Dhar | |
|---|---|
 Dhar Fort  Bagh Caves  Hoshangshah tomb  Road to Bagh Caves  Jahaz Mahal Mandu | |
  Dhar  Dhar | |
| Coordinates:22°35′50″N75°18′15″E / 22.59722°N 75.30417°E /22.59722; 75.30417 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
| District | Dhar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal Council |
| • Body | Dhar Municipal Council |
| Elevation | 559 m (1,834 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 93,917 |
| Demonym | Dharwasi |
| Language | |
| • Official | Hindi[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 454001 |
| Vehicle registration | MP-11 |
| Website | dhar |
Dhar is a city located inDhar district of theMalwa region in thestate ofMadhya Pradesh,India. The city is the administrative headquarters of theDhar district. Before Indian independence fromGreat Britain, it was the capital of theDhar princely state.
Dhar is situated between 21°57' to 23°15' N and 74°37' to 75°37' E. The city is bordered in the north byRatlam, to the east by parts ofIndore, in the south byBarwani, and to the west byJhabua andAlirajpur. The town is located 34 miles (55 km) west ofMhow. It is located 559 m (1,834 ft) above sea level. It possesses, alongside its old ramparts, many buildings which contain records of cultural, historical and national importance.[2]
The most visible parts of ancient Dhar are the massive earthen ramparts, which are best preserved on the western and southern sides of the town. These were most likely built at beginning of the 9th century. Wall remains show that the city was circular in plan and surrounded by a series of tanks and moats, similar to the city ofWarangal, in theDeccan. The circular ramparts of Dhar, unique in north India and an important legacy of the Paramāras, are unprotected and have been slowly dismantled by brick-makers and others using the wall material for construction. On the north-east side of the town, the ramparts and moats have disappeared beneath modern homes and other buildings. There are many stepwells of various periods in Dhar which are dried or filled with sewage and trash. Till now, 46 stepwells are listed in the Dhar premises, and a work of reviving those stepwells is an ongoing plan for the year 2024.
The historic parts of Dhar are dominated by an impressive sandstone fortress on a small hill. The fortress is thought to have been built byMuhammad bin Tughluq, the Sultan of Delhi, most likely on the site of the ancient Dhārāgiri mentioned in early sources.[3] One of the gateways, added later, dates to 1684–85 in the time of 'Ālamgīr.[4] Inside the fort there is a deep rock-cut cistern of great age, and a later palace of the Mahārāja of Dhar that incorporates an elegant pillared porch from theMughal period, possibly built in the mid-17th century. The palace area houses an outdoor museum with a small collection of temple fragments and images dating to medieval times.
Inside the fort, a large number of sculptures and antiquities from Dhar and its neighbourhood are kept in utilitarian buildings constructed in the late 19th century. Some pieces from the collection have been moved toMandu where the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Archives has created a museum with a range of displays in the 'Barnes Koti', a Sultanate-period building used by Captain Ernest Barnes, the political agent of the Bhopawar agency.
On the overgrown ramparts of the medieval city, overlooking the old moat, is the tomb of Shaykh Abdullah Shāh Changāl, a warrior saint. The earliest evidence for the tomb comes from an inscription of 1455; the building was entirely rebuilt in the second half of the 20th century.[5]
One of the most significant historical attractions at Dhār is the ancient iron pillar. Fragments of it are at theLat Mosque where the three surviving portions are displayed outside the mosque on a platform thanks to the conservation efforts of theArchaeological Survey of India. The pillar, which was nearly 13.2 m high according to the most recent assessment, carries several inscriptions, the most important recording a visit by the Mughal emperorAkbar in 1598 while on a military campaign in the Deccan. The pillar's original stone footing is displayed nearby.
