Rajasthan http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/IndiaRajasthan.png Date of formation 1948 Capital Jaipur Governor Pratibha Patil Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia Area 342,239 km² Rajasthan (राजस्‍थान) is the geographically largest state in northwestern India. It borders Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Rajasthan covers an area of 342,239 km² (132,139 sq mi; in India also expressed as 3.42 lakh sq km). The state capital is Jaipur. Geographical features include the Thar Desert and the termination of the Ghaggar River. Also one of the oldest mountain ranges, the Aravalli Range, which cradles the only hill station of Rajasthan, Mount Abu and the world famous Dilwara Temples. In contrast to the vast Thar Desert it has two national tiger reserves, 'Ranthambhore' and 'Sariska' and 'Ghana Bird Sanctuary' at Bharatpur. History of Rajasthan Rajasthan was earlier called Rajputana (state of Rajputs) after the ruling class of Rajputs. Rajput which literally means 'son of rulers'. As there were always lots of small states having separate rulers, no invader of India was able to win Rajasthan, though many tried and failed and even lost their kingdoms (historians believe that one reason for Aurangzeb, the famous mughal ruler of Delhi, losing Delhi was his getting involved in fighting with Rajputs and Marathas). Rajasthan is the only state of India which has never been directly ruled by any foreign invader or power, like the Mughals or the British. However, the British made treaties with rulers of different states of Rajasthan and were indirectly the rulers of Rajasthan during the days of the British Raj. This long freedom and rule by different rulers was good to perserve freedom, culture and society, but, it also kept the state illiterate, backward and old fashioned, so it's still lagging behind in industrialisation, education, female rights, and equality. Rajasthan is a state where one can see history as present, in its forts and palaces. Famous people The history of Rajasthan is very long and dramatic filled with lots of heroic stories and instances where people have put their life and families at risk and kept the pride and values like loyalty, freedom, truth, shelter etc intact. This is list of famous people in the history of Rajasthan: Maharana Pratap Meera Bai Jaimal Rathore Veer Durgadas Panna Dhai Veer Teja Shekha Ji Statistics Population: 56.47 million (2001 Census, estimated at more than 58 million now) Cities and Towns: 222 Major cities: Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Bikaner, Bhilwara, Alwar Roads: 61,520 km. ( 2,846 km National Highway) National highways crossing Rajasthan: Delhi-Ahmedabad, Agra-Bikaner, Jaipur-Bhopal and Bhatinda-Kandla Climate: Generally dry with monsoon during July-August Districts: 33 Languages: English and Hindi commonly used, as well as indigenous Rajasthani languages Literacy: 61.03 % Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajasthan