Rao Shekha

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Rao Shekha (1433-1488) was a Rajput chieftain belonging to the Kachwaha clan. He ruled over the region called Shekhawati, comprising of districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan. Indeed, the region gets its name 'Shekhawati' from him. The descendants of Rao Shekha form the Shekhawat clan of Rajputs, a sept of the Kachwaha clan.

[edit] Birth

Shekha was born on September 24, 1433 at the obscure hamlet of 'Amra Dhabai ki Dhani' to Mokal Kachawaha and his wife Nirwan. Mokal was a chieftain who held the estate of Nan in fief from the ruler of Amber (Jaipur). The story of Shekha’s birth is rather interesting. Mokal and Nirwan were much troubled as they had no son for several years. They heard about the miraculous powers of the Sheikh Burhan, a Muslim mendicant. They decided to pay the man a visit. After they received the blessings of the Sheikh, a son was born to the couple. In honour of the mendicant, the couple named his son Shekha.

In 1459, Mokal died and was succeeded in his estates by Shekha. He was a tazimi sardar of the Maharaja of Amber (Jaipur) and thus was nominally a vassal of that court. Shekha is credited with having founded the town of Amarsar.