Rajasthan, land of princes
The term Rajasthan first appears in a publication dated 1829: "Annals of the Antiquities of Rajasthan or the Rajput States of Western and Central India." A contraction of the Sanskrit words raja meaning "king" and Persian sthan referring to the land, Rajasthan literally means "land of kings." Interestingly, the etymology of the word refers directly to the great historical influences that have passed through the region. Archaeological excavations have revealed that the region was inhabited by Vedic and Aryan civilizations at least 3,000 years before the present. In the 12th century, Muslim warlords arrived from the north of Rajasthan and quickly seized Nagaur, Ajmer and Ranthambore. The medieval period is crossed by many conflicts, games of alliances between the princely states, to counter the influence and the Mughal attacks. Powerful kingdoms emerged with Marwar, divided between the Rathore of Bikaner and those of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and the Bathi clan, Mewar and the house of Sisodia, and Jaipur and the clan of Kacchwahas. Smaller states such as Alwar, Shekhawati, Bundi placed themselves under the protective umbrella of the larger kingdoms or sided with the Mughals. The British definitively pacified the region and made agreements of cordial understanding with the rulers. They retained their powers and attributes, while accepting in exchange supervision by the British governor in office. Thus, the appointment of a new maharaja to head a state was subject to British approval, as were the accounts. The British set the boundaries of a vast territory that they called Rajputana. They more or less corresponded to the current borders of Rajasthan, and included a small part of northern Gujarat, eastern Pakistan and western Madhya Pradesh. In 1947, when the time for Indian independence came, the princes of Rajasthan had the choice of joining the Union or retaining their autonomy. The 19 princely states and the two chiefdoms signed up to join the federation of India. Rajasthan's borders were definitively fixed and limited by Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the south, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana and Punjab to the north. Rajasthan thus delimited becomes the largest state of the country and forms a vast territory of 342 239 km².
The Aravalli line
Rajasthan is divided into two major geological regions, separated by the Aravalli mountain range. The ridge line crosses the state from southwest to northeast, from Mount Abu to Khetri, a locality in Shekhawati, creating a fold 560 kilometers long. The range is between 10 kilometers and 100 kilometers wide and has an average altitude of 600 meters. The highest peak, Guru Shikhar Peak, rises to 1,722 meters above sea level. It is in the shadow of this peak that the small altitude station of Mount Abu, the only one in Rajasthan, has developed. Moreover, many Indians from Rajasthan and Gujarat come here to seek a little coolness in summer. About 60% of Rajasthan is located west of the Aravalli. The land here is semi-desert, with sandy soils not suitable for agriculture and sparse, stunted vegetation. The Aravalli range is much more fertile and has a higher rainfall. The mountains are covered with deciduous forests composed mainly of teak and acacia trees. The landforms, although not very high, are also poorly exploited agriculturally, due to the stony quartzite soils. The south of the Aravalli, south of Udaipur, receives the most rainfall. It is there that the forests are the densest. They become progressively lighter as they go up to the northeast.
Watercourse
The major rivers of Rajasthan all flow in the south of the state. The north and west are devoid of them. The Luni forms west of Ajmer and the Marwar and south of the Thar Desert to end its course in the Rann plain of Kutch in Gujarat. It is fed by rainwater drainage from the western slopes of the Aravalli. The Banas River originates north of Udaipur, and flows upstream to northeastern Mewar and the towns of Bhilwara and Tonk before flowing into the Chambal River east of the Ranthambore National Park. The Chambal River is the longest river in Rajasthan. It originates in the Janapav Hills of Madhya Pradesh and flows northwards towards Kota, through which it passes, before dipping eastwards and becoming a natural border between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Parvati River is another of its tributaries. It is formed in Madhya Pradesh, between Indore and Bhopal, and rises towards the north to draw, it too, the border between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The course of these rivers and their flow have been largely modified by water retention dams. Banas and Chambal flow into the Yamuna, the main tributary of the Ganges.
In order to make up for the lack of a river in northern Rajasthan and to allow agriculture to develop, an idea germinated in the mind of engineer Kanwar Sain in the 1940s. He came up with the idea of building a canal fed by Himalayan waters that would irrigate the north and west of Rajasthan. In 1960, an agreement was signed with Pakistan to use and divert the water from 3 rivers passing through the Punjab. The works can start. Administrative and financial constraints slowed down the project and it is only in 1983 that the first portion linking the Harike dam in Punjab to Hanumangarh in Rajasthan was completed. The 650 kilometers of canals (a main canal and branch canals) leading to Jaisalmer, passing through Bikaner, were fully impounded in 2005. Initially named the Rajasthan Canal, it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Canal, in homage to the former Prime Minister assassinated in 1984.