TheLat Masjid, or 'Pillar Mosque', located to the south of the town, was built as theJami' Mosque byDilawar Khan in 1405.[6] It derives its name from theiron pillar ("lāṭ" in Hindi), which lies in the immediate campus of the mosque.[7][8]
The Kamāl Maulā is a spacious enclosure containing a number of tombs, the most notable being that of Shaykh Kamāl Mālvī or Kamāl al-Dīn (circa 1238–1331).[9] Kamāl al-Dīn was a follower ofFarīd al-Dīn Gaṅj-i Shakar (circa 1173–1266) and theChishti saintNizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325) and migrated to Malwa with his brother in the late 1200s. His descendants have served as custodians of Kamāl al-Dīn's tomb in an unbroken line for 700 years.[10]
Except for theMihrab andMinbar, which were purpose-built for the monument, thehypostyle hall immediately next the tomb of Kamāl Maula is made of recycled temple columns and other architectural parts. It is similar to the Lāṭ Masjid, but was built earlier, as an inscription from 1392 described records of repairs by Dilāwar Khān.[11] In 1903, Sanskrit andPrakrit inscriptions from the time ofArjunavarman (circa 1210–15) were found in the walls of the building by K. K. Lele, Superintendent of Education in the Princely State of Dhar. The engraved inscriptions are displayed inside the entrance. One text includes parts of a drama calledVijayaśrīnāṭikā composed by Madana, the king's preceptor, who bore the epithetBālasarasvatī.[12] Other tablets noted by Lele include a slab inscribed in Prakrit with two versions of theKūrmaśataka – verses in praise of the Ādī Kūrma—the primordial or foundational tortoise in Hindu mythology—and two serpentine inscriptions containing the phonology and grammatical rules of theSanskrit language. These finds, particularly the grammatical inscriptions, prompted Lele to name the buildingBhoj Shala, or 'Hall of Bhoja', in reference to KingBhoja (circa 1000–55), the author of several works on poetics, grammar and aesthetics, most notably theŚṛṅgāra Prakāśa.[13] In 1908, C. E. Luard did not follow Lele in using the term Bhoj Shala but mentions traditions describing the building as 'Raja Bhoja's school'.[14]
The old city palace of thePawar clan, a branch of theMarathas that claims descent from theParmar Rajputs ofMalwa, is now used as a school. It is a plain, medium-sized building built around 1875. A marblestatue of theJain goddessAmbikā, discovered on the site of the palace in 1875, is now in theBritish Museum.[15] Of the same time period as the palace are a collection of domedcenotaphs of the Pawar rulers on the edge of the large tank known as Muñj Talab. The name of the tank was probably derived fromVākpati Muñja (10th century), the first Paramāra king that entered Mālwa and madeUjjain his main administrative seat.[16]
The tomb said to be that of Shaykh Zahīr al-Dīn Qādirī, a contemporary of Kamāl-al-Dīn, stands in the fields on the western side of the old circular city.[17]
On the east side of the old town the tomb of Tāj al-Dīn 'Aṭā'ullah. Popularly known as Bugḍe Pīr, the building is a small domical structure of the seventeenth century.[18] 'Aṭā'ullah was born in 1578-79 and enjoyed the patronage ofNur Jahan.
Another colonial era building at Dhar, located outside the old town on the road toIndore, is the Agency House. It was built by the Public Works Department during British rule and was the center of the administration of DharState and theCentral India Agency.[19] The building has been abandoned and is now in ruins.
In the 1860s, the Powars built a palace at Hazīra Bāgh, adjacent to the road to Māṇḍū. Known as the Jheera Bāgh Palace, the complex was renovated by Mahārāja Anand Rao Pawar IV in the 1940s and is now run as a heritage hotel. Designed in an unpretentiousart deco style, it is considered to be one of the most elegant and forward-looking examples of early modern architecture inNorth India.
