Rajasthan, state of northwestern India, located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is bounded to the north and northeast by the states of Punjab and Haryana, to the east and southeast by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, to the southwest by the state of Gujarat, and to the west and northwest by the provinces of Sindh and Punjab in Pakistan.
The capital city is Jaipur, in the east-central part of the state. Rajasthan has deep historical roots with sites of ancient Indus Valley Civilization (Kalibangan), Vedic Civilization being located in the state.
During medieval times, the province reached its glory being witness to many decisive wars and tales of bravery and sacrifice available from every corner of the state. Prithvi Raj Chouhan, Maharana Pratap from the place are not just local heroes but heroes revered in every part of India and famous world-wide. Rajasthan is the largest state by area in India. It is located on the western side of the country, located between 23 30’ and 30 11’ North latitude and 69 29’ and 78 17’ East longitude.
It shares international border with Pakistan and with 5 other states of India including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The Aravalli (Aravali) Range forms a line across the state running roughly from Guru Peak on Mount Abu (5,650 feet [1,722 meters]), near the town of Abu in the southwest, to the town of Khetri in the northeast. About three-fifths of the state lies northwest of that line, leaving the remaining two-fifths in the southeast. Those are the two natural divisions of Rajasthan.
The northwestern tract is generally arid and unproductive, although its character shifts gradually from desert in the far west and northwest to comparatively fertile and habitable land toward the east. The region includes the Thar (Great Indian) Desert.
The modern state was formed on 30 March 1949 when Rajputana was merged into the Dominion of India. Its capital and largest city is Jaipur, which is also known as Pink City. Other important cities are Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Bikaner and Ajmer.
Geographically, the state is dominated by stretches of Thar Desert and the Aravalli Range. While, the Thar Desert occupies the most of the northwestern portion of state, the Aravalli’s serve as climate divide running from southwest to northeast, almost from one end to the other restricting the growth and dominance of desert.
It is is also home to three national tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, Mukundra Hill Tiger Reserve in Kota and Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar.
The southeastern area lies at a somewhat higher elevation (330 to 1,150 feet [100 to 350 meters]) than its northwestern counterpart; it also is more fertile and has a more-diverse topography. The hilly tract of Mewar lies in the southern region, while a broad plateau stretches across the southeast. In the northeast a rugged badlands region follows the line of the Chambal River. Farther north, the landscape levels out into flat plains that are part of the alluvial basin of the Yamuna River.
The Aravallis form Rajasthan’s most-important watershed. To the east of the range, the Chambal River—the only large and perennial stream in the state—and other waterways generally drain toward the northeast. The principal tributary of the Chambal, the Banas River, rises in the Aravallis near the great Kumbhalgarh hill fort and collects all the drainage of the Mewar plateau. Farther north, the Banganga, after rising near Jaipur, flows east toward the Yamuna before disappearing. The Luni is the only significant river west of the Aravallis.
It rises near the city of Ajmer in central Rajasthan and flows some 200 miles (320 km) west-southwest into the Rann of Kachchh in Gujarat state. Northeast of the Luni basin is an area of internal drainage characterized by salt lakes, the largest of which is Sambhar Salt Lake. Farther to the west lies the true Marusthali (“Land of the Dead”), the barren wastelands and areas of sand dunes that form the heart of the Thar Desert.
Hindi is the official language of the state, and to some degree it has overshadowed the local languages of Rajasthan. Much of the state’s population, however, continues to speak Rajasthani languages, which comprise a group of Indo-Aryan languages and dialects derived from Dingal, a tongue in which bards once sang of the glories of their masters. The four main Rajasthani language groups are Marwari in western Rajasthan, Jaipuri or Dhundhari in the east and southeast, Malvi in the southeast, and in the northeast Mewati, which shades off into Braj Bhasa (a Hindi dialect) toward the border with Uttar Pradesh.
