Rajasthan (Hindi:Rājasthāna ,pronounced[raːdʒəsˈt̪ʱaːn] ,^ⓘ;lit. 'Land of Kings')^[12] is astate inNorthern India.^[13][14][15] It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 sq mi) or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is thelargest Indian state by area and theseventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern side, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitableThar Desert (also known as theGreat Indian Desert) and shares a border with thePakistani provinces ofPunjab to the northwest andSindh to the west, along theSutlej-Indus River valley. It is bordered by five other Indian states:Punjab to the north;Haryana andUttar Pradesh to the northeast;Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; andGujarat to the southwest. Its geographical location is 23°.3' to 30°.12' North latitude and 69°.30' to 78°.17' East longitude, with theTropic of Cancer passing through its southernmost tip.

Rajasthan
State
State of Rajasthan
Thar desert Mehrangarh City Palace, Udaipur Ghateshwar Temple Kumbhalgarh Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam Ranakpur Jain temple Amer Fort
Emblem of Rajasthan
Etymology: Land ofKings
Motto(s):  Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs)
Location of Rajasthan in India
Coordinates:26°36′N73°48′E / 26.6°N 73.8°E /26.6; 73.8
Country	India
Region	North India
Before was	Rajputana Agency
Formation	30 March 1949
Capital and largest city	Jaipur
Districts	41 (7 divisions)[1]
Government
• Body	Government of Rajasthan
• Governor	Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde[2]
• Chief minister	Bhajan Lal Sharma (BJP)
• Deputy chief minister	Diya Kumari (BJP) Prem Chand Bairwa (BJP)
State Legislature	Unicameral
• Assembly	Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (200 seats)
National Parliament	Parliament of India
• Rajya Sabha	10 seats
• Lok Sabha	25 seats
High Court	Rajasthan High Court
Area
• Total	342,239 km2 (132,139 sq mi)
• Rank	1st
Dimensions
• Length	826 km (513 mi)
• Width	869 km (540 mi)
Elevation [3]	225 m (738 ft)
Highest elevation (Guru Shikhar[4])	1,722 m (5,650 ft)
Lowest elevation (Bhim block)	100 m (300 ft)
Population  (2011)[5]
• Total	68,548,437
• Rank	7th
• Density	200/km2 (500/sq mi)
• Urban	24.87%
• Rural	75.13%
Demonym	Rajasthani
Language
• Official	Hindi[6]
• Additional official	English[6]
• Official script	Devanagari script
GDP [7][not specific enough to verify]
• Total(2023-24)	₹15.28 lakh crore (equivalent to₹16 trillion or US$190 billion in 2023)
• Rank	7th
• Per capita	₹167,964 (equivalent to₹180,000 or US$2,100 in 2023) (22nd)
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 code	IN-RJ
Vehicle registration	RJ
HDI(2018)	0.629Medium[8] (22nd)
Literacy(2011)	66.11%[9] (33rd)
Sex ratio(2021)	1009♀/1000♂[10] (30th)
Website	rajasthan.gov.in
Symbols of Rajasthan
Emblem of Rajasthan
Bird	Godawan
Flower	Rohida
Mammal	Camel andChinkara[11]
Tree	Khejri
State highway mark
State highway of Rajasthan RJ SH1 -RJ SH138
List of Indian state symbols

Its major features include the ruins of theIndus Valley civilisation atKalibangan andBalathal, theDilwara Temples, aJain pilgrimage site at Rajasthan's onlyhill station,Mount Abu, in the ancientAravalli mountain range and eastern Rajasthan, theKeoladeo National Park ofBharatpur, aWorld Heritage Site^[16] known for its bird life. Rajasthan is also home to three nationaltiger reserves, theRanthambore National Park inSawai Madhopur,Sariska Tiger Reserve inAlwar and theMukundra Hills Tiger Reserve inKota.

The State of Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949 when the states of theRajputana Agency of the erstwhileBritish Empire in India were merged into the newIndian Union. Itscapital and largest city isJaipur. Other important cities areJodhpur,Kota,Bikaner,Ajmer,Bhilwara,Sawai Madhopur,Bharatpur andUdaipur. Theeconomy of Rajasthan is theseventh-largest state economy in India with₹10.20 lakh crore (US$120 billion) ingross domestic product and a per capitaGDP of₹118,000 (US$1,400).^[17] Rajasthan ranks22nd among Indian states inhuman development index.^[8]

Rajasthan means "The Land of Kings" and is aportmanteau ofSanskrit "Rājā" ('King') and Sanskrit "Sthāna" ('Land') orPersian "St(h)ān", with the same meaning.^[12] The oldest reference toRajasthan is found in a stone inscription dated back to 625 CE.^[18] The first printed mention of the nameRajasthan appears in the 1829 publicationAnnals and Antiquities of Rajasthan or the Central and Western Rajpoot States of India, while the earliest known record ofRajputana as a name for the region is inGeorge Thomas's 1800 memoirMilitary Memories.^[19]John Keay, in his bookIndia: A History, stated thatRajputana was coined by the British in 1829, John Briggs, translatingFerishta's history of early Islamic India, used the phrase "Rajpoot (Rajput) princes" rather than "Indian princes".^[20]

Parts of what is now Rajasthan were partly part of theVedic Civilisation and theIndus Valley civilisation.Kalibangan, inHanumangarh district, was a major provincial capital of the Indus Valley Civilisation.^[21]Topsfield^[22] writes that theRajputs first entered India from the north west in the first millennium A.D. They established kingdoms in western India in the region that is now known as Rajasthan.^[22]

