Colonel James Todd (1818-1821 AD) was the political agent of Mewar (Udaipur). He used to roam around in different areas of Rajasthan and compile history sitting on a horse, hence in Rajasthan he was called 'Ghode wala Baba'. He presented the history of Rajasthan in an organized and authentic form for the first time. Tod's famous book 'Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan' was published from London in the year 1829. Todd named this region 'Rajasthan', inspired by the local word 'Raithan'. Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha later translated this historical work of Colonel Tod into Hindi for the first time.

All the four statements presented are completely true according to historical facts. George Thomas was the first to verbally use the word 'Rajputana' for this region in 1800 AD, which was confirmed in 1805 AD in William Franklin's book 'Military Memoirs of Mr. It is from 'George Thomas'. In ancient times, Maharishi Valmiki had called this desert region 'Marukantara'. The word 'Rajasthaniyaditya' is found for the first time in the Basantgarh inscription (Vikram Samvat 682 / 625 AD) of Khimal Mata temple located in Sirohi district. After this, the word Rajasthan is also mentioned in Rajrupak written by Munhanaut Nainasi in his famous and Karnidan. Ultimately, with the implementation of the Constitution on 26 January 1950, its official name Rajasthan was accepted.

The Ghosundi inscription is located near the city of Chittorgarh, which is the oldest epigraphic evidence of Vaishnav/Bhagwat religion in Rajasthan. The Aparajit inscription (661 AD) found in the Kundeshwar temple of Udaipur refers to the 7th century Mewar Guhil ruler Aparajit. The Kanaswa inscription (738 AD) has been found from the pagoda of Kanaswa village in Kota, which mentions the Maurya ruler Dhaval in Rajasthan and is evidence of the influence of the Mauryas. The Harshnath Prashasti (973 AD) has been obtained from the Harshnath temple in Sikar, which describes the Chauhan dynasty rulers of Allat, Sinharaja and Vagad region. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4.

The Ghosundi inscription (200-150 BC) found in Chittorgarh district is the oldest epigraphic evidence of the Vaishnava (Bhagavata) sect in Rajasthan. It is inscribed in Brahmi script and Sanskrit language. In this, there is mention of King Sarvatat of Gajavansh performing Ashwamedha Yagya and building a stone wall for the worship of Sankarshan (Balram) and Vasudev (Krishna). The inscription of the city is considered to be its twin inscription. The Manmori inscription was found by Colonel Tod from Chittor in which there is mention of Amrit Manthan, while the Bijolia inscription is a Chauhan period inscription of 1170 AD.

Statements A, B and C are completely true, while statement D is false. The Bijolia inscription (1170 AD) was engraved by Jain Shravak Lolak near the Parshvanath temple in Bhilwara, in which the construction of Sambhar Lake by Vasudev Chauhan and the Chauhans are described as Vatsa gotriya Vipra. The Ghatiyala inscription (861 AD) is of the Pratihara ruler Kakkuk in Jodhpur, which contains evidence of lineage from Pratihara Harishchandra and the sati of Sampaldevi, wife of commander Ranuka. Raj Prashasti Mewar is the world's largest inscription in the form of a Sanskrit epic engraved on the sail of Rajsamand Lake during the time of Maharana Raj Singh. Statement D is incorrect because the Kanasava inscription (738 AD, Kota) belongs to the Maurya king Dhaval and not to Skandagupta.

Dhulev's donation letter (679 AD) is considered to be the oldest copper plate of Rajasthan. Its donor was King Bheti and its recipient was Bhattinag Brahmin. In this copper plate, there is a description of the donation of Ubbarak village and special mention of 'Ashva Bhuj Samvat'. This copper plate presents very authentic evidence of the ancient feudal system and religious grant system. The Kheroda copper plate is of 1437 AD of Maharana Kumbha in which a donation of 400 taka is mentioned, while the Pur copper plate is of 1535 AD in which the Jauhar of Rani Karmavati is mentioned.

Pur copper plate (1535 AD) mentions the donation of land given by the second Sakae of Chittor and Queen Karmavati before Jauhar during the time of Maharana Vikramaditya. The Parsoli copper plate (1473 AD) gives details of different types of agricultural land in Mewar such as Piwal (irrigated land), Gormo (land near the village), Mal (black fertile land) and Magra (hilly land). The Chikli copper plate (1483 AD) describes various taxes imposed on farmers and various castes. The Bedwas copper plate (Samvat 1616/1559 AD) provides the first authentic reference to the establishment of the city of Udaipur by Maharana Udai Singh. Hence option A is correct.

The oldest coins of India are called 'punched coins' or 'punched coins'. Symbols like tree, fish, sun, crescent etc. were stamped on these coins. These were usually made of silver and were square, rectangular or circular in shape. In Kautilya's Arthashastra, these hurt postures have been called 'Pana' or 'Karshapana'. 3075 silver struck coins have been found at Raidh archaeological site in Tonk district of Rajasthan, which is the largest hoard of struck coins from a single site in India. Due to this abundance, Raidh is called 'Tatanagar of ancient India'.

The coins of the princely state of Jaipur were called 'Jharshahi' because their mint mark had the symbol of a six-branched tree, along with this, Hali and Muhammadshahi coins were also prevalent here. In the state of Jodhpur (Marwar), during the time of Maharaja Vijay Singh, 'Vijayshahi' coins and Lallulia, Bhimshahi and Gajshahi coins were in circulation. In the princely state of Dholpur, 'Tamanchashahi' coins bearing the symbol of a pistol were minted. Udayshahi, Trishulia and Patrisireya coins were prevalent in the princely state of Dungarpur. Dhingla, Chittauri, Chandauri and Elchi coins were prevalent in Mewar. Hence the correct code option is A.

Statements A, B and C are true, while statement D is false. More than 1800 Gupta period gold coins have been found from Bayana (Bharatpur), which is the largest repository of Gupta numismatics. 36 cloth-wrapped coins have been found from Bairath, including 8 silver coins and 28 Indo-Greek coins (especially those of King Menander). Excavations at Ahad have yielded six copper coins bearing the image of the Greek god Apollo and a trident, indicating trade relations with Greece. Statement D is wrong because the first coins with inscriptions in Rajasthan were found during the Mauryan period from Viratnagar (Kotputli-Behror), while coins with peacock motif of Kumargupta were found from Naliasar.

The literary form of Western Rajasthani (Marwari) is called 'Dingal', which is believed to be developed from Gurjari Apabhramsha. Most of the Dingal literature was created by the poets of the Charan caste in heroic works (like Rajrupak, Dhola Maru Ra Duha, Achaldas Khegi Ri Vachanika). In contrast, the mixed literary form of Eastern Rajasthani and Braj language is called 'Pingal', which has developed from Shauraseni Apabhramsha. Most of the Pingal literature was written by poets of the Bhat caste, such as 'Prithviraj Raso' by Chandbardai and 'Vansh Bhaskar' by Suryamalla Misan. Hence the correct option is B.

Marwar Ra Pargana Ri Vigat is a book written by Muhannot Nainasi in the 17th century which is called the 'Gazetteer' of Rajasthan. Achaldas Khigi Ri Vachanika is a historical prose-verse composition written by Gadan Shivdas in Dingal language, which describes the war between Mandu Sultan Hoshangshah and Achaldas Khigi in 1423 AD and the first Sakae of Gagron. Kanhadde Prabandh is an epic of heroic spirit written by poet Padmanabha, in which there is a vivid description of the wars between Jalore's ruler Kanhaddev and Alauddin Khilji. Veli Krisan Rukmani Ri is an excellent text of Dingal written by Prince Prithviraj Rathore of Bikaner in Gagron Fort in 1580 AD, which Dursa Aadha has called the 5th Veda and 19th Purana. Hence option A is correct.

