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Rajasthan General Knowledge: key facts and practice questions

Revise Rajasthan General Knowledge for RPSC RAS and Rajasthan Police exams: the facts and distinctions that keep coming up, a one-glance revision list, and 10 practice questions with answers and explanations.

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Key concepts and facts

Ancient and early medieval history: Kalibangan (Hanumangarh district, on the Ghaggar) is a Harappan site famous for evidence of a ploughed field (Early Harappan level) and fire altars. Ahar near Udaipur gives its name to the chalcolithic Ahar-Banas copper culture. Matsya Mahajanapada had its capital at Viratnagar (modern Bairat, now in Kotputli-Behror district), where the Bhabru (Bairat) minor rock edict of Ashoka was found. The Gurjara-Pratiharas, with Mihir Bhoja ruling from Kannauj, dominated north India from the 8th to 10th centuries. The Chauhans of Sakambhari and Ajmer produced Prithviraj III, who defeated Muhammad Ghori at Tarain in 1191 and lost to him in 1192.
Rajput kingdoms: Mewar was founded by Bappa Rawal of the Guhila line at Chittor in the 8th century; its rulers later took the Sisodia name. Chittorgarh saw three famous sieges: Alauddin Khalji in 1303 (jauhar of Rani Padmini), Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1535 (Karnavati, Panna Dhai saved Udai Singh), and Akbar in 1568 (Jaimal and Patta died). Rana Kumbha built Kumbhalgarh and the Vijay Stambh. Rana Sanga lost to Babur at Khanwa on 16 March 1527 (some sources give 17 March). Maharana Pratap fought Akbar's army under Man Singh of Amber at Haldighati on 18 June 1576; Bhamashah financed his struggle. Marwar: Rao Jodha founded Jodhpur in 1459; Durgadas Rathore later protected Ajit Singh against Aurangzeb. Amber: Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727 with architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya and built the Jantar Mantar. Bikaner was founded by Rao Bika in 1488 and Jaisalmer by Rawal Jaisal of the Bhati clan in 1156.
Modern history and integration: in 1818 almost all Rajputana states signed subsidiary treaties with the British. The 1857 revolt began in Rajasthan at Nasirabad on 28 May; Kota rose under Jai Dayal and Mehrab Khan, and Thakur Kushal Singh of Auwa defied the British. The Bijolia peasant movement in Mewar (1897 onwards) was led by Vijay Singh Pathik; Govind Guru's Bhagat movement ended in the Mangarh massacre of 1913. Prajamandal movements in each state demanded responsible government. Integration took seven stages: Matsya Union (18 March 1948), Rajasthan Union (25 March 1948), United State of Rajasthan with Udaipur (18 April 1948), Greater Rajasthan inaugurated by Sardar Patel on 30 March 1949 (celebrated as Rajasthan Diwas), United Greater Rajasthan with Matsya (15 May 1949), Sirohi (January 1950) and finally Ajmer-Merwara, Abu Road and Sunel on 1 November 1956. Hiralal Shastri was the first Chief Minister; Mohan Lal Sukhadia served the longest (1954 to 1971).
Geography: Rajasthan is India's largest state (3,42,239 sq km, about 10.4 percent of the country) and shares a 1,070 km border with Pakistan across Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer. The Aravalli range, the oldest fold mountains in India, runs diagonally from Delhi to Palanpur; Guru Shikhar on Mount Abu (1,722 m) is its highest peak. The Thar desert (Marusthali) lies to its west. The Chambal (dams in order: Gandhi Sagar, Rana Pratap Sagar, Jawahar Sagar, Kota barrage) is the only perennial river; the Banas is the longest river wholly within the state; the Luni is saline after Balotra and vanishes in the Rann of Kutch; the Mahi crosses the Tropic of Cancer twice. The Indira Gandhi Canal starts at Harike barrage in Punjab. Sambhar is India's largest inland saline lake. Keoladeo (Bharatpur) is a UNESCO World Heritage site; Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur) and Sariska (Alwar) are tiger reserves; Tal Chhapar (Churu) is known for blackbuck. Jaisalmer is the driest district; the wettest districts lie in the south and south-east (by IMD monsoon normals Pratapgarh, Banswara, Jhalawar and Sirohi lead).
Economy and resources: zinc and lead at Zawar (Udaipur), copper at Khetri (Jhunjhunu), marble at Makrana (Nagaur region, now in Didwana-Kuchaman district), rock phosphate at Jhamarkotra (Udaipur), lignite in Barmer and Bikaner. Rajasthan leads India in mustard, bajra, guar and wool. Bhilwara is the Manchester of Rajasthan; Kota doria, Jaipur blue pottery, Sanganer and Bagru prints, and Kota stone are famous products. Power: Suratgarh thermal (Sri Ganganagar), Rawatbhata atomic plant (Chittorgarh) and Bhadla solar park (Phalodi, earlier part of Jodhpur district).
Polity: the Vidhan Sabha is unicameral with 200 seats; Rajasthan sends 25 members to the Lok Sabha and 10 to the Rajya Sabha. The High Court sits at Jodhpur with a bench at Jaipur. Gurumukh Nihal Singh was the first Governor. India's Panchayati Raj system was inaugurated by Nehru at Nagaur on 2 October 1959. The RPSC is headquartered at Ajmer.
Culture: state symbols are the chinkara and camel (animals), great Indian bustard or godawan (bird), rohida (flower) and khejri (tree). Ghoomar, Kalbelia (UNESCO 2010), Gair, Chari, Terah Taali, Kachhi Ghodi and the Jasnathi fire dance are the key folk dances; Ravanhatta, Algoza and Morchang are instruments; Manganiyar and Langa are the hereditary musicians of the west. Fairs: Pushkar (Kartik Purnima), Nagaur cattle fair, Baneshwar (tribal Kumbh), Kapil Muni at Kolayat, Ramdevra, Gogamedi and the Ajmer Urs. Folk deities Pabuji, Gogaji, Tejaji, Ramdevji and Devnarayan each have an associated district and story. Painting schools include Mewar, Marwar, Bundi, Kota, Jaipur and Kishangarh (Bani Thani by Nihal Chand); Phad scrolls come from Shahpura and Pichwai from Nathdwara. The Bishnoi sacrifice at Khejarli (1730, Amrita Devi) is remembered as a precursor of the Chipko tree-hugging movement.
Traps to avoid: Tarain 1191 (Prithviraj won) versus 1192 (Ghori won). Vijay Stambh (Kumbha) versus Kirti Stambh (Jain). Rajasthan Diwas is 30 March 1949, not 1 November 1956. Mehrangarh is NOT among the six UNESCO hill forts. Keoladeo is UNESCO; Sambhar is Ramsar only. The High Court is at Jodhpur, not the capital Jaipur. Hiralal Shastri was the first CM but Tikaram Paliwal was the first elected CM.

