Rajasthan

Area :342.239 square kilometres

Capital :Jaipur

Language :Rajasthani,Hindi

Economy :Mainly an agricultural state. Crops grown include
Rice,Barley,Gram,Wheat,Oilseeds,Pulses,Cotton,Tobacco, Red chillies,Mustard,Cumin seeds,Fenugreek seeds and Asafoetida. Largest wool-producing state.

Minerals :Zinc and Copper

Population :5,64,73,122

People :The people include the Minas,the Meos,the Banjara,who are travelling tradesmen and artisans; the Bhils,one of the oldest peoples in India,and the Rabans of Marwar who are cattle breeders. The Rajputs,famed in legend,represent only a small percentage of the population.

Climate :In Summer Rajasthan is very hot characterized by hot winds and dust storms especially in the desert. In the winter temperatures vary from 20 C to 24.50 C.

Culture :Rajasthan has a well-known folk dance called "ghoomar",that is performed by women on festive occasions. The folk dance called "geer" is performed by men and women,the "panihari" is a graceful dance for women,and the popular "kacchi ghori" dance involves male dancers riding dummy horses.

History :Rajasthan was a part of Ashoka's empire in the 3rd century BC. Later in the 7th century AD the Bactrians,the Scythians,the Guptas,and Harshavardhana ruled this region.

In the 7th to 11th century Rajasthan was ruled by several Rajput dynasties. Under Bhoja I (836-885),their territory stretched from the Himalayan foothills to the Narmada and from the middle Ganges Valley to Sindh.

Later the Mughal invader,Babur,defeated Rana Sangram of Mewarand capitalised his region. In the 16th century the Mughal emperor Akbar tried to subdue the Rajputs through diplomacy and military action. While the strongholds of Ranthambore and Chittor were besieged and destroyed,other Rajput ruling houses were won over when Akbar married their princesses and appointed their nobles to important positions in the Mughal army. This practice of contracting matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs continued after Akbar,and both the emperors,Jahangir and Shah Jahan had Rajput mothers.

After the death of the emperor Aurangzeb the last believed emperor of Mughal dynasty Maratha came into influence in the region. In the 18th century Maratha power began to decline and the British stepped in.

During the freedom struggle Ajmer became the centre of political activity. After independence,the Rajput princes gradually surrendered their powers to the central government and the state of Rajasthan came into being.