The cartography of Rajputana before Rajasthan

The world is well-familiar with the glory and valour of the great Rajputana states. Although predominantly the word Rajputana stuck throughout its history, the Thar desert spread throughout the Rajasthan-Pakistan border. The region, for its geographical feature of a natural desert, got the name Maru (मरु) during ancient times that have stuck ever since. This post doesn't really tell the story of Rajputana nor the formation of Rajasthan but highlights the royalties of the 19th-century era that existed alongside the times when British rule was rising on the Indian subcontinent. 

The major divisions of Rajputana Agency during the British era were:

1. Western Rajputana States Residency - Marwar or Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Sirohi
2. Haraoti and Tonk Agency - Tonk, Bundi
3. Mewar Residency - Mewar or Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara, Partabgarh
4. Jaipur Residency - Jaipur, Alwar
5. Eastern Rajputana States Agency - Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli
6. Kotah and Jhalawar Agency - Kotah (Kota), Jhalawar

The only British province in Rajputana was the Ajmer-Merwara enclave, a political entity administrated separately. 

Going a bit back to the 19th-century, before the formation of Rajputana's boundaries as it coincides today with Rajasthan's, there were few more names added to the above that now don't find as much prominence as they had back then. These were smaller sub-districts ruled under the larger Princely States clubbed together later into the abovementioned divisions. 

Burroo - today, a small village of Baru in Jodhpur district, the name Burroo was a much larger district towards the northeast of Jaisalmer. 

Fullodee - today's Phalodi, in the district of Jodhpur, acts as a buffer zone in the Thar desert. 

Pokrim - the famous 1998 site for independent India's first underground nuclear test, the city of Pokharan lies in the Jaisalmer district. 

Beekumpore - Bikampur, in the Bikaner district, is famous for its medieval Rajputi fortress. 

Burmaira - Barmer, is shown outside the Rajputana boundaries acting as a buffer territory between the Chalchkaun and Jhodepoor. 

The Thar desert is seen named as the Great Sandy Desert that neighbours Jaysulmeer with districts such as Daodpotra, Omursoomur and Bawulcauns Country. Daodpotra or Daudputra was the state of Daod Khan, an Afghan chieftain from Shikarpur (in today's Pakistan). Interestingly, this region inhabited the Dadi tribes that were noted by Herodotus in the 5th century BC. Bawulcauns Country denotes the 17th century Abbasi Nawab Bahawal Khan (and his successors) after whom the Pakistani cities of Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar are kept. 

It's interesting as to how the districts marked on this map are remote villages in today's scenario. There are more than a hundred forts in today's Rajasthan, at places hardly visited by tourists but holds crucial importance in the chapters of history. For example, the city of Phalodi holds great significance with respect to its fortification and the ruling clan of Rao Suja in the medieval era but got overwhelmed by the successor Jodhpur state since the 18th century. 

Below here is a reconstruction artwork of the 1821 dated map of western Rajputana originally sketched by Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823).