In ancient times Jalore was known as Jabalipura - named after the Hindu saint
Jabali. The town was also known as Suvarngiri or Songir, the Golden Mount, on which the fort stands. It was a flourishing town in the 8th century and according to some historical sources, in the 8th-9th centuries, one branch of the
Pratihara empire ruled at Jablipur (Jalore). Uddyotana-sūri composed
Kuvalaya-mālā at Jabalipura in 779 CE, during the reign of the
Gurjara-Pratihara king
Vatsaraja. Raja Man Pratihar was ruling
Bhinmal in jalore when
Parmara Emperor
Vakpati Munja(972-990 CE) invaded the region — after this conquest he divided these conquered territories among his Parmara princes - his son Aranyaraj Parmar was granted Abu region, his son and his nephew Chandan Parmar, Dharnivarah Parmar was given Jalore region . This ended almost 250 years Pratihar rule over Bhinmal. Raja Man Pratihar's son Dewalsimha Pratihar was a contemporary of Abu's Raja Mahipal Parmar (1000-1014 CE). Raja Devalsimha made many attempts to free his country or to re-establish Pratihar hold onto Bhinmal but in vain. Finally he settled for the territories in Southwest of Bhinmal, comprising four hills - Dodasa, Nadwana, Kala-Pahad and Sundha. He made Lohiyana (present
Jaswantpura) his capital. Hence this subclan became Dewal Pratihars. Gradually their jagir included 52 villages in and around modern Jalore district. The Dewals participated in Jalore's Chauhan Kanhaddeo's resistance against Allauddin Khilji. Thakur Dhawalsimha Dewal of Lohiyana supplied manpower to Maharana Pratap and married his daughter to the Maharana, in return Maharana gave him the title of “Rana” which has stayed with them till this day In the 10th century, Jalore was ruled by the
Paramaras. In 1181,
Kirtipala, the youngest son of
Alhana, the
Chahamana ruler of
Nadol, captured Jalore from the
Paramaras and founded the
Jalore line of Chauhans. His son
Samarasimha succeeded him in 1182. Samarasimha was succeeded by
Udayasimha, who expanded the kingdom by recapturing Nadol and Mandor from the Turks. During Udayasimha's reign, Jalore was a tributary of the
Delhi Sultanate. Udayasimha was succeeded by
Chachigadeva and
Samantasimha. Samantasimha was succeeded by his son
Kanhadadeva. During the reign of Kanhadadeva, Jalor was
attacked and captured in 1311 by the Delhi's Afghan Sultan
Alauddin Khalji. Kanhadadeva and his son Viramadeva died defending Jalore. Jalore was the hometown of Jaiwanta Bai, mother of
Maharana Pratap (1572–1597). She was the daughter of Akhey Raj Songara.
Rathore rulers of
Ratlam used the
Jalore fort to safe-keep their treasure. The Turkic rulers of
Palanpur State of
Gujarat briefly ruled Jalor in the 16th century and it became part of the
Mughal Empire. It was restored to
Marwar in 1704, and remained part of the kingdom until shortly after Indian Independence in 1947.
Ambliara princely state in Gujarat are the pedigree of Jalore
Maharani Popadevi.
Ambliara has a small princely state in
Mahi Kantha Agency Present days near
Bayad taluka of
Aravalli District Gujarat. There are 12 Math (Big Hindu monasteries) and 13 Takiya (Masjid). Jalore is known as the "Cradle of the Marwari horse" - an indigenous horse breed famed for its beauty, endurance and loyalty to the horsemen who fought interminable wars on horseback. == Visitor attractions of Jalore ==