Anarchaeological excavation at theBalathal site in Udaipur district shows a settlement contemporary with the Harrapan civilisation dating back to 3000–1500 BCE. Stone Age tools dating from 5,000 to 200,000 years were found inBundi andBhilwara districts of the state.^[23]

TheMatsya kingdom of theVedic civilisation of India is said to roughly corresponded to the former state ofJaipur in Rajasthan and included the whole of Alwar with portions ofBharatpur.^[25][26] The capital of Matsya was atViratanagar (modern Bairat), which is said to have been named after its founder KingVirata.^{[27][need quotation to verify]}

Bhargava^[28] identifies the two districts ofJhunjhunu andSikar and parts ofJaipur district along with Haryana districts ofMahendragarh andRewari as part ofVedic state ofBrahmavarta. Bhargava also locates the present daySahibi River as the VedicDrishadwati River, which along withSaraswati River formed the borders of the Vedic state of Brahmavarta.^[29] Manu andBhrigu narrated theManusmriti to a congregation of seers in this area. The ashrams of Vedic seersBhrigu and his son Chayvan Rishi, for whomChyawanprash was formulated, were nearDhosi Hill, part of which lies in Dhosi village ofJhunjhunu district of Rajasthan and part of which lies inMahendragarh district ofHaryana.^[30]

TheWestern Kshatrapas (405–35 BCE), theSaka rulers of the western part of India, were successors to theIndo-Scythians and were contemporaneous with theKushans, who ruled the northern part of theIndian subcontinent. The Indo-Scythians invaded the area ofUjjain and established theSaka era (with theircalendar), marking the beginning of the long-lived SakaWestern Satraps state.^[31]

ThePratiharas ruled for many dynasties in this part of the country; the region was known asGurjaratra.^[32] Up to the 10th century CE, almost all ofNorth India acknowledged the supremacy of the Imperial Pratiharas, with their seat of power atKannauj.^[33]

TheGurjara Pratihar Empire acted as a barrier forArab invaders from the 8th to the 11th century. The chief accomplishment of the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire lies in its successful resistance to foreign invasions from the west, starting in the days ofJunaid. HistorianR. C. Majumdar says that this was openly acknowledged by the Arab writers. He further notes that historians of India have wondered at the slow progress of Muslim invaders in India, as compared with their rapid advance in other parts of the world. Now there seems little doubt that it was the power of the Pratihara army that effectively barred the progress of the Arabs beyond the confines ofSindh, their only conquest for nearly 300 years.^[34]

TheGhurids had made an attempt to invade India through southern Rajasthan, however they were defeated in theBattle of Kasahrada on 1178 by a confederacy of Rajputs underMularaja II of the Kingdom of Gujarat.^[37]Prithviraj Chauhan led a confederacy of Rajput clans and defeated the invading Ghruids underMuhammad Ghori in theFirst Battle of Tarain in 1191. In 1192 CE, Muhammad Ghori decisively defeated Prithviraj at theSecond Battle of Tarain. After the defeat of Chauhan in 1192 CE, a part of Rajasthan came under Muslim rulers. The principal centers of their powers wereNagaur and Ajmer.Ranthambhore was also under their suzerainty. At the beginning of the 13th century, the most prominent and powerful state of Rajasthan wasMewar. Since the invasion of the Muslim Turks from the 13th century onwards, the Rajputs resisted the Muslim incursions into India, and preservedHindu culture at their courts.^[22]

The Rajputs put up resistance to the Islamic invasions with their warfare and chivalry for centuries. The Ranas of Mewar led other kingdoms in their resistance to outside rule. RanaHammir Singh defeated theTughlaq dynasty and recovered a large portion of Rajasthan. The indomitableRana Kumbha defeated the Sultans ofMalwa, Nagaur andGujarat and made Mewar the most powerful Rajput Kingdom in India. The ambitiousRana Sanga united the various Rajput clans, including theMuslim Khanzadas of Mewat underRaja Hasan Khan Mewati, and fought against the foreign powers in India. Rana Sanga defeated the AfghanLodi Empire of Delhi and crushed the Turkic Sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat. Rana Sanga then tried to create an Indian empire but was defeated by the firstMughal EmperorBabur atKhanwa. The defeat was due to betrayal by the Tomar KingSilhadi of Raisen. AfterRana Sanga's death,Marwar rose as a power center in Rajasthan under RaoMaldeo Rathore. He conquered Jaisalmer, parts of Gujarat, Jalore, Nagaur, Ajmer, Sanchore, Bhinmal, Radhanpur, Bayana, Tonk, Toda and Nabhara. He expanded the territories of Marwar up to Sindh-Cholistan in west and his northern boundary was just fifty kilometres from Delhi.^[38][39] After defeating Humayun, Sher Shah came towards Rajputana. He defeated Chiefs of Rathore army by trickery inBattle of Sammel and captured some territory of Marwar but it was recovered by Rathores in 1545.^[40]

Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, the Hindu emperor,^[41][42] was born in the village of Machheri inAlwar District in 1501. He won 22 battles against Afghans, fromPunjab toBengal including the states ofAjmer andAlwar in Rajasthan, and defeated Akbar's forces twice, first atAgra and then atDelhi in 1556 atBattle of Delhi^[43] before acceding to the throne ofDelhi and establishing the "Hindu Raj" inNorth India, albeit for a short duration, fromPurana Qila in Delhi. Hem Chandra was killed in the battlefield atSecond Battle of Panipat fighting against Mughals on 5 November 1556.

