View source for Dhar

{{Short description|City in Madhya Pradesh, India}}
{{about|the city|other uses|Dhar (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2020}}

<!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Indian cities]] for details --> 
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Dhar
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| settlement_type          = [[City]]
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|image1 = Dhar Fort, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.jpg
|caption1 = Dhar Fort 
|image2 = Bagh Cave 2, Madhya Pradesh 042.jpg
|caption2 = Bagh Caves 
|image3 = Dhar district - Hoshang's Tomb - 20141223121423.jpg
|caption3 = Hoshangshah tomb
|image4 = Bagh Caves Madhya Pradesh 005.jpg
|caption4 = Road to Bagh Caves
|image5 = Jahaz Mahal 10.jpg
|caption5 = Jahaz Mahal Mandu}}
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| pushpin_map              = India Madhya Pradesh#India3
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| coordinates              = {{coord|22|35|50|N|75|18|15|E|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{flag|India}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[States and territories of India|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of districts of India|District]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Dhar district|Dhar]]
| established_title        = <!-- Established -->
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| government_type          = [[Municipal Council]]
| governing_body           = Dhar Municipal Council
| unit_pref                = Metric
| area_footnotes           = 
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| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 559
| population_total         = 93,917
| population_as_of         = 2011
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_density_km2   = auto
| population_rank          = 
| population_demonym       = Dharwasi
| demographics_type1       = [[Language]]
| demographics1_title1     = Official
| demographics1_info1      = [[Hindi]]<ref name="langoff">{{cite web|title=52nd Report of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in India |url=http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|website=nclm.nic.in|publisher=[[Ministry of Minority Affairs]]|access-date=7 December 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525141614/http://nclm.nic.in/shared/linkimages/NCLM52ndReport.pdf|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref>
| timezone1                = [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| utc_offset1              = +5:30
| postal_code_type         = <!-- [[Postal Index Number|PIN]] -->
| postal_code              = 454001
| registration_plate       = MP-11
| website                  = {{URL|https://dhar.nic.in}}
| footnotes                = 
}}
'''Dhar''' is a city located in [[Dhar district, India|Dhar district]] of the [[Malwa]] region in the [[States and union territories of India|state]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[India]]. The city is the administrative headquarters of the [[Dhar district]]. Before Indian independence from [[Great Britain]], it was the capital of the [[Dhar State|Dhar princely state]].
[[File:Dhar Map.pdf|thumb|Dhār, Madhya Pradesh. Plan of 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 district|Alirajpur]]. The town is located {{convert|34|mi|km}} west of [[Mhow]]. It is located {{convert|559|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. It possesses, alongside its old ramparts, many buildings which contain records of cultural, historical and national importance.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1 |wstitle=Dhar |volume=8 |page=142}}</ref>

== Historic places and monuments ==
[[File:Ramparts at Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, India.jpg|thumb|left|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 [[Warangal]], in the [[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. 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.

===Fort===
[[File:Dhar Fort, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 3.jpg|thumb|left|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.<ref>K. K. Lele, in Dikshit, ''Pārijātamañjarī'', p. xxi, n. 1,</ref> One of the gateways, added later, dates to 1684–85 in the time of 'Ālamgīr.<ref>''Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy'' (1971-72): 81, no. D. 72.</ref> 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 Empire|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, Madhya Pradesh|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.<ref>G. H. Yazdani, 'The Inscription on the Tomb of 'Abdullah Shāh Changāl at Dhār' ''Epigraphica Indo-Moslemica'' (1909-10): 1-5.</ref>
{{main|Tomb of Shaykh Changal}}

===Iron Pillar===
One of the most significant historical attractions 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|Dhar iron pillar}}

