Rajasthan: Leading Personalities

What the official syllabus says

RPSC, RAS/RTS Preliminary Examination, General Knowledge and General Science, under “History, Art, Culture, Literature, Tradition & Heritage of Rajasthan”:

• Leading Personalities of Rajasthan.

The official line names no list. Learn, for each person below, the period, place, the work they are known for and any title or award. Living public figures in the news are covered under Current Affairs.

Topics in detail

Rulers and warriors

• Prithviraj Chauhan, Hammir Dev Chauhan, Kanhad Dev
• Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga, Maharana Pratap, Rao Maldev, Rao Chandrasen, Veer Durgadas Rathore, Amar Singh Rathore
• Raja Man Singh I, Mirza Raja Jai Singh, Sawai Jai Singh II, Maharaja Suraj Mal, Maharaja Ganga Singh
• Women of courage: Panna Dhai, Rani Padmini (tradition), Hadi Rani, Kali Bai of Rastapal

Freedom fighters and social reformers

• Arjun Lal Sethi, Kesari Singh Barhath, Pratap Singh Barhath, Zorawar Singh Barhath, Rao Gopal Singh of Kharwa
• Vijay Singh Pathik, Manikya Lal Verma, Haribhau Upadhyay, Jamnalal Bajaj, Hiralal Shastri, Jai Narayan Vyas, Gokulbhai Bhatt, Sagarmal Gopa, Ram Narayan Choudhary
• Govind Guru and Moti Lal Tejawat (tribal movements), Bhogilal Pandya (Vagad)
• Thakur Kushal Singh of Auwa (1857)

Saints and social leaders

• Meera Bai, Dadu Dayal, Jambhoji, Jasnathji, Pipa, Dhanna, Ramcharan
• Amrita Devi Bishnoi (Khejarli, 1730)

Writers, historians and scholars

• Chand Bardai, Muhnot Nainsi, Prithviraj Rathore, Suryamal Mishran, Kaviraja Shyamaldas, Gaurishankar Hirachand Ojha (historian)
• Vijaydan Detha, Kanhaiyalal Sethia, Chandra Singh Birkali, Sitaram Lalas, Rani Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat, Komal Kothari
• Astronomers and scientists linked to the region: Brahmagupta of Bhinmal; Sawai Jai Singh II’s observatories

Artists and musicians

• Painters: Sahibdin, Nihal Chand
• Musicians: Allah Jilai Bai (Maand), Alladiya Khan (Jaipur-Atrauli gharana)
• Craftspersons: Kripal Singh Shekhawat (blue pottery)

Public life after independence

• Early chief ministers and administrators: Hiralal Shastri, Tikaram Paliwal, Jai Narayan Vyas, Mohan Lal Sukhadia, Barkatullah Khan, Haridev Joshi, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (later Vice-President of India)
• Industrialists and philanthropists from Rajasthan: the Birla, Bajaj and other Marwari business families
• Soldiers awarded the Param Vir Chakra from Rajasthan: Company Havildar Major Piru Singh Shekhawat (1948), Major Shaitan Singh (1962)

Educationists, journalists and public servants

• Hiralal Shastri and Ratan Shastri (Vanasthali Vidyapith), Mohan Singh Mehta (Vidya Bhawan, Udaipur), Haribhau Upadhyay (women’s education)
• Daulat Singh Kothari (physicist; chairman of the Education Commission of 1964-66)
• Journalists of the freedom era: Vijay Singh Pathik, Jhabarmal Sharma
• Janki Devi Bajaj and other women in the freedom movement
• Industrialists born in Shekhawati: Jamnalal Bajaj, G.D. Birla

How to learn a personality

• Dates and place of birth or work; the state or court they served
• What they are known for: a battle, a movement, a book, an institution, a reform
• Titles, honours and memorials (forts, cenotaphs, fairs, awards named after them)

Overlaps

Personalities come up across Rajasthan history, literature and religion; learn each with the movement or work they belong to.