Bhati

The Bhatis were a Yaduvanshi Rajput clan whose traditions place their origin at Mathura, from which their ancestor Rao Bhati led them west after losing their homeland. They settled at Bhatner, then spread through Punjab and the Thar desert, ruling a chain of forts.

In 1156 Rawal Jaisal moved his capital from Lodhruva to the new desert stronghold of Jaisalmer, which became the clan's lasting kingdom. Around 1299 Alauddin Khalji of Delhi besieged Jaisalmer after a Bhati raid on his treasure caravan; the women perished in jauhar and the warriors fell fighting, though surviving Bhatis later retook the fort.

The Bhatis later came to terms with the Mughals: Rawal Lunakaran gave a daughter in marriage to Akbar, and Mughal oversight lasted until 1762. In 1818 Maharawal Mulraj accepted a British subsidiary alliance, preserving the Jaisalmer throne under protection.