Rajasthan GK Questions In English: 100+ Important MCQs
1. What is the Literal meaning of “Rajasthan”?
a) Land of Kings
b) Land of Sands
c) Land of Free
d) Land of Rising Sun
Answer: a) Land of Kings
Rajputana was Rajasthan’s old name under the British, “land of the Rajputs”, and the Maharaja of Mewar (Udaipur) was the acknowledged head of their 36 states. When India became independent, 23 princely states were consolidated to form the State of Rajasthan, “home of rajas” (Land of Kings).
2. What is the total area of Rajasthan?
a) 242,239 km2
b) 342,239 km2
c) 442,239 km2
d) 542,239 km2
Answer: b) 342,239 km2
After 1947 the princely states and chief ships were integrated into India in stages, and the state took the name Rajasthan. It assumed its present form on November 1, 1956, when the States Reorganization Act came into force. The total area of Rajasthan is 132,139 square miles (342,239 square km).
3. Which country is comparable to the size of Rajasthan?
a) Oman
b) Italy
c) Syria
d) Germany
Answer: d) Germany (357,022 km2)
Germany is 1.04 times as big as Rajasthan (India)
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe. Covering an area of 357,022 square kilometers (137,847 sq mi), it lies between the Baltic and North Sea’s to the north, and the Alps to the south. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.
Rajasthan (India)
Rajasthan is a state in northern India. The state covers an area of 342,239 square kilometers (132,139 sq mi) or 10.4 percent of the total geographical area of India. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. Rajasthan is located on the northwestern side of India, where it comprises most of the wide and inhospitable Thar Desert (also known as the “Great Indian Desert”) and shares a border with the Pakistani provinces of Punjab to the northwest and Sindh to the west, along the Sutlej-Indus river valley. It is bordered by five other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast; Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and Gujarat to the southwest.
4. Which is the largest state in India?
a) Rajasthan
b) Andhra Pradesh
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: a) Rajasthan
1- Rajasthan is the largest Indian state by area followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra while Goa is the smallest Indian state.
2- Uttar Pradesh is the most populous Indian state followed by Maharashtra and Bihar while Sikkim is the least populous state in India in terms of area.
3- Ladakh is the largest Union Territory of India by area followed by Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and the Nicobar Islands while Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India in terms of area.
4- NCT of Delhi is the most populous Union Territory of India followed by Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry while Lakshadweep is the least populous Union Territory of India.
Do You Know?
The first population census in British India was conducted in the year 1872. Independent India’s first census was conducted in the year 1951 and has since then been conducted every 10 years. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) conducts the census in India.
5. What is the Official Language of Rajasthan?
a) Hindi
b) Rajasthani
c) English
d) Marwari
Answer: a) Hindi
Rajasthan Official Language Act, 1956: Hindi to be official language for certain purposes of the State.- Hindi written in Devanagari script.
6. Which desert is located in Rajasthan?
a) Gobi Desert
b) Thar Desert
c) Sahara Desert
d) Kalahari Desert
Answer: b) Thar Desert
Thar Desert, also called Great Indian Desert, arid region of rolling sand hills on the Indian subcontinent. It is located partly in Rajasthan state, northwestern India, and partly in Punjab and Sindh (Sind) provinces, eastern Pakistan.
7. In Which direction is the desert located in Rajasthan?
a) North
b) West
c) South
d) East
Answer: b) West (& North West)
8. Which Province of Pakistan is located on the West of Rajasthan?
a) Gilgitstan
b) Baltistan
c) Sindh
d) Balochistan
Answer: c) Sindh
9. Which Province of Pakistan is located in the North-West of Rajasthan?
a) Punjab
b) Baltistan
c) Balochistan
d) Gilgitstan
Answer: a) Punjab
10. What is the other popular name of Thar Desert?
a) Calm Desert
b) Great Indian Desert
c) Silk Desert
d) Death Valley
Answer: b) Great Indian Desert
11. How many Indian States does Rajasthan shares its border?
a) 5 States
b) 4 States
c) 7 States
d) 3 States
Answer: a) 5 States
It is bordered by five other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast; Madhya Pradesh to the southeast; and Gujarat to the southwest.
