Rajasthan (Raj)

Hin: राजस्थान rājasthān

‘Land of Kings’

From Skt: rāj, ‘king’; and Skt: sthāna, ‘country’, ’region’.

During British rule, this area was known as Rajputana, land of the Rajputs. The Rajputs [Skt:(raja)putra, ‘sons (of kings’)] are loosely defined as  a collection of  castes, clans and kinship groups claiming shared social status and descent, and a culture based on warriorhood. Rajputs rose to prominence during the 6-12C centuries. The Rajputs were also active in neighbouring states such as Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

The modern state is made up of nineteen former princely states and the former district of Ajmer-Merwara. It is the largest state in India: 342,239 km², nearly three times the size of England. Rajasthan is India’s ‘marble’ state: it produces 90 per cent of India’s marble and has estimated reserves of 900 million tonnes.

Districts of Rajasthan