Kushalgarh Thikana was a Rajput princely thikana (feudal estate) in present-day Banswara district of Rajasthan, India. It was historically part of the Rajputana Agency during the British colonial period and was ruled by the Ramawat Rathores, a branch of the Rathore dynasty.
According to traditional accounts, Kushalgarh was founded in the 16th century. There are two main narratives regarding its origin:
Although initially under the suzerainty of Banswara State, Kushalgarh gradually acquired a degree of autonomy while maintaining tribute and ceremonial obligations.
As of 1901, Kushalgarh Thikana spanned about 881 square kilometers and included 60 villages. The population was 16,222, and the estate earned an estimated annual revenue of â¹16,000. The estateâÂÂs capital was the town of Kushalgarh, near the present-day border with Madhya Pradesh.
Kushalgarh was ruled by the Ramawat Rathores of the Barsinghot sub-clan, descended from Rao Barsingh of the Rathore lineage. The estate followed customary Rajput norms of hereditary rule.
It was established in 1671 when Thakur Akhairaj, a descendant of the Mertia Rathore clan, was granted the jagir of Kushalgarh. The Mertia Rathores trace their lineage back to Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur.
After India gained independence in 1947, Kushalgarh was merged into the Indian Union. Like other princely and jagirdari estates, it lost its political privileges with the implementation of land reforms and the abolition of feudal tenures in the early 1950s.
Today, Kushalgarh is a town and municipality in Banswara district. According to the 2011 Census of India, it had a population of 10,096. The region is primarily inhabited by Bhil tribal communities, and the main languages spoken are Vagdi and Hindi.
A notable religious site is the Andeshwar Parshwanath Jain Temple, located atop a hill in Kushalgarh tehsil. The temple features 10th-century inscriptions and houses a black stone idol of Parshwanath dating to the 12th or 13th century. An annual fair is held here on Kartik Purnima.