Kesari Singh Barhath composed 13 soratha in Dingal language under the title 'Chetavani Ra Chungtya' in 1903 AD. When Maharana Fateh Singh of Mewar reached Delhi to attend the Delhi Darbar organized by the British Viceroy Lord Curzon, Kesari Singh Barhath presented him these Soratha. In these Soraths, a strong reminder was given of the former glory, self-respect and tradition of not bowing down before the Mughals and the British of the Maharanas of Mewar. After reading these, Maharana Fateh Singh's self-respect was awakened and despite reaching Delhi, he did not join Curzon's court and returned back.

All the statements regarding Suryamall Misan (1815-1868 AD) are completely true. He was the court poet of Maharao Ram Singh, the Hada ruler of Bundi. He started the composition of 'Vansh Bhaskar' which was completed by his adopted son Muraridan. During the first freedom struggle of 1857, he wrote 'Veer Satsai' to instill the spirit of self-respect and struggle among the Rajputs, the famous line of which is - 'Ila na deni apni, halaria hulrai'. I will educate my son, I will raise my death.' Apart from this, he composed Dhatu Rupavali, Balwant Vilas, Ram Ranjat, Chhand Mayukh and Sati Raso. The highest Suryamall Misan Award is given by the Rajasthani Academy of Language, Literature and Culture, Bikaner.

Bankidas Ashiya, the royal poet of Maharaja Mansingh of Jodhpur, composed the famous song 'Aayo Angrej Mulak Re Upar'. In this song he made a sharp attack on the British's annexation of Indian states, their diplomacy and the tendency of the kings of Rajasthan to surrender without fighting. He also praised the bravery of Bharatpur's Jat ruler Ranjit Singh in defeating the British in 1805 AD. Other major works of Bankidas include 'Bankidas Ri Khyat', 'Datar Bavani', 'Kukavi Battisi' and 'Maan Jaso Mandan'. 'Panchida' is a song by Manikyalal Verma and 'Pathal aur Pithal' is composed by Kanhaiyalal Sethia.

Veer Vinod Kaviraj is an authentic book on the history of Mewar and Rajasthan written by Shyamaldas, for which the British government gave him the title of 'Kesar-e-Hind' and the Maharana gave him the title of 'Kaviraj'. Buddhivilas is a work written by Bakhat Ram Shah which gives detailed information about the establishment of Jaipur city in 1727 AD and the city construction plan. Chhatrapati Raso is a book written by Kashi Chhangani in which there is a description of the famous 'Matire ki Raad' (Battle of Jakhanian village) that took place in 1644 AD between King Karansingh of Bikaner and Amar Singh of Nagaur. Prithviraj Raso is an epic written by Chandbardai in Pingal style which describes the bravery of Prithviraj Chauhan III. Hence option A is correct.

In 1870 C.A. C.A. Hacket had discovered Pale Stone Age hand axes and cleavers from Jaipur and Indragarh (Bundi). These historical instruments are currently preserved in the Indian Museum, Calcutta. Immediately after this in 1871 A.D. C.L. Carlyle started the systematic work of archaeological survey in Rajasthan and discovered stone tools from the Dausa area. In 1908 AD, Seton Kar obtained stone tools from Jhalawar. In 1953-54, Virendra Nath Mishra and ASI discovered Stone Age tools from the banks of Gambhiri and Bedach rivers in Chittorgarh.

Statements A, B and C are true, while statement D is false. Bagaur, situated on the banks of Kothari river in Bhilwara district, is a major site of the Mesolithic period. V.N. In the excavation done by Mishra, India's oldest evidence of animal husbandry has been found here. It is called 'Mound of Mahasatis' and 'Museum of Primitive Culture'. A large quantity of micro stone tools (Microliths) have been found from here. Statement D is incorrect because the excavation of Bagaur has revealed three cultural phases which include Mesolithic, Chalcolithic and Iron Age phases, but no evidence of Neolithic period has been found from here.

Tilwara (Balotra/Barmer) is a famous Mesolithic archaeological site situated on the banks of Luni River. It was excavated in 1967-68 AD by V.N. Mishra, Vijay Kumar and L. S. Lesnik. Like Bagaur, evidence of ancient animal husbandry, human bone ashes, circular fire pit and remains of five residential sites have been found here. Copper Greek coins have been found from Ahad, Bhabru inscription has been found from Bairath and double walls of Indus Valley Civilization have been found from Kalibanga.

Ganeshwar civilization (2800 BC), located on the banks of Kantli river in Sikar (Neem police station area), is called 'copper accumulation culture' and 'mother of Copper Age cultures'. It was excavated in 1972 by R. It was done by C. Agarwal (Ratanchandra Agarwal) and Vijay Kumar. Up to 99% pure copper has been found in the copper tools (arrows, spears, axe, fishing hooks etc.) obtained from here. A dam made of stone has been found here, but furnaces for smelting copper have not been found. Kapishvarni pottery (decorated with black and blue colors) has been found from here. The residents here used to export copper to Harappa and Mohenjodaro.

Statements A, C and D are correct, while statement B is false. Ahad civilization (Udaipur) was discovered by Akshay Kirti Vyas in 1953 and later by R. C. Aggarwal and H. D. Sankalia did the excavation. It is called 'Dhulkot', 'Aghatpur' and 'Tamravati Nagari'. Banasian Bull (Terracotta Bull), large grain storage pots (Gore/Kotha), 6-7 stoves (evidence of joint family) and Greek coins inscribed with Apollo have been found here. Statement B is incorrect because baked bricks were not used at all in the construction of houses in the Ahad civilization; The people here used stones and sun-dried raw bricks and mortar. Fired bricks were used extensively in Gilund.

Gilund civilization is situated on the banks of Banas river in Rajsamand district. It was excavated in 1957-58 AD by B. B. Under the direction of Lal and in 1998-2003 V.S. Shinde and Gregory Posel (USA). This site is locally called 'Modiya Magri'. Gilund is a major branch of Ahad culture, but its most distinctive difference is that while there was a lack of baked bricks in Ahad, baked bricks have been used in abundance in building construction in Gilund. Ancient wheat grains have been found in five types of pottery and a pot from here.

All four statements regarding Kalibanga civilization are historically 100 percent true. Kalibanga is a major site of the Indus-Saraswati civilization located on the banks of the Ghaggar River (ancient Saraswati River). Literally it means 'black bangles'. Five cultural levels of Pre-Harappan and Advanced Harappan have been found here. Evidence of plowed fields, evidence of earthquakes, wooden drains, mud brick houses (due to which it was called a poor settlement), decorated bricks, Swastika symbols and Mesopotamian cylindrical seals have been found here. All three methods of burial (complete, partial and cremation) were prevalent here. The Archaeological Museum was established here in 1983.