DuringAkbar's reign most of the Rajput kings accepted Mughal suzerainty, but the rulers of Mewar (RanaUdai Singh II) and Marwar (RaoChandrasen Rathore) refused to have any form of alliance with the Mughals. To teach the Rajputs a lesson Akbar attacked Udai Singh and killed Rajput commander Jaimal of Chitor and the citizens of Mewar in large numbers. Akbar killed 20,000–25,000 unarmed citizens in Chittor on the grounds that they had actively helped in the resistance.^[44]

Maharana Pratap took an oath to avenge the citizens of Chittor; he fought the Mughal empire till his death and liberated most of Mewar apart from Chittor itself.Maharana Pratap soon became the most celebrated warrior of Rajasthan and became famous all over India for his sporadic warfare and noble actions. According toSatish Chandra, "Rana Pratap's defiance of the mighty Mughal empire, almost alone and unaided by the other Rajput states, constitutes a glorious saga of Rajput valor and the spirit of self-sacrifice for cherished principles. Rana Pratap's methods of sporadic warfare were later elaborated further by Malik Ambar, the Deccani general, and by Shivaji".^[45]

RanaAmar Singh I continued his ancestor's war against the Mughals underJehangir, he repelled the Mughal armies at Dewar. Later an expedition was again sent under the leadership of PrinceKhurram, which caused much damage to life and property ofMewar. Many temples were destroyed, several villages were put on fire and women and children were captured and tortured to make Amar Singh accept surrender.^[46]

DuringAurangzeb's rule RanaRaj Singh I, VeerDurgadas Rathore and PatshahAkheraj Singh Rajpurohit^[47][48] were chief among those who defied the intolerant emperor of Delhi. They took advantage of the Aravalli hills and caused heavy damage to the Mughal armies that were trying to occupy Rajasthan.^[49][50]

After Aurangzeb's deathBahadur Shah I tried to subjugate Rajasthan like his ancestors but his plan backfired when the threeRajputRajas ofAmber,Udaipur, andJodhpur made a joint resistance to theMughals. The Rajputs first expelled the commandants ofJodhpur andBayana and recoveredAmer by a night attack. They next killed Sayyid Hussain Khan Barha, the commandant ofMewat and many other Mughal officers.Bahadur Shah I, then in theDeccan was forced to patch up a truce with the Rajput Rajas.^[51] TheJats, underSuraj Mal, overran the Mughal garrison at Agra and plundered the city taking with them the two great silver doors of the entrance of the famousTaj Mahal which were then melted down by Suraj Mal in 1763.^[52]

Over the years, the Mughals began to have internal disputes which greatly distracted them at times. The Mughal Empire continued to weaken, and with the decline of the Mughal Empire in the late 18th century,Rajputana came under the influence of theMarathas. The Maratha Empire, which had replaced the Mughal Empire as the overlord of the subcontinent, was finally replaced by theBritish Empire in 1818.^[53]

In the 19th century, the Rajput kingdoms were exhausted, they had been drained financially and in manpower after continuous wars and due to heavy tributes exacted by theMaratha Empire. To save their kingdoms from instability, rebellions and banditry the Rajput kings concluded treaties with the British in the early 19th century, accepting Britishsuzerainty and control over their external affairs in return for internal autonomy.^[54]

•  
  Rana Kumbha was the vanguard of the fifteenth century Rajput resurgence.^[55]
•  
  The emperorHemu, who rose from obscurity and briefly established himself as ruler in northern India, from Punjab to Bengal, in defiance of the warringSur andMughal Empires.
•  
  Durgadas Rathore, a Rathore Rajput warrior ofJodhpur who played an important role in protecting theRathore dynasty ofMarwar and for his rebellion againstAurangzeb.
•  
  Patshah Akheraj Rajpurohit, Sewad warrior and Rajguru, along withDurgadas Rathore, protected Marwar,Ajit Singh of Marwar and rebelled againstAurangzeb
•  
  Maharana Pratap Singh, sixteenth-century Rajput ruler ofMewar, known for his defence of his realm against Mughal invasion.
•  
  Suraj Mal was ruler ofBharatpur. Some contemporary historians described him as "thePlato of theJat people" and by a modern writer as the "JatOdysseus", because of his political sagacity, steady intellect and clear vision.^[56]

The State of Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949 when the states of theRajputana Agency^[57] of the erstwhileBritish Empire in India were merged into the newIndian Union. Modern Rajasthan includes most ofRajputana, which comprises the erstwhile nineteenprincely states, three chiefships, and the British district ofAjmer-Merwara.^[58]Jaisalmer,Marwar (Jodhpur),Bikaner,Mewar (Chittorgarh),Alwar andDhundhar (Jaipur) were some of the main Rajput princely states.Bharatpur andDholpur were Jat princely states whereasTonk was a princely state underPathans. The three chiefships were Lawa, Neemrana and Kushalgarh.^[59]

The geographic features of Rajasthan are theThar Desert and theAravalli Range, which runs through the state from southwest to northeast, almost from one end to the other, for more than 850 kilometres (530 mi).^[60]Mount Abu lies at the southwestern end of the range, separated from the main ranges by theWest Banas River.^[61] Although a series of broken ridges continues intoHaryana in the direction ofDelhi where it can be seen as outcrops in the form of theRaisina Hill and the ridges farther north. About three-fifths of Rajasthan lies northwest of the Aravallis, leaving two-fifths on the east and south direction.

