Dhar

Coordinates: 22°35′50″N 75°18′15″E / 22.59722°N 75.30417°E / 22.59722; 75.30417
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the city. For other uses, see Dhar (disambiguation).

Dhar
UTC+5:30 (IST)
Vehicle registrationMP-11
Websitedhar.nic.in

Dhar is a city located in

Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dhar princely state
.

Dhār (Madhya Pradesh). Plan of the old city showing disposition of ramparts, moat and key monuments.

Location

Dhar is situated between 21°57' to 23°15' N and 74°37' to 75°37' E. The city is bordered in the north by Ratlam, to the east by parts of Indore, in the south by Barwani, and to the west by Jhabua and Alirajpur. The town is located 34 miles (55 km) west of Mhow. It is located 559 m (1,834 ft) above sea level. It possesses, besides its old ramparts, many buildings contain records of cultural, historical and national importance.[2]

Historic places and monuments

One of few remaining portions of the Paramāra-period ramparts at Dhār at Dhūp Tālāb

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 of

Deccan
. 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.

Fort

Outer wall and bastions of the fort at Dhār, western side

The historic parts of Dhar are dominated by an impressive sandstone fortress on a small hill. The fortress is thought to have been built by Muhammad 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 the Mughal 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.

Museum

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 to Mandu 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.

Tomb of Shaykh Changāl

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]

Main article: Tomb of Shaykh Changal

Iron Pillar

One of the most significant historical attactions at Dhār is the ancient iron pillar. Fragments of it are at the Lat Mosque where the three surviving portions are displayed outside the mosque on a platform thanks to the conservation efforts of the Archaeological 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 emperor Akbar in 1598 while on a military campaign in the Deccan. The pillar's original stone footing is displayed nearby.

Main article: Dhar iron pillar

Lat Mosque

Lāṭ Masjid, interior, built in 1405

The

iron pillar ("lāṭ" in Hindi), which lies in the immediate campus of the mosque.[7][8]

Main article: Lat Mosque

Kamāl Maulā Campus

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).

Chishti saint Nizamuddin 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]

Main article: Dargāh of Shaykh Kamāl al-Dīn

Bhoj Shala

Except for the

Bhoj Shala, or 'Hall of Bhoja', in reference to King Bhoja (circa 1000–55), the author of several works on poetics and grammar such as the famous Sarasvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa or 'Necklace of Sarasvatī'.[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]

Main article:
Bhoj Shala
City Palace, built in 1875

Cenotaphs and Old City Palace

Statue of goddess Ambikā found on the site of the Old City Palace, the British Museum, number 1909,1224.1 from William Kincaid (Indian Civil Service)

The old city palace of the Puar (

Jain goddess Ambikā, discovered on the site of the palace in 1875, is now in the British Museum.[15] Of the same time period as the palace are a collection of domed cenotaphs of the Pawar rulers on the edge of the large tank known as Muñj Talab. The name of the tank was probably derived from Vākpati Muñja (10th century), the first Paramāra king that entered Mālwa and made Ujjain his main administrative seat.[16]

Tomb of Shaykh Zahīr al-Dīn Qādirī

Tomb of Shaykh Zahīr al-Dīn Qādirī

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]

Agency House in 2010

Tomb of Bugḍe Pīr

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 of Nur Jahan.

Agency House

Another colonial era building at Dhar, located outside the old town on the road to Indore, is the Agency House. It was built by the Public Works Department during British rule and was the center of the administration of Dhar State and the Central India Agency.[19] The building has been abandoned and is now in ruins.

Jheera Bagh

Jheera Bagh Palace, renovated 1940s

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 unpretentious art deco style, it is considered to be one of the most elegant and forward-looking examples of early modern architecture in North India.

Political history

The town of Dhar, derived from Dhārā Nagara ('city of sword blades'), is of considerable antiquity,

Marathas.[2]

In late 1723,

Bajirao, were in large amounts of debt at the time. Agriculture in the Deccan
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 the

Bajirao established military outposts in the country as far north as Bundelkhand
.

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 by

Scindia of Gwalior and Holkar of Indore
, (descendants of Ranoji Scindia and Malharao Holkar), but was saved from annihilation by the strong rule of the adoptive mother of the fifth raja.

Dhar State

Main article: Dhar State

After the

Revolt 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 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.[2]

Dhar Thikanas

A separate department whose purpose was to superintend Thakurs and Bhumias, called "Department of Thakurans, Bhumians and Thikanejat", was established in 1921. At the time there were 22 such estates in the state of Dhar.