8000 alabaster beads and lapis lazuli beads brought from Afghanistan have been found in an earthen vessel from the Baror archaeological site (Ghagghar river bank). From Sunari (Jhunjhunu, Kantli river banks), ancient furnaces for smelting iron metal, use of rice for food and evidence of harnessing horses to chariots have been found. Due to the discovery of 3075 struck coins from Raidh (Tonk, Dheel river bank), it is called 'Tatanagar of ancient India'. Remains of Maurya, Shunga and Kushan culture, 16 Chakrakupas and a giant stone statue of folk deity 'Jakh Baba' have been found from Noh (Bharatpur, Ruparel river bank). Hence the correct code is A.

Bairath (Viratnagar) was the capital of Matsya Mahajanapada and is situated on the banks of river Banganga. All the four statements presented are true. The Bhabru inscription, discovered in 1837 by Captain Burt, is irrefutable proof of Ashoka being a Buddhist (presently it is in the Museum of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta). Carlyle discovered the second inscription in 1871–72. Hiuen Tsang traveled to Bairath and described 8 Buddhist monasteries. Dayaram Sahni carried out excavations here and discovered Buddhist temples and monasteries built with round bricks. A golden box (bone remains of Lord Buddha) and Indo-Greek coins have also been found from Bairath. Later, Hun invader Mihirkul destroyed the Buddhist monasteries of Bairath.

Option D is wrong in the context of Bhinmal because the first inscriptional evidence of the practice of Sati is the Gupta period 'Eran inscription' (Madhya Pradesh) of 510 AD and its oldest evidence in Rajasthan is the Ghatiala inscription (861 AD). The ancient name of Bhinmal was 'Shrimal'. The Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang called it 'Pilomolo' and it was the ancient capital of the Gurjara country. Roman water jars and Greek jars have been found here which proves its international commercial importance. Bhinmal is also the birthplace of Brahmagupta, the author of Brahmasphuta Siddhanta and great poet Magha, the author of the epic 'Shishupalvadh'.

Balathal (Udaipur) is an important Chalcolithic and Iron Age archaeological site. It was excavated in 1993 by Dr. V.N. It was carried out by Deccan College Poona and Rajasthan Archeology Department under the leadership of Mishra. A human skeleton dating back to 4000 BC has been found here, which is considered to be the oldest evidence of leprosy in India. Apart from this, a huge building/fort like structure of 11 rooms, built in the 5th century BC. A woven cotton cloth, 5 iron smelting furnaces, copper coins and many clay figurines of bulls have been found.

All four statements are true in the context of urban civilization (Chittorgarh, Bedach river banks). There is mention of Yavana (Greek) attack on Madhyamika in Panini's Ashtadhyayi and Patanjali's Mahabhashya. Coins of Shibi Janapada have been found from the city on which 'Majhmikay Shibi Janapadas' is inscribed in Brahmi script. Gupta period Shiva temple, four ring wells, stones with inscriptions and decorated bricks have been found here. Carlyle identified it in 1870 and Bhandarkar excavated it and highlighted its historical importance.

The 'Nagar' archaeological site (ancient name Malavnagar or Karkot Nagar) located in Tonk district was the main center of Malav district. In 1871-72 A.D. C.L. Carlyle discovered about 6000 copper Malava coins from here, which were studied in detail by Vincent Smith. 'Malvanan Jai' is inscribed on these coins. Statues of Indra-Indrani and Kamdev-Rati of the Sunga period, Mahishasurmardini of the post-Gupta period, one-faced Shivalinga and artistic pots for filling grains have been found here. Raidh is also in Tonk but it is known for struck coins and iron tools.

Jayal (Didwana), Budha Pushkar (Ajmer), Indragarh (Bundi) and Viratnagar are the major Paleolithic sites of Rajasthan where primitive man was in hunter-gatherer state. Bagaur (Bhilwara) and Tilwara (Balotra) are representative sites of the Mesolithic period where microliths and evidence of animal husbandry have been found. Ganeshwar and Ahad-Gilund are the major centers of the Chalcolithic period where copper tools and metal refining techniques developed. Kalibanga, Baror and Sothi are the sites of developed and well-organized urban civilization of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization. Hence, the correctly matched option is A (A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3).

The famous 'Agnikund theory' of the origin of Rajputs is found in 'Prithviraj Raso' written by Chandbardai. According to this, when the demons defiled the yagya of sage Vashishtha on Mount Abu, then to protect the sages, first three warriors were born from the fire pit - Pratihar, Parmar and Chalukya (Solanki). When these three could not succeed in completely destroying the evildoers, then Vashishtha again performed a yagya which gave birth to the fourth most glorious warrior 'Chauhan' (Chahamaan) equipped with complete weapons. This mythological opinion was later supported by Suryamall Misan, Muhannot Nainasi and Jodhraj, although modern historians consider it to be symbolic.

Dr. G. H. Ojha and C.V. Vaidya have proved the Rajputs to be the descendants of ancient Vedic Kshatriyas (Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi), which is supported by Abu, Shringi Rishi and Atpur inscriptions. Colonel James Todd, on the basis of similarity in the customs of Rajputs (horse worship, weapon worship, drinking), has considered them to be the descendants of Shaka and Scythian races. Dr. D.R. On the basis of Bijolia inscription, Bhandarkar has described Guhilas and Chauhans as basically the children of Nagar Brahmins. V.A. Smith considered the Rajputs to be descendants of foreign races like Huns and Gurjars. Hence the correct code option is A.

The Atpur (Ahad) inscription (977 AD) of Mewar ruler Shaktikumar gives information that the Guhil ruler of Mewar Allat (Alurawal) had married the Hun princess 'Hariyadevi'. Hariyadevi had established a village named 'Harshpur'. Scholars like historian Deviprasad Chattopadhyay and Dr. Dashrath Sharma have considered this marital relationship as a historical proof of the blood mixture of Indian and foreign castes and the mixed ethnic origin of the Rajputs. It was Allat who formed the administrative bureaucracy for the first time in Mewar and made Ahar his second capital.

Alexander Cunningham, the father of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), after studying the 'Broach Gurjar Copper Plate' of 978 AD, considered Rajputs to be descendants of 'Yuezhi' or Kushan race. Cunningham's argument was that the Yu-Chi caste, which came to India from Central Asia, eventually got absorbed into the Indian society and their warrior branch was called Rajput. In contrast, Colonel James Todd described the Saka-Scythians and V.A. Smith had given the opinion of origin from Hun race.

The medieval feudal system in Rajasthan was based on blood relations and clan affinity. 'Rajvi Samanta' were the brothers and closest blood relatives of the ruler, who were kept free from rekha, orders and servants for three generations. 'Sardar feudal lords' were distant descendants of the royal family who provided administrative and military service to the state. 'Mutsaddi Samanta' were those officials who were given jagirs in lieu of administrative, revenue or civil works. 'Bhomia feudal lords' were local Rajputs or warriors who were granted tax-free land (Bhom) in return for protecting villages and borders. Hence the correct code option is A.

Statements A, B and C are completely correct, while statement D is false. In the ancient and medieval Rajput administration, Akshapatlik was the Accountant General who kept records of income and expenditure and copper plates. Sandhivigrahika was the foreign minister. Bhandarika was the head of the treasury and granary. Statement D is wrong because 'Mushrif' was the secretary of the finance department or the officer who checked the income and expenditure, while the work of broadcasting information and recording news was done by 'Wakiya-Navis' and the intelligence chief was called Harkara or spy.