The Aravalli Range runs across the state from the southwest peakGuru Shikhar (Mount Abu), which is 1,722 metres (5,650 ft) in height, toKhetri in the northeast.^[62] This range divides the state into 60% in the northwest of the range and 40% in the southeast. The northwest tract is sandy and unproductive with little water but improves gradually from desert land in the far west and northwest to comparatively fertile and habitable land towards the east. The south-eastern area, higher in elevation (100 to 350 m above sea level) and more fertile, has a very diversified topography. In the south lies the hilly tract of Mewar. In the southeast, a large area within the districts ofKota andBundi forms a tableland.^[62] To the northeast of these districts is a rugged region (badlands) following the line of theChambal River. Farther north the country levels out; the flat plains of the northeasternBharatpur district are part of analluvial basin.Merta City lies in the geographical center of Rajasthan.^[62]

The Aravalli Range and the lands to the east and southeast of the range are generally more fertile and better watered. This region is home to theKhathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion, withtropical dry broadleaf forests that includeteak,Acacia, and other trees. The hillyVagad region, home to the cities ofDungarpur,Pratapgarh, andBanswara lies in southernmost Rajasthan, on the border with Gujarat andMadhya Pradesh. With the exception of Mount Abu, Vagad is the wettest region in Rajasthan, and the most heavily forested. North of Vagad lies theMewar region, home to the cities ofUdaipur andChittaurgarh. TheHadoti region lies to the southeast, on the border with Madhya Pradesh. North of Hadoti and Mewar lies theDhundhar region, home to the state capital ofJaipur.Mewat, the easternmost region of Rajasthan, bordersHaryana andUttar Pradesh. Eastern and southeastern Rajasthan is drained by theBanas andChambal rivers, tributaries of theGanges.

The northwestern portion of Rajasthan is generally sandy and dry. Most of this region is covered by theThar Desert which extends into adjoining portions of Pakistan. The Aravalli Range does not intercept the moisture-giving southwestmonsoon winds off theArabian Sea, as it lies in a direction parallel to that of the coming monsoon winds, leaving the northwestern region in arain shadow. The Thar Desert is thinly populated; the City ofJodhpur is the largest city in the desert and a major metropolitan area of India which is known as the gateway of the Thar desert. The desert has some major districts likeJodhpur,Jaisalmer, Barmer,Bikaner, andNagaur. This area is also important from a defence point of view.Jodhpur airbase is one of the largest airbases in India, BSF and Military bases are also situated here. Currently four civil airports are located here: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Nagaur, of which Jodhpur is the major civil airport, being the 44th busiest airport in India and one of the oldest air strips of India, being built in the 1920s.

TheNorthwestern thorn scrub forests lie in a band around the Thar Desert, between the desert and the Aravallis. This region receives less than 400  mm of rain annually. Temperatures can sometimes exceed 45 °C in the summer months and drop below freezing point in the winter. TheGodwar,Marwar, andShekhawatiregions lie in the thorn scrub forest zone, along with the city of Jodhpur. TheLuni River and its tributaries are the major river system of Godwar and Marwar regions, draining the western slopes of the Aravallis and emptying southwest into the greatRann of Kutch wetland in neighbouringGujarat. This river is saline in the lower reaches and remains potable only up to Balotara inBarmer district. TheGhaggar River, which originates inHaryana, is an intermittent stream that disappears into the sands of the Thar Desert in the northern corner of the state and is seen as a remnant of the primitiveSarasvati river.

•  
  Mount Abu is a popular hill station in Rajasthan.
•  
  TheThar Desert nearJaisalmer.
•  
  Aerial view Udaipur and Aravali hills.

TheDesert National Park inJaisalmer, spread over an area of 3,162 square kilometres (1,221 sq mi), is an excellent example of theecosystem of the Thar Desert and its diversefauna.^[65] Seashells and massivefossilised tree trunks in this park record the geological history of the desert. The region is a haven formigratory and resident birds of the desert. One can see manyeagles,harriers,falcons,buzzards,kestrels andvultures.Short-toed snake eagles (Circaetus gallicus),tawny eagles (Aquila rapax),spotted eagles (Aquila clanga),laggar falcons (Falco jugger) and kestrels are some of the raptor species seen in Desert National Park. Road traffic inside the Park is, however, a threat to several wild species of the park with several species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals reported to have died as roadkill.^[66]

TheRanthambore National Park located inSawai Madhopur,^[67] one of the well known tiger reserves in the country, became a part ofProject Tiger in 1973.

Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is a very small sanctuary inSujangarh,Churu District, 210 kilometres (130 mi) fromJaipur in theShekhawati region. This sanctuary is home to a large population ofblackbuck.Desert foxes and thecaracal, anapex predator, also known as thedesert lynx, can also be spotted, along with birds such as thepartridge,harriers,eastern imperial eagle,pale harrier,marsh harrier,short-toed eagle,tawny eagle,sparrow hawk,crested lark,demoiselle crane,skylarks,green bee-eater,brown dove,black ibis, andsand grouse.^[68] Thegreat Indian bustard, known locally as thegodavan, and which is a state bird, has been classed as critically endangered since 2011.^[69]

Rajasthan is also noted for its national parks andwildlife sanctuaries. There are four national parks and wildlife sanctuaries:Keoladeo National Park ofBharatpur,Sariska Tiger Reserve of Alwar,Ranthambore National Park ofSawai Madhopur, andDesert National Park of Jaisalmer. A national-level institute,Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) an autonomous institute of the ministry of forestry is situated in Jodhpur and continuously works on desert flora and their conservation.

