| It was in 1241 that a classic Rajput, Deva Hara of the fierce Hara clan, came to these parts, wanted what he saw and kingdom of Bulndi was established. Around that time, nearby Kota was under the Bhil tribals led by their chief Koteya. He was defeated by Bundi’s Jait Singh in 1264 (or 1364) and a fort’s construction was started there. Koteya’s severed head was buried, as tradition decreed, in its foundation. And so Kota became a jagir, or land grant, of Bulndi, at the dispensation of the heir apparent. However, in 1624, the Mughal Emperor Jehangir agreed to separate Kota from Bundi and award it to Rao Madho Singh, a Hara scion. Kota suddenly founded itself an independent kingdom, laying on a major trade route that regularly saw marchingarmies and camel trains. Countinuing independence in those days was often dependent on taking the right side in the frequant Mughal quarrels. Kota had to come of age quickly. Its rulers became more savvy, more open to foreign influences, willing to make expedient treaties. It soon overshadowed Bundi, which remained provincial and secretive. It’s a difference that can be seen in some ways in both the cities to this day.
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