In the feudal tax system of Marwar (Jodhpur), the estimated annual income recorded in the lease of the jagir by the Diwan of the state was called 'Patta Rekh'. On the basis of this lease line, the feudal's military service (chakri) and tax obligations were determined. On the contrary, the amount actually deposited by the feudal lord in the treasury based on the actual produce and income of the jagir was called 'Bharat Rekh', which was often less than the Patta Rekh. 'Tagirat' was a special additional tax imposed on feudal lords by Maharaja Ajit Singh. 'Bighodi' was land revenue taken in cash per bigha.

In the Lata or Batai system, after the harvest, a heap of grains was made in the barn and the share of the state and the farmer was distributed on the basis of the actual yield. In the Kunta system, the amount of revenue was decided by merely estimating the standing crop by eye, due to which there was a high possibility of dispute with the farmers. Khums was a tax taken on war booty under Islamic war rules (usually 1/5 of the state and 4/5 of the soldiers). Khiraj was a regular land tax collected from non-Muslim farmers or subject native states. Hence option A is correct.

Pairs A, B and C are correctly matched, while D is wrongly matched. Irrigated land in Rajasthan was called 'Piwal'. The manure-rich land adjacent to the village boundary and population was called 'Gormo' or 'Gauntiya'. Black, heavy and highly fertile land was called 'Mal Bhoomi'. Pair D is wrong because 'Magra land' was called hilly, stony and rugged land where farming was very difficult, while the land along the banks of rivers was called 'Beed' or 'Kachhar'. Rainfed land without irrigation facilities was called 'Barani' or 'Barani'.

Maharana Amarsingh II of Mewar implemented the 'Amarshahi Rekh' system to streamline the feudal system and divided the feudal lords into three major categories: 1. 16 big feudal lords of the first class, who were called 'Sixteen Umraos' (like Salumber, Kotharia, Bedla, Bijolia, Kanod etc.); 2. 32 feudal lords of the second class ('Thirty-two'); 3. About 330 small jagirdars of the third class who were called 'Gol Samanta'. Chundawat Rawat of Salumber was the highest among the 16 feudal lords of the first class, who had the privilege of holding the capital in the absence of the Maharana, leading the front line (vanguard) of the army and coronating the new Maharana.

To save his kingdom from civil war and succession disputes, the Kachwaha ruler of Amer, Prithviraj Kachwaha (1503-1527 AD), had earmarked 12 major feudal jagirs for his 12 sons and close relatives, which is called the 'Twelve Kotri System' in Kachwaha history. Among these 12 Kotris, Rajawat, Nathawat, Khangarot, Naruka, Bankawat, Chaturbhuj etc. were prominent (the 12th Kotri was considered to be of Gurjars). This system remained the main structure of feudal dominance there till the end of Jaipur state.

Due to the immense influence of the Mughals in the Kota state, the feudal lords were divided into two main categories: 1. 'Deshathi feudal lords' - those feudal lords who stayed in the Kota state and handled local governance, security and internal administration; 2. 'Hazurathi Samanta' - Those feudal lords who were present in the royal service in the court of the Mughal emperor or by staying with the Kota Kota ruler during the Mughal campaigns. Davi and Jeevani were feudal classes of Jaisalmer, Solah and Thirty-two were classes of Mewar, and Rajvi and Sardar were classes of Marwar.

According to the Bijolia inscription (1170 AD), the ancestor of the Chauhan dynasty, Vasudev Chauhan, had laid the foundation of the Chauhan state in Shakambhari (Sambhar) and Sapadalaksh area in 551 AD. He made Ahichchhatrapur (present day Nagaur) his initial capital. In the same inscription, there is a historical mention that the famous natural salt water lake in Sambhar was constructed by Vasudev Chauhan and he had constructed the temple of his family goddess Shakambhari Mata. In the inscription Vasudev has also been called the first Rajput ruler of Rajasthan.

All four statements regarding Ajayaraja II are historically true. Ajayraj expanded Ajmer city around 1113 AD and made it the main center of political activities of Chauhans. He established a large mint in Ajmer and minted silver and copper coins in the names 'Shri Ajaydev' and 'Ajaypriyadram'. This is a rare example in the history of Rajasthan that its queen Somaldevi (Somalekha) also issued independent coins in her own name. Ajayraj had defeated the commander of Naravarman, the Paramara ruler of Malwa. In the last years of his rule, he handed over the throne to his son Arnoraj and went to Pushkar.

Arnoraj (Anaji Chauhan, 1133-1153 AD) built Anasagar Lake in Ajmer in 1137 AD. According to Prithviraj Vijay, in the fierce battle with the Turkish invaders, the Turks suffered a massive defeat and the earth became red with their blood, to purify it, this huge lake was created by diverting the Chandra River. Arnoraj also constructed the famous 'Varaha Temple' in Pushkar. Devbodha and Dharmaghosa were his prominent court scholars. Arnoraj was murdered by his own eldest son Jagdev, hence Jagdev is considered the first patriarch of Chauhans.

The period of Vigraharaja IV (Bisaladev, 1158-1163 AD) is called the golden age of Chauhans. He earned the distinction of being the first Chauhan ruler to capture Delhi. Jayanaka gave him the title of 'Kavibandhava' and scholar Kielhorn compared him with Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti. His play 'Harikeli' is based on the Kirat-Arjuna episode of the Mahabharata (lines of which are inscribed on the Adhai Din ke Jhopra and Raja Rammohan Roy's memorial in Bristol). His Sanskrit school in Ajmer was converted into a mosque by Qutubuddin Aibak in 1198, where the two and a half day Urs of Punjab Shah is celebrated. He built Bisalpur town and dam in Tonk.

Prithviraj III (1177-1192 AD, father Someshwar, mother Karpuri Devi) was the last great Hindu emperor of the Chauhan dynasty. In his short life, he crushed the rebellion of Nagarjuna with the help of Prime Minister Kadambavas (Kaimas). In 1182, suppressed the Bhandanakas and defeated the Chandelas of Mahoba where Loknayak Alha-Udal fought. In the first battle of Tarain in 1191, he badly defeated Muhammad Ghori, but not chasing Ghori proved to be a big mistake. In the second battle of Tarain in 1192, Gauri attacked with deceit in the morning and defeated the Rajput army. A detailed description of this war is found in Hasan Nizami's Tajul-Maasir and Chandbardai's Prithviraj Raso.

In 1301 AD, Ranthambore ruler Hammir Dev Chauhan gave his life to Mir Muhammad Shah, the rebel Mongol commander of Alauddin Khilji, accepting him as a surrendered person. When Alauddin laid siege to Ranthambore for a long time, Hammir's two trusted generals 'Ranmal' and 'Ratipal' became traitors under the temptation of Khilji and they informed the enemies about the secret paths and water sources of the fort. When there was a severe crisis of food and water in the fort, the first historical Jal Jauhar (Padmala Pond) of Rajasthan took place under the leadership of Queen Rangdevi and Hammir attained martyrdom while fighting. After the victory, Khilji also got the treacherous Ranmal and Ratipal killed.

The founder of Songara Chauhan dynasty of Jalore was Kirtipal (Kitu Chauhan). He was the youngest son of Alhandev, the Chauhan ruler of Nadol. He first captured Mewar by defeating the ruler of Mewar, Samant Singh, later by defeating the Parmar king Kuntalpal, captured Jalore and Siwana and established the independent Chauhan state in Jalore in 1181-82 AD. In the Sundha Mountain inscription, Kirtipala has been described as 'a great mighty king' (Rajeshwar). Muhannot Nainasi had honored him by calling him 'Ketu a great Rajput'.

