Rao Madho Singh

Rao Madho Singh was a son of Rao Ratan Singh of Bundi. In 1631, in recognition of the family's service to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Kota was separated from Bundi and granted to Madho Singh as an independent principality. This moment is regarded as the birth of Kota as a distinct kingdom of the Hadoti region.

Under his rule the settlement on the eastern bank of the Chambal began to grow into a fortified capital, laying the groundwork for the great Garh Palace complex that would be expanded by his successors over the following centuries.

Contribution to Kota

By establishing Kota as a separate state, Madho Singh gave the city its independent identity, its ruling Hada Chauhan lineage, and the beginnings of the fort-palace on the Chambal that remains the historic heart of the city today.