Integration of Rajasthan — REET Notes (Social Studies)
Rajasthan's present form wasn't built in a day or two — it took about eight and a half years and seven stages to merge roughly 19 princely states and estates. REET tests the date, capital and Rajpramukh of each stage, as well as the freedom fighters associated with the Praja Mandal movement.
- 2 questions in REET 2024
- Class 8 level (Rajasthan Studies)
- 13 min read
How REET asks this topic
Both REET 2024 questions came from the background leading up to integration — one asked which princely state's Praja Mandal the freedom fighter Sagarmal Gopa was linked to (Jaisalmer), the other asked for the committee that recommended making Jaipur the capital (the P. Satyanarayan Rao Committee). In other words, REET gives equal importance to the seven stages of integration alongside the key names of the Praja Mandal movement and the committees behind the capital decision.
The 7 stages of Rajasthan's integration
| Stage | Date | Name of union | Key states and capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 18 March 1948 | Matsya Union | Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli; capital Alwar |
| Second | 25 March 1948 | Rajasthan Union | Banswara, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kishangarh, Kota, Pratapgarh, Shahpura, Tonk; capital Kota |
| Third | 18 April 1948 | United Rajasthan (Sanyukt Rajasthan) | Merger of Mewar (Udaipur); capital Udaipur, inaugurated by Nehru |
| Fourth | 30 March 1949 | Greater Rajasthan (Vrihad Rajasthan) | Merger of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer; capital Jaipur, inaugurated by Sardar Patel |
| Fifth | 15 May 1949 | Merger of the Matsya Union into Greater Rajasthan | All four Matsya Union states merged into Greater Rajasthan |
| Sixth | 26 January 1950 | Rajasthan + Sirohi | Merger of Sirohi state (excluding the Abu and Delwara talukas, which went to Bombay State) |
| Seventh (final) | 1 November 1956 | Present-day Rajasthan | Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, merger of Ajmer state, the Abu Road taluka and Sunel Tappa |
Stage 4 (30 March 1949) is observed as 'Rajasthan Day', when Jaipur became the permanent capital.
Key people and institutions in the integration
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Union Home Minister and the chief architect of the merger of princely states into India, including Rajasthan's integration.
- V.P. Menon
- Secretary of the States Ministry, who worked alongside Patel to handle the practical process of merging the princely states.
- First Rajpramukh (Greater Rajasthan)
- Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II (Jaipur); Hiralal Shastri became the first Chief Minister.
- P. Satyanarayan Rao Committee
- On this committee's recommendation, Jaipur was made the permanent capital of Rajasthan.
- Sagarmal Gopa
- A prominent freedom fighter associated with the Jaisalmer Praja Mandal, who opposed the autocratic rule of the Maharawal of Jaisalmer; he died in 1946 after being tortured in jail.
Ajmer: its status before merging into Rajasthan
- Administrative status
- Ajmer-Merwara had been a separate 'Chief Commissioner's Province' since British rule; it was not part of any princely state.
- After independence
- Even after 1947, Ajmer remained a separate 'Part C State', directly under the Central Government.
- Merger into Rajasthan
- Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Ajmer state was merged into Rajasthan on 1 November 1956, completing the state's present-day boundaries.
The Praja Mandal movement: the background to integration
Before independence, nearly every princely state in Rajasthan had an active 'Praja Mandal' — a people's movement demanding responsible government (rule with public participation) and the merger of princely states into India. Almost all the major states — Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mewar, Alwar, Bharatpur, Jaisalmer — had their own separate Praja Mandal organisations, under whose leadership local freedom fighters ran movements against the autocratic rule of the princely rulers.
Against this backdrop, once the merger of princely states into India began after independence under Sardar Patel's leadership, Rajasthan's smaller and larger states were merged in a phased process — small, geographically close states were merged first into smaller unions, then the larger states (Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer) were merged to form 'Greater Rajasthan', and finally, under the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the remaining areas were added on a linguistic basis to settle the present-day shape of Rajasthan.
How to teach this to children
Classroom activity (Class 8, Rajasthan Studies)
Get the seven stages of integration made into a timeline on the classroom wall — children mark each stage to remember which states joined on which date.
Teaching aids
Have children colour the states that joined at each stage differently on a map of Rajasthan, so they can see how the state gradually took shape.
