Prithviraj Singh I

Prithviraj ascended the throne of Amber after the death of his father, Raja Chandrasen, in 1503.[1] With his rule Amber, which had been experiencing a long period of stagnation, was revitalised, entering an era of extensive political activity.[2] This may be shown through his marriage to a Mewari princess,[3] to whose house the rajas of Amber owed homage.[4]

Prithviraj was a fervent devotee of the Hindu deity Krishna, taking as his spiritual teacher an ascetic who took the name Krishna-das (slave of Krishna). This guru bestowed on the raja two sacred idols; Narasimha, which has a temple in Amber, and Sitaram, which has a temple in Jaipur.[1] The latter idol was from then on carried at the head of the Amber army in battle.[3] At one point, Prithviraj made a pilgrimage to Dwarka, where he was initiated as a monk in the monastery.[1]

In March 1527, he, alongside his son Jagmal and a number of relations, fought under Rana Sanga of Mewar in the fatal Battle of Khanwa against the Mughal emperor Babur.[4] This was the last of the great battles fought by the Rajputs, during which Sanga was debilitated after being struck by an arrow. Prithviraj, alongside Rao Maldev of Marwar and Rao Akheraj of Sirohi, escorted the injured rana to safety.[5]

Prithviraj did not long survive the battle, dying on 19 November 1527, two months before Rana Sanga's death.[4] He was succeeded to the throne by his son Puranmal.[5]

Prithviraj had nine wives from multiple clans, by whom he had eighteen sons and three daughters. Twelve of these sons reached adulthood, of whom three eventually became rajas of Amber: Puranmal, Bhim Singh and Bharmal.[note 1] Nine of his sons, alongside three collateral relations, were also awarded estates in perpetuity for them and their descendants. These families are termed the baro kotri (twelve chambers) of the House of Kachwaha, who later formed the highest aristocracy of Jaipur.[1]