Sambhar

Sambhar stands beside a vast salt lake in the arid country west of Jaipur. Seasonal water gathers in the shallow basin and evaporates, leaving salt that has long supplied markets across northern India. The lake and its surrounding town were an early seat of the Chauhan rulers, linking a valuable natural resource with the history of Rajput power.

Under the Mughals, the salt works formed part of an extensive trade carried by merchants and transport communities. A document from 1765 records permission for a Banjara trader to purchase salt at Sambhar and receive exemptions along his route. The states of Jaipur and Jodhpur later shared control of the lake’s production. Salt from this dry basin thus travelled far beyond its shores, supporting revenue and commerce across the plains.