===Lat Mosque===
[[File:Lat masjid 1.JPG|thumb|left|Lāṭ Masjid, interior, built in 1405]]
The [[Lat Masjid]], or 'Pillar Mosque', located to the south of the town, was built as the [[Jama Mosque|Jami' Mosque]] by [[Dilawar Khan]] in 1405.<ref>''Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy'' (1971-72): 81, no. D. 73</ref> It derives its name from the [[iron pillar of Dhar|iron pillar]] ("lāṭ" in Hindi), which lies in the immediate campus of the mosque.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Smith | first1 = V. A. | title = The Iron Pillar of Dhār | journal = Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society | volume = 1898 | pages = 143–46 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Ray | first1 = Amitava | last2 = Dhua | first2 = S. K. | last3 = Prasad | first3 = R. R. | last4 = Jha | first4 = S. | last5 = Banerjee | first5 = S. | year = 1997 | title = The ancient 11th century iron pillar at Dhar, India: a microstructural insight into material characteristics | journal = Journal of Materials Science Letters | volume = 16 | issue = 5| pages = 371–375 | doi = 10.1023/A:1018550529070 | s2cid = 134653889}}</ref> 
{{main|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).<ref>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.</ref> Kamāl al-Dīn was a follower of [[Fariduddin Ganjshakar|Farīd al-Dīn Gaṅj-i Shakar]] (''circa'' 1173–1266) and the [[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.<ref>The key modern works in Rām Sevak Garg, ''Hazrat maulānā kamāluddīn ciśtī rah. aur unkā yug'' (Bhopāl, 2005).</ref>
{{main|Dargāh of Shaykh Kamāl al-Dīn}}

===Bhoj Shala===
Except for the [[Mihrab]] and [[Minbar]], which were purpose-built for the monument, the [[hypostyle]] 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.<ref>Luard, ''Dhar and Mandu'' (Bombay, 1916): 9; U. N. Day, ''Medieval Malwa'' (Delhi, 1969): 15, n. 2. The text is in Zafar Hasan, “The Inscriptions of Dhār and Māndū,” ''Epigraphia Indo-Moslemica'' (1909–10): 6-29, available online: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15170381</ref> In 1903, Sanskrit and [[Prakrit]] inscriptions from the time of [[Arjunavarman]] (''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 called ''Vijayaśrīnāṭikā'' composed by Madana, the king's preceptor, who bore the epithet ''Bālasarasvatī''.<ref>S. K. Dikshit, ed., ''Pārijātamañjarī alias Vijayaśrī by Rāja-Guru Madana alias Bāla-Sarasvatī'' (Bhopal, 1968).</ref> Other tablets noted by Lele include a slab inscribed in Prakrit with two versions of the ''Kūrmaśataka'' – 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 the [[Sanskrit]] language. These finds, particularly the grammatical inscriptions, prompted Lele to name the building [[Bhoj Shala]], or 'Hall of Bhoja', in reference to King [[Bhoja]] (''circa'' 1000–55), the author of several works on poetics, grammar and aesthetics, most notably the [[Shringara-Prakasha|''Śṛṅgāra Prakāśa'']].<ref>Other works mentioned in 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.</ref> 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'.<ref>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</ref>
{{main|Bhoj Shala}}
[[File:City Palace PP.jpg|thumb|left|City Palace, built in 1875]]

===Cenotaphs and Old City Palace===
The old city palace of the [[Pawar]] clan, a branch of the [[Maratha]]s that claims descent from the [[Parmar (clan)|Parmar Rajputs]] of [[Malwa]], is now used as a school. It is a plain, medium-sized building built around 1875. A marble [[Ambika Statue from Dhar|statue]] of the [[Jain]] goddess [[Ambika (Jainism)|Ambikā]], discovered on the site of the palace in 1875, is now in the [[British Museum]].<ref>Kirit Mankodi, 'A Paramāra Sculpture in the British Museum: Vāgdevī or Yakshī Ambikā?’, ''Sambodhi'' 9 (1980-81): 96-103.</ref> Of the same time period as the palace are a collection of domed [[cenotaph]]s of the Pawar rulers on the edge of the large tank known as Muñj Talab. The name of the tank was probably derived from [[Vakpati Munja|Vākpati Muñja]] (10th century), the first Paramāra king that entered Mālwa and made [[Ujjain]] his main administrative seat.<ref>H. V. Trivedi, ''Inscriptions of the Paramāras, Chandellas, Kachchhapaghātas and Two Minor Dynasties'', Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, volume 7 (New Delhi, 1978-91):  9.</ref>
[[File:Tomb of Shaykh Zahīr al-Dīn Qādirī at Dhār.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>see रामसेवक गर्ग, हज़रत मौलाना कमालुद्दीन चिश्ती रह. और उनका युग (भोपाल: आदिवासी लोक कला अकादमी, प्रदेश संस्क्रिति परिशद, २००५): 149-50.</ref>
[[File:Agency House 2010.jpg|thumb|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.<ref>see Mukhtar Ahmad Khān, बुजुर्गानदीन-ए-मालवा (Dhār, 1994): 56.</ref> '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 [[Dhar State|State]] and the [[Central India Agency]].<ref>The only documentation is here: [https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/92037/7852D3C1E6D4F81B1A4DD7154F7E27D6F63EE065.html Agency House]</ref> The building has been abandoned and is now in ruins.

