Rajasthan (rä`jəstän), state (2001 provisional pop. 56,473,122), 132,150 sq mi (342,269 sq km), NW India, bordered on the west by Pakistan. The capital is Jaipur Jaipur, city (1991 pop. 1,518,235), capital of Rajasthan, was founded in 1728. Known as the pink city from the color of its houses, it is a transportation junction and a commercial center. It is enclosed by a crenellated wall 20 ft (6 m) high.
..... Click the link for more information. ; other large cities are Ajmer Ajmer (1991 pop. 402,700), the former capital and now a district administrative center, was founded in the 12th cent. The city is a trade center and has cotton mills and railroad shops. Manufactures include wool textiles, hosiery, shoes, soap, and pharmaceuticals.
..... Click the link for more information. , Jodhpur Jodhpur, city (1991 pop. 666,279), capital of the former state and now a district administrative center, was founded in 1459. It is surrounded by a wall nearly 6 mi (9.7 km) long. Jodhpur is an important marketplace for wool and agricultural products, and has a domestic airport.
..... Click the link for more information. , Bikaner Bikaner (1991 pop. 416,289), the capital of the former state, was founded in 1488. Manufactures include glass, pottery, shoes, chemicals, and electrical products. There are several beautiful 16th-century Rajput palaces and five colleges affiliated with the Univ. of Rajasthan.
..... Click the link for more information. , Kota Kota (kō`tə), city (1991 pop. 537,371), Rajasthan state, NW India, on the Chambal River.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Udaipur Udaipur, city (1991 pop. 308,571), capital of the former state, was founded c.1560. It is an agricultural market and a weaving and embroidery center, with manufactures in chemicals and clay products.
..... Click the link for more information. . In the west of the state is the Thar (Indian) Desert, which is sparsely inhabited by pastoral nomads. In the east is part of the upland region of the Deccan, where, with the aid of irrigation, millet, wheat, and cotton are grown. The state's cultivated acreage has increased through irrigation projects, including the Indira Gandhi Canal, opened in 1984. The Aravalli Hills cross the state from the northeast to the southwest; they produces salt, lead, zinc, marble, coal, mica, phosphate, and gypsum. Handicrafts are Rajasthan's leading industry. Hindus comprise about 75% of the population, which also includes Muslims, Jains, and native peoples. Rajasthani and Hindi are the principal languages.

The state was formed in 1948 from several former principalities of Rajputana. Other small areas were added in 1949, 1950, and 1956. Rajasthan is one of the strongholds of the conservative Hindu Bharatiya Janata Bharatiya Janata party (bär`ətēə jän`ətə)
..... Click the link for more information. and Janata Dal political parties, which are supported by many former Rajput princes. The state has numerous famous Buddhist, Jain, and Mughal monuments. In 1974 the desert region of Rajasthan was the site of the underground explosion of India's first nuclear device. Rajasthan is governed by a chief minister and cabinet responsible to an elected unicameral legislature and by a governor appointed by India's president.

Rajasthan

State (pop., 2001: 56,507,188), northwestern India. Bordered by Pakistan and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it covers an area of 132,139 sq mi (342,239 sq km); its capital is Jaipur. Archaeological evidence shows continuous human habitation for about 100,000 years. In the 7th–11th centuries AD, several Rajput dynasties arose, reaching their height in the 16th century. The emperor Akbar brought the Rajput states into the Mughal Empire. In the 19th century, the British came into control of the region. After Indian independence (1947), the area was organized as the Union of Rajasthan, then reorganized in 1956. It is dominated by the Aravalli Range and the Thar Desert. Predominantly an agricultural and pastoral state, it is the largest producer of wool in India.