Ranthambore National Park is 7 km fromSawai Madhopur Railway Station. It is known worldwide for its tiger population and is considered by both wilderness lovers and photographers as one of the best places in India to spot tigers. At one point, due to poaching and negligence, tigers became extinct at Sariska, but five tigers have been relocated there.^[70] Prominent among the wildlife sanctuaries areMount Abu Sanctuary, Bhensrod Garh Sanctuary,Darrah Sanctuary, Jaisamand Sanctuary,Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary, andSita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary.

The state is governed by a parliamentary system of representative democracy. The governor serves as the state's constitutional leader, whereas thechief minister assumes the role of both the head of the government and the head of the council of ministers. TheLegislative Assembly consists of 200 members who are elected for five-year terms. The state contributes 25 seats toLok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, and 10 seats toRajya Sabha, the upper house.^[71][72]

TheGovernment of Rajasthan is a democratically elected body in India with the governor as its constitutional head.Governor is appointed by thePresident of India for a five-year term. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the chief minister by the governor, and the council of ministers are appointed by the governor on the advice of thechief minister. The governor remains a ceremonial head of the state, while the chief minister and his council are responsible for day-to-day government functions. The council of ministers consists ofCabinet Ministers,Ministers of State (MoS) and Deputy Ministers. The Secretariat headed by the Chief Secretary assists the council of ministers. TheChief Secretary is also the administrative head of the government. Each government department is headed by a minister, who is assisted by anAdditional Chief Secretary or a Principal Secretary, who is usually an officer ofIndian Administrative Service (IAS), the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary serve as the administrative head of the department they are assigned to. Each department also has officers of the rank of Secretary, Special Secretary, Joint Secretary etc. assisting the Minister and the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary.

For the administration purpose, the state is divided into 07 divisions and 41 districts.Divisional Commissioner, is the head of administration on the divisional level.^[73] The administration in each district is headed by a District Magistrate/District Collector, who is also an IAS officer, and is assisted by a number of officers belonging toRajasthan Administrative Services. In Rajasthan, the police force is led by an IPS officer holding the position ofDirector General of Police. Each district is supervised by aSuperintendent of Police, also an IPS officer, who is supported by officers from the Rajasthan Police Services. Their primary responsibility involves maintaining law and order and addressing relevant issues within their respective districts. The management of forests, environment, and wildlife in the district is overseen by theDivisional Forest Officer, who is a member of theIndian Forest Service. This responsibility is carried out with the assistance of officers from theRajasthan Forest Service and Rajasthan Subordinate Service.

Rajasthan has itsHigh court Jodhpur which has its principal seat atJodhpur and a bench atJaipur, with district courts and session courts in each district or Sessions Division, and lower courts at the tehsil level.^[74] The president of India appoints the chief justice of the High Court of Rajasthan judiciary on the advice of theChief Justice of theSupreme Court of India as well as the governor of Rajasthan. In Rajasthan, the Subordinate Judicial Service is an essential component of the state's judiciary, and it is divided into two categories: the Rajasthan Civil Judicial Services and the Rajasthan Higher Judicial Service.^[75] The former includes Civil Judges (Junior Division)/Judicial Magistrates and Civil Judges (Senior Division)/Chief Judicial Magistrate. On the other hand, the latter consists of Civil and Sessions Judges. TheDistrict Judge has control over the Subordinate Judicial Service in Rajasthan.

The politics of Rajasthan has mainly been dominated mainly by theBharatiya Janata Party and theIndian National Congress.

Chief Secretary Of Rajasthan isUsha Sharma^[76] and Director General of Police or DGP of Rajasthan is Umesh Mishra.^[77]

Rajasthan is composed of the following geographical, political and historical regions:

1. Bagar
2. Hadoti
3. Dhundhar
4. Gorwar
5. Shekhawati
6. Mewar
7. Marwar
8. Vagad
9. Mewat
10. Brij
11. Merwara

Rajasthan is divided into 41 districts within 7divisions:

Adistrict collector ordistrict magistrate, who is appointed by either theIndian Administrative Service or theRajasthan Public Service Commission, governs each district. Subdivisions (Tehsils) are responsible for governing districts and are overseen by sub-divisional magistrates. Additionally, districts are further divided into blocks. A block consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. Tehsils are intermediate level panchayat between theZilla Parishad (district councils) at the district level and gram panchayat (village councils) at the lower level. Rajasthan has 5 cities with over one million population. The absolute urban population of the state is 17.4 million, which constitutes 24.87% of the total urban population of the state. There are 10municipal corporations, 34municipal councils and 172 municipal boards ornagar pachayats in the state.Jaipur,Jodhpur, andKota have two municipal corporations each since October 2019, as their populations have exceeded 1 million.^[78]

Major internet service provider (ISP) and telecom companies are present in Rajasthan includingVodafone Idea,BSNL,Airtel,Jio,Data Infosys Limited,RailTel Corporation of India,Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). Data Infosys was the first ISP to bring the internet to Rajasthan in April 1999^[79] andOASIS was the first private mobile telephone company.

