Founded in 1156, Jaisalmer’s strategic pos­ition on the camel-train routes between India and Central Asia brought it great wealth. The merchants and townspeople built magnificent houses and mansions, exquisitely carved from wood and sandstone. Jaisalmer experienced its share of sieges and sackings, with an inevitable Rajput jauhar in the 13th century after a siege that lasted eight years. However, it escaped too much harm from the Mughals. On good terms with Delhi, the 17th-century city saw another golden age, with more grand palaces and havelis.