All the four statements presented are 100% true according to historical evidence. In 1308 AD, Khilji attacked Sivana fort, considered the key to Jalore; After the water source became impure due to the betrayal of Bhavla Panwar, Rajput women performed Jauhar and Sataldev attained martyrdom (named Khairabad). After this, in 1311 AD, Khilji attacked Jalore. Kanhaddev's commander Bika Dahiya betrayed him and revealed the secret route (about which Bika's wife Hira De gave information to Kanhaddev and Bika herself was killed). In the fierce battle, Kanhaddev and Veeramdev were martyred and the brave women performed Jauhar. Khilji named Jalore 'Jalalabad' and built a mosque (artillery) there.

Taragarh Fort in Bundi was built by Rao Barsingh Hada in 1354 AD. This fort is called 'Taragarh' because it is built in the shape of a star on a 1426 feet high hill of Aravalli. Garbha-Gunjan cannon, huge turret (Bhim Burj), painting gallery and huge water tank are located in it. Rudyard Kipling wrote about this fort that 'it seems to be built not by humans but by ghosts and ghosts.' The foundation of Hada dynasty in Bundi was laid in 1241 AD by Rao Deva (Devisingh) by defeating Jeta Meena.

All the statements regarding Kota princely state are historically true. Madho Singh, son of Rao Ratan (Bundi), was given the independent state of Kota by Shahjahan in 1631 AD in exchange for his help in suppressing the rebellion of Khanejahan Lodi. Mukund Singh built 'Abli Meeni Mahal' (smaller/second Taj Mahal of Rajasthan) in Mukundara for his beloved Abali Meeni. In 1761, there was a battle of Bhatwara for the rights of Ranthambore fort in which the visionary Diwan of Kota Jhala Zalim Singh defeated the army of Jaipur. Zalim Singh had secured his hereditary Faujdar post in Kota by signing a subsidiary treaty with the British in 1817.

Jhalawar was the last princely state of Rajasthan formed by the British (1838 AD). The British made 'Jhala Madan Singh', the grandson of Jhala Zalim Singh, the Dewan of Kota, its first ruler by giving him the title of Rajrana. Its capital was made Jhalrapatan which is called 'City of Bells' on the banks of Chandrabhaga River. Madan Singh had accepted to pay an annual rent of Rs 80,000 to the company. In 1899, its 15 parganas were returned to Kota.

The first authentic and clear documentary mention of Gurjar Pratiharas is found in the famous 'Aihole inscription' (Karnataka) of 634 AD. This prashasti was composed in Sanskrit language by the Jain poet Ravikirti, the courtier of the Chalukya emperor Pulakeshin II of Badami. It describes Pulakeshin II defeating Harshvardhan on the banks of river Narmada and subjugating the Lat, Malava and 'Gurjara' castes. The Jodhpur and Ghatiala inscriptions are sources of the original residence and genealogy of the Pratiharas in Rajasthan and the Gwalior Prashasti describes the achievements of Mihirbhoj.

All four statements regarding the Pratiharas of Mandore are true. Harishchandra was the ancestor of this branch; The children born to his Brahmin wife were called 'Brahmin Pratihar' and the children born to Queen Bhadra (Bhogbhatta, Kaddal, Rajjil, Dah) were called 'Kshatriya Pratihar'. The main political power of this dynasty came from Rajjil. Nagabhatta I made Merta the centre. Important monuments were carved by Bauk and Kakkuk in the 9th century. At the end of the 14th century (1395 AD), Inda Pratiharas married their daughter to Rao Chunda, the Rathore ruler of Marwar and handed over the Mandore fort as dowry, after which Mandore became the capital of the Rathores.

Nagabhatta I (730-760 AD) was the founder of the Pratihara kingdom of Jalore, Avanti (Ujjain) and Kannauj. He thwarted the attack of Junaid, the Arab governor of Sindh, and drove the Arabs out of India, hence in Mihirbhoj's Gwalior Prashasti, Nagabhatta I has been called the 'destroyer of Mlechchhas (Arabs)' and 'incarnation of Narayana'. His court was called 'the court of Nagavalok'. Rashtrakuta ruler Dantidurga performed Hiranyagarbha Mahadan Yagya in Ujjain in which Nagabhata I played the role of Pratihar (gatekeeper). 'Adivaraha' was the title of Mihirbhoj.

All the statements regarding Vatsaraj are completely true. Vatsaraja had the title of 'Ranhastin' (war elephant). It was during his time that the triangular conflict in North India began. In 778 AD (Samvat 835), Udyotan Suri composed the famous book of Prakrit language 'Kuvalayamala' in Jalore Fort (in which desert language is mentioned in 18 native languages) and Jinsen Suri completed the composition of 'Harivansh Purana'. The Mahavir Jain Temple of Osian is the oldest known Mahamaru style Jain temple in Western India, which was built by Vatsaraja.

Mihirbhoj (836-885 AD) was the most glorious and powerful emperor of the Gurjara Pratihar dynasty. His capital was Kannauj. He assumed the titles of 'Adivaraha' (Gwalior inscription) and 'Prabhas' (Daulatpur copper plate) and issued silver and copper coins of Adivaraha style. Arab traveler Suleiman, who came to India in 851 AD, wrote in his travelogue 'Silsilat-ut-Tawarikh' that Mihirbhoj has the largest and best cavalry army in India, his kingdom is free from thieves and robbers and he is the biggest enemy of Arabs and Islam (ruler of infidels).

All the statements related to Mahendrapala I and Rajashekhar are historically true. The great poet Rajashekhar Pratihar was the pride of the royal court. He called his disciple Mahendrapala I as Raghukulchudamani and later his son Mahipala I as 'Maharajadhiraja of Aryavarta' and 'Raghukulamukutamani'. Karpoormanjari is a famous drama of Sattak category of Prakrit. During the time of Mahipala I, the Arab traveler Al-Masudi came to India who called the Gurjar Pratiharas as 'Al-Gurjar' and the king as 'Baura' (corruption of Adivirah). During the attack of Mahmud Ghaznavi in ​​1018 AD, the governor left Kannauj and in 1093 Chandradev Gahadwal snatched Kannauj from the Pratihars.

All the statements regarding Parmar dynasty are completely true. Dharavarsha Parmar (1163-1219 AD) was the most powerful ruler of Abu; He was famous for killing three buffaloes with one arrow and along with Nayika Devi, the patroness of Gujarat, defeated Gauri at Kayandri in 1178. Munj Parmar won Chittor by defeating Shaktikumar of Mewar. Raja Bhoj (1010-1055 AD) had composed 84 texts like Samarangana Sutradhar, Saraswati Kanthabharan, Siddhant Sangraha etc. His Tribhuvan Narayan temple in Chittor was later renovated by Maharana Mokal and came to be known as 'Mokal ji's temple'. The bronze statue of Vagdevi is revered as a memento of the Bharatiya Jnanpith Award.

All four statements are true regarding Bappa Rawal (734-753 AD). His original name was Kalbhoj and 'Bappa' was his title. He used to graze the cows of Harit Rishi. In 734 AD, he defeated the Maurya ruler Manmori of Chittor and established the independent state of Guhil dynasty. He made Nagda the capital and built a temple of Mewar's family deity Eklingji (Lakulish Pashupat sect) in Kailashpuri. Maharana of Mewar considers himself the Diwan of Eklingji. Bappa Rawal led military campaigns to Ghazni and Central Asia, expelling Arab Muslim invaders (the city of Rawalpindi is named after him). C.V. Vaidya has compared him with Charles Martel. His gold coin of 115 grains has also been recovered.