===Jheera Bagh===
[[File:Jheera Bagh Dhar PP.jpg|thumb|right|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|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,<ref name="EB1911"/> the first reference to it appearing in an inscription in [[Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh|Jaunpur]] during the [[Maukhari]] dynasty (6th century).<ref>[[John Faithfull Fleet|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</ref> Dhar rose to prominence when it was made the primary seat of the [[Paramara dynasty|Paramara]] chiefs of [[Malwa]] by Vairisiṃha (''circa'' 920-45 CE). Vairisimha appears to have transferred his headquarters to Dhar from [[Ujjain]]. During the rule of the Paramāras, Dhar was a respected centre of culture and learning,<ref name="EB1911"/> especially under the rule of King [[Bhoja]] (circa 1000–1055). The wealth and splendor of Dhar drew the attention of competing dynasties in the 11th century. The [[Chalukyas of Kalyani|Cāḷukyas of Kalyāṇa]] under [[Someshvara I|Someśvara I]] (circa CE 1042–68) captured and burnt the city, also occupying Māṇḍū (ancient Māṇḍava).<ref>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).</ref> Dhar was subsequently sacked by the [[Chalukyas of Gujarat|Cāḷukyas of Gujarāt]] under [[Jayasimha Siddharaja|Siddharāja]].<ref>A. K. Majumdar, ''Chalukyas of Gujarat'' (Bombay, 1956): 72-3.</ref> The devastation and political fragmentation caused by these wars meant that there was no significant opposition when [[Ala ud din Khilji]], the Sultān of [[Delhi]], dispatched an army to Mālwa in the early 14th century. The region was annexed to [[Delhi]], and Dhar was made the capital of the province under [[Ayn al-Mulk Multani|'Ayn al-Mulk Mūltānī]], who served as governor until 1313.<ref>Iqtidar Husain Siddiqui, ''Authority and Kingship under the Sultans of [[Delhi]]'' (Delhi, 2006): 283-84.</ref> The events that occurred during the following seventy years are unclear, but some time in A.H. 793/C.E. 1390-91 [[Dilawar Khan]] was appointed ''[[muqṭi]]'' of Dhar (and also the governor of Mālwa) by Sulṭān Muḥammad Shāh.<ref>Day, ''Medieval Malwa'', p. 13.</ref> Dilāwar Khān took the title 'Amīd Shāh Dā'ūd' and mandated the ''khutba'' to be read in his name in A.H. 804/C.E. 1401–1402, thereby establishing himself as an independent sulṭān.<ref>Day, ''Medieval Malwa'', p. 21.</ref> Upon his death in 1406, his son [[Hoshang Shah]] became king, with his capital situated in Māṇḍū. In the time of [[Akbar]], Dhar fell under the dominion of the [[Mughals]], and remained under Mughal control until 1730, when the town was conquered by the [[Maratha]]s.<ref name="EB1911"/>

In late 1723, [[Bajirao]], at the head of a large army and accompanied by his lieutenants [[Malharrao 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 collect ''[[Chauth]]'' taxes in Malwa and [[Gujarat]]. This levy was financially beneficial to the [[Maratha]] caste, as both the king [[Chattrapati Shahu|Shahu]] and his Peshwa, [[Bajirao]], were in large amounts of debt at the time. Agriculture in the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] depended heavily on the timeliness and duration of the monsoons. The most important source of royal revenue was, therefore, the C''hauth'' (a 25% tax on produce) and S''ardeshmukhi'' (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 [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] governor and attacked the capital [[Ujjain]]. [[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 [[House of Holkar|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|Dhar State}}
After the [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] of 1818, Dhar fell under [[United Kingdom|British]] rule. The [[Dhar State]] was designated as a [[princely state]] of India, in the [[Bhopawar Agency]] of the [[Central India Agency]]. It included several Rajput and [[Bhil]] feudatories and had an area of {{convert|1775|sqmi|km2}}. The state was confiscated by the British 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 [[Order of the Star of India|KCSI]] in 1877, died in 1898; he was succeeded by Udaji Rao II [[Pawar]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

=== 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 [[Durbar (court)|Darbar]], were divided between [[Thakur (title)|Thakur]]s 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 [[Talukdar]]s and their holdings called ''kothari''. By [[caste]], there were 8 [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathore Rajputs]], one [[Pawar]] and one [[Kayasth]].

