Rajasthan

Governor : Prabha Rao
 Chief Minister : Ashok Gehlot
 Capital: Jaipur
 Legislature: Unicameral
 Lok Sabha seats: 25
 Judicature: Jodhpur High Court
 Languages: Hindi and Rajasthani
 Population density: 165/sq km
 No. of districts: 33
 Main crops: Mustard, jowar, bajra, maize, gram, wheat, cotton, millet
 Rivers: Beas, Chambal, Banas, Luni
 Minerals: Zinc, mica, copper, gypsum, silver, magnesite, petroleum
 Industries: Textiles, woollen, sugar, cement, glass, zinc smelters
 Airports: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur
State Overview
BOUNDARIES: East: Madhya Pradesh; North-east: Uttar Pradesh;
North: Haryana and Punjab; West : Pakistan, South: Gujarat, Madhya

PHYSICAL FEATURES
Rajasthan is the largest state in India. It shares an international boundary with Pakistan in the west. The southern part of the state is about 225km from the Gulf of Kutch and about 400 km from the Arabian Sea. The Aravalli mountain range divides the state into two regions. The north-west region mostly consists of a series of sand dunes and covers twothirds of the state, while the eastern region has large fertile areas. The state includes The Great Indian (Thar) Desert.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Rajasthan was a part of several republics including the Mauryan empire, the Malavas, Kushans, Saka satraps, Guptas and Huns. The Rajput clans, primarily the Pratihars, Chalukyas, Parmars and Chauhans, rose to ascendancy from the eighth to the 12th century AD. A part of the region came under Muslim rule around AD 1200, Nagaur and Ajmer being the centres of power. Mughal dominance reached its peak at the time of Emperor Akbar, who created a unified province comprising different princely states. The decline of Mughal power after 1707 was followed by political disintegration and invasions by the Marathas and Pindaris.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

 1817-18 - almost all the princely states of Rajputana, entered treaties of alliance with the British.

 17 March 1948 - The erstwhile Rajputana, comprising 19 princely states and the British administered territory of Ajmer- Merwara, became the state of Rajasthan

 1 November 1956 – Integration ended on 1 November 1956, Gokul Lai Asawa became Rajasthan’s first chief minister.