One-glance revision list

Chittorgarh sieges in order: 1303 Alauddin Khalji (Padmini jauhar), 1535 Bahadur Shah of Gujarat (Karnavati), 1568 Akbar (Jaimal and Patta).
City founders and years: Jaisalmer 1156 (Rawal Jaisal), Jodhpur 1459 (Rao Jodha), Bikaner 1488 (Rao Bika), Udaipur 1553 (Udai Singh II; some sources give 1559), Jaipur 1727 (Sawai Jai Singh II).
Three decisive battles: Tarain 1192 (Ghori beat Prithviraj III), Khanwa 1527 (Babur beat Rana Sanga), Haldighati 1576 (Man Singh led Akbar's army against Pratap).
Chambal dams downstream in order, mnemonic 'G-R-J-K': Gandhi Sagar (MP), Rana Pratap Sagar (Rawatbhata), Jawahar Sagar, Kota barrage.
Seven stages of integration: Matsya Union (Mar 1948), Rajasthan Union (Mar 1948), United Rajasthan with Udaipur (Apr 1948), Greater Rajasthan (30 Mar 1949), with Matsya (May 1949), Sirohi (1950), Ajmer-Merwara (1 Nov 1956).
Mineral-place pairs: Zawar zinc, Khetri copper, Makrana marble, Jhamarkotra rock phosphate, Barmer lignite, Kota stone.
Six UNESCO hill forts (2013): Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron, Amber, Jaisalmer. Mehrangarh and Junagarh are not on the list.
Four UNESCO World Heritage entries in Rajasthan (as of 2026): Keoladeo National Park (1985), Jantar Mantar Jaipur (2010), Hill Forts (2013), Jaipur city (2019). Kalbelia dance is on the intangible heritage list (2010).
Folk deity and district: Pabuji (Kolu, Phalodi), Gogaji (Gogamedi, Hanumangarh), Tejaji (Kharnal, Nagaur), Ramdevji (Ramdevra, Jaisalmer), Devnarayan (Asind, Bhilwara).
Rivers by fate: Chambal joins the Yamuna; Banas joins the Chambal; Luni dies in the Rann of Kutch; Mahi and Sabarmati reach the Gulf of Khambhat.
Numbers to remember: Vidhan Sabha 200, Lok Sabha 25, Rajya Sabha 10, Pakistan border 1,070 km, Guru Shikhar 1,722 m, Kumbhalgarh wall 36 km.
First-in-India facts: Panchayati Raj launched at Nagaur on 2 October 1959; Khejarli 1730 (363 Bishnois) is the best-known early tree-protection sacrifice and a precursor of Chipko.