The town of Dhar, derived fromDhārā Nagara ('city of sword blades'), is of considerable antiquity,[2] the first reference to it appearing in an inscription inJaunpur during theMaukhari dynasty (6th century).[20] Dhar rose to prominence when it was made the primary seat of theParamara chiefs ofMalwa by Vairisiṃha (circa 920-45 CE). Vairisimha appears to have transferred his headquarters to Dhar fromUjjain. During the rule of the Paramāras, Dhar was a respected centre of culture and learning,[2] especially under the rule of KingBhoja (circa 1000–1055). The wealth and splendor of Dhar drew the attention of competing dynasties in the 11th century. TheCāḷukyas of Kalyāṇa underSomeśvara I (circa CE 1042–68) captured and burnt the city, also occupying Māṇḍū (ancient Māṇḍava).[21] Dhar was subsequently sacked by theCāḷukyas of Gujarāt underSiddharāja.[22] The devastation and political fragmentation caused by these wars meant that there was no significant opposition whenAla ud din Khilji, the Sultān ofDelhi, dispatched an army to Mālwa in the early 14th century. The region was annexed toDelhi, and Dhar was made the capital of the province under'Ayn al-Mulk Mūltānī, who served as governor until 1313.[23] The events that occurred during the following seventy years are unclear, but some time in A.H. 793/C.E. 1390-91Dilawar Khan was appointedmuqṭi of Dhar (and also the governor of Mālwa) by Sulṭān Muḥammad Shāh.[24] Dilāwar Khān took the title 'Amīd Shāh Dā'ūd' and mandated thekhutba to be read in his name in A.H. 804/C.E. 1401–1402, thereby establishing himself as an independent sulṭān.[25] Upon his death in 1406, his sonHoshang Shah became king, with his capital situated in Māṇḍū. In the time ofAkbar, Dhar fell under the dominion of theMughals, and remained under Mughal control until 1730, when the town was conquered by theMarathas.[2]
In late 1723,Bajirao, at the head of a large army and accompanied by his lieutenantsMalharrao Holkar,Ranoji Shinde (Scindia) and Udaji Rao Pawar, swept through Malwa. A few years earlier, the Mughal Emperor had been forced to relinquish to the Marathas the right to collectChauth taxes in Malwa andGujarat. This levy was financially beneficial to theMaratha caste, as both the kingShahu and his Peshwa,Bajirao, were in large amounts of debt at the time. Agriculture in theDeccan depended heavily on the timeliness and duration of the monsoons. The most important source of royal revenue was, therefore, the Chauth (a 25% tax on produce) and Sardeshmukhi (a ten per cent surcharge) exacted by the Marathas. The revenues the Marathas collected from their own lands were not sufficient to run the administration of their state and finance their large military expenditure, as their government was focused on conquest and not economic development.
The Marathan armies eventually defeated theMughal governor and attacked the capitalUjjain.Bajirao established military outposts in the country as far north asBundelkhand.
Towards the end of the 18th century and in the early part of the 19th century, the Marathan state was subject to a series of spoliations byScindia ofGwalior andHolkar ofIndore, (descendants of Ranoji Scindia and Malharao Holkar), but was saved from annihilation by the strong rule of the adoptive mother of the fifth raja.
After theThird Anglo-Maratha War of 1818, Dhar fell underBritish rule. TheDhar State was designated as aprincely state of India, in theBhopawar Agency of theCentral India Agency. It included several Rajput andBhil feudatories and had an area of 1,775 square miles (4,600 km2). The state was confiscated by the British after theRevolt of 1857. In 1860, it 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 ofBhopal. Anand Rao, who received the personal title Maharaja and theKCSI in 1877, died in 1898; he was succeeded by Udaji Rao IIPawar.[2]
A separate department whose purpose was to superintendThakurs andBhumias, called "Department of Thakurans, Bhumians and Thikanejat", was established in 1921. At the time there were 22 such estates in the state of Dhar.
Thejagir lands of the nobles of Dhar (feudatory estates), all of whom paid tribute to theDarbar, were divided betweenThakurs and Bhumias.
The Thakurs, with a few exceptions, were Rajput landholders whose estates were located in the north of the state. Locally, the Thakurs were calledTalukdars and their holdings calledkothari. Bycaste, there were 8Rathore Rajputs, onePawar and oneKayasth.
The Bhumias, or "Allodial" Chiefs, were allBhilalas, a clan claiming to be of mixedBhil and Rajput (Chauhan) descent. Their grants were originally obtained from the Darbar on the understanding that they would keep the peace among the Bhils and other hill tribes. They paid yearly tribute to the Darbar, in turn receiving cash allowances (Bhet-Ghugri), an ancient feudal custom.