The jagir lands of the nobles of Dhar (feudatory estates), all of whom paid tribute to the Darbar, were divided between Thakurs 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 called

Kayasth
.

The Bhumias, or "Allodial" Chiefs, were all

Bhil
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.

HH Maharaja Shrimant Hemendra Singh Rao Pawar of the Dhar State seated on the 'Gadi' of the Kshatriya Maratha-Rajput Pawar (Puar/Parmar) Clan. The coronation of the 12th Maharaja of the Dhar State was solemnised on 15 January 2015 at the 'Rajwada' (Old Palace) of Dhar.

Political representation and Royal Legacy

Neena Vikram Verma serves as a member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the Dhar-Vidhan-Sabha Constituency.[26]

In

Member of Parliament representing the Dhar constituency.[27]

Maharaja Shrimant

Maratha Pawar ([Puar]) dynasty of the State of Dhar.[28][29][30][31][32]

Demographics

As of the

2011 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%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 7,549 and 16,636 respectively. As of 2011, Dhar has 18531 households.[33]

This is an increase from the 2001 India census,[34] 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

Religion in Dhar (2011)[35]
Religion Percent
Hindus
 
 79.62%
Muslims
 
 17.39%
Jains
 
 2.05%
Others
 
 0.94%
Distribution of religions

The majority of the population adheres to Hinduism, with significant groups following Islam and Jainism.[35]

Postal information

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.

Discovery of Dinosaur Fossils

Dhar, being part of the Lameta 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.[36] Fossils of Titanosaurus, Isisaurus, Indosaurus, Indosuchus, Laevisuchus and Rajasaurus 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.[37]

Notable people

Peshwas, was born in Dhar.[38]

Climate

Climate data for Dhar (1981–2010, extremes 1973–2011)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 33.4
(92.1) 		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) 		34.8
(94.6) 		35.7
(96.3) 		47.1
(116.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 26.2
(79.2) 		29.1
(84.4) 		33.8
(92.8) 		38.2
(100.8) 		39.9
(103.8) 		36.4
(97.5) 		30.2
(86.4) 		29.0
(84.2) 		30.7
(87.3) 		32.3
(90.1) 		30.0
(86.0) 		28.1
(82.6) 		32.0
(89.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 10.4
(50.7) 		12.9
(55.2) 		17.6
(63.7) 		21.2
(70.2) 		23.7
(74.7) 		22.7
(72.9) 		21.1
(70.0) 		20.4
(68.7) 		20.0
(68.0) 		18.1
(64.6) 		14.4
(57.9) 		11.9
(53.4) 		17.9
(64.2)
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) 4.0
(0.16) 		2.4
(0.09) 		1.7
(0.07) 		1.4
(0.06) 		11.5
(0.45) 		122.7
(4.83) 		269.7
(10.62) 		240.1
(9.45) 		146.4
(5.76) 		47.5
(1.87) 		21.5
(0.85) 		3.1
(0.12) 		872.1
(34.33)
Average rainy days 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.7 6.5 13.2 12.4 7.2 2.4 0.9 0.3 44.5
Average
relative humidity (%) (at 17:30 IST
) 		58 47 42 42 41 59 80 83 78 59 59 58 60
Source: India Meteorological Department[39][40]

Gallery

  • District Archaeological Museum, Dhār, Madhya Pradesh
    District Archaeological Museum, Dhār, Madhya Pradesh
  • Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
    Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
  • Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
    Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
  • Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
    Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
  • Entire view of Bawari (Water Source at the Dhār Fort)
    Entire view of Bawari (Water Source at the Dhār Fort)
  • Entrance view from inside the fort at Dhār
    Entrance view from inside the fort at Dhār
  • The Dhār Fort
    The Dhār Fort

