Rajasthan History

Rajasthan history began long before 2500 BC, when the Indus Valley civilization had its foundation here in the northern part of the state. The Bhil and Mina tribes were the earliest settlers. It was in 1400 BC that the Aryans invaded this area and then settled here, forcing the local populace further south and towards the east. Then followed the Afghans, Turks, Persians and Moghuls, who came to conquer and stayed on after the war was over. This blend of the foreign ethnic groups together with the locals gave rise to the unique culture of Rajasthan. The Rajputs inherited this heritage of valor and chivalry from the diverse groups that arrived and settled in the region.

The History of Rajasthan

Any tour of Rajasthan would bring home the fact that this ancient land has a hoary history of conquest and dominion, which gave birth to the numerous kingdoms, wrestling with each other for supremacy. The fall of the Gupta Empire, in the early 5th century, was followed by a period of instability as various local chieftains battled each other for control of the region. The rise of the Rajputs in the early 6th and 7th centuries left its indelible stamp on the ancient culture of Rajasthan. These warrior clans gave birth to the term Rajputana, by which the collection of princely states came to be known during the time of the Muslim invasion. Any tour of Rajasthan would testify to the glorious history of the bygone era. The various marauders failed to kill the spirit of the valiant Rajputs, though they were never united amongst themselves against the common enemy. Akbar the Great Moghul ultimately brought the warring groups more or less under his control, by a shrewd strategy of warfare and alliances.

After the decline of the Moghal Empire, it was the turn of the Marathas to eye Rajputana. The infighting among the Rajputs laid them wide open to the marauding Marathas, who annexed territory after territory leading to the eventual decline of the Rajput kingdoms. This remarkable history of Rajasthan is etched in stone and marble in the imposing forts and palaces that dot the landscape in the desert state. The British when they arrived bought the fealty of the Rajputs in return for protection against the Marathas. The Rajputs by now weakened by continual conflict and their own disputes submitted meekly to this diktat, but the simmering discontent came to a head with the uprising in 1857. This revolt laid the foundation for the ultimate independence of the country in 1947, when the numerous princely merged into the Indian Union.