|
place arose a
desert, dry, arid and hot. The fossils excavated in the Thar
desert also revealed the remains of marine life.
Various centuries ago, the men traveled to
this desert. Its earliest inhabitants were part of the Indus
Valley civilization that arose 4,500 years ago. The Indus
Valley civilization went into decline and its causes can not
be known. Although it was also believed that due to the
earthquakes and invasions, the Indus Valley civilization
declined. The recent excavations also revealed that the
settlements penetrated here deep into the heart of the desert.
It is easy to imagine that noting but the desert winds howled
here for centuries. Whereas, in other parts of the world,
other civilizations arose, and with them developed a
sophisticated network of trade that linked different
countries. Most of the part of Europe was linked to Asia along
a trade route that traveled along the West Asia and through
the vast spaces of the desert to the rich plain of Hindustan,
and then on to the Hindukush mountains and to China. These
caravans supported the commercial services, and the sarais of
the desert soon became settlements. Later the invaders and
settlers came, who in return for the protection they offered
these caravans, levied a tax on the goods they carried through
their territory and thus the transformation of the desert
started.
Rajasthan’s medieval history is as rich in tales of valour and
chivalry as it is in folklore. The first kings were the
Rajputs, who claimed to be the original Kshatriyas or warriors
and had once controlled much of Hindustan under their rule.
But with the coming of stronger forces, invasions and wars,
their hold over their kingdoms began to disintegrate, and
their centres of power collapsed. So, they looked for the
place, from where they could lay the foundations once more for
kingdoms they could command and came to the Thar where, the
Aravalli hills lay like a beam across the desert. In this
place, they built various magnificent forts and palaces to
their power and controlled different parts of Rajasthan from
about 700 AD.
The Rajputs were very religious and so they also built
splendid temples, elaborate wells, mansions, and memorials to
their dead. The rulers were not only known for their valour on
the field, but also for the sensitivity with which they
offered patronage to artists. Before that, Rajasthan was a
part of several republics. It was a part of the Mauryan
Empire. Other major republics that dominated this region
include the Malavas, Arjunas, Yaudhyas, Kushans, Saka Satraps,
Guptas and Hunas. The Pratihars ruled Rajasthan and most of
northern India during 750 to 1000 AD. Between 1000 and 1200
AD, Rajasthan witnessed the struggle for supremacy between
Chalukyas, Parmars and Chauhans. The Rajputs control the whole
of Rajasthan during the period from the eighth to the twelfth
century AD.
Around 1200 AD, a part of Rajasthan came under Muslim rulers.
The principal centers of their powers were Nagaur, Ajmer and
Ranthambore. At the beginning of the 13th century AD, the most
prominent and powerful state of Rajasthan was Mewar. Rajasthan
had never been united politically until its domination by
Akbar, the Mughal emperor. Akbar created a unified province of
Rajasthan and after 1707, the Mughal power started to decline.
The political disintegration of Rajasthan was caused by the
dismemberment of the Mughal Empire. The Marathas penetrated
Rajasthan upon the decline of the Mughal Empire. In 1755 they
occupied Ajmer. The beginning of the 19th century was marked
by the onslaught of the Pindaris.
Before independence, the state of Rajasthan comprises of 19
princely states and two chiefships of Lava and Kushalgarh and
a British administered territory of Ajmer - Marwar. Under the
British rule, the nineteen Rajput states signed a treaty and
came under an umbrella called Rajasthan. The present State of
Rajasthan was formed after a long process of integration of 19
states which began on March 17,1948 and ended on November
1,1956. Before integration it was called Rajputana. Rajasthan
was the land of the Rajputs and therefore it was known as
Rajputana. After integration, it came to be known as
Rajasthan.
Today, very little has changed in Rajasthan as its past is
linked with its present. While the kingdoms celebrated their
victories, their defeats were disastrous. When the warriors
went to the battlefield and lost to the rulers or were killed,
then their womenfolk performed the jauhar or voluntary
acceptance of death by jumping in a ritual fire-pit. In later
years, as peace became common, the rulers created stately
palaces outside their forts, most of which are now open to
visitors as hotels or museums.
Geography of Rajasthan
Rajasthan is situated in the north western part of India.
Rajasthan is geographically the second largest state in India.
The state shares its geographical boundaries with the states
of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat as
well as with Pakistan. The political boundaries of Rajasthan
between India and Pakistan do not limit the Thar or the Great
Indian Desert to fall into the adjacent country as the
Cholistan Desert. The Ghaggar river happens to be another
remarkable geographical feature of Rajasthan. This seasonal
river of India originates from the Shivaliks in Himachal
Pradesh and ends in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. The Aravalli
Hills, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world which
runs across the south of the state is another geographical
feature of Rajasthan. This mountain range is a natural divider
of Rajasthan that discriminates the sub humid areas of the
desert in the east and other areas in the west. |
