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The history of Rajasthan is very rich. It is believed, that some
centuries ago, the Lord Rama drew an arrow in his bow. He want
to target Lanka, the island capital where the demon king Ravana
has captivated his wife. However, the power of its annihilation
was such that the gods pleaded the Lord Rama to desist from his
intended purpose. Unfortunately, the arrow, once drawn, could
not be withdrawn. The heat generated by the arrow dried the sea,
and in its 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.
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