Map of Rajasthan
Rajasthan is a first-level division of India. Its largest mapped city is Jaipur, with about 2.92 million people in the metropolitan area. The interactive map below is centred on Rajasthan, and the tables list its 12 mapped cities along with the mountains, dams, lakes, World Heritage Sites nearest to them.
- Cities Mapped
- 12
- Largest City
- Jaipur
- Country
- India
- Highest Point Mapped
- 1,722 m
Interactive Map of Rajasthan
About Rajasthan
Rajasthan (Hindi: Rājasthāna, pronounced [ɾaːd͡ʒəsˈtʰaːn] ; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northwestern India. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It covers 342,239 square kilometres (132,139 mi2) or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is on India's northwestern side, 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. Its geographical location is 23°3' to 30°12' North latitude and 69°30' to 78°17' East longitude, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through its southernmost tip.
Its major features include the ruins of the Indus Valley civilisation at Kalibangan and Balathal, the Dilwara Temples, a Jain pilgrimage site at Rajasthan's only hill station, Mount Abu, in the ancient Aravalli mountain range and eastern Rajasthan, the Keoladeo National Park of Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. Rajasthan is also home to five national tiger reserves, the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota, Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger reserve and Karauli Dholpur tiger reserve.
The State of Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949 when the states of the Rajputana Agency of the erstwhile British Empire in India were merged into the new Indian Union. Its capital and largest city is Jaipur. Other important cities are Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur and Udaipur. The economy of Rajasthan is the seventh-largest state economy in India with ₹10.20 lakh crore (US$110 billion) in gross domestic product and a per capita GDP of ₹118,000 (US$1,200).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Rajasthan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rajasthan in Depth
History
Parts of what is now Rajasthan were partly part of the Vedic Civilisation and the Indus Valley civilisation. Kalibangan, in Hanumangarh district, was a major provincial capital of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Topsfield writes that the Rajputs first entered India from the north west in the first millennium A.D. They established kingdoms in western India in the region that is now known as Rajasthan.
An archaeological excavation at the Balathal site in Udaipur district shows a settlement contemporary with the Harrapan civilisation dating back to 3000–1500 BCE. Stone Age tools dating from 5,000 to 200,000 years were found in Bundi and Bhilwara districts of the state.
Geography
The geographic features of Rajasthan are the Thar Desert and the Aravalli Range, which runs through the state from southwest to northeast, almost from one end to the other, for more than 850 kilometres (530 mi). Mount Abu lies at the southwestern end of the range, separated from the main ranges by the West Banas River. Although a series of broken ridges continues into Haryana in the direction of Delhi where it can be seen as outcrops in the form of the Raisina Hill and the ridges farther north. About three-fifths of Rajasthan lies northwest of the Aravallis, leaving two-fifths on the east and south direction.
The Aravalli Range runs across the state from the southwest peak Guru Shikhar (Mount Abu), which is 1,722 metres (5,650 ft) in height, to Khetri in the northeast.
Economy
Rajasthan's economy is primarily agricultural and pastoral. Wheat and barley are cultivated over large areas, as are pulses, sugarcane, and oilseeds. Cotton and tobacco are the state's cash crops. Rajasthan is among the largest producers of edible oils in India and the second-largest producer of oilseeds. Rajasthan is also the biggest wool-producing state in India and the main opium producer and consumer. There are mainly two crop seasons. The water for irrigation comes from wells and tanks. The Indira Gandhi Canal irrigates northwestern Rajasthan.
The main industries are mineral based, agriculture-based, and textile based. Rajasthan is the second-largest producer of polyester fibre in India.
Demographics
According to the 2011 Census of India, Rajasthan has a total population of 68,548,437. The state contributes to 5.66% of India's population. The population density is 201 people per square kilometre. The sex ratio in 2011, at 928 women to 1000 men, was lower than the national figure of 943. The native Rajasthani people make up the majority of the state's population. The state of Rajasthan is also populated by Sindhis, who came to Rajasthan from Sindh province (now in Pakistan) during the India-Pakistan separation in 1947.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Rajasthan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rajasthan: Key Facts
| Population | 68,548,437 (2011) |
|---|---|
| Area | 342,269 km² |
| Capital | Jaipur |
| Head of government | Bhajan Lal Sharma |
| Established | 26 January 1950 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1437 (CC0).
History of Rajasthan: Empires and States
The atlas records 34 polities whose mapped territory included part of Rajasthan, from Mahajanapadas in 600 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here |
|---|---|
| Mahajanapadas | 600–405 BCE |
| Nanda Empire | 333–319 BCE |
| The Maurya Empire | 318–226 BCE |
| Mahameghavahana Dynasty | 170–165 BCE |
| Greco-Bactrian Kingdom | 164–127 BCE |
| Indo-Greeks | 126–92 BCE |
| Indo-Scythians | 77 BCE – 90 CE |
| Western Satraps | 43–409 CE |
| Kushan Empire | 91–237 CE |
| Eastern Kushans | 238–269 CE |
| Yaudheya Republic | 306–377 CE |
| The Gupta Empire | 347–554 CE |
| White Huns | 490–533 CE |
| Harsha's Empire | 612–646 CE |
| Maitraka Dynasty | 656–731 CE |
| Kannauj-Varman Dynasty | 732–771 CE |
| Gurjara-Pratihara Dynasty | 732–959 CE |
| Pala Empire | 825–839 CE |
| Chauhan Dynasty | 980–1201 CE |
| Paramara Dynasty | 980–1235 CE |
| Ghurid Dynasty | 1202–1209 CE |
| Mamluk Dynasty | 1210–1293 CE |
| The Delhi Sultanate | 1210–1528 CE |
| Khalji Dynasty | 1294–1325 CE |
| Tughlaq Dynasty | 1326–1414 CE |
| Sayyid Dynasty | 1415–1452 CE |
| Lodi Dynasty | 1453–1528 CE |
| The Mughal Empire | 1529–1856 CE |
| Sur Empire | 1540–1555 CE |
| Durrani Empire | 1762–1771 CE |
| The Maratha Empire | 1772–1804 CE |
| The British Empire | 1805–1946 CE |
| British Raj | 1859–1946 CE |
| Republic of India | 1947–2024 CE |
Historical Maps of Rajasthan
Rajasthan on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Rajasthan
Rajasthan (Hindi and Rajasthani: राजस्थान Rājasthān) is a state in the northwest of India. It is mainly arid and its western border is adjacent to Pakistan. The main attractions for travellers are the vast Thar Desert, one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world - the Aravallis - and the Rajput heritage which is apparent in the forts, temples and palaces established by Rajput kings such as Bappa Rawal, Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Rana Pratap.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Rajasthan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Rajasthan
12 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaipur | 2.92 million | Rajasthan | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Jodhpur | 995,000 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 3 | Kota | 827,000 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 4 | Ajmer | 589,985 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 5 | Bikaner | 576,015 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 6 | Udaipur | 469,737 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 7 | Sikar | 400,000 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 8 | Bhilwara | 389,911 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 9 | Alwar | 283,228 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 10 | Bharatpur | 229,384 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 11 | Pali | 210,103 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
| 12 | Tonk | 181,734 | Rajasthan | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Rajasthan
1 mountain mapped. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guru Sikhar | 1,722 m | 5,650 ft | Asia |
Major Dams in Rajasthan
3 dams mapped. Ranked by structural height. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Height | River | Capacity | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gandhi Sagar Dam | 62.17 m | Chambal | 115 MW | 1960 |
| 2 | Ranapratap Sagar Dam | 54 m | Chambal | 172 MW | 1970 |
| 3 | Jawahar Sagar Dam | 45 m | Chambal | 99 MW | 1972 |
Largest Lakes in Rajasthan
3 lakes mapped. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gandhi Sagar Dam | 367 km² | Reservoir |
| 2 | Sambhar Salt Lake | 269 km² | Endorheic Salt Lake |
| 3 | Lake Pichola | 3 km² | Historic Royal Lake (1362 CE) |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Rajasthan
4 World Heritage Sites mapped. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevladev National Park | 1985 | Natural | (x) |
| 2 | Fatehpur Sikri | 1986 | Cultural | (ii) (iii) (iv) |
| 3 | Jantar Mantar | 2010 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
| 4 | Jaipur | 2019 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) (vi) |
Rajasthan: Quick Answers
- Where is Rajasthan?
- Rajasthan is a first-level division of India, in Asia. Its mapped cities centre on 26.4314° N, 74.9463° E.
- What is the largest city in Rajasthan?
- Jaipur is the largest city mapped in Rajasthan, with a metropolitan population of about 2.92 million.
- How many cities are in Rajasthan?
- YearMaps maps 12 cities and towns in Rajasthan, with a combined metropolitan population of about 8.07 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.
- What is the highest mountain in Rajasthan?
- The highest summit mapped in Rajasthan is Guru Sikhar at 1,722 m.
- What is the largest lake in Rajasthan?
- The largest lake mapped in or beside Rajasthan is Gandhi Sagar Dam, at about 367 km².