Rajastan Travel Guide

Ancient history of Rajasthan

According to various sources and archaeological findings in Bundi and Bhilwara, the original history of Rajasthan can be from 5,000 to 2,00,000 years ago. The ancient civilized history can be traced to some areas under Jaipur and Haryana state as well as the areas of Sikar and Jhunjhunu. Different parts of Rajasthan have been recognized as the place where the Indus Valley civilization is said to have developed with the excavations found at Kalibanga in the northern Rajasthan region.

Medieval history of Rajasthan

Later with the development of societies, the Gurjara and Pratihara Empire ruled Rajasthan and protected it from Arab invaders during the 8th and 11th centuries. It was one of the most successful achievements achieved by this empire. It was the army of this empire that is credited with preventing the infiltration of Arabs beyond the territories of Sindh. The first battle of Tarain which was fought in 1191 was won by PrithvirajChauhan against Muhammad Ghori's army. However, Chauhan was then defeated in a second battle of Tarain in 1192, a year later. With this defeat, a part of Rajasthan came under Muslim rule.

Till the 13th century, Mewar was the most powerful and prominent state of Rajasthan. Although the Rajputs worked hard to keep the Muslim invaders away from Rajasthan, they later came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate. The Rana of Mewar led successful resistance against the rule of Tughlaq dynasty and recovered a large part of Rajasthan. RanaSanga is a powerful Rajasthaniruler who is continuously defeating the invaders during the expansion of the Lodi empire. After his death, no one was powerful or capable enough to defend the expansionist attitude of the Mughal Empire.

Early modern history of Rajasthan

The early modern history of Rajasthan traces the time of the Mughal conquest in Rajasthan. During the 16th century, the Mughal emperor Akbar expanded his empire into Rajputana by laying siege to the region of Chittor and defeating the king of Mewar in 1568. The siege of Ranthambore also took place during this period which was initially under protection. Akbar further expanded his empire by forming marriage alliances with the Rajut rulers and gaining their trust.

Akbar himself married the Rajasthani ruler's daughter i.e. JodhaBai and maintained good relations with her by giving a high position in her office. However, many rulers of Rajasthan such as Mewar and Marwar did not accept this domination and were in constant conflict with them. During the Battle of Haldighati, his army met Akbar's forces where he was badly wounded and ultimately defeated. The Mughal influence can be seen through his paintings and architecture in Rajasthan.

British colonial period in Rajasthan

With the arrival of British rule in Rajasthan, this eventually led to the administrative designation of culturally, geographically and economically diverse regions, which at one time did not share a politically common identity. This diversity fell under the name of Rajputana Agency. The agency lasted until 1949 and served as an identifier until it was renamed Rajasthan.

As the British rule in Rajasthan established strong control, the alliance was formed with the already existing princely states which were mainly formed during the 19th century. Local rulers accepted British sovereignty in return for local autonomy and Maratha patronage. This was done keeping in mind the age-old Mughal traditions and also due to the strategic position of the Ajmer region. In the year 1817–1818, the British government concluded all treaties regarding alliances with almost all the states of Rajasthan, which marked the beginning of British rule in Rajasthan.

History of Rajasthan after Independence

The present state of Rajasthan occurred in 7 different stages. It was in 1948 that different parts of Rajasthan came together such as Kota, Pratapgarh, Dungarpur, Kishangarh, Banswara, etc. By 1949, the remaining states of Rajasthan agreed to sign the means of entry together. The princes of the erstwhile royalty were constitutionally given different types of remuneration and various privileges in the form of privy purses that helped to relieve them from their duties and obligations. In 1970, when Indira Gandhi was serving as the Prime Minister of India, she abolished the privy purse by abolishing him by 1971.

The princes of the throne used the word Maharaj, which had no value and was seen only as a status symbol. Finally, a democratically elected government runs the state with 33 districts, 222 towns, 105 subdivisions, about 38,000 different villages and 241 tehsils.