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The earliest inhabitants of Rajasthan belonged to the Great Harappan Civilization. This area saw the arrival of the horse riding Aryans from central Asia in about 2000 BC. The Mauryan dynasty-one of the first dynasties to rule over large parts of India controlled this area around 400 A.D. With the passing of time however, this arid region became the scene of the ravaging onslaught of the Huns and the Scythians.
The settling of the Scythians in Rajasthan set the stage for the rise of the warrior race of Rajputs who were the offspring of the Indo-Scythians. With the passing of time this new race proliferated into a number of new clans. Rajasthan thus became the homeland of these groups of warrior clans, collectively called Rajputs, who dominated this region for over a thousand years.
The Rajputs fought against the Mughal rulers with great valour but due to their inability to put up a united front, were defeated one by one. After the decline of the Mughals and the coming of the British, independent rulers retained control of their princely states. After India gained independence, the numerous small princely states of Rajasthan came together to form this vibrant state that has fascinated tourists, worldwide.
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