To an outsider Rajasthan instantly conjures up images of sweeping desert vistas, rugged hills dotted with fortresses and crumbling battlements, rows of camels, robust men attired in vibrant tie and dye turbans, women in colourful sarees and other traditional outfits, its rich heritage of folk music, dance and songs. Above all, the region is known for its warrior culture symbolized by a Rajput, a chivalrous hero defending land, religion and honour from the Muslim invaders. Perhaps, no other state is so vitally linked to the stirring and the nostalgic memories of the past as Rajasthan.
In public consciousness the state's primary claim to identity as a region is the historic dominance of the Rajputs in the area, who rose to power and prominence in the early medieval period. The rhetorical dominance of the Rajput ethic, which stressed honour and valour without regard to consequences, has survived in public memory till today. Symbols, rituals, proverbs, behavioural gestures and norms implying Rajput notion of honour are rampant in the colloquial culture of the state. Eulogized as the Veerbhumi(land of the chivalrous) soaked by the blood of the chivalrous warriors, variously defined as jhumjhars and ranbankuras, the martial and heroic deeds of the Rajputs have remained the hallmark of the state's regional character.