The city of Kota (previously spelt as Kotah) is situated at the center of the southeastern region of Rajasthan, a very region widely known as Hadaoli the land of the Hadas. The also Hadas are a major branch of the great Chauhan clan of the Agnikula (fire dynasty) Rajputs. They had settled in the hilly terrain of Mewar near Bijolianat Bambaoda in the 12th century A.D.and soon extended their rule, conquering Bundi in 1241 and Kota in 1264 (some writers date both these events exactly 100 years later). Originally, all this formed the Hada state of Bundi dire with Kota as the Jaghir (land grant) of Bundi. Kota later became a separate state in 1624.

The kingdom of Kota was carved out of Bundi in 1579 by a ruler of Bundi as a gift for a favourite younger prince, Rao Madho Singh, who is said to have proven himself as a successful and courageous general at the tender age of fourteen. The great maritial tradition continued down the family : fighting on behalf of the ageing Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, against the usurper prince, Aurangzeb, five of Rao Madho Singh's sons died on the battlefield.

The sixth, who narrowly survived, lived on to count no less than fifty wounds on his body , acquired during the course of a long and eventful military carreer. Kota has a complex history with great swings of fortune, unlike its sister kingdom of Bundi, hidden away behind its rampart of hills. Menaced over the centuries by various Mughal rulers, the maharajas of Jaipur and Mewar, the Maratha warlords, and sometimes their own cousins in Bundi, the rulers of Kota developed a keenly honed instinct for diplomacy. One result was a treaty with the Marathas in the 18th century to keep the Kachhawas rulers of Jaipur at bay.

Brijraj Bhawan, a colonial style palace, situated on the bank of river Chambal, was build in the early nineties. The palace has large spacious rooms that are tastefully done up with antique furniture. An intresting feature of the palace is the fact that almost all the rooms overlook the Chambal river providing an arrresting view of the mighty river.

Umed Bhawan is one of the most beautiful palaces of Kota. Built in 1009 by Maharao Umed Singh II of Kota. This palace was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob who spent many years in Rajasthan. The overall design of the palace is European. There is an Edwardian drawing room, a billiard room and a very well laid out garden surrounding the palace.There are long corridors, courtyard and Italian marble floors.

Situated in the old palace, it houses a rich collection of Rajput paintings of the Kota school, exquisite sculptures and other valuable antiques. The museum is the treasure house of artistic items used by the rulers of kota.