Direction Wise Border:
1) North: Punjab
2) Northeast: Haryana & Uttar Pradesh
3) Southeast: Madhya Pradesh
4) Southwest: Gujarat
12. Which latitude passes through Rajasthan?
a) The Equator
b) The Tropic of Cancer
c) The Tropic of Capricorn
d) The Arctic Circle
Answer: b) the Tropic of Cancer
Rajasthan is the largest state by area in India. It is located on the western side of the country, located between 23 30’ and 30 11’ North latitude and 69 29’ and 78 17’ East longitude. It shares international border with Pakistan and with 5 other states of India including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Tropic of Cancer is passes through the India, including 8 Indian states. Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 Indian states including: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura and Mizoram.
The Banswara City is the closest city to the Tropic of Cancer in Rajasthan. The total length of tropic of cancer is 26KM in the Rajasthan state.
13. Which ruins of Civilisation are located at Kalibangan and Balathal?
a) Harappan Civilization
b) Incan Civilization
c) Mesopotamia
d) Indus Valley Civilization
Answer: d) Indus Valley Civilization
Kalibangan is a part of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, located in present Hanumangarh district. The site was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist and linguist. After Independence in 1952, Amlanand Ghosh identified the site as part of Harappan Civilization and marked it for excavation. Later, during 1961-69, excavations were carried out by B. B. Lal & Balkrishna Thapar.
14. Which is the only hill station of Rajasthan?
a) Jogimatti
b) Paithal Mala
c) Mount Abu
d) Wilson Hills
Answer: c) Mount Abu
Mt Abu is the only Hill Station in the State of Rajasthan. Prajapati Brahmakumaris Headquarter is in Mount Abu. Nakki Lake is situated in the middle of the Town.
15. Between Which States is the Mouth Abu located?
a) Rajasthan & Gujarat
b) Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh
c) Rajasthan & Punjab
d) Rajasthan & Haryana
Answer: a) Rajasthan & Gujarat
Mouth Abu is a hill station in the Aravalli Range in Pindwara – Abu Assembly Constituency of Sirohi district of Rajasthan state in western India, near the border with Banaskantha district of Gujarat.
16. What is the State Heritage Animal of Rajasthan?
a) Chinkara
b) Musk Deer
c) Camel
d) Spotted Deer
Answer: c) Camel
17. What is the State Tree of Rajasthan?
a) Jammi Chettu
b) Palm Tree
c) Khejri
d) Rhododendron
Answer: c) Khejri
18. What is the State Flower of Rajasthan?
a) Indian Roller
b) Imperial Pigeon
c) Sarus Crane
d) Rohida
Answer: d) Rohida (Tecomella undulata)
19. What is the State Bird of Rajasthan?
a) Emerald Dove
b) Indian Roller
c) Godawan
d) Blood Pheasant
Answer: c) Godawan (Great Indian Bustard)
20. What is the State Dance of Rajasthan?
a) Mundari
b) Ghoomar
c) Bhangra
d) Powada
Answer: b) Ghoomar
Ghoomar or Ghumar is a traditional folk dance of Rajasthan. It was Bhil tribe who performed it to worship Goddess Sarasvati which was later embraced by other Rajasthani communities. The dance is chiefly performed by veiled women who wear flowing dresses called Ghaghara. It was ranked 4th in the list of “Top 10 local dances around the world” in 2013. The dance typically involves performers pirouetting while moving in and out of a wide circle. The word ghoomna describes the twirling movement of the dancers and is the basis of the word ghoomar.
According to the traditional rituals, newly married bride is expected to dance ghoomar on being welcomed to her new marital home. Ghoomar is often performed on special occasions, such as at weddings, festivals and religious occasions. which sometimes lasts for hours.
‘Gangaur Ghoomar Dance Academy’ was established by Maharani Rajmata Goverdhan Kumari of Santrampur in 1986, to preserve and promote Ghoomar folk dance. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for her contributions to arts.
Kalbelia dance is a folk dance of Rajasthan state of India. Also, known as It is well known as ‘Sapera Dance’ or ‘Snake Charmer Dance’. It is mainly performed by a Rajasthani tribe called ‘Kalbelia’. It is listed under UNESCO’s representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from the year 2010.
