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Shekhawat is a sub-clan of Kachwaha Rajputs found mainly in Rajasthan, India. The Shekhawat clan claims descent from the great rajput warrior Maharao Shekha Ji. The Shekhawats were the most prominent among all sub clans of Kachwahas of Jaipur. Shekhawats were the rulers of Shekhawati.

Shekhawat are the most prominent of the all the Kachawahas. They are offsprings of the great Kachawaha Rajput warrior Rao Shekha ( 1443 - 1488). He ruled over the region called 'Shekhawati' , comprising of the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu. He was son of Thakur of Nan Mokal Kachawaha and Nirwan Queen. He was born on 24 sept. 1433, at Amra Dhabai ki Dhani. Later in the memory Amra Rao shekh founded Amarsar.On death of his old father Rao Mokal, Rao Shekha took over the reigns in 1459, at that time he was only 12. Shekhawt's and Shekhawati (area in which they reside) has given maximum number of soldiers to the country. And about 30,000 of this regions soldiers have died in first and second world war. Maximum causalities of soldiers in Kargil conflict were of Shekhawati region. This area is also recipient of the first Param veer chakra in India, which was won by Piru Singh Shekhawat of village Rampura beri (district- Churu). He was from 6th Rajputana Rifles. Most of the Rajput troops from shekhawati are enrolled in Rajputana Rifles, rajput regiment and grenadiers regiment.

Main article: Thikanas of Shekhawati
The Shekhawat Rajputs ruled over the Shekhawati region for over 500 years. The Shekhawats are the most prominent among all the sub-clans of the Kachwaha Dynasty of Jaipur. Sir Yadunath Sarkar in his book Fall of The Mughal Empire, wrote that Shekhawats were the bravest among the sub-clans of Kachawaha Dynasty of Jaipur. This is clear from the following poetry on Shekhawats in Rajasthani language -
"आम ज उमदा नीपजे गेंहू अर गुड़ ताड़।",
"नर नाहर तो नीपजे शेखा घर ढ़ूंढ़ाड़।।".
Another couplet on the bravery of the Shekhawats is famous throughout Rajasthan :-
Raj Karbo Rajani Khabo Peebo Khangani Pan ladba Karba Shekhani The couplet means that while the Rajawat's are the best to rule, the Khangarots are the best for built and eatery habbits but for bravery and warfare, noone stand better than Shekhawats.
History also states that during a war between Jaipur and the Marathas, when a Maratha soldier executed a Shekhawat warrior for not giving him his horse, the Shekhawat's, without the kings permission attacked the Marathas and killed more than 6000 of them, a Rajasthhani couplet explains the same:-
Maratho Shekhe ne maariyo,je natyo ghodo deba soon Lal bhai jaipar ki dharti, Shekha na dabya keba soon
The Shekhawat rulers constructed more than 50 forts and palaces in their Thikanas in Shekhawati and other thikanas. The Shekhawati region has many beautiful kaleidoscopic forts and magnificent Castles. The walls of the palaces and castles are richly painted. Frescoes were introduced first of all by the Shekhawat Rajputs in their Forts in Shekhawati. They were the first patrons of the wall painting tradition in Shekhawati.
Shekhawati was established by the Shekhawat Rajputs and it was ruled by them till India’s Independence.

Maharao Shekha Ji from Dhundhar or Amer established his own independent kingdom with the capital at Amarsar; he was the first independent Ruler in Dhundhar after ruler of Amer. After him Rao Raimal, Rao Suja and Rao Lunkaran become the rulers of Amarsar. Rao Manohar succeeded his father Rao Lunkaran and founded Manoharpur later renamed Shahpura [The present ruler of Shahpura(Rao Rajendra Singh Saheb of Shahpura) is the Tikai of Shekhawat sub clan]. The Shekhawats conquered the Jhunjhunu, Fatehpur, Narhar of Kaimkhanis and established their rule on them.
Rao Suja’s younger son Raja Raisal was a brave king; he conquered Khandela from Nirbans and succeeded as the Raja Sahib of Khandela. He had 12 sons among them 5 were died in battle. His seventh son Raja Girdhar succeeded as the Raja of Khandela and his descendents are known as Girdhar Ji Ka Shekhawats. Raja Raisal’s elder son was Thakur Lal Singh, he was granted Khachariawas Thikana and his son Kesari Singh founded Khatu. As Akbar called Lal Singh Lad Khan, this name become famous, and his descendents are known as Ladkhani. Raja Raisal’s third son Rao Tirmal was the ancestor of “Rao Ji Ka” Sept of Shekhawats. He was granted the parganas of Nagore and Kasli (with 84 villages). Rao Daulat Singh son of Rao Jaswant Singh of Kasli, founded Sikar in 1687. Raja Raisal’s fifth son Thakur Bhojraj was brave and a generous person; he received the Udaipurwati as his Jagir by his father. He was the ruler of Udaipurwati (The group of 45 villages of Udaipurwati was known as Pentalisa) and he was ancestor of the Bhojraj Ji Ka sept of Shekhawats. Descendents of Thakur Bhojraj founded many Thikanas and ruled over them. Bhojraj Ji Ka Shekhawats ruled over two territories; one was Pentalisa and another was Panch Pana. Pentalisa comprised Jhajhar, Gudhagorji, Khirod, Chirana etc. and Panch Pana comprised the Thikanas of Khetri, Bissau, Mukandgarh, Nawalgarh, Dundlod,Mandawa, Mehansar, Alsisar, Inderpura, Malsisar, Mandrella, Arooka, Chowkari, Hirwa, Sigra, Surajgarh, etc. Thakur Shardul Singh, a descendent of Rao Bhojraj Ji, conquered Jhunjhunu in 1730 from the Kayamkhani Nawabs. Thakur Shardul Singh had six sons, namely, Thakur Jorawar Singh, Thakur Kishan Singh, Kunwar Bahadur Singh (died in his Kunwarpadi), Thakur Akhe Singh, Thakur Nawal Singh Bahadur and Thakur Kesari Singh. Unfortunately, Bahadur Singh had expired in an early age. Later on Thakur Shardul Singh’s estate was divided into five equal shares among his five sons. These five shares were known as Panchpana. It was a second territory, ruled by Bhojraj Ji Ka. Panchpana comprised the Thikanas of Khetri, Bissau, Mukandgarh, Nawalgarh, Dundlod, Mandawa,Mehansar, Alsisar, Malsisar,Tain, Mandrella, Arooka, Chowkari, Hirwa, Sigra, Surajgarh, etc. Akhe Singh died without issue, so his share was given to the other brothers. Thakur Shardul Singh’s sons and their descendents founded many new well planned and prosperous Thikanas.[1] Many Thikanas had their own flags and emblems. The Shekhawats ruled over the highest number of Thikanas in Jaipur Rajwara.
In 19th century Sikar was the largest & wealthiest Thikana and the Khetri was the second wealthiest Thikana of the Jaipur State.
Shekhawati was the largest Nizamat of the Jaipur State, almost the whole of which is occupied by Shekhawats. The Shekhawat chieftains of the region retained a nominal loyalty to the Kachwaha Rajput’s capital state of Jaipur, who in turn honoured them with the hereditary title known as Tazimi Sirdars. The Rulers of the Shekhawati’s Thikanas were the Shekhawat sub clan of Kachwaha Dynasty of Jaipur Princely State. Shekhawats was the most prominent among all the Kachawas of Jaipur. Col. J.C. Brooke in his book Political History of India wrote that for the recruitment of Horse-army there is no region in India at par with Shekhawati.