Rajasthan Diwas 2022- History Of Land Of Kings Rajasthan

Being ruled by several rulers in the past, Rajasthan is popularly known as the ‘Land of Kings.’ With several historical forts, lavish palaces, beautiful lakes, and stunning mountain ranges, the state has been one of the most visited destinations in the world. A wide range of cultural offerings is what steals the hearts of people.

# Ancient civilization

An archaeological study carried in the past shows that this royal land has been populated for a thousand years. It started at the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. The state was first occupied by the people of the Harappan era. They settled on the bank of the Sarasvati River that was made in the vast Aravalli mountain range in the state. The place suffered from severe changes in the climate and was also struck by floods. Due to which they ultimately had to leave the place.

After when they left the place, the state remained unoccupied for some time. Later, tribal groups, such as the Meena and the Bhilsbegan settle in the region. In addition to it, the Aryans were also supposed to have established themselves in this area during 2,000 BC. This continued like this till the advent of the Mauryan dynasty who governed the state from 321BCE to 184 BCE.

Due to the planned location of the state, and the abundance of ancient rivers, like the Drishadvatiand Sarasvati that flows through it, the entire state started grasping the attention of various empires such as Arjunyas, Hunas, Saka Satraps, and Yaudheyas.

Then came the Gupta dynasty who subjugated the state during the 4th century. Several Buddhist caves and shrines were constructed in the Jhalawar district. During the sixth century, the authority and impact of the Guptas began to decline. In 700 CE, the Gurjara-Pratiharas defeated the Gupta and presided on the throne. The entire power was now in their hands.

# Medieval period

In the ninth century, the Rajput dynasty defeated Gurjara-Pratiharasand took over the control of the state. This was noted as the most prosperous period in the entire history of the state. The Rajputs were basically fighters. Under the reign of Rajput rulers, several developments took place.

Some of the noteworthy developments that were made by the Rajput clan in Rajasthan are seen in the form of stately historic edifices, that included palaces, shrines and forts, temples. Junagarh Fort, in Bikaner city, is one of the examples of construction by the Rathore Rajputs. After ruling for several decades, the Rajput empire got divided into twenty-one dynasties and thirty-six royal fraternities. This happened due to the loss of unity among the rulers.

The Chauhans took advantage of this division and conquered major locations of the state in the tenth century. Some of the parts still remained under the rule of Rajputs. Unfortunately, the Chauhans couldn’t sustain their authority for a long time. In 1192 CE, the Muslim dynasty conquered Prithviraj Chauhan, the emperor of the Chauhan dynasty. The Muslim dynasty invaded a few areas of the state. Finally, by 1200 A.D., they established their authority in several areas of Rajasthan.

They ruled for almost a century. In the early thirteenth century, the highly prominent seat in Rajasthan as Mewar was still ruled by the Rajputs. Every king of that time was having a keen watch on Mewar. The famous Mughal emperor, Akbar The Great, began making connections with several Rajput rulers. In order to conquer Mewar, he also wedded a Rajput princess, “Jodha Bai”. She was the daughter of Maharaja of Amer.

After marriage, several Rajput rulers formed a coalition with Akbar. This strengthened his power and control over the Rajasthan state. The association of the Mughals and Rajputs can is seen till today in the mesmerizing architectural and historical landscape of the state.

However, there were a few Rajput rulers such as Rana Udai Singh (Mewar), Maharana Pratap, and Rao Chandrashekar Rathore who suspected the deceitful intentions of Akbar. They were in continuous war with the King. In 1526, a war between Udai Singh and Akbar took place. It resulted in the defeat of Rajputs over Chittorgarh, which has been the capital of Mewar. After this defeat, a lot of women who belonged to the Rajput fraternity committed self-destruction to safeguard their honor. Almost all the regions of the Rajputana Kingdom were now controlled by Akbar.

# The advent of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company

At the start of the eighteenth century, the Maratha Empire started gaining supremacy. It expanded towards the North of the Rajasthan under the reign of Baji Rao Peshwa. They also got unified with the Rajputs. A majority of the Rajput-governed empires came under the authority of the Maratha Empire and sustained to prosper.

However, with the emergence of the East India Company in the 18th century, the supremacy and control of the Maratha Empire started to decline. Looking at the power of the East India Company, a lot of Rajput states merged together that resulted in the independent state “Rajasthan”. The name of the state ‘Rajasthan’ was promoted by an employee of the East India Company, James Tod, who got captivated by the wealth and beauty of this state.

# Rajasthan today

Thus, the present imperial Rajasthan state was built in 7 stages. It became the major state of the Indian Republic. In addition to it, Rajasthan has also been documented to have 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The wonderful palaces, busy cities, and native hamlets still remain the mainstay of this state.

Planning a trip to Rajasthan? Check out the Rajasthan Tour Package including private guide & car, relaxing itinerary and affordable price. Destinations: Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Ranthambore, Bikaner, Bundi, Pushkar.