21. How many world heritage sites are in Rajasthan?
a) 4 Sites
b) 6 Sites
c) 8 Sites
d) 3 Sites
Answer: 4 Sites
World Heritage Sites in Rajasthan
1) Hills Forts of Rajasthan
(i) Chittor Fort at Chittorgarh
(ii) Kumbhalgarh Fort at Kumbhalgarh
(iii) Ranthambore Fort at Sawai Madhopur
(iv) Gagron Fort at Jhalawar
(v) Amer Fort at Jaipur
(vi) Jaisalmer Fort at Jaisalmer
2) The Jantar Mantar
3) Keoladeo National Park
4) Jaipur City
22. How many National Tiger Reserves are in Rajasthan?
a) Three
b) Two
c) Four
d) One
Answer: a) Three
National Tiger Reserves in Rajasthan
1) Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur
2) Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar
3) Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota
23. What is the Capital of Rajasthan?
a) Jodhpur
b) Jaipur
c) Ajmer
d) Kota
Answer: b) Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan which was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II on November 18, 1727. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was a Kachwaha Rajput who ruled Jaipur from 1699-1743.
24. When was Jaipur became part of Greater Rajasthan?
a) 30 March 1948
b) 30 March 1949
c) 30 March 1951
d) 30 March 1952
Answer: b) 30 March 1949
Stages of Rajasthan State Formation
S. No. | Name of Group | States | Date of Integration | Chief Minister | Governor |
1 | Matsya Union | Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli | 17-03-1948 | Shri Shobha ram | Rajpramukh: Maharaj rana Udaibhan Singh of Dholpur |
2 | Rajasthan Union | Banswara, Bundi, Dungerpur, Jhalawar, Kishangarh, Kota(Capital), Pratapgarh, Shahpura, Tonk. | 25-03-1948 | Gokul Ll Asawa | Rajpramukh: Kota Naresh – Maharao Bhim Singh |
3 | United State of Rajasthan | Udaipur also joined with the other Union of Rajasthan. | 18-04-1948 | Manikhya Lal Verma | Rajpramukh: Maharana of Udaipur – Bhupal Singh UprajyaPramukh: Kota Naresh |
4 | Greater Rajasthan | Bikaner, Jaipur, Jaisalmer & Jodhpur also joined with the United State of Rajasthan. | 30-03-1949 | Hiralal Shastri (1st CM) (7/4/1949) | Rajpramukh:Raja Man Singh (II) of Jaipur. But as Udaipur Maharana senior hence, Udaipur Maharana designated as Maharajpramukh |
5 | United State of Greater Rajasthan | Matsya Union also merged in Greater Rajasthan | 15-05-1949 | ||
6 | United Rajasthan | 18 States of United Rajasthan merged with Princely State Sirohi except Abu and Delwara. | 26-01-1950 | ||
7 | Re-organised Rajasthan | Under the State Re-organisation Act, 1956 the erstwhile part ‘C’ State of Ajmer, Abu Road Taluka, former part of princely State Sirohi which was merged in former Bombay, State and Sunel Tappa region of the former Madhya Bharat merged with Rajasthan and Sironj subdistrict of Jhalawar district was transferred to Madhya Pradesh. | 11/01/56 | C. S Ventachari (6/1/1951) Jai Narayan Vyas (26/4/1951) Tikaram Paliwal (3/3/1952) Jainarayan Vyas (1/11/1952) Mohan lal Sukhadia ( 13/11/54) till 67 | Mann Singh ji continued till 31/10/56 when Gurumukh Nihal Singh became Governor (1/11/1956) |
25. Which is the largest city of Rajasthan?
a) Udaipur
b) Jodhpur
c) Jaipur
d) Bikaner
Answer: c) Jaipur
Rajasthan is the state in India, is the largest state of India by area (343,239 km2) and 8th most populous (68.62 million inhabitants), consist of 33 districts. Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the state has a population of 3.04 million inhabitants and covered an area of 484 km2. Jodhpur and Kota are the 2nd and 3rd largest cities respectively.