Common misconception
Children often think Rajasthan was formed in a single day — it's important to clarify that this was a seven-stage process spread over about eight and a half years (March 1948 to November 1956).
Assessment idea
Make cards for the seven stages and have children arrange them in the correct date order, then have them recall aloud the states that joined at each stage.
Memory trick / exam tip
Remember the order of the seven stages with: 'Ma-Ra-Sa-Vr-Mi-Si-A' (Matsya → Rajasthan Union → United Rajasthan → Greater Rajasthan → merger of Matsya → Sirohi → final/1956). And for the dates, note that two stages happened in March 1948 alone (the 18th and the 25th), which causes the most confusion.
REET 2024 questions asked (with solutions)
Question 100
Which Prajamandal was associated with Sagarmal Gopa ?
- Aभरतपुर
- Bउदयपुर
- Cजयपुर
- Dजैसलमेर
Explanation
सागरमल गोपा जैसलमेर के स्वतंत्रता सेनानी थे, जिन्होंने जैसलमेर के महारावल जवाहर सिंह की नीतियों और निरंकुश शासन का विरोध किया। जेल में यातनाओं के बाद 4 अप्रैल 1946 को उनकी मृत्यु हुई। इसलिए उनका सम्बंध जैसलमेर के प्रजामण्डल/जन-आंदोलन से है और सही उत्तर (D) है।
Question 113
On the recommendation of which of the following committee was Jaipur declared the Capital of Rajasthan ?
- Aपी. सत्यनारायण राव समिति
- Bडॉ. शंकरराव देव समिति
- Cवी. पी. मेनन समिति
- Dके. एम. मुंशी समिति
Explanation
राजस्थान के एकीकरण के समय राजधानी के प्रश्न पर विचार के लिए पी. सत्यनारायण राव समिति गठित की गई थी, जिसकी सिफारिश पर जयपुर को राजस्थान की राजधानी बनाया गया। इसी समिति के सुझाव पर अन्य नगरों को संतुष्ट करने के लिए उच्च न्यायालय जोधपुर, शिक्षा विभाग बीकानेर, राजस्व मंडल अजमेर आदि में रखे गए। शंकरराव देव समिति का संबंध भी एकीकरण से था, पर राजधानी का निर्णय सत्यनारायण राव समिति से जुड़ा है।
Practice questions
Question 1
Which union was formed on 18 March 1948, in the first phase of the integration of Rajasthan?
- Aराजस्थान संघ
- Bमत्स्य संघ
- Cसंयुक्त राजस्थान
- Dवृहत् राजस्थान
Explanation
On 18 March 1948, the merger of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli formed the Matsya Union, with its capital at Alwar — this was the first stage of integration.
Question 2
When was 'Greater Rajasthan' formed, when Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer merged?
- A18 अप्रैल 1948
- B30 मार्च 1949
- C26 जनवरी 1950
- D1 नवंबर 1956
Explanation
On 30 March 1949, the merger of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer formed 'Greater Rajasthan', inaugurated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, with Jaipur made its capital. This is the date observed as 'Rajasthan Day'.
Question 3
Under which act was the final, seventh phase of the integration of Rajasthan completed?
- Aभारत सरकार अधिनियम, 1935
- Bराज्य पुनर्गठन अधिनियम, 1956
- Cस्वतंत्रता अधिनियम, 1947
- Dसंविधान (सातवाँ संशोधन) अधिनियम
Explanation
The seventh and final stage of Rajasthan's integration was completed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, by merging Ajmer state, the Abu Road taluka and Sunel Tappa into Rajasthan.
Question 4
Who became the first Rajpramukh of Greater Rajasthan?
- Aमहाराणा भूपाल सिंह
- Bमहाराजा सवाई मान सिंह द्वितीय
- Cमहाराव भीम सिंह
- Dमहाराजा उदयभान सिंह
Explanation
Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur became the first Rajpramukh of Greater Rajasthan, formed on 30 March 1949, and Hiralal Shastri became its first Chief Minister.
Question 5
Who played the main role on behalf of the central government in the process of the integration of Rajasthan?
- Aजवाहरलाल नेहरू
- Bसरदार वल्लभभाई पटेल
- Cराजेन्द्र प्रसाद
- Dमौलाना आज़ाद
Explanation
Union Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, working with V.P. Menon, Secretary of the States Ministry, played the leading role in the merger of the princely states into India and the integration of Rajasthan.