Bhartiya Janata Party politicianNeena Vikram Verma serves as a member of theMadhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the Dhar-Vidhan-Sabha Constituency.[26]
In2024, Savitri Thakur of theBharatiya Janata Party was elected as aMember of Parliament representing the Dhar constituency.
Maharaja ShrimantHemendra Singh Rao Pawar is the present titular head of theMaratha Pawar dynasty of the State of Dhar.[27][28][29][30][31]
As of the2011 Indian Census, Dhar had a total population of 93,917, of which 48,413 were males and 45,504 were females. 11,947 were between 0 and 6 years old. The total number of literate people in Dhar was 68,928. 73.4% of the population was literate, with a male literacy rate of 78.1% and a female literacy rate of 68.4%. The literacy rate of the 7+ population in Dhar was 84.1%, of which the male literacy rate was 89.9% and the female literacy rate was 78.0%. TheScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 7,549 and 16,636 respectively. As of 2011, Dhar has 18531 households.[32]
This is an increase from the 2001 Indiacensus,[33] when Dhar had a population of 75,472, of which males constituted 52% and females 48%. In 2001, Dhar had an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy was 76% and female literacy was 63%. In 2001, 14% of the population of Dhar was under 6 years of age.
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindus | 79.62% | |||
| Muslims | 17.39% | |||
| Jains | 2.05% | |||
| Others | 0.94% | |||
| Distribution of religions | ||||
The majority of the population adheres toHinduism, with significant groups followingIslam andJainism.[34]
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In 1897, primitive stamps with entirely native text were issued. The second definitive issue bore the name "Dhar State" in Latin script; with a total of 8 stamps. Since 1901, Indian stamps have been in use in Dhar.
Dhar, being part of theLameta Formation, is well known for the discovery of fossils of dinosaurs, dinosaur nests, shark teeth, tree fossils, and marine mollusks. These fossils are very well preserved due to the Deccan volcanism causing a flow of volcanic lava over them.[citation needed] Fossils ofTitanosaurus,Isisaurus,Indosaurus,Indosuchus,Laevisuchus andRajasaurus have been discovered here.
Unique eggs have been discovered in Dhar region which indicates that the species reproduced like birds and the first egg within egg (ovum-in-ovo) or multi-shelled egg has been discovered here.[35]
Baji Rao II, the last of thePeshwas, was born in Dhar.[36]
| Climate data for Dhar (1991–2020, extremes 1973–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.8 (92.8) | 37.7 (99.9) | 43.1 (109.6) | 44.4 (111.9) | 47.1 (116.8) | 44.6 (112.3) | 39.6 (103.3) | 36.2 (97.2) | 38.3 (100.9) | 38.7 (101.7) | 35.7 (96.3) | 35.7 (96.3) | 47.1 (116.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.0 (78.8) | 29.3 (84.7) | 34.3 (93.7) | 38.4 (101.1) | 39.7 (103.5) | 35.5 (95.9) | 29.6 (85.3) | 28.6 (83.5) | 30.2 (86.4) | 32.5 (90.5) | 30.2 (86.4) | 28.1 (82.6) | 31.8 (89.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 18.2 (64.8) | 22.2 (72.0) | 24.6 (76.3) | 23.7 (74.7) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.8 (69.4) | 18.6 (65.5) | 14.8 (58.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 18.3 (64.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | 6.1 (43.0) | 12.1 (53.8) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.0 (60.8) | 15.0 (59.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.1 (43.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | 3.0 (37.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 2.2 (0.09) | 1.9 (0.07) | 2.1 (0.08) | 2.5 (0.10) | 11.4 (0.45) | 128.0 (5.04) | 313.2 (12.33) | 207.0 (8.15) | 163.5 (6.44) | 39.1 (1.54) | 15.6 (0.61) | 2.1 (0.08) | 888.7 (34.99) |
| Average rainy days | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 7.1 | 13.6 | 11.5 | 7.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 43.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 50 | 41 | 35 | 40 | 38 | 57 | 79 | 82 | 76 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[37][38][39] | |||||||||||||
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dhar".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 142.
