The state of Rajasthan emerged after Partition from a mosaic of
twenty-two feudal kingdoms, known in the British era as Rajputana,
“Land of Kings”. Running northeast from Mount Abu, near the border with
Gujarat, to within a stone’s throw of the ruins of ancient Delhi, its
backbone is formed by the bare brown hills of the Aravalli Range, which
divide the fertile Dhundar basin from the shifting sands of the mighty
Thar Desert, one of the driest places on earth.
Rajasthan’s extravagant palaces, forts and finely carved temples
comprise one of the country’s richest crops of architectural monuments.
But these exotic buildings are not the only legacy of the region’s
prosperous and militaristic history. Rajasthan’s strong adherence to
tradition is precisely what makes it a compelling place to travel
around. Swaggering moustaches, heavy silver anklets, bulky red, yellow
or orange turbans, pleated veils and mirror-inlaid saris may be part of
the complex language of caste, but to most outsiders they epitomize
India at its most exotic.
Colour also distinguishes Rajasthan’s most important tourist cities.
Jaipur, the vibrant state capital, is known as the “Pink City” thanks to the reddish paint applied to its ornate facades and palaces. Jodhpur,
the “Blue City”, is centred on a labyrinthine old walled town, whose
sky-blue mass of cubic houses is overlooked by India’s most imposing
hilltop fort. Further west, the magical desert city of
Jaisalmer, built from local sandstone, is termed the “Golden City”. In the far south of the state,
Udaipur hasn’t
gained a colour tag yet, but it could be called the “White City”:
coated in decaying limewash, its waterside palaces and havelis are
framed by a distant vista of sawtooth hills.
The route stringing together these four cities has become one of the
most heavily trodden tourist trails in India. But it’s easy to escape
into more remote areas. Northwest of Jaipur, the desert region of is dotted with atmospheric market towns and innumerable richly painted havelis, while the desert city of
Bikaner is also well worth a stopover for its fine fort, havelis and the unique “rat temple” at nearby Deshnok. The same is true of
Bundi,
in the far south of the state, with its magnificent, muralled fort and
blue-washed old town, as well as the superbly prominent fort at
Chittaurgarh nearby, not to mention the engaging hill station and remarkable Jain temples of
Mount Abu.
Another attraction is Rajasthan’s wonderful wildlife sanctuaries. Of these, the tiger sanctuary at
Ranthambore is deservedly the most popular, while Keoladeo National Park,
on the eastern border of Rajasthan near Agra, is unmatched in South
Asia for its incredible avian population, offering a welcome respite
from the frenetic cities that inevitably dominate most visitors’
itineraries.
Brief history
The turbulent history of Rajasthan only really begins in the sixth
and seventh centuries AD, with the emergence of warrior clans such as
the Sisodias, Chauhans, Kachchwahas and Rathores – the
Rajputs (“sons of Kings”) 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 myth that they descended from the sun and moon.
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 Ghor was the first to march his troops through Rajasthan, eventually gaining a 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 their efforts, Rajput resistance prevented them from ever taking
over Rajputana.
Ghor’s successors were pushed out of Delhi in 1483 by the Mughal 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 Kachchwaha family of Amber. As a
result, Rajputs entered the Mughal courts, and the influence of Mughal
ideas on art and architecture remains evident in palaces, mosques,
pleasure gardens and temples throughout the state.
When the Mughal empire began to decline after the accession of
Aurangzeb in 1658, so too did the power of the Rajputs. Aurangzeb sided
with a new force, the
Marathas, who plundered Rajput
lands and extorted huge sums of protection money. The Rajputs eventually
turned for help to the Marathas’ chief rivals, the
British,
and signed formal treaties as to mutual allies and enemies. Despite
growing British power, the Rajputs were never denied their royal status,
and relations remained largely amicable.
The nationwide clamour for Independence in the years up to 1947
eventually proved stronger in Rajasthan than Rajput loyalty; when
British rule ended, the Rajputs were left out on a limb. With persuasion
from the new Indian government they agreed one by one to join the
Indian Union, and in 1949 the 22 states of Rajputana finally merged to
form the state of
Rajasthan.
Modern Rajasthan remains among the poorest and most staunchly
traditional regions of India, although attempts to raise educational and
living standards are gradually bearing fruit. Since 1991, Rajasthan has
tripled its literacy rate, a feat unmatched by any other state, while
several universities have been established and new industries have
benefited from an electricity supply that now reaches most villages.
Irrigation schemes have also improved crop production in this arid
region, although the severe threat of
drought remains an acute problem, and the greatest single threat to Rajasthan’s future prosperity.