Rajasthan's economy is primarily agricultural andpastoral. Wheat andbarley are cultivated over large areas, as arepulses,sugarcane, andoilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are the state's cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers ofedible oils in India and the second-largest producer ofoilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggestwool-producing state in India and the mainopium producer and consumer. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. TheIndira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan.

The main industries are mineral based, agriculture-based, andtextile based. Rajasthan is the second-largest producer ofpolyester fibre in India. Several prominent chemical and engineering companies are located in the city ofKota, in southern Rajasthan. Rajasthan is pre-eminent inquarrying and mining in India. TheTaj Mahal was built from white marble which was mined from a town calledMakrana. The state is the second-largest source of cement in India. It has rich salt deposits atSambhar, copper mines atKhetri,Jhunjhunu, andzinc mines at Dariba, Zawar mines and Rampura Agucha (opencast) nearBhilwara. Dimensional stone mining is also undertaken in Rajasthan. Jodhpursandstone is mostly used in monuments, important buildings, and residential buildings. This stone is termed asChittar Patthar. Jodhpur leads in thehandicraft andguar gum industries.Rajasthan is also a part of the Mumbai-Delhi Industrial corridor set to benefit economically. The state gets 39% of the DMIC, with major districts of Jaipur, Alwar, Kota and Bhilwara benefiting.^[80]

Rajasthan also has reserves of low-silica limestone.^[81]

Rajasthan connected 100% of its population to electricity power in 2019 (raising the rate of electricity access from 71% of the population in 2015).^[82] The renewable energy sector plays the most important role in the increase of generation capacities, with the main focus onsolar energy. In 2020,Bhadla Solar Park was recognised as the largest cluster ofphotovoltaic power plants in a single region in the world, with the installed power exceeding the 2.2 gigawatt peak.

Rajasthan is also a significant producer of silver. The state produced 679.172 tonnes of silver in 2018–19, 609.153 tonnes in 2019–20, and 705.676 tonnes in 2020–21.^[83]

Jaipur International Airport (JAI) in Jaipur, is the state's largest, busiest and only international airport. Jaipur International Airport offers international service toDubai,Bangkok,Sharjah andMuscat. There are five civilian airports in Rajasthan includingJodhpur Airport,Udaipur Airport,Ajmer Airport,Bikaner Airport andJaisalmer Airport.^[84] Domestic airports are operated by theAirports Authority of India (AAI) and shares its airside with the Indian Air Force. These airports connect Rajasthan with the major cities of India such as Mumbai,Kolkata,Hyderabad,Chennai andBangalore.

Railways length in the state constitute 8.66 per cent of all India route length.Jaipur Junction is the headquarters of theNorth Western Railway.^[85] Jaipur,Ajmer,Bikaner are the busiest railway stations in the state.Kota is the only electrified section served by three Rajdhani Expresses and trains to all major cities of India.Jaipur Superfast Express, fastest train underSuperfast category of trains; connects the finance capital of IndiaMumbai to Jaipur.Luxury tourist trainMaharajas' Express runs across North-West and Central India, mainly centered on Rajasthan. There is also an international railway, theThar Express fromJodhpur (India) toKarachi (Pakistan). However, this is not open to foreign nationals.Jaipur Metro is the metro rail system in the city of Jaipur. It is the only metro rail system in Rajasthan and has been operational since 3 June 2015. It is the first metro in India to run on triple-storey elevated road and metro track.

The state is served by a substantial road network, providing links between urban centers, agricultural market-places and rural areas. There are 33national highways (NH) in the state, covering a total distance of 10,004.14 km (6,216.28 mi).^[86] The state has a total road length of 269,028 km (167,166 mi). TheDepartment of Public Works is responsible for maintaining and expanding thestate highways system and major district roads.Jaipur–Kishangarh Expressway forms a segment of theNH-8 which is a part of theGolden Quadrilateral project.Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) was established in 1964 to provide economical and reliable passenger road transport service in the state with connecting services to adjoining states.^[87] For travelling locally, the state, like most of the country, hasauto rickshaws andcycle rickshaws. Average speed on state highways varies between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour (31–37 mph) due to the heavy presence of vehicles; in villages and towns, speeds are as low as 25–30 km/h (16–19 mph).^[88]

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  Jaipur International Airport
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  Maharajah's Express dining saloon
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  TheJaipur Metro is an important urban transportation link
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  NH 8 betweenUdaipur andAhmedabad

According to the2011 Census of India, Rajasthan has a total population of 68,548,437.^[5] The state contributes to 5.66% of India's population. The population density is 201 people per square kilometre. Thesex ratio in 2011, at 928 women to 1000 men, was lower than the national figure of 943. The nativeRajasthani people make up the majority of the state's population. The state of Rajasthan is also populated bySindhis, who came to Rajasthan fromSindh province (now inPakistan) during the India-Pakistan separation in 1947.^[90]

