Sariska National Park, Sariska, Alwar District, Rajasthan, India

Sariska National Park is located 35 kms from Alwar City, along the lap of Aravalli Hills in the Alwar District of Rajasthan. Originally, it was the hunting reserve for the erstwhile State of Alwar. Sariska was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and became a tiger reserve under ‘Project Tiger’ in 1979. The Sariska Tiger Reserve was converted to a National Park in 1982 and now stretches over 866 sq kms with a core area of 497 sq km. The Park is located 107 km from Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan.

The Sariska National Park includes some important archeological sites like the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Garh Rajor Temples and the Kankwadi Fort. In the medieval times, Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh in the Kankwadi Fort after the war for the throne ended between the Mughal brothers. Dara was defeated on June 8, 1658 AD by Aurangzeb at the battlefield of Samogarh, 13 kms from Agra.

The princely State of Alwar was founded by Pratap Singh Prabhakar Bahadur (1740-1791 AD), a Rajput of the Kachhawaha lineage in 1775 AD. His adopted son, Bakhtawar Singh (1791-1815 AD) signed a treaty with the British East India Company in 1803 AD. Like his father Pratap Singh, Bakhtawar Singh further consolidated the State of Alwar but his local administration was inefficient. The state borrowed a lot of money from outside as the finances were mismanaged.

The State of Alwar was heavily indebted when the next ruler Maha Rao Vinay Singh (1815-1857 AD) ascended the throne. The new ruler was firm and effective and successful in stabilizing the general administration. He took complete control of the law and order situation and established criminal courts. Vinay Singh started the collection of land revenues in cash instead of kind. He introduced the Muslim ministers in his administration from Delhi in 1838 AD.

Sheodan Singh (1857-1874 AD) was only 12 years old when Maha Rao Vinay Singh died in 1857 AD. His rule began under the influence of the Dewans of Delhi. The local Rajput nobles rebelled and slaughtered the representatives of the Dewans of Delhi and sacked the Muslim ministers. The British intervened and sent Captain Impey as a Political Agent to Alwar in 1858 AD.

Maha Rao Sheodan Singh assumed the formal rule in September 1863 AD, and the British agency was abolished. Once again the Dewans from Delhi entrenched themselves in the administration and provoked another uprising of the Rajputs. The British once again took control in 1867 AD. Mangal Singh (1874-1892 AD) was also a minor when he succeeded Sheodan Singh as the next ruler of the State of Alwar. The British Political Agent continued to rule on behalf of Mangal Singh till he assumed the title of Maha Rao in 1889 AD. Mangal Singh himself supervised the military forces.

Maha Rao Mangal Singh died in 1892 AD and was succeeded by his only son, Jai Singh (1892-1937 AD). Maha Rao Jai Singh was also a minor when he inherited the throne of Alwar. He was assisted by the British and a State Council. Jai Singh was a good administrator and he established twelve administrative units called Tahsils to be governed by a Tahsildar. His long rule of 45 years was followed by Tej Singh (1937-1971 AD).