In 1227 AD, the famous battle of Bhutala was fought near Udaipur, in which the mighty ruler of Mewar Jaitra Singh (1213-1253 AD) gave a crushing defeat to the invading army of Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi. A vivid description of this war is found in the historical Sanskrit play 'Hammiramadmardan' written by Jaisingh Suri (where the word Hammir is used for Iltutmish/Ameer). During the war, the fleeing Turkish army destroyed Nagda city, after which Jaitra Singh made the strategically safe 'Chittaurgarh' the new (third) capital of Mewar. Dr. Dashrath Sharma and G. H. Ojha has considered the period of Jaitra Singh as the golden period of medieval Mewar.

All the statements regarding the first Sake of Chittorgarh (1303 AD) are completely true. Alauddin Khilji attacked Chittor due to its strategic location (Gujarat and Malwa trade route) and the desire to obtain Queen Padmini. Amir Khusro (Khazain-ul-Futuh) was present with Khilji in this campaign. Rawal Ratan Singh resisted bravely and Gora-Badal was martyred. Queen Padmini sacrificed herself in the flame of Jauhar. After conquering Chittor, Alauddin massacred about 30,000 civilians and named the fort 'Khizrabad' and handed it over to his son Khizr Khan. In 1540 AD, Malik Muhammad Jayasi wrote the famous epic 'Padmavat' in Awadhi language.

Rana Hammir (1326-1364 AD) was the grandson of Lakshman Singh, the Jagirdar of Sisoda village and the son of Ari Singh. In 1326 AD, he conquered Chittor and established the formal rule of 'Rana/Sisodia' branch of Guhil dynasty, hence he is called 'Savior of Mewar'. In the Kumbhalgarh Prashasti of 1460 AD, Rana Hammir has been given the title of 'Vishamghati Panchanan' (like a lion in difficult battles) and in the Rasikpriya Tika of Maharana Kumbha, he has been called 'Veer Raja'. Hammir had defeated the army of Delhi Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the battle of Singoli (Banswara) in 1336 AD. He built the temple of Annapurna Mata (Barwadi Mata) in Chittor.

All four statements are true regarding Maharana Lakha. During the time of Lakha, the treasury became extremely prosperous due to the extraction of silver in Jawar. Pichola Lake was built by a Banjara on whose banks Natni's platform is situated. Hansabai was married to Lakha with the condition that the child born from him would become the Maharana of Mewar. To fulfill this promise, the eldest son Kunwar Chunda gave up the kingdom for life, hence he is called 'Bhishma Pitamah of Rajasthan/Mewar'. The descendants of Chunda were called 'Chundavat' and they were given Salumber, the largest first class post of Mewar. Mokal, the son born to Hansabai, later became the ruler of Mewar.

In 1437 AD, the historic 'Battle of Sarangpur' took place between Maharana Kumbha and Sultan Mahmud Khilji I of Malwa. The main reason for the war was the Sultan of Malwa giving shelter to the sons of Maharana Mokal's murderer Mahampa Panwar and Chacha. Kumbha defeated the Sultan badly and captured him and brought him to Chittor. After 6 months of imprisonment, Kumbha generously freed him without any ransom. In lasting memory of this great victory, Kumbha had built a grand 9-storey 'Vijay Stambh' (Kirti Stambh) in Chittor Fort between 1440 and 1448 AD. Mahmood Khilji II was a contemporary of Rana Sanga.

Maharana Kumbha is called the 'Father of Architecture of Rajasthan'. According to Veer Vinod written by Shyamaldas, 32 out of 84 forts of Mewar were built or rebuilt by Kumbha (like Kumbhalgarh, Achalgarh, Basantgarh, Machangarh, Bhomat fort). Kumbhalgarh Fort was designed by the Mandans on Jarga Hill near Sadri village. Its 36 km long wall is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Katargarh was the personal residence of Kumbha from where he monitored the entire Mewar. Kumbhalgarh was the crisis capital of the Maharanas of Mewar, it was here that the coronation of Udai Singh took place and Maharana Pratap was born.

Statements B, C and D are correct, while statement A is false. Maharana Kumbha was a high-class musician and adept at playing Veena, but his music guru was 'Sarang Vyas' (Kanh Vyas was his court poet who wrote Rajvarnan, the first part of Ekling Mahatmya). Sangeetraja has five parts: Pathyaratnakosh, Geetaratnakosh, Vadyaratnakosh, Nrityaratnakosh and Rasaratnakosh. Apart from this, Kumbha wrote Sangeetmimansa, Soodprabandh, Sudhaprabandh and Kamaraj Ratisar. Kumbha was called 'Abhinavabharatacharya' because of the composition of musical texts. His daughter Ramabai received the title of 'Vagishwari' for her musical talent and was given the pargana of Jawar.

The battle of Khatoli took place in 1517 AD between Rana Sanga and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi of Delhi in which Sanga was victorious (in this battle Sanga lost the use of his left hand and one leg). The battle of Bari took place again in 1518 AD between Ibrahim Lodi's generals (Mian Makhan and Hussain) and Sanga, in which Sanga had a spectacular victory. The battle of Gagron took place in 1519 AD between Sultan Mahmud Khilji II of Malwa and Sanga in which Khilji was taken prisoner and Chanderi was handed over to Medinirai. The Battle of Bayana took place on 16 February 1527 AD between Sanga and Babar's army (Mehndi Khwaja) in which the Rajputs badly defeated the Mughal army and drove it away. Hence option A is correct.

The battle of Khanwa (Rupwas Tehsil, Bharatpur) was a very revolutionary battle in Indian history. On the invitation of Rana Sanga (Pati Parwan), 7 kings, 9 Raos and 104 chieftains including Maldev of Marwar, Prithviraj of Amer, Kalyanmal of Bikaner, Akhairaj of Sirohi, Hasan Khan Mewati of Mewat and Mahmud Lodi had gathered. Babar used cannons and tulughma formation and ended with a flag to boost the morale of the soldiers and declared jihad by breaking wine cups. Injured Sanga was brought safely to Basava (Dausa) where his platform is built. Jhala Ajja attained martyrdom while fighting. Colonel Todd called Sanga a 'soldier's wreck' due to his 80 wounds. Sanga died in Kalpi on 30 January 1528 and his Chhatri is situated in Mandalgarh.

After the death of Rana Sanga, during the time of minor Vikramaditya in 1534-35 AD, Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat launched a fierce attack on Chittor with cannons. Sensing the crisis, the protector Queen Karmavati sent Rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun and requested for help by making him a brother, but Humayun did not reach Chittor on time. The responsibility of defense of the fort was handed over to Rawat Bagh Singh of Devalia (Pratapgarh). Under the leadership of Bagh Singh, the Rajputs fought a fierce battle wearing saffron robes and attained martyrdom (there is a memorial of Bagh Singh at Pandan Pol in Chittor). Hundreds of Rajput warriors performed Jauhar under the leadership of Rani Karmavati. This is called the second Saka of Chittor.

