Mewar मेवाड़ | |
|---|---|
Historical region (Kingdom of Mewar) | |
  | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Rajasthan |
| Districts | Udaipur,Rajsamand,Bhilwara,Chittorgarh andPratapgarh |
| Area | |
• Total | 33,517 km2 (12,941 sq mi) |
| Population (2011[citation needed]) Ethnic groups associated with Mewaris:Ahirs,Mers,Bhils,Jains ofChittorgarh andRajputs ofSisodia dynasty fromUdaipur | |
• Total | 9,045,726 |
| • Density | 269.88/km2 (699.00/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Mewaris |
| Largest city | Udaipur |
| Regional Language or dialect | Mewari (Rajasthani) |
Mewar, also spelled asMewad, is a historical region located in the south-eastern part of theIndian state ofRajasthan. It includes the present-day districts ofUdaipur,Rajsamand,Bhilwara,Chittorgarh andPratapgarh in Rajasthan.[1] The language of this region is known asMewari, one of thedialects of theRajasthani language spoken as alingua franca by the different ethnic groups assembled altogether in one identity called the Mewaris.[2]
For centuries, the region was ruled byRajputs asKingdom of Mewar. During the period ofBritish East India Company, it became aprincely state asUdaipur. It emerged as an administrative unit during the period governance in India and remained until the end of theBritish Raj era.
The Mewar region lies between theAravali Range to the northwest,Ajmer to the north, Gujarat and theVagad region of Rajasthan to the south, theMalwa region of Madhya Pradesh state to the south and theHadoti region of Rajasthan to the east.
The word "Mewar" is vernacular form of "Medapata" (IAST: Medapāṭa), the ancient name of the region. The earliest epigraph that mentions the word "Medapata" is a 996–997 CE (1053VS) inscription discovered at Hathundi (Bijapur). The word "pata" or "pataka" refers to an administrative unit. According to the historian G. C. Raychaudhuri, Medapata was named after the Meda tribe, which has been mentioned inVarāhamihira'sBrihat-Samhita.[3] The 1460Kumbhalgarh inscription associates the Medas with Vardhana-giri (modernBadnor in Mewar region).[4] Historian Sashi Bhusan Chaudhuri associates the ancient Medas with the modernMer people.[5]
The 1285 CE (1342 VS)Mount Abu (Achaleshwar) inscription of theGuhila kingSamarasimha provides the following etymology while describing the military conquests of his ancestorBappa Rawal (Bappaka): "This country which was, in battle, totally submerged in the dripping fat ('medas' inSanskrit) of wicked people by Bappaka bears the name of Śrī Medapāṭa." Historian Anil Chandra Banerjee dismisses this as a "poetic fancy", but acknowledges the 'terrible' battles fought between the Rajputs and the Arabs.[6]
The northern and eastern portions of Mewar are made up of an elevated plateau while the western and southern portions were rocky and hilly with dense forests.[7] The watershed divide between drainage of theBay of Bengal and drainage of theGulf of Khambhat runs almost through the centre of Mewar.[8] The northern and eastern part of Mewar is a gently sloping plain, drained by the Bedach andBanas River and its tributaries, which empty northwest into theChambal River, a tributary of theYamuna River. The southern and western part of the region is hilly, and marks the divide between the Banas and its tributaries and the headwaters of theSabarmati andMahi rivers and their tributaries, which drain south into theGulf of Khambhat throughGujarat state. TheAravalli Range, which forms the northwestern boundary of the region, is composed mostly of sedimentary rocks, likemarble andKota Stone, which has traditionally been an important construction material.
The region is part of theKhathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests'ecoregion. Protected areas include theJaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, theKumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, theBassi Wildlife Sanctuary, theGandhi Sagar Sanctuary and theSita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mewar has atropical climate. Rainfall averages 660 mm/year, and is generally higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast of the region. Over 90% of the rain typically falls in the period of June to September every year, during thesouthwest monsoon.
According to the 2011 Census of India this region has a population of 9,045,726 people.
Media related toMewar at Wikimedia Commons
