The Thakurs (erstwhile feudal lords) of Ghanerao draw their lineage from the Rathore clan of the Royal Family of Jodhpur. In the early 13th century, the Mertia Rathores of Ghanerao first set up their capital at Merta – near Ajmer. From the 13th century until the 16th century, they fought alongside the rulers of Mewar in defending the state against frequent Mughal invasions. For their role in these wars, they were awarded the region of Godwad – a strategic fertile belt running along the foothills of the Aravalli ranges. The Thakur chieftains of Ghanerao – the head of the Mertia clan of Rathores – administered 84 villages in the region of Godwad. Each group of villages was in turn administered by smaller ruling nobility. The House of Ghanerao maintained a judiciary and an army – a part of which was the cavalry of Marwari horses. After India’s independence from the British in 1947, all feudal land was handed over to the Indian Union, the cavalry was disbanded and the horses found homes among the smaller noble houses.