See also

References

  1. ^ "52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India" (PDF). nclm.nic.in. Ministry of Minority Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dhar". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 142.
  3. ^ K. K. Lele, in Dikshit, Pārijātamañjarī, p. xxi, n. 1,
  4. ^ Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy (1971-72): 81, no. D. 72.
  5. ^ G. H. Yazdani, 'The Inscription on the Tomb of 'Abdullah Shāh Changāl at Dhār' Epigraphica Indo-Moslemica (1909-10): 1-5.
  6. ^ Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy (1971-72): 81, no. D. 73
  7. ^ Smith, V. A. "The Iron Pillar of Dhār". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1898: 143–46.
  8. S2CID 134653889
    .
  9. ^ The death date given as 4 Zilhaj 731, the corresponding day being 8 September 1331, in Hasan Kashani, Dargah Sharif in India (np, 2022): 161, available online at archive.org.
  10. ^ The key modern works in Rām Sevak Garg, Hazrat maulānā kamāluddīn ciśtī rah. aur unkā yug (Bhopāl, 2005).
  11. ^ Luard, Dhar and Mandu (Bombay, 1916): 9; U. N. Day, Medieval Malwa (Delhi, 1969): 15, n. 2.
  12. ^ S. K. Dikshit, ed., Pārijātamañjarī alias Vijayaśrī by Rāja-Guru Madana alias Bāla-Sarasvatī (Bhopal, 1968).
  13. ^ R. Birwé, 'Nārāyaṇa Daṇḍanātha's Commentary on Rules III.2, 106-121 of Bhoja's Sarasvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa', Journal of the American Oriental Society 1964; 84: 150-62.
  14. ^ C. E. Luard, Western States (Mālwā). Gazetteer, 2 parts. The Central India State Gazetteer Series, vol. 5 (Bombay, 1908): part A, pp. 494-500; also Luard, Dhar and Mandu, p. 9
  15. ^ Kirit Mankodi, 'A Paramāra Sculpture in the British Museum: Vāgdevī or Yakshī Ambikā?’, Sambodhi 9 (1980-81): 96-103.
  16. ^ H. V. Trivedi, Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghātas and Two Minor Dynasties, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, volume 7 (New Delhi, 1978-91): 9.
  17. ^ see रामसेवक गर्ग, हज़रत मौलाना कमालुद्दीन चिश्ती रह. और उनका युग (भोपाल: आदिवासी लोक कला अकादमी, प्रदेश संस्क्रिति परिशद, २००५): 149-50.
  18. ^ see Mukhtar Ahmad Khān, बुजुर्गानदीन-ए-मालवा (Dhār, 1994): 56.
  19. ^ The only documentation is here: Agency House
  20. ^ J. F. Fleet, Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings and their Successors, Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, vol. 3 (Calcutta, 1888): 228 (line 6). Hans T. Bakker, 'The So-Called Jaunpur Inscription of Īśvaravarman', Indo-Iran Journal 2009; 50: 207-16 shows that inscription belongs not to Īśvaravarman but to Īśānavarman or one of his successors. Online abstract: http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/10.1163/001972409x12525778274224
  21. ^ G. Yazdani, ed., The Early History of the Deccan, 2 vols. (London, 1960) 1: 331 according to the Nander inscription (dated CE 1047) and Nāgai inscription (dated CE 1058).
  22. ^ A. K. Majumdar, Chalukyas of Gujarat (Bombay, 1956): 72-3.
  23. ^ Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, Authority and Kingship under the Sultans of Delhi (Delhi, 2006): 283-84.
  24. ^ Day, Medieval Malwa, p. 13.
  25. ^ Day, Medieval Malwa, p. 21.
  26. ^ "Madhya Pradesh Pollmeter: Never too late". The Hindu. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  27. ^ "Dhar Election Results 2019 Live Updates: ChattarSingh Darbar of BJP Wins". News18. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  28. ^ "Hemendra Singh Puar is head of erstwhile princely state of Dhar". Hindustan Times. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Hemendra Puar to be new Dhar maharaja | Indore News – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Hemendra Singh becomes new King of Dhar". Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Administration to remove seal on Dhar royal estates on HC orders | Indore News – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  32. ISBN 9788120619654
    .
  33. ^ "Census of India: Dhar". censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  34. ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  35. ^ a b "C-1 Population By Religious Community". census.gov.in. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  36. ^ "Dinosaur Fossils National Park Bagh Dhar". Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  37. ^ "Researcher find abnormal dinosaur eggs". India Today. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  38. ^ Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer p. 510
  39. ^ "Station: Dhar Climatological Table 1981–2010" (PDF). Climatological Normals 1981–2010. India Meteorological Department. January 2015. pp. 239–240. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)" (PDF). India Meteorological Department. December 2016. p. M117. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Dhar.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dhar.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dhar&oldid=1219548349"
This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article: Dhar. Articles is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license; additional terms may apply.Privacy Policy