Mewar is the oldest kingdom of the world. Mewar or Udaipur state was founded by Guhil 568 AD, and his descendants have ruled over the area ever since. Separated from the rest of India by mountains and dense forests, Mewar developed the spirit of iron discipline and stoic resolve, which was to become its most salient feature and to arm its determined resistance.

Sisodia, the major clan of Mewar since Maharana HAMIR SINGH I (1326-1364). Prior to that, since Guhil (569-586) founded the dynasty, the original Guhilot family ruled Mewar. However, in the 12th century, Chittor came under attack and the Mewar capital was relocated at AHAR. It was during this period that there was a FAMILY SPLIT. For reasons unknown, the breakaway occurred possibly towards the end of the reign of Rawal KARAN (RAN) SINGH I (1158-1168). Two of his sons, Mahap and Rahap, quit Ahar, possibly in anger that another son, KSHEM SINGH had been declared Karan's heir. Mahap established a small, independent kingdom at Dungarpur. Rahap defeated Mokal, the Paramara (Parihara) Prince of Mandor at SISODA. He established a junior branch of the Guhilot family at Sisoda, naming his clan Sisodias after the town, and taking the title of 'Rana'.

Sisoda, a town about 15 km. northwest of NATHDWARA, which became the headquarters of the breakaway branch of the ruling Guhilot family of Mewar, naming themselves SISODIA after the town. See following entry, and MEWAR FAMILY SPLIT.

Genealogy: The line of succession of the Sisodia Ranas was Rahap, Narpat, Dinkaran, Jaskaran Nagpal, Puran Pal, Prithi Pal, Bhuvan Singh, Bhim Singh, Jai Singh and Laksha (or Lakshman) Singh.

Laksha was killed at the first sack of Chittor (1303), as was the ruler of Mewar, Rawal RATAN SINGH I. Laksha's grandson, Hamir succeeded him, and also the king. Thus the Sisodias became the ruling family of Mewar with HAMIR SINGH I (1326-1364), who replaced the age-old, traditional title of 'Rawal' with that of the Sisodias, 'Rana', extending it to 'Maharana'.

In his Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, James TOD recounts an amusing story of the origin of the name Sisodia. He claims an old holy man near Bhainsrorgarh told it to him.

In these wilds, an ancient Rana of Chittor (actually Ahar, as his patronymic in this tale is Ahariya) sat down to a got (feast) consisting of the game slain in the chase: and being very hungry, he hastily swallowed a piece of meat to which a gadfly adhered. The fly grievously tormented the Rana's stomach, and he sent for a physician. The wise man (bedi) secretly ordered an attendant to cut off the tip of a cow's ear, as the only means of saving the monarch's life. On obtaining this forbidden morsel (the cow being sacred to a Hindu, the consumption of beef is therefore anathema), the bedi folded it in a piece of thin cloth, and attaching a string to it, made the royal patient swallow it. The gadfly fastened on to the bait, and was dragged to light. The physician was rewarded; but the curious Rana insisted on knowing by what means the cure was effected. When he heard that a piece of sacred kine had passed his lips, he determined to expiate the enormity in a manner that its heinousness required, and to swallow boiling lead (sisa)! A vessel was put on the fire, and half a ser soon melted, when, praying that his involuntary offence might be forgiven, he boldly drank it off; but lo! It passed through him like water. From that day, the name of the tribe was changed from Aharya to Sisodia (possibly after the miraculous dose of molten lead, 'sisa').

Told called it "an absurd tale"; as stated above, the name Sisodia was derived from the village of Sesoda in western Mewar. Author, Chandradioji Sisodia, writing in the time of Maharana Fateh Singh, paid the clan this eulogistic (and, of course, biased) tribute:

The noblest of the noble race of Rajputs, represent the elder branch of the Suryanvanshi (Children of the Sun) Raghuvansi, another patronymic derived from the predecessor of Rama from whom (as genealogists state), all the solar lines descended. The titles of many of these families are disputed. But the entire Aryan or Hindu race yield unanimous franchise to the Chief of the Sisodias, as the legitimate heir to the throne of Many, Ishwaku, Delipa, Raghu, Darasratha, and Rama, and style him 'Hindua Suraj' (sun of the Hindu race) and 'Yavadaryakulakamladhivarkara' (sun of the entire Aryan race). He is universally allowed to be the first of the 36 royal clans, therefore, as the crowning ornament of the Aryan aristocracy is quite beyond all question of rivalry.