RAS question
In Rajasthan's local regional names, which name is linked to a cluster of villages rather than a river bank or plateau?
Correct answer: (A) Chhappan.
Chhappan is the Rajasthan regional name linked to a tract of fifty-six habitations, so it fits the clue of a village cluster rather than a river bank or plateau.
Explanation
Chhappan is the best answer because the name comes from a practical local count: the tract between Pratapgarh-Deoliya and Banswara was called Chhappan because it contained fifty-six habitations. This settlement-count basis makes Chhappan a village-cluster name. The other regional names rest on different bases: Kanthal comes from land along the banks of the Mahi river, Mewal refers to the tract between Dungarpur and Banswara, and Uparmal denotes a high plateau tract from modern Bhainsarorgarh to Bijolia. The key distinction is the naming logic, not just the names as labels.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Kanthal is wrong because it is linked to tracts along the banks of the Mahi river, not to a cluster of habitations.
- (C) Mewal is wrong because it refers to the tract between Dungarpur and Banswara, with a possible link to the Mev people, not to a tract of fifty-six habitations.
- (D) Uparmal is wrong because it denotes a high upper-hill plateau tract, not a village cluster.
Concept
This tests traditional geographical and cultural divisions of Rajasthan, especially how local regional names arose from terrain, rivers, communities, or settlement patterns. It recurs in RAS because such names appear across Rajasthan history, art and culture questions as compact clues to place and region.