The Idea of Rajasthan: A Sociological Construct

Society in Rajasthan was divided socially, culturally and economically during the feudal rule, prior to independence. The state was ruled by the princes under the supremacy of the British. No one idea of Rajasthan could be conceived of due to feudal and caste hierarchies, variations in agrarian conditions, educational attainments and occupational differentiation. Caste system was not superior to feudal rule in the princely states of Rajasthan. Rajasthan has witnessed tremendous change since India's independence. The underprivileged and deprived sections have been benefited, and the erstwhile privileged sections have been loosers as their lands have gone to the tillers and tenants. Social mobility is visible across the State. The idea of Rajasthan needs to a holistic one, not symptomatic of a given trait alone. We need to construct/reconstruct the idea of Rajasthan in terms of its dynamics, people, similarities, differences, cooperation, conflict, and, in fact, based on the real face of the society, culture, economy and polity.