RAS question
The Rajasthan state was formed in how many stages of integration of princely states?
Correct answer: (D) 7 stages.
Rajasthan was formed through seven stages of integration of the princely states and chiefships of Rajputana.
Explanation
The answer is seven stages because the official Rajasthan Foundation account describes post-Independence Rajputana as a set of 19 states and three chiefships that were integrated into the Indian Union in seven steps to form Rajasthan. The process began with the Matsya Union in March 1948 and moved through successive unions, including Rajasthan Union, United States of Rajasthan, Greater Rajasthan and United States of Greater Rajasthan. The seventh stage completed Rajasthan's formation under the State Re-organisation Act of 1956, when Ajmer, Abu Road Taluka and the Sunel-Tappa region were merged with Rajasthan. The re-organised Rajasthan was completed on 1 November 1956, which is why the state reached its present form only after seven stages, not after four, five or six.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Four stages stop before the later mergers listed in the official sequence, so they cannot account for the completion of Rajasthan's formation in 1956.
- (B) Five stages reach only the merger of Matsya Union with Greater Rajasthan, while the official account still records two further stages.
- (C) Six stages include the merger involving Sirohi, but the official sequence says a seventh stage under the State Re-organisation Act of 1956 completed Rajasthan.
Concept
This tests the integration of Rajasthan after Independence, a core Rajasthan history topic. It recurs in RAS because the chronology links princely-state merger, regional identity and the final administrative shape of the state.