Whether you are a genealogist, family historian or social historian tracing ancestry is both intriguing and perplexing. Traditionally, familial relationships were passed down via oral history. While this still occurs in many families today, it’s normal to have unknown, distant cousins or grandmas being pointed out at gatherings. In communities that have experienced so much upheaval and disruption, the most thorough family records may reside in the memories of relatives.

This is an important collection of stories by Pratap Singh Mehta for any reader interested in the full range of historical viewpoints in Rajasthan’s cultural heritage. Often portrayed as a land of uncritical religiosity, camels and sand, Commander Mehta brings out Rajasthan’s long tradition of scepticism, doubt and critical reasoning including a considerable religious tolerance. Each story is logically broken down in anecdotal format with relevant paintings and pictures. The book is beautifully written and each story is a joy to read. A wide range of Rajputana’s valiant, philosophic and cultural contributions by the lesser known nobles of Bachhawat clan is comprehensively covered.

‘Rajputana Chronicles: Guns & Glories – The thousand-year story of the Bachhawat clan’, could perhaps be essential reading for anyone seriously interested to know how states in Rajputana were governed and her heritage. This coffee table book reverberates with great kings like Maharana Pratap, Emperor Akbar and the visionary Prime Ministers like Karam Chand Bachhawat (Bikaner) and Rai Pannalal Mehta (Mewar).

Commander Pratap Singh Mehta’s work will connect with the audiences across the world that is keen to know how Kingdoms of the past succeeded and sustained themselves for centuries. Mehta, a veteran of Indian Navy and the 1971 Indo-Pak war has been a keen observer of the history of his ancestors, since they were nobles and the knowledge about these people, who dominated the affairs of the states, is not enough.