The Bhumias, or "Allodial" Chiefs, were all [[Bhilala]]s, a clan claiming to be of mixed [[Bhil people|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.

[[File:HH Maharaja Shrimant Hemendra Singh Rao Pawar of Dhar State.jpg|thumb|HH Maharaja Shrimant [[Hemendra Singh Rao Pawar]] of the [[Dhar State]] seated on the 'Gadi' of the Kshatriya Maratha Pawar (Puar) 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 ===
[[Bhartiya Janata Party]] politician [[Neena Vikram Verma]] serves as a member of the [[Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly]] for the Dhar-Vidhan-Sabha Constituency.<ref name="Hindu2013">{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh-pollmeter-never-too-late/article5314707.ece?ref=sliderNews | title=Madhya Pradesh Pollmeter: Never too late | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=5 November 2013 | access-date=5 November 2013}}</ref>

In [[2024 Indian general election|2024]], Savitri Thakur of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] was elected as a [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|Member of Parliament]] representing the Dhar constituency.

Maharaja Shrimant [[Hemendra Singh Rao Pawar]] is the present titular head of the [[Pawar|Maratha Pawar]] dynasty of the State of Dhar.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/hemendra-singh-puar-is-head-of-erstwhile-princely-state-of-dhar/story-4H53hVYBjS6GnttmlL8ggL.html|title=Hemendra Singh Puar is head of erstwhile princely state of Dhar|date=15 January 2015|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Hemendra-Puar-to-be-new-Dhar-maharaja/articleshow/45893428.cms|title=Hemendra Puar to be new Dhar maharaja &#124; Indore News – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.freepressjournal.in/hemendra-singh-becomes-new-king-of-dhar/ |title=Hemendra Singh becomes new King of Dhar |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725012024/http://www.freepressjournal.in/hemendra-singh-becomes-new-king-of-dhar/ |archive-date=25 July 2015 |access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Administration-to-remove-seal-on-Dhar-royal-estates-on-HC-orders/articleshow/48211141.cms|title=Administration to remove seal on Dhar royal estates on HC orders &#124; Indore News – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=riBJH0J1FR0C&q=dhar+parmar+puar&pg=PA302 |title = Indian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey|isbn = 9788120619654|last1 = Solomon|first1 = R. V.|last2 = Bond|first2 = J. W.|year = 2006}}</ref>

== 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.<ref name="Census2011Gov">{{cite web |title=Census of India: Dhar |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=532166 |website=censusindia.gov.in |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref>

This is an increase from the 2001 India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=16 June 2004|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)|access-date=1 November 2008|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> 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===
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Dhar (2011)<ref name="Religion">{{cite web |title=C-1 Population By Religious Community |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW23C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=census.gov.in |access-date=25 November 2020}}</ref>
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Hindus]]|orange|79.62}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslims]]|green|17.39}}
{{bar percent|[[Jains]]|pink|2.05}}
{{bar percent|Others|grey|0.94}}
|caption=Distribution of religions
}}

The majority of the population adheres to [[Hinduism]], with significant groups following [[Islam]] and [[Jainism]].<ref name="Religion"/>

== Postal information ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2020}}
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.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} 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.<ref name="DharUniqueDinosaurEgg">{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/researchers-find-abnormal-dinosaur-eggs-in-madhya-pradesh-they-have-bird-like-features-1962332-2022-06-14 |title=Researcher find abnormal dinosaur eggs |website=India Today |access-date=27 December 2022}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[Baji Rao II]], the last of the [[Peshwas]], was born in Dhar.<ref>''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer'' p. 510</ref>

== Transportation ==

* '''By Air:''' The nearest airport is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport (IDR) in Indore, located approximately 60&nbsp;km from [https://dhar.nic.in/en/how-to-reach/ Dhar] [https://www.tourmyindia.com/states/madhyapradesh/dhar.html]. This airport has regular flights connecting to major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Raipur and Kolkata.
* '''By Train:''' Dhar does not have a railway station. The closest railway station is in Indore, which is about 60&nbsp;km away [1]. Another option is [[Ratlam railway division|Ratlam]], situated 93&nbsp;km from Dhar by road. From [[Indore Junction railway station|Indore]] or Ratlam, one can travel to Dhar by bus or taxi.
* '''By Road:''' Dhar is well-connected to other cities by road. It is accessible by road for tourists coming from [[Maharashtra]] and [[Gujarat]].

