Udaipur, India was founded in 1553, by Maharana Udai Singh II in the fertile circular Girwa Valley to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River. The city was established as the new capital of the Mewar kingdom.
Overview
Founding of Udaipur
The golden period of glory of Chittaurgarh that began with Bappa Rawal (734CE) and continued under Rawals Khumaans to Maharana Sanga (Sangram Singh 1509-1527) lost its prominence after Sanga's death. Sanga was succeeded by his two unworthy sons, during whose brief rule (1527-1536) even the nobles of the kingdom lost interest in its affairs and plunged Chittaurgarh into a period of disaster and decline. The third son of Sanga fortunately salvaged the situation through rational and enterprising rule. The political situation in India was changing fast which the young Maharana had to contend with.
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese established themselves on the western coast of India with the new weapon of warfare-the artillery, they established themselves on the western coast of India-starting in 1509 with construction of ports and forts at Calicut, Cochin, Pulicat (Podouke), Goa, Bombay, Cambay, Diu, and finally arriving in Gujarat by the 1530s. The Mughal emperor Babur established himself in the north in 1526. He too, took recourse to the new technology of artillery, invading India with the help of Ottoman canons. Using firearms, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, successfully tried and tested the efficacy of artillery warfare on Chittaurgarh in 1535. It resulted in the Second Saka and Jauhar. The Portuguese, who must have accompanied the Sultan, were likely to have offered the notion of Saabaat ()-covered hallways running up to the fort walls. They hoped to gain a foothold on the Gujarat coast by impressing the Muslim king. Although gunpowder and canons had been employed in India since the Bahmani Sultanate, the Portuguese guns used by Bahadur Shah and the Ottoman guns used by Babur in his conquest of India were of higher quality. With this background of a hostile and volatile north, a southern kingdom armed with new technology and his own house in disorder, Maharana Udai Singh wisely decided to adjust to the changed situation in and around Mewar with "Krishn-Neeti" (rational policy).
Capital relocation
The Maharana was also aware of the known ambitious and expansionist designs of the young grandson of Babur, he therefore decided to relocate his capital from venerable but vulnerable Chittaurgarh to a more appropriate location. Founding of Udaipur was one of the greatest achievements of Maharana Udai Singh-a decision that had far-reaching consequence on the future history of this area and its people. Unfortunately, the "story" of its founding is based on what earlier literature including "Veer Vinod" described without interpreting and analyzing it in more rational manner. Subsequent writers, especially "Tourist" literature, have just retold the same thing in their own words without evaluating the facts of the case. The usual story is: Maharana Udai Singh visits Kailashpuri to pay respect and to thank the family deity, Shree Eklingji, on the birth of his grandson-Amar Singh (16 March 1559, Chaitra Shukl Saptami VS 1616). On return to Girwa they have an "Aakhaa-Teej" hunting excursion during which they meet a hermit on the ridge overlooking Pichola Lake, who advises him to establish his capital here and next day the Hermit disappears....Fact of the matter is:
17 rulers of Mewar
17 rulers of Mewar had ruled from Ayad town of Girwa Valley (~10th -12th centuries, Ruler #18-34), still earlier (4+1) Rawals ruled from Nagda; so the "Girwa" (& adjoining) valley was already well known to Chittaurgarh rulers who returned to it whenever Chittaurgarh was lost to invaders-the Rajputs or the Muslims!
Strategic location
The oval amphitheater/arena Girwa Valley (~20 km x 15 km), in which Udaipur was founded, has its long axis in NW-SE extending between ~N24°40̒ - 24°34̒ and E73 °39 ̒ - E73 ° 45 ̒, the undulating but fertile valley floor has elevation of ~580m which is encircled by continuous hill range having MRL of ~ 670-850m that are thickly forested. The valley, at the eastern flank of the Aravalli Hill Range, was fed by two perennial rivers -Ayad and Sisarma, they merge further downstream to form Bedach River.
This strategically located Girwa valley is endowed with a natural defense system, which made it as an ideal location for human settlement. To the west of Girwa Valley, there is a densely forested hill range and to its east is the ~100-km wide Mewar plain followed by Vindhyan plateau Range from Chittaurgarh & beyond Ayad area of Girwa Valley has been inhabited from pre-historic times.