Question 6
Which princely state merged into Rajasthan on 26 January 1950 (excluding the Abu and Delwara talukas)?
- Aमेवाड़
- Bसिरोही
- Cअजमेर
- Dकोटा
Explanation
On 26 January 1950 (Republic Day), the state of Sirohi merged into Rajasthan, except for its Abu and Delwara talukas, which were merged into Bombay State.
Question 7
In the third phase of the integration of Rajasthan (18 April 1948), the merger of which princely state formed 'United Rajasthan'?
- Aजयपुर
- Bजोधपुर
- Cमेवाड़ (उदयपुर)
- Dबीकानेर
Explanation
On 18 April 1948, the merger of the state of Mewar (Udaipur) formed 'United Rajasthan', with Udaipur as its capital, inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Question 8
What was the main objective of the Prajamandal movement?
- Aरियासतों में उत्तरदायी शासन व भारत में विलय की माँग
- Bकेवल कर-प्रणाली में सुधार की माँग
- Cरियासतों को स्वतंत्र देश बनाए रखने की माँग
- Dकेवल शिक्षा-सुधार की माँग
Explanation
The main objective of the Praja Mandal movement was to establish responsible government (rule with public participation) in the princely states, and to ensure the merger of these states into India after independence.
Question 9
What happened in the fifth phase of the integration of Rajasthan (15 May 1949)?
- Aमत्स्य संघ की रियासतों का वृहत् राजस्थान में विलय
- Bसिरोही रियासत का विलय
- Cअजमेर राज्य का विलय
- Dजयपुर को राजधानी बनाया गया
Explanation
In the fifth stage on 15 May 1949, all four states of the Matsya Union (Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli) merged into Greater Rajasthan, while Jaipur had already been established as the capital.
Question 10
What is the most effective way to teach the seven phases of the integration of Rajasthan in class?
- Aकेवल तारीखें रटवाना
- Bदीवार पर समयरेखा (timeline) बनाकर हर चरण को चिह्नित करवाना
- Cविषय को छोड़ देना
- Dकेवल पाठ्यपुस्तक पढ़वाना
Explanation
Building a timeline on the wall marking each stage (date, name of union, states included) helps children remember the dates as a sequential story, something rote memorisation alone cannot achieve.
Frequently asked questions
How many REET questions come from the Integration of Rajasthan?+
REET 2024 carried 2 questions from this topic, both linked to the Praja Mandal movement and the capital-decision committee. It's an important topic in the Rajasthan Studies section that appears regularly every year.
In how many stages was Rajasthan integrated?+
Rajasthan was integrated in a total of 7 stages, starting on 18 March 1948 (Matsya Union) and concluding on 1 November 1956 (States Reorganisation Act).
Who recommended making Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan?+
The P. Satyanarayan Rao Committee recommended making Jaipur the permanent capital of Rajasthan, when Greater Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949.
On which date is 'Rajasthan Day' observed?+
Rajasthan Day is observed on 30 March, because on 30 March 1949 the merger of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer formed 'Greater Rajasthan', with Jaipur made its capital.
When did Rajasthan reach its final, present-day form?+
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, on 1 November 1956, Ajmer state, the Abu Road taluka and Sunel Tappa were merged into Rajasthan, completing its present-day form.
What kind of administrative area was Ajmer before 1956?+
Ajmer-Merwara had been a separate 'Chief Commissioner's Province' since British times, and even after independence it wasn't part of any princely state — it remained a separate 'Part C State' directly under the Central Government, until it was merged into Rajasthan in 1956.
What was the capital of the second stage (Rajasthan Union) of Rajasthan's integration?+
The capital of the 'Rajasthan Union', formed on 25 March 1948 by merging Banswara, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kishangarh, Kota, Pratapgarh, Shahpura and Tonk, was Kota — not Jaipur or Udaipur.
Where was the capital of the Matsya Union located?+
The capital of the Matsya Union, formed on 18 March 1948 by merging Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli, was Alwar. Its first Rajpramukh was Maharaja Udaibhan Singh of Dholpur, and its first Chief Minister was Shobharam Kumawat.
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- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked