Short answers, pulled from the story.
Rajput comes from the Sanskrit rājaputra, meaning 'son of a king.' Despite the royal name, modern scholars agree that nearly all Rajput clans originated from peasant, pastoral, or tribal communities rather than from royal dynasties. Before the 15th century, the term most commonly meant 'horse soldier,' 'trooper,' 'headman of a village,' or 'subordinate chief.'
Historians broadly agree that Rajputs emerged from a wide variety of ethnic, caste, and geographical backgrounds, including Shudras, tribal peoples, and Brahmins who took to warfare. The process of entering Rajput identity, sometimes called Rajputisation, involved hypergamous marriage, adoption of martial customs, and the retrospective fabrication of Kshatriya genealogies. By the 19th century, even village landlords or newly wealthy Shudras could hire Brahmins to fabricate genealogies and gain acceptance as Hindu Rajputs within two generations.
From Akbar's reign onward, Rajput leaders were integrated into the Mughal ruling elite through court appointments and matrimonial alliances. Akbar arranged 40 marriages for himself, his sons, and grandsons, of which 17 were Rajput-Mughal alliances. Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan were both born of Rajput mothers.
The 22 princely states of Rajputana acceded to India in 1947 and were amalgamated into the new state of Rajasthan in 1949-1950. The maharajas initially received funding from the Privy Purse in exchange for their acquiescence. Indira Gandhi's government ended that arrangement under the Constitution's 26th Amendment Act of 1971.
Rajput painting refers to works of art created at Rajput-ruled courts in Rajasthan, Central India, and the Punjab Hills. Art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy described its style as 'popular, universal and mystic' and characterised it as oppositional in spirit to Mughal painting.
In 1931, Rajputs comprised 3.7 percent of British India's population. Current regional estimates place their share at 35 percent in Uttarakhand, 28 percent in Himachal Pradesh, 9 percent in Madhya Pradesh, and 6 percent in Rajasthan. In Pakistan's Punjab, Rajputs constitute 32 percent of Kasur District and 20 percent of Gujranwala District.