Pannadhaya was an extraordinary and loyal woman of the Gurjar caste, who was the foster mother of Kunwar Udai Singh. In 1536 AD, when the maid's son Banveer killed Maharana Vikramaditya and came to the palace with a naked sword to kill the sleeping child Udai Singh, then Pannadhay, showing immense sacrifice, put his own son Chandan to sleep in place of Udai Singh. Banveer mistook Chandan for Udai Singh and broke it into pieces. Pannadhay, with the help of Kirat Bari, safely brought out Uday Singh by hiding him in a basket of leaves and took him to Asha Devpura, the fort of Kumbhalgarh. In 1540, Udai Singh became the ruler of Chittor by killing Banveer with the help of Maldev in the battle of Mavli.

The third Saka of Chittorgarh took place in February 1568 AD. Akbar surrounded Chittor from all sides and constructed forts and tunnels. Jaimal Rathore was injured in the leg by a gunshot named Akbar's Sangram, then his nephew Kallaji Rathore carried him on his shoulders and fought a wonderful battle with swords in both hands. Jaimal and Patta attained martyrdom while fighting. Jauhar took place under the leadership of Phoolkanwar. Akbar, in a fit of rage, massacred 30,000 civilians. However, Akbar was so impressed by the unmatched bravery of Jaimal and Patta that he installed stone statues of these two heroes riding on elephants at the entrance of the Agra Fort.

After the victory of Gujarat, Akbar had sent four ambassadors to bring Maharana Pratap (born 9 May 1540 Kumbhalgarh, coronation 28 February 1572 Gogunda) under his control without war. Its formula is 'Jamabhato' (J-M-Bh-T): 1. Jalal Khan Korchi (November 1572); 2. Kunwar Mansingh of Amer (June 1573, who met Pratap on the sail of Udaysagar Lake); 3. Raja Bhagwantdas of Amer (October 1573); 4. Diwan Raja Todarmal (December 1573). When all four delegations completely failed to convince Pratap to give up his self-respect and independence, Akbar prepared a plan for a direct war against Mewar in the fort (magazine) of Ajmer.

The Battle of Haldighati was a unique freedom struggle fought in Raktalai. Colonel Todd has called it 'Thermopalli of Mewar'. Badayuni was present in this battle who dyed his beard with the blood of Rajputs. Pratap's vanguard was led by the Muslim Pathan Hakim Khan Sur (whose tomb is in Khamnaur). Krishnadas Chundawat, Ramsingh Tanwar (Gwalior) and Jhala Mansingh fought. The chief commander of the Mughal army was Mansingh Kachwaha and Asaf Khan was his ally. Mihtar Khan stopped the fleeing Mughal army by spreading false rumors of Akbar's arrival. Pratap's favorite horse Chetak had jumped on Mansingh's elephant Mardana; Injured Chetak died in Balicha village where his mausoleum is situated.

The 'Battle of Diwer' fought in the valley of Diwer located in Rajsamand in October 1582 AD was the glorious starting point of Maharana Pratap's victories. In this war, Kunwar Amar Singh I attacked Sultan Khan with such a fierce attack that the spear pierced Sultan Khan's armored body and his horse and sank into the ground. The Mughals suffered a terrible defeat. Colonel James Todd compared this war with the historical Marathon battle of Greece and called it 'Marathon of Mewar'. After this, Pratap won 36 outposts including Kumbhalgarh and defeated Luna Chavandia in 1585 and made 'Chavand' his crisis capital, which remained the capital till 1615.

All the statements regarding the Mughal-Mewar Treaty (1615 AD) are completely true. After the failure of repeated expeditions sent by Jahangir (Parvez, Mahavat Khan, Abdullah Khan), Prince Khurram wreaked havoc in Mewar. On the insistence of the chieftains and Kunwar Karansingh, Maharana Amarsingh I accepted the treaty, whose messengers were Shubhakarna and Haridas Jhala. Jahangir put forward extremely respectable conditions: the Maharana would not attend in person, Chittor would be returned (without repairs), no matrimonial ties would be imposed and 1000 horsemen would remain in royal service. Amar Singh was so distressed by this subjugation that he handed over the government work to Karan Singh and himself went into solitude at Nauchowki Pal.

Maharana Raj Singh I was a very courageous ruler of Mewar who is also called 'Hydraulic Ruler' due to his water management works. He had strongly opposed in writing the 'Jizya tax' imposed by Aurangzeb in 1679. By installing the idol of Shrinathji brought from Braj in Sihar, he made it the main seat of Vallabh sect. The author of the epic 'Rajprashasti' engraved on 25 inscriptions on Nauchowki Pal of Rajsamand Lake was his court poet Ranchod Bhatt Tailang. During his reign, Hadi Rani (Sahal Kanwar), the newly married wife of Rawat Ratan Singh Chundawat of Salumber, cut off her head and gave it to her husband as a 'fighter' to perform his duties in the war.

On 17 July 1734 AD, a joint conference of the major Rajput kings of Rajasthan was organized in a town called Hurda in Bhilwara. The original plan of this conference was made by Maharana Sangram Singh II of Mewar, but due to his death before the conference, it was presided over by his successor Maharana Jagat Singh II (Mewar). Its main organizer was Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur. Abhay Singh of Marwar, Zorawar Singh of Bikaner, Durjanshal of Kota, Dalel Singh of Bundi, Bakht Singh of Nagaur and Gopalpal of Karauli participated in it. However, this conference proved unsuccessful due to mutual distrust and personal interests of the Rajput kings.

The engagement of the extremely beautiful princess 'Krishna Kumari' of Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar was earlier fixed with Maharaja Bhim Singh of Jodhpur. But Maharaja Bhim Singh died before the marriage. After this, Maharana fixed the relationship of Krishna Kumari with Maharaja Sawai Jagat Singh II of Jaipur. The new Maharaja Mansingh Rathod, who ascended the throne of Jodhpur, protested considering it an insult to Marwar. This resulted in the fierce battle of Gingoli (Nagaur) in March 1807 in which the Jaipur army with the help of Amir Khan Pindari defeated Jodhpur. Ultimately, to establish peace in Mewar and Rajputana, under the pressure of Amir Khan Pindari and Ajit Singh Chundawat, in July 1810, Krishna Kumari was forced to sacrifice herself by giving poison.

Chandraveer Singh (1944-1948 AD), the last Maharawal of the Banswara princely state, while signing the merger letter of the second phase of unification of Rajasthan (former Rajasthan Union) on 25 March 1948, in his helplessness and sorrow of losing the princely autonomy, had made a historical comment: 'I am signing my Death Warrant' (I am signing my death warrant). The independent Guhil branch in Banswara was founded by Jagmal, son of Udai Singh of Dungarpur, an ally of Maharana Sanga, in the 16th century.

All the statements regarding Rathores of Marwar are historically true. The origin of Rathores is believed to be from the Sanskrit word 'Rashtrakuta'. Rao Siha is considered to be the great grandson of Jaichand Gahadwal of Kannauj. He laid the foundation of Rathore power in the Pali region; The Beethu inscription is engraved on his umbrella where his wife Parvati Solanki had committed sati. Rao Dhuhad built the original temple of Kuldevi Nagnechi Mata (hawk in bird form) in Nagana. Rawal Mallinath (1358-1399 AD) was an accomplished warrior and folk deity who defeated the army of Malwa Subedar Nizamuddin in 1378 and organized a huge Hari Kirtan in Tilwara.

