access and privacy shows the modern reality of India’s former royal families, who are guarding heritage while protecting their personal space.

Sawai Man Singh II: polo, power and a changing India

Sawai Man Singh II remains one of the most recognisable figures in Jaipur’s modern history. Born in 1912, he came of age during a period of global upheaval and rapid change. Educated, urbane, and famously stylish, he was an exceptional polo player who represented India internationally and helped place Jaipur firmly on the global sporting map. More significantly, his reign coincided with India’s transition from princely states to a republic. After Independence, Jaipur was merged into the Indian Union, and Sawai Man Singh II played an important role in navigating this change. He not only served as Rajpramukh of Rajasthan, but he also held diplomatic roles.

It was also under his stewardship that royal properties began to be reimagined. Rambagh Palace, once the primary royal residence, was gradually transformed into a luxury heritage hotel — a decision that would later become a model for palace conservation across India.

Palaces, privilege and the reality of royal assets

The idea that Jaipur’s royals simply “own palaces” is more complex than it appears. The family manages a range of historic properties, including City Palace, Rajmahal Palace, Rambagh Palace, and other heritage buildings. Some are used as private property, some function as museums, and others operate as hotels. These properties are not just cultural treasures but also economic necessities. It's not easy to maintain sprawling palace complexes. It requires money, resources, and adaptive reuse — film shoots, wedding locations, hotels, and exhibitions — has become important to preservation. Rather than symbols of unchecked luxury, many of these palaces today are carefully managed enterprises designed to sustain heritage rather than drain it.

Family succession: Bhawani Singh, Diya Kumari and Padmanabh

Following Sawai Man Singh II, leadership of the family passed to his son, Brigadier Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh. A decorated army officer, he managed military service with ceremonial responsibilities. Until his death in 2011, he remained a respected public figure in Jaipur.His daughter, Diya Kumari, has emerged as a prominent public figure in her own right. Active in politics and public life, she has also played an important role in heritage management and cultural initiatives connected to the family. In keeping with royal tradition, Bhawani Singh adopted his grandson, Padmanabh Singh, as his heir. He was born in 1998 and was formally recognised as the head of the Kachwaha family after his grandfather’s demise.

Padmanabh Singh: tradition with a modern pulse

Padmanabh Singh has a distinctly contemporary royal identity. He went abroad for his education and is best known as an accomplished polo player and team captain. Recently, Padmanabh has started to actively manage and promote the family’s heritage properties. Through tourism initiatives, events, and public engagement, Padmanabh embodies a shift from inherited authority to earned relevance.

Royalty in a republic

In 1971, the privy purses and royal privileges were abolished, and former royal families in India had no legal power. What remains is cultural influence, property management, and public engagement. For the Jaipur royals, this has meant redefining themselves as custodians rather than rulers. Festivals, museums, hospitality ventures, and sporting traditions now form the backbone of their public presence.

Experiencing City Palace today

A walk through City Palace today shows this layered reality. Alongside historic artefacts, you’ll find subtle signs of continuity — lived-in spaces, contemporary photographs, and the quiet rhythms of a family that never truly left. Outside the palace walls, Jaipur buzzes with life, tourism and commerce, all of which help sustain the very monuments visitors come to admire.

A story of adaptation, not decline

The story of Jaipur’s royals is not one of fading glory, but of evolution. From the Kachwaha kings of Amer to Sawai Man Singh II’s diplomatic balancing act, and finally to Padmanabh Singh’s modern custodianship, the family has repeatedly adapted to survive. City Palace stands as proof — not just of what once was, but of how tradition can be reshaped without being erased. Walk its courtyards carefully, and you don’t just see history. You see a dynasty still learning how to live with it.