I reside in Mumbai since my early retirement from Indian Navy in 1994. I was educated at St Xavier’s Jaipur, Rajasthan University and later at Indian Naval Academy. My fore fathers were rulers, high profile state ministers and combat veterans of many a battle in the Rajputana reign. I grew up in the shadow of their triumphs and tribulations. It was indeed the childhood stories of valour and vanity of my ancestors, the lesser known nobles of the Rajput Courts that became the major driving force for me to join the armed forces. I am not a historian, but a history enthusiast. I am not an insider, so I am not bound by the politics and preconceptions in the field. I spend a lot of time reading and researching about the topics I write about. However, most of the information comes from interviews of the concerned people, palace galleries and bards. The history is all about Kings and kingdoms; very little is written or documented about the nobles who governed them and their untold stories.