Rao Jodha was the son of Ranmal. After the murder of Ranmal in Chittor in 1438, Jodha fought hard and in 1453, with the mediation of Hansabai, settled the boundaries of Marwar by making the treaty of Awal-Bawal with Kumbha (she married her daughter Shringar Devi to Kumbha's son Raimal, who built the Ghosundi stepwell). Made Jodhpur the new capital in 1459 and laid the foundation of Mehrangarh where Rajiya Bambi (Rajaram Meghwal) was buried alive. Rudyard Kipling called this fort 'built by gods, fairies and angels'. Chamunda Mata, Nagnechi Mata, Shambhuban, Kilkila and Ghazni Khan cannons are located in the fort.

Rao Sataldev (1489-1492 AD) had defeated and killed Ghudle Khan, the commander of Mallu Khan, the ruler of Ajmer, in the battle of Pipar/Kosana (Jodhpur) in 1492 AD, because he had kidnapped 140 virgin girls who were worshiping Teej. Sataldev freed the girls and cut off the head of Ghudle Khan and handed it over to the girls. In memory of this victory, 'Ghudla dance' (dance performed by women keeping a burning lamp in a perforated pot) started in Marwar. Sataldev attained martyrdom on this day due to being badly injured in the war. Presently, Rupayan Institute (Komal Kothari and Vijaydan Detha) located in Borunda (Jodhpur) has given it international fame.

All the statements regarding Rao Maldev are completely true. Maldev expanded Marwar the most by winning 52 wars and 58 parganas. The angry queen Umade spent the rest of her life in Taragarh in Ajmer and finally in Kelwa and on the death of Maldev, performed sati with his turban. In the Giri-Sumel war, Shershah Suri created distrust in Jaita-Kumpa in Maldev's mind through forged letters due to which Maldev moved from the battlefield to the border. But Jaita and Kumpa, along with only 12,000 warriors, attacked Sher Shah's army of 80,000 with such a fierce attack that Sher Shah was on the verge of defeat. Sher Shah narrowly escaped the arrival of Jalal Khan Jalwani's fresh Kumuk and he said the above famous statement.

Rao Chandrasen was the third son of Maldev and Rani Swaroop De. He faced the opposition of his elder brothers Ram and Udai Singh and the complete power of Akbar throughout his life. In the Nagaur Darbar (1570), when Kalyanmal of Bikaner and Harrai of Jaisalmer accepted the subjugation of the Mughals, Chandrasen chose the path of independence. Akbar sent troops to Raisingh (Bikaner) and Shahbaz Khan and declared Jodhpur as Khalsa. Chandrasen fought a guerrilla war with Bhadrajuna and Siwana. Historian Vishweshwarnath Reu was the first to highlight Chandrasen's unequaled freedom struggle and compare him with Maharana Pratap.

In 1644 AD, a Matira (watermelon) vine grew on the border of village Silwa of Bikaner state and village Jakhaniya of Nagaur state, the fruit of which went across the border. There was a dispute between the farmers of both the villages regarding the ownership rights of the fruit, which turned into a fierce war between the two princely states, which is called 'Matire ki Raad' in history. In this war, the army of Maharaja Karansingh of Bikaner had defeated the army of Amarsingh Rathore of Nagaur. Amarsingh Rathod was called 'Katar ka Dhani' because he killed Mir Bakshi Salavat Khan with a dagger in the court of Shahjahan.

Maharaja Jaswant Singh I was a very influential ruler of Marwar. Shahjahan gave him the title of Maharaja and a mansab of Rs 7000. After being defeated by Qasim Khan's treachery in the battle of Dharamat, his queen Hadi (Mahamaya) had closed the gates of the fort so that the Rajputs would either return victorious or get martyred. Munshi Deviprasad has called his Diwan Muhannot Nainasi as 'Abul Fazal of Rajputana'. Jaswant Singh died in Jamrud. Aurangzeb was so terrified by his strong opposition personality that on hearing the news of his death he said - 'Today the door of disbelief has collapsed' and immediately declared Jodhpur as Khalsa.

Durgadas Rathod (father Askaran, village Salwa) was the most selfless, devoted and brave commander in the history of Marwar. He freed the child Ajit Singh from Aurangzeb's captivity (Kishangarh mansion, Delhi) and kept him under the protection of Jaidev Purohit in Kalindri village of Sirohi and got the Jagir of Kelwa from Mewar Maharana Raj Singh. Durgadas brought Prince Akbar to his side and rebelled against Aurangzeb and presented a high character ideal by giving pure Islamic education to Akbar's children (Buland Akhtar and Safiyatunnisa) and handing them over to Aurangzeb. In 1708, Ajit Singh became the king of Jodhpur with the Debari agreement, but Ajit Singh, who was a mere earl, later exiled Durgadas. Durgadas died in Ujjain in 1718.

Maharaja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur needed fuel for the lime kilns for the construction of the new Phool Mahal in his Mehrangarh fort. On his orders, the Hakim (Dewan/Girdhari Das Bhandari) reached Khejarli village with soldiers to cut down the sacred green Khejar trees of the Vishnoi community. Amrita Devi Vishnoi hugged the trees and said: 'Sir sathe rukh rahe to bhi sasto jaan'. A total of 363 Vishnoi men and women of the village, including their three daughters, got their heads chopped off by clinging to trees. When the king received this news, he immediately stopped the felling and banned cutting of green trees and hunting in the Vishnoi area. The world's only 'Tree Fair' is organized here every year on Bhadrapada Shukla Dashami.

All four statements are true regarding the Rathores of Bikaner. Rao Bika established the city of Bikaner in 1488 AD on the day of Akha Teej (even today kites are flown in Bikaner on this day). He built the original temple of Karni Mata at Deshnoke and the Bhairava temple at Kodamdesar. Rao Lunkaran (1505-1526 AD) built Lunkaransar Lake and was martyred while fighting the Nawab of Narnaul in the battle of Dhosi in 1526. Rao Jaitsi (1526-1541 AD) defeated Babar's son Kamran, a detailed description of which is found in Beethu Soja's book 'Rao Jaitsi Ro Chhand'. Rao Jaitsi was martyred while fighting against Maldev in the battle of Saheba/Paheba in 1541 AD.

All the four statements presented are 100% true according to historical evidence. Kalyanmal accepted the service of Akbar in 1570 and sent his two sons Raisingh and Prithviraj to the Mughal court. Raisingh had the utmost confidence of Akbar and Jahangir (he received a mansab of Rs 5000). Raisingh had installed statues of Jaimal and Patta riding on elephants at the main gate of Junagadh fort. Prithviraj Rathore was introduced to Italian scholar L. P. Tessitori called it the 'Harrows of Dingle'. They were called 'Pithal' in Rajasthani literature (Kanhaiyalal Sethia's famous poem 'Pathal and Pithal').

Maharaja Ganga Singh is considered the creator of modern Bikaner and Rajasthan. He planned the development of Bikaner after the 'Chhappaniya famine' of 1899. Ganganahar was inaugurated in 1927 by the then Viceroy Lord Irwin (its chief engineer was Raibahadur Kanwar Sen). Ganga Singh had given maximum financial assistance to Madan Mohan Malviya for the establishment of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Praja Pratinidhi Sabha established in 1913. At the time of India's independence in 1947, Maharaja Shardul Singh of Bikaner, showing foresight, was the first among all the princely states to sign the instrument of merger with India on 7 August 1947.