About Us
History of Kuchesar’s Jat Rulers
The ruling family of kuchesar belongs to the Dalal clan of Jats –founded by the descendants of Dalle –a prominent Jat personality of ‘Mandoti’ in Haryana. In the lineage of Dalle (i.e.in the Dalal clan) was born a certain. Bhual .He and his three brothers came and settled in the area of Kuchesar more than 300 years ago
Bhual’s great grandsons Magni Ram and Ramdhan Singh were granted the Jagir of Kuchesar and the title of ‘Rao Bahadur’ by the Mughal ruler Najib-ud-Daulah. In 1794 the lease was made perpetual by Shah Alam- Mogul emperor of Delhi and confirmed again in 1803 by the British government. As a result of his unparalleled influence & might in the area, a descendant of the clan – Rao Gulab Singh was granted the title of ‘Raja Bahadur’ and revenue rights for the jagir.
Rao Bahadur Rao Girraj Singh, the grand father of the present owner Kunwar Ajit Singh in perpetuity was the last member of the family to have held the title and revenue rights. ‘Rao Raj Vilas’ draws its name from the titles conferred on the family to celebrate our heritage .
Copies of the official documents conferring the above titles and rights are on display in the photo galleries at the fort.
History of the Structure
The Kuchesar Fort – our home of 300 yrs stands testimony to the conquests of generations of the family. The eighteenth century edifice, an imposing structure-was built by Rao Ramdhan Singh, with the conferment of the Jagir in 1734. When his brother and he extended their sway by seizing many other villages & vast tracts of land. Afrabsyab Khan, the governor of Koyal, attacked Kuchesar. He bribed a eunuch of the royal harem, ‘Rampyari’ to serve liquor heavily laced with opium to the brothers and hencewith such intrigue and deceipt succeeded in taking the two of them as prisoners in 1763. Though the fort stood as a formidable adversary to the ravages of Nature it succumbed to the evil mind & greed of man.
The Jat brothers recovered the fort in 1782 .Since then, the Kuchesar fort has remained in possession of the family. Later some sections were added by other members of the family and the fort was raised to its present glory.
Present Owners of Rao Raj Vilas
Kunwar Ajit Singh is the present owner of the fort. With his wife and children, he looks after the concerns of the villagers his family once ruled over. Together they have restored a section of the Fort and rechristened it ‘Rao Raj Vilas’ to continue the family tradition of receiving and entertaining guests at Kuchesar and to revive interest in the region that has given them their identity.
His Grand Father Rao Bahadur Rao Giriaj Singh, the last member of the family to have held the title of ‘Rao Bahadur’ of Kuchesar, married into the royal family of Bhadhaur in Punjab and became a devout follower of Sikhism. Since then the family members have been devoted Sikhs.
The present owner and his family reflect in their everyday living a harmonious confluence of both Jat and Sikh cultures which flavors even in the cuisine served to our resident guests.
