Rajputana

Rajputana, an administrative territory of India, embracing twenty native states and the British district (2711 sq. m.; pop. 460,722) of Ajmere-Merwara. It lies between Sind (on the W.), the Punjab (on the N.), the North-western Provinces (on the E.), and several native states of Central India (on the S.). Its total area is 132,461 sq. m., and its total pop. (1881) 10,268,392; (1891) 12,089,330. The most important of the native states are Jaipur, Jodhpur (or Marwar), and Udaipur (or Mewar); next follow Ulwar (Alwar), Bhartpur, Kotah, and Bikaner. This region is crossed by the Aravalli Mountains, and consists in great part of sandy, barren plains, though there are of course numerous fertile valleys and other tracts. It gets its name from the ruling race or predominant Aryan tribes, called Rajputs. They are a proud aristocracy, own the soil, and have furnished ruling dynasties to very many of the native states of India. Yet in 1881 they numbered only 479,554. At the time of the Mohammedan invasions in the 11th century the Rajputs ruled over half-a-dozen strong states—Kanauj, Ajmere, Anhillwara, Udaipur, and Jaipur. From the end of the 16th to the middle of the 18th century these states acknowledged the supremacy of the Mogul emperor of Delhi. Then they were made to recognise the Mahrattas as their masters: since the Mahrattas were crushed by the British the Rajput states are independent allies.