RBSE Secondary Social Science key terms

In Rajasthan's folk tradition, a person believed to live forever, such as Pabuji and Tejaji, whose deeds are sung by bards and who are worshipped as local heroes rather than as gods.

A local or folk deity of Rajasthan, often a deified hero or ancestor, worshipped in villages through small shrines and honoured in songs, fairs and rituals rather than in major temples.

A hereditary priest-singer of Rajasthan who performs the epic of a folk deity, usually accompanying himself on a stringed instrument and using a painted scroll to narrate episodes.

A long painted cloth scroll of Rajasthan used by itinerant singers as a movable picture-story; it shows episodes of a folk hero's life and is unrolled scene by scene during performance.

A popular folk theatre form of Rajasthan combining song, dance and dialogue, performed by troupes in village squares; it often dramatises historical, romantic or mythological stories with a strong musical element.

A lively folk performance tradition of Rajasthan in which dancers in elaborate costume perform to drum and song at fairs and festivals, often with comic or satirical dialogue between performers.

A traditional Rajasthani folk dance performed by women in swirling circles to the beat of songs, especially at weddings and festivals; it is known for graceful turns and colourful ghagras.

The dress worn for the Rajasthani Ghoomar dance: a wide, pleated ghagra, an odhni or veil, and heavy silver or lac jewellery, whose flowing shape emphasises the spinning movements of the dance.

A Rajasthani folk dance performed by the Kalbeliya community, featuring rapid spins, snake-like arm movements and black swirling skirts, accompanied by the been and dholak; recognised by UNESCO as intangible heritage.

The string-puppet tradition of Rajasthan, in which wooden puppets dressed in bright cloth are manipulated by strings to tell folk tales, often accompanied by narration, song and drum.

A distinctive glazed ceramic craft of Jaipur made from quartz, not clay, and decorated with cobalt blue and other colours; it was brought to Rajasthan and became a famous craft of the region.

A tie-dye textile craft of Rajasthan and Gujarat in which small portions of cloth are tied tightly before dyeing, producing dotted patterns; the knots are often tied by women at home.

A Rajasthani jewellery craft, associated with Pratapgarh, in which fine gold sheet is fused onto coloured glass to create intricate scenes and patterns used in pendants and ornaments.

A traditional Rajasthani style of setting gemstones in gold, in which highly refined gold is pressed around the edges of a stone without claws; it is associated with Jaipur's jewellery workshops.

The lower house of India's Parliament, whose members are directly elected by voters from territorial constituencies; it controls the executive through confidence and is led by the Prime Minister.

The upper house of India's Parliament, whose members are elected indirectly by state and union-territory legislators; it cannot be dissolved and reviews legislation with a revising role.

A representative chosen by the elected members of a state's legislative assembly through proportional representation by single transferable vote; each state has a fixed allotment of such seats.

Basic freedoms guaranteed to people by Part III of the Indian Constitution, such as equality, speech and life; they can be enforced in court and are subject to reasonable restrictions.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution that direct the state towards social and economic welfare; they are not enforceable in court but are fundamental to governance and law-making.

A formal written order of a court commanding a person or authority to act or refrain from acting; Indian courts can issue writs such as habeas corpus and mandamus to protect fundamental rights.

The three-tier system of local self-government in rural India, with village, block and district councils; it was given constitutional status by the 73rd Amendment and is central to rural administration.

The assembly of all registered voters of a village or group of villages within a panchayat area; it approves plans and accounts and is the foundation of grassroots democracy.

The elected head of a village panchayat in India; the sarpanch presides over meetings, coordinates village development work and represents the panchayat before higher bodies.

Gross Domestic Product, the total market value of final goods and services produced within a country's borders in a given period; it is a standard measure of the size of an economy.

A sustained rise in the general price level of goods and services, which reduces the purchasing power of money; it is usually measured through changes in a consumer price index.

The part of an economy that produces raw materials directly from nature, such as farming, fishing, forestry and mining; it employs a large share of India's workforce.

The part of an economy that transforms raw materials into finished goods through manufacturing, construction and processing; it adds value to primary products and creates industrial employment.

The service part of an economy, covering trade, transport, banking, education, health and administration; it provides services rather than goods and has grown rapidly in India.

A payment or concession given by the government to producers or consumers to lower prices, encourage production or support welfare, such as support for fertiliser or food grain.

The network of fair-price shops through which the government supplies subsidised food grains to poor households; it is a key instrument of food security in India.

The seasonal reversal of winds that brings heavy rain to India, especially the south-west monsoon from June to September; its timing and amount strongly affect agriculture and water supply.

A old mountain range running from Gujarat through Rajasthan to Delhi; it separates the Thar Desert from the more fertile plains and influences drainage, climate and settlement patterns.

The arid region of north-west India, largely in Rajasthan, with low rainfall, sandy soil and sparse vegetation; irrigation canals and livestock rearing shape life there.

A dry area on the side of a mountain range facing away from the rain-bearing winds; as moist air rises and rains on the windward side, the leeward side stays dry.

A Bronze Age civilisation of the north-west Indian subcontinent, known for planned cities, drainage systems and trade; its sites include Harappa and Mohenjo-daro and it declined around 1900 BCE.

An Indus Valley site in Rajasthan on the dried Ghaggar river, known for a fortified citadel, fire altars and ploughed field evidence; it shows early urban planning in the state.

A small carved stamp, usually of steatite, bearing script and animal motifs, used in the Indus Valley Civilisation for trade and administration; seals help historians study its writing and economy.

One of the sixteen large territorial states that emerged in northern India in the sixth century BCE, such as Magadha and Kosala; they marked a shift to standing armies, taxation and urbanism.

An inscription issued by Emperor Ashoka on pillars and rocks, recording his policies, moral teachings and welfare measures; one such major rock edict is located at Girnar and others across the subcontinent.

The Mughal system of ranking officials by the number of horsemen they were expected to maintain; ranks determined salary and status and helped organise the empire's army and administration.

A grant of land revenue assigned to an official or noble in return for service under Mughal and Rajput rulers; the holder collected revenue from the area but did not own the land.

A landholder who collected revenue from cultivators on behalf of the state and kept a share; under British rule zamindars became landlords with rights over the land.

A land revenue system introduced by the British in Bengal in 1793, fixing revenue demand permanently with zamindars as owners; it created a class of landlords and affected cultivators deeply.

A British land revenue system in which revenue was settled directly with individual cultivators, or ryots, rather than with landlords; it was used mainly in Madras and Bombay regions.

The historical practice in which a widow was expected to die on her husband's funeral pyre; reformers campaigned against it and it was banned by British law in 1829.

Organised efforts in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to change customs such as sati, child marriage and caste discrimination, often through associations, education and legislation.

A mass campaign launched by Gandhi in 1920-22 asking Indians to withdraw cooperation from British institutions, including schools, courts and titles; it was suspended after the Chauri Chaura incident.

A method of protest in which people deliberately break unjust laws and accept punishment; Gandhi used it in the Salt March of 1930 to challenge the British salt monopoly.

The 1942 campaign demanding an immediate end to British rule in India; it was launched by Gandhi with the slogan 'Do or Die' and led to widespread arrests and unrest.

A people's association formed in several princely states, including Rajasthan, to demand civil rights and representative government; these movements pressed rulers for democratic reforms before 1947.

The process between 1948 and 1956 by which numerous princely states in the Rajputana region were merged in stages to form the present state of Rajasthan, with Jaipur as capital.

The historical name for the region of north-western India dominated by Rajput princely states, which became Rajasthan; the British administered it through agencies and treaties with rulers.