Lessons in depth

10 longer lessons on Rajasthan General Knowledge, one per sub-topic, each with its key facts and a quick revision.

Practice questions

Try each question before opening the answer.

1. The Indira Gandhi Canal, which brings water to the Thar desert, originates from which barrage? (A) Bhakra barrage on the Sutlej (B) Harike barrage at the Sutlej-Beas confluence (C) Pong dam on the Beas (D) Kota barrage on the Chambal

Answer: (B) Harike barrage at the Sutlej-Beas confluence. The canal (earlier Rajasthan Canal, conceived by engineer Kanwar Sain) starts at Harike in Punjab below the Sutlej-Beas confluence and ends near Mohangarh in Jaisalmer.

2. The Kapil Muni fair, held on Kartik Purnima at a sacred lake in Bikaner district, takes place at which town? (A) Deshnok (B) Kolayat (C) Nokha (D) Mukam

Answer: (B) Kolayat. Kolayat, where sage Kapil is believed to have meditated, hosts the Kapil Muni fair. Deshnok has the Karni Mata temple and Mukam is the Bishnoi pilgrimage centre.

3. Consider the following statements about the Chauhans of Ajmer: 1. Ajayaraja II founded the city of Ajmer (Ajayameru) in the early 12th century. 2. Arnoraja built the Anasagar lake at Ajmer. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) Only 1 (B) Only 2 (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2. Both are correct. Ajayaraja II founded Ajayameru around 1113, and his son Arnoraja (Anaji) built the Anasagar after defeating Turkish raiders near Ajmer.

4. Kallaji Rathore, worshipped as a folk deity with four arms, fought in Akbar's siege of Chittor (1568) carrying which wounded commander on his shoulders? (A) Patta Sisodia (B) Jaimal Rathore (C) Jhala Man (D) Rawat Sai Das

Answer: (B) Jaimal Rathore. With Jaimal unable to walk, Kallaji carried him on his shoulders so that both could fight, giving rise to the image of a four-armed warrior. Patta Sisodia also died in this siege.

5. Ajmer passed under direct British rule in 1818 when it was ceded to the East India Company by which power? (A) The Holkars of Indore (B) The Rathores of Jodhpur (C) The Sindhias of Gwalior (D) The Nawab of Tonk

Answer: (C) The Sindhias of Gwalior. Daulat Rao Sindhia ceded Ajmer to the British in 1818; as Ajmer-Merwara it was the only directly British-ruled province in Rajputana until 1947, and it merged with Rajasthan in 1956.

6. Rao Gopal Singh, who worked with Rash Behari Bose on a plan for an armed uprising on 21 February 1915, was the chief of which thikana? (A) Auwa (B) Bijolia (C) Kharwa (D) Begun

Answer: (C) Kharwa. Rao Gopal Singh of Kharwa, near Beawar, collected arms for the planned 1915 rising, but the plan leaked and he was interned at Todgarh. Auwa was the seat of Thakur Kushal Singh in 1857.

7. When Greater Rajasthan was formed in 1949, Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur was given which special designation? (A) Rajpramukh (B) Uprajpramukh (C) Maharajpramukh (D) Governor

Answer: (C) Maharajpramukh. Maharana Bhupal Singh was made Maharajpramukh for life, while Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur became the Rajpramukh of Greater Rajasthan. The Rajpramukh system ended on 1 November 1956.

8. Which two rivers drain into the Sambhar salt lake? (A) Banas and Berach (B) Kantli and Sota (C) Sukri and Bandi (D) Mendha and Rupangarh

Answer: (D) Mendha and Rupangarh. Sambhar is a basin of inland drainage fed mainly by the Mendha and the Rupangarh, along with smaller streams. The Banas and Berach belong to the Chambal system.

9. In 2008 tigers were moved by helicopter from Ranthambore to which reserve, after it had lost all its tigers to poaching? (A) Mukundra Hills (B) Sariska (C) Kumbhalgarh (D) Desert National Park

Answer: (B) Sariska. Sariska in Alwar district had lost all its tigers by 2005; tigers were relocated there from Ranthambore from 2008 onwards.

10. The Dhol dance, performed at weddings by men of the Mali, Dholi, Sargara and Bhil communities with several large drums played together, is associated with which district? (A) Bundi (B) Jalore (C) Churu (D) Dausa

Answer: (B) Jalore. Dhol nritya, played in the 'thakna' style, is a well-known dance of Jalore district. Churu, in Shekhawati, is better known for the Chang dance of Holi.

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Rajasthan General Knowledge is tested in RPSC RAS and Rajasthan Police exams. Check the current official notification and syllabus of the exam you are preparing for to see how it is covered.

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