Brahmins, according toOutlook constituted 8% to 10% of the population of Rajasthan as per a 2003 report, but only 7% in a 2007 report.^[91][92] According to a 2007DNA India report, 12.5% of the state are Brahmins.^[93] According to a report byMoneycontrol.com at the time of2018 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election, theScheduled Caste (SC) population was 18%,Scheduled Tribe (ST) was 13%,Jats 12%,Gurjars andRajputs 9% each,Brahmins andMeenas 7% each.^[94] AHindustan Times report from 2019 also agrees to the total ST population of 13%, of whichMeenas constitute the biggest group at 7%.^[95] According to aDeutsche Welle report, the Jats constitute 12–15% of the population of Rajasthan, followed by Meenas with 10% and Gurjars with 6%.^[96] While as per a 2007BBC Hindi report, Meenas were 14% and Gurjars were 4% of the state's population.^[97]

Hindi is the official language of the state, whileEnglish is the additional official language.^[15]

The languages of Rajasthan primarily belong to theRajasthani group ofIndo-Aryan languages, which most people regard as their own language. In the north are dialects ofPunjabi andBagri, which is a transition between Rajasthani and Punjabi. In the northeastShekhawati andDhundari are spoken which gradually merge withHaryanvi. In the eastMewati is spoken in theMewat region, while in the far eastBraj is spoken.^[99] To the southeast Haryanvi is spoken. To the west in the heart of the Thar DesertMarwari is spoken, which merges toGujarati in the southwest. In the south, in theMewar region,Mewari is spoken, while in the hills ofWagad,Wagdi, aBhil language, is spoken. Many speakers of Rajasthani languages refer to their language as Hindi, and Standard Hindi is the medium of education and is common in cities.Urdu is also common in cities although the vast majority of Muslims speak one of the Rajasthani languages as their first language.Sindhi is also common in the cities and along the border with Sindh in Pakistan whereDhatki, a transition between Marwari and Sindhi, is the main dialect on both sides of the border.^{[citation needed]}

The languages taught under thethree-language formula are:^[100]

• First language: Hindi
• Second language: English
• Third language: Gujarati, Punjabi,Sanskrit, Sindhi or Urdu

Rajasthan's residents are mainlyHindus, who account for 88.49% of the population.Muslims make up 9.07%,Sikhs 1.27% andJains 0.91% of the population.

Rajasthani cooking was influenced by both the war-like lifestyles of its inhabitants and the availability of ingredients in this arid region. Food that could last for several days and could be eaten without heating was preferred. Thus, pickles of Rajasthan are quite famous for their tangy and spicy flavour. ThePanchkuta delicacy is also a famous one – meaning 5 vegetables – a dish that lasts for several days, and is made out of certain weed plants that only grow in the wild desert. The scarcity of water and fresh green vegetables have all had their effect on cooking. It is known for its snacks likeBikaneri Bhujia.^[102] Other famous dishes includebajre ki roti (millet bread) andlahsun ki chutney (hot garlic paste),mawa kachoriMirchi Bada,Pyaaj Kachori andghevar from Jodhpur,Alwar ka Mawa (milk cake),^[103]Kadhi kachori from Ajmer,Malpua from Pushkar, Daalkachori (Kota kachori) from Kota and rassgullas from Bikaner.^[104] Originating from theMarwar region of the state is the concept ofMarwari Bhojnalaya or vegetarian restaurants, today found in many parts of India, which offer vegetarian food popular amongMarwari people. Ghee is an essential ingredient in most Rajasthani cuisines, and dollops of ghee are poured over food as a welcoming gesture for guests.

Dal-baati-churma is very popular in Rajasthan. The traditional way to serve it is to first coarsely mash the baati, and then pour pure ghee on top of it. It is served with daal (lentils) and spicy garlic chutney; it is also served with besan (gram flour) ki kadi. It is commonly served at all festivities, including religious occasions, wedding ceremonies, and birthday parties in Rajasthan.^[105]

TheGhoomar dance from Jaipur, Jodhpur, andKalbelia of the Kalbelia tribe has gained international recognition.^[106] Folk music is a large part of the Rajasthani culture. TheManganiyar,Meena andLanga communities from Rajasthan are notable for their folk music.Kathputli,Bhopa, Chang, Teratali, Ghindr,Gair dance, Kachchhi Ghori, andTejaji are examples of traditional Rajasthani culture.^[107] Folk songs are commonly ballads that relate heroic deeds and love stories; and religious or devotional songs known asbhajans andbanis which are often accompanied by musical instruments likedholak,sitar, andsarangi are also sung.

Rajasthan is known for its traditional, colourful art. The block prints, tie and dye prints,gota patti (main), Bagaru prints, Sanganer prints, andZari embroidery are major export products from Rajasthan. Handicraft items like wooden furniture and crafts, carpets, and blue pottery are commonly found here.^[108] Shopping reflects the colourful culture, Rajasthani clothes have a lot of mirror work and embroidery. Traditional Rajasthani dress for females consists of an ankle-length skirt and a short top, known aschaniya choli.^[109] A piece of cloth is used to cover the head, both for protection from heat and maintenance of modesty. Rajasthani dresses are usually designed in bright colours such as blue, yellow, and orange.

In recent years, Rajasthan has worked on improving education. The state government has been making sustained efforts to raise the education standard.

Schools in the state are either managed by the government or by private trusts. The medium of instruction in most of the schools is mainly English, or Hindi. Under the10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, students typically enroll for two years in ajunior college, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with theBoard of Secondary Education or any central board. Students choose from one of three streams, namelyliberal arts, commerce, or science. Upon completing the required coursework, students may enrol in general or professional degree programs. The secondary schools are affiliated with theCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), theCentral Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), and theNational Institute of Open School (NIOS).

