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People of the Indus Valley Civilization are known to have spread into western India as far as the Gujarati coast, from their base of Mohenjo Daro in Pakistan, but few Rajasthani sites - such as Kali Bangan in the north, thought to have been settled by the Harappans before 2500 BC - have been discovered. Similarly, the Buddhist influence of the powerful Mauryan empire, who rose to prominence in Gujarat between 360 BC and 210 BC, touched only the southernmost districts of Rajasthan. The turbulent history of Rajasthan, characterized by courtly intrigue and inter-state warfare, only really begins in the sixth and seventh centuries AD, with the emergence of warrior clans such as the Sisodias, Chauhans, Kuchwahas and Rathores - the Rajputs ("sons of princes"). These heroic fighters seem originally to have been denied positions of power by a rigid caste system, due to low social status or foreign birth, but claimed to be able to cleanse themselves of impurities by complex fire rituals. Never exceeding eight percent of the population, they were to rule the separate states of Rajputana for centuries. Their code of honour set them apart from the rest of society - as did the popular belief that they were descended from the sun and moon - but did not invite excessive hostility. The Rajputs provided land, employment and trading opportunities for their subjects, and are still praised as gods in some communities. |
The Rajput codes of chivalry that lay behind endless clashes between clans and family feuds found their most savage expression in battles with Muslims. Muhammad of Ghori , the first to march his troops through Rajasthan, met with the fierce defiance of the Chauhan Rajputs at Ajmer; however, the success of his second onslaught gained him the foothold that enabled him to establish the Sultanate in Delhi. During the 350 years that followed, much of central, eastern and western India came under the control of the sultans, but, despite all the Muslims' efforts and victories, Rajput resistance precluded them from ever undermining family solidarity and taking over Rajputana. Ghori's successors were pushed out of Delhi in 1483 by the Moghul Babur, whose grandson Akbar came to power in 1556. Aware of the futility of using force against the Rajputs, Akbar chose instead to negotiate in friendship, and married Rani Jodha Bai, a princess from the Kuchwaha family of Amber. As a result, Rajputs entered the Moghul courts, and the influence of Moghul ideas on art and architecture remains evident in palaces, mosques, pleasure gardens and temples throughout the state. |
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Rajasthan |
Brief history |
Visiting Rajasthan |
Transportation and
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