Dhar 911235 219914290 2008-06-17T12:56:25Z Beve 987222 Reverted [[WP:AGF|good faith]] edits by [[Special:Contributions/122.168.65.62|122.168.65.62]]. ([[WP:TW|TW]]) <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities]] for details -->{{Infobox Indian Jurisdiction | native_name = Dhar | type = city | latd = 22.6 | longd = 75.3| locator_position = right | state_name = Madhya Pradesh | district = [[Dhar district|Dhar]] | leader_title = | leader_name = | altitude = 559| population_as_of = 2001 | population_total = 75,472| population_density = | area_magnitude= sq. km | area_total = | area_telephone = | postal_code = | vehicle_code_range = | sex_ratio = | unlocode = | website = | footnotes = | }} '''Dhar''' or the medieval historical town of ''Dhara Nagari'' is located in the [[Malwa]] region of western [[Madhya Pradesh]] [[states and territories of India|state]] in central [[India]].It is the administrative headquarters of [[Dhar District]]. The town is located 33 miles west of [[Mhow]], 908 ft. above sea level. It is picturesquely situated among lakes and trees surrounded by barren hills, and possesses, besides its old walls, many interesting buildings, both [[Hindu]] and [[Muslim]], some of them containing records of a great historical importance. It is also a Bengali and Kashmiri surname. Dar a surname amongst Kashmiri Pandit from Kashmir in India Dhar a surname amongst Kashmiri Pandit from Kashmir in India ==Geography== Dhar is located at {{coor d|22.6|N|75.3|E|}}<ref>[http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/35/Dhar.html Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Dhar]</ref>. It has an average elevation of 559&nbsp;[[metre]]s (1833&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|feet]]). ===Local Monuments=== The BHOJ SHALA, built in 10th century by great king Raja Bhoj, is a Sanskrit University and Temple of Goddess Saraswati. This beautiful historic statue is in London museum. The Lat Masjid, or Pillar [[Mosque]], was built by Dilawar Khan in [[1405]] out of the remains of [[Jain]] temples. It derives its name from an iron pillar, supposed to have been originally set up at the beginning of the 13th century in commemoration of a victory, and bearing a later inscription recording the seven days visit to the town of the emperor [[Akbar]] in [[1598]]. The pillar, which was 43 ft. high, is now overthrown and broken. The Kamal Maula is an enclosure containing four tombs, the most notable being that of Shaikh Kamal Maulvi (Kamal-ud-din), a follower of the famous 13th-century [[Muslim]] saint [[Nizamuddin Auliya]]. The mosque known as Raja Bhoj's school was built out of Hindu remains in the 14th or 15th century: its name is derived from the slabs, covered with inscriptions giving rules of [[Sanskrit]] [[grammar]], with which it is paved. On a small hill to the north of the town stands the fort, a conspicuous pile of red [[sandstone]], said to have been built by [[Sultanate of Delhi|Sultan]] [[Mohammed bin Tughluk]] of [[Delhi]] in the 14th century. It contained the palace of the raja. Of modern institutions may be mentioned the high school, public library, hospital, and the chapel, school and hospital of the [[Presbyterian Church in Canada|Canadian Presbyterian]] mission. There was also a government opium depot for the payment of duty, the town having been a considerable centre for the trade in opium as well as in grain. ==History== The town, the name of which is usually derived from ''Dhara Nagari'' (the city of sword blades), is of great antiquity, and was made the capital of the [[Paramara]] chiefs of [[Malwa]] by [[Vairisimha II]], who transferred his headquarters hither from [[Ujjain]] at the close of the [[9th century]]. During the rule of the Paramara dynasty, Dhar was famous throughout India as a centre of culture and learning, especially under king [[Bhoj]] ([[1010]]-[[1060]]). After suffering various vicissitudes, it was finally conquered by [[Ala ud din Khilji]], [[Delhi Sultanate|Sultan of Delhi]], in the [[14th century]]. [[Dilawar Khan]], who had been appointed governor in [[1319]], practically established his independence soon afterwards. The Lat Masjid is a monument built by him. While Dilawar Khan established his independence ''de facto'', his son [[Hoshang Shah]] became the first ''de jure'' Muslim ruler of Malwa, with his capital at [[Mandu]]. Subsequently, in the time of [[Akbar]], Dhar fell under the dominion of the [[Mughals]], in whose hands it remained till [[1730]], when it was conquered by the [[Maratha]]s. In late [[1723]], [[Bajirao]] at the head of a large army and accompanied by his trusted lieutenants, [[Malharrao Holkar]], [[Ranoji Shinde]] (Scindia) and [[Udaji Rao Pawar]], swept through Malwa. A few years earlier the Mughal Emperor had been forced to give the Marathas the right to collect ''[[chauth]]'' taxes in Malwa and [[Gujarat]]. This levy added much value to the [[Maratha]]s, as both the king [[Shahu]] and his Peshwa, [[Bajirao]], were ear-deep in debt. The revenues they collected from their own lands were not sufficient to run the administration of the state and finance their large military expenditure. The [[Maratha]]s lived by the sword and trade was alien to them. Agriculture in the [[Deccan]] depended heavily on the timeliness and sufficiency of the monsoons. The most important source of money were therefore the ''chauth'' (a 25% tax on produce) and ''sardeshmukhi'' (a ten percent surcharge) exacted by the Marathas. [[Bajirao]] had also determined that “war must pay for war”, and was assiduous in enforcing his right to chauth in Malwa. The Maratha armies defeated the [[Mughal]] governor and attacked the capital [[Ujjain]]. [[Bajirao]] established military outposts and imposed taxes on the country as far north as [[Bundelkhand]]. Udaji Pawar's family had for several generations served in the Maratha armies. Udaji had however offended [[Bajirao]] for some reason not known, but it must have been serious, because Bajirao first deprived Udaji of all power and later imprisoned him. In [[1742]], [[Bajirao]] nominated Udaji's younger brother, Anand Rao Pawar, to head the family and Anand Rao I is regarded as the founder of the state of Dhar in central India. Towards the close of the 18th and in the early part of the 19th century, the state was subject to a series of spoliations by [[Scindia]] of [[Gwalior]] and [[Holkar]] of [[Indore]], (descendants of Ranoji Scindia and Malharao Holkar). It was only preserved from annihilation by the talents and courage of the adoptive mother of the fifth raja. After the third Anglo-Maratha war, of 1818, Dhar passed under [[United Kingdom|British]] rule. Dhar became a [[princely state]] of [[British India]], in the [[Bhopawar]] agency of the [[Central India Agency]]. It included many Rajput and [[Bhil]] feudatories, and had an area of 1775 square miles. The state was confiscated by the British in the [[Revolt of 1857]], but in [[1860]] was restored to Raja Anand Rao III Pawar, then a minor, with the exception of the detached district of [[Bairusia]], which was granted to the begum of [[Bhopal]]. Anand Rao, who received the personal title Maharaja and the [[KCSI]] in [[1877]], died in [[1898]]; he was succeeded by Udaji Rao II Pawar. *The Punwars/Parmars of 12 villages in modern day Haryana claim proudly their descent from the king [[Bhoj]] ([[1010]]-[[1060]]). ==Demographics== [[As of 2001]] India [[census]]<ref>{{GR|India}}</ref>, Dhar had a population of 75,472. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Dhar has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 76% and, female literacy is 63%. In Dhar, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. ==Notable Natives== [[Baji Rao II]] the last of the [[Peshwas]] was born in Dhar.<ref>''Columbia-Lippincott Gazeteer'' p. 510</ref> ==External links== *[http://dhar.nic.in/ Dhar District governmental website] *[http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~islamarc/WebPage1/htm_eng/dhar-eng.htm Dhar at the Islamic Monuments of India Photographic Database] *[http://www.4dw.net/royalark/India/dhar.htm Genealogy of the Ponwar ruling family of Dhar] *[http://www.indore360.com/portal/content/view/126/91/1/1/ More Information about Mandu near Dhar] ==References== <references/> {{1911}} [[Category:Indian Princely States]] [[Category:Cities and towns in Madhya Pradesh]] [[Category:Cities in Malwa]] [[Category:Dhar | ]] [[bn:ধর]] [[fr:Dhâr]] [[bpy:ধর]] [[mr:धार]] [[nl:Dhar]] [[new:धार]] [[pt:Dhar]] [[sv:Dhar]] [[vi:Dhar]]