Rajasthan has 52 universities, 26 state funded public universities, 7deemed universities, anIIT in Jodhpur, anIIM inUdaipur, anNIT in Jaipur, aNational Law University in Jodhpur, and one central and state-run university.^[110][111]Kota, is renowned for being a hub for training students in various national-level competitive exams that are necessary for securing admission to engineering and medical colleges across the country. In order to promote a reading culture among the rural population, the state has established new libraries up to thepanchayat level and computerised all public libraries throughout the state, providing modern amenities to readers and subscriber.^[112]

In recent decades theliteracy rate of Rajasthan has increased significantly. In 1991, the state's literacy rate was only 38.55% (54.99% male and 20.44% female). In 2001, the literacy rate increased to 60.41% (75.70% male and 43.85% female). This was the highest leap in the percentage of literacy recorded in India (the rise in female literacy being 23%).^[113] At the Census 2011, Rajasthan had a literacy rate of 67.06% (80.51% male and 52.66% female). Although Rajasthan's literacy rate is below the national average of 74.04% and although its female literacy rate is the lowest in the country, the state has been praised for its efforts and achievements in raising literacy rates.^[114][115]

In rural areas of Rajasthan, the literacy rate is 76.16% for males and 45.8% for females. This has been debated across all the party levels, when the governor of Rajasthan set a minimum educational qualification for the village panchayat elections.^{[116][117][118]}

Rajasthan attracted a total of 45.9 million domestic and 1.6 million foreign tourists in 2017, which is the tenth highest in terms of domestic visitors and fifth highest in foreign tourists.^[119] The tourism industry in Rajasthan is growing effectively each year and is becoming one of the major income sources for the state government.^[120] Rajasthan is home to many attractions for domestic and foreign travellers, including the forts and palaces ofJaipur, the lakes ofUdaipur, the temples ofRajsamand andPali, sand dunes ofJaisalmer andBikaner, Havelis ofMandawa andFatehpur, the wildlife ofSawai Madhopur, the scenery ofMount Abu, the tribes ofDungarpur andBanswara, and the cattle fair ofPushkar.

Rajasthan is known for its customs,culture, colours, majestic forts, and palaces,folk dances and music, local festivals, local food, sand dunes, carved temples andHavelis.^{[citation needed]} Rajasthan's JaipurJantar Mantar,Mehrangarh Fort andStepwell ofJodhpur,Dilwara Temples,Chittor Fort,Lake Palace, miniature paintings inBundi, and numerous city palaces and Havelis are part of the architectural heritage of India. Jaipur, thePink City, is noted for the ancient houses made of a type of sandstone dominated by a pink hue. In Jodhpur, most houses are painted blue.^[121] AtAjmer, there is white marble Bara-dari on theAnasagar lake andSoniji Ki Nasiyan.Jain Temples dot Rajasthan from north to south and east to west.Dilwara Temples of Mount Abu,Shrinathji Temple of Nathdwara,Ranakpur Jain temple dedicated to LordAdinath inPali District, Jain temples in the fort complexes ofChittor, Jaisalmer andKumbhalgarh,Lodurva Jain temples,Mirpur Jain Temple ofSirohi, Sarun Mata Temple atKotputli, Bhandasar and Karni Mata Temple ofBikaner andMandore ofJodhpur are some of the best examples.^[122]Keoladeo National Park,Ranthambore National Park,Sariska Tiger Reserve,Tal Chhapar Sanctuary, are wildlife attractions of Rajasthan. Mewar festival of Udaipur,Teej festival andGangaur festival in Jaipur,Desert festival of Jodhpur, Brij Holi of Bharatpur, Matsya festival of Alwar,Kite festival of Jodhpur, Kolayat fair in Bikaner are some of the most popular fairs and festivals of Rajasthan.

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  Camel rides inThar desert
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  Pushkar Lake and Ghat
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  Kalbelia, a folk dance popular in Rajasthan
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  Demoiselle cranes inKhichan nearBikaner
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  Hawa Mahal,Jaipur
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  Amber Fort as seen from the bank of Maotha Lake, Jaigarh Fort on the hills in the background
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  Nakki Lake,Mount Abu
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  Mehrangarh Fort
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  Delicate marble carving atDilwara Temples
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  Lake Palace,Udaipur
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  Kirti Stambha ofChittor Fort
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  Tiger atRanthambore National Park
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  Jal Mahal,Jaipur

• Jatan Sansthan (2001)
• List of people from Rajasthan
• Outline of Rajasthan

• Bhattacharya, Manoshi. 2008.The Royal Rajputs: Strange Tales and Stranger Truths. Rupa & Co, New Delhi.
• Gahlot, Sukhvirsingh. 1992.RAJASTHAN: Historical & Cultural. J. S. Gahlot Research Institute, Jodhpur.
• Somani, Ram Vallabh. 1993.History of Rajasthan. Jain Pustak Mandir, Jaipur.
• Tod, James & Crooke, William. 1829.Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan or the Central and Western Rajpoot States of India,. Numerous reprints, including 3 Vols. Reprint: Low Price Publications, Delhi. 1990.ISBN 81-85395-68-3 (set of 3 vols.)
• Mathur, P.C., 1995.Social and Economic Dynamics of Rajasthan Politics (Jaipur, Aaalekh)

• Official Site of the Government of Rajasthan, India
• Official Tourism Site of Rajasthan, India

•   Geographic data related toRajasthan atOpenStreetMap