The history of Rajasthan is about five thousand years old, in terms of area, Rajasthan is considered to be the largest state of India. It was incorporated as a state in India in 1949. India’s only brackish water river, Luni, passes through the Thar Desert of this Rajasthan. Rajasthan is called the ‘Land of Kings’ and ‘Land of Princely States’. Now we will know such interesting story of this unique Rajasthan.

How did Rajasthan get its name?

The word Rajasthan means “abode of kings”. The region was formerly ruled by Ahirs, Gurjars, Rajputs, Mauryas, Meenas and Jats, hence the name Rajasthan. Rajasthan was established as a state on March 30, 1949 through Indian constitutional history. Every year March 30 is celebrated as “Rajasthan Diwas” so that the ideal of formation of Rajasthan can be displayed across the country. Two years after independence, an important state like Rajasthan was formed, and it had to pass through seven stages for its formation.

history of Rajasthan

Rajasthan is famous with its very ancient history, which has been around for 5,000 years. This history is divided into three main periods: the ancient period, the medieval period and the modern period.

The first era, called the ancient period, lasted till 1200 AD. From that time till around 700 AD, Rajput dynasties emerged and established their authority over various parts of Rajasthan.

The medieval period lasted from approximately 1201 to 1707. Around 1200 AD, a part of Rajasthan came under Muslim rulers. Their main centers were Nagaur and Ajmer. In the early decades of the 13th century, the most prominent and powerful state in Rajasthan was Mewar.

The modern period lasted from 1707 to 1947. During this time, Rajasthan was never united politically, while Rajasthan was made a unified province during the dominance of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. After 1707, the Mughal power began to decline. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Marathas entered Rajasthan. In 1755, he subdued Ajmer

Rajasthan after independence

India became independent on 15 August 1947. About 7 months later, on 30 March 1948, the state of Rajasthan was carved out of Rajputana. Simultaneously, Jaipur was made the capital of the state. Hiralal Shastri was appointed as the first Chief Minister. Despite this, after the formation of Rajasthan another assembly was established and Haribhau Upadhyay was made the first chief minister of Ajmer.

Jodhpur princely state wanted to join Pakistan

Mohammad Ali Jinnah wanted to annex Jodhpur (Marwar) to Pakistan, while the ruler of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh, was opposed to the Congress and wanted to join Pakistan with his desire for independence. Various issues were discussed between Hanwant Singh and Jinnah, Jinnah assured Hanwant Singh that he would fulfill all the conditions. Hanwant Singh, under the influence of the Nawab of Bhopal, also requested the Maharana of Udaipur to join Pakistan. But the Maharana of Udaipur rejected Hanwant Singh’s proposal saying that a Hindu ruler would not join a Muslim country with a Hindu princely state.

This thing impressed Hanwant Singh and forced him to think again about meeting in Pakistan. There was a tense atmosphere in Jodhpur over the issue of joining Pakistan. Sardar Patel assured the Maharaja of Jodhpur that he would get all the facilities in India which were demanded from Pakistan. Recognizing the time, Maharaja Hanwant Singh signed the Instrument of Accession of the Union of India on August 1, 1949.