==Climate==
{{Weather box
| location = Dhar (1991–2020, extremes 1973–2020) 
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 33.8
| Feb record high C = 37.7
| Mar record high C = 43.1
| Apr record high C = 44.4
| May record high C = 47.1
| Jun record high C = 44.6
| Jul record high C = 39.6
| Aug record high C = 36.2
| Sep record high C = 38.3
| Oct record high C = 38.7
| Nov record high C = 35.7
| Dec record high C = 35.7
| year record high C = 47.1
| Jan high C = 26.0
| Feb high C = 29.3
| Mar high C = 34.3
| Apr high C = 38.4
| May high C = 39.7
| Jun high C = 35.5
| Jul high C = 29.6
| Aug high C = 28.6
| Sep high C = 30.2
| Oct high C = 32.5
| Nov high C = 30.2
| Dec high C = 28.1
| year high C = 31.8
| Jan low C = 10.3
| Feb low C = 12.8
| Mar low C = 18.2
| Apr low C = 22.2
| May low C = 24.6
| Jun low C = 23.7
| Jul low C = 21.9
| Aug low C = 21.2
| Sep low C = 20.8
| Oct low C = 18.6
| Nov low C = 14.8
| Dec low C = 11.7
| year low C = 18.3
| Jan record low C = 3.3
| Feb record low C = 3.0
| Mar record low C = 6.1
| Apr record low C = 12.1
| May record low C = 18.1
| Jun record low C = 16.6
| Jul record low C = 16.0
| Aug record low C = 15.0
| Sep record low C = 15.6
| Oct record low C = 9.6
| Nov record low C = 6.1
| Dec record low C = 4.1
| year record low C = 3.0
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 2.2
| Feb rain mm = 1.9
| Mar rain mm = 2.1
| Apr rain mm = 2.5
| May rain mm = 11.4
| Jun rain mm = 128.0
| Jul rain mm = 313.2
| Aug rain mm = 207.0
| Sep rain mm = 163.5
| Oct rain mm = 39.1
| Nov rain mm = 15.6
| Dec rain mm = 2.1
| year rain mm = 888.7
| Jan rain days = 0.1
| Feb rain days = 0.2
| Mar rain days = 0.2
| Apr rain days = 0.1
| May rain days = 0.6
| Jun rain days = 7.1
| Jul rain days = 13.6
| Aug rain days = 11.5
| Sep rain days = 7.4
| Oct rain days = 1.9
| Nov rain days = 0.8
| Dec rain days = 0.1
| year rain days = 43.6
| time day = 17:30 [[Indian Standard Time|IST]]
| Jan humidity = 50
| Feb humidity = 41
| Mar humidity = 35
| Apr humidity = 40
| May humidity = 38
| Jun humidity = 57
| Jul humidity = 79
| Aug humidity = 82
| Sep humidity = 76
| Oct humidity = 52
| Nov humidity = 53
| Dec humidity = 54
| year humidity = 55
|source 1 = [[India Meteorological Department]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climatological%20Tables%201991-2020.pdf
| title = Climatological Tables of Observatories in India 1991-2020
| publisher = [[India Meteorological Department]]
| access-date = April 8, 2024
}}</ref><ref name=IMDnormals>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205040301/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf
| archive-date = 5 February 2020
| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/1981-2010%20CLIM%20NORMALS%20%28STATWISE%29.pdf
| title = Station: Dhar Climatological Table 1981–2010
| work = Climatological Normals 1981–2010
| publisher = India Meteorological Department
| date = January 2015
| pages = 239–240
| access-date = 29 December 2020}}</ref><ref name=IMDextremes>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200205042509/http://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf
| archive-date = 5 February 2020
| url = https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/EXTREMES%20OF%20TEMPERATURE%20and%20RAINFALL%20upto%202012.pdf
| title = Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)
| publisher = India Meteorological Department
| date = December 2016
| page = M117
| access-date = 29 December 2020}}</ref>
}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:District Archeological Museum, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.jpg|District Archaeological Museum, Dhār, Madhya Pradesh
File:Kharbuza Mahal, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.jpg|Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
File:Kharbuza Mahal, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 3.jpg|Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
File:Kharbuza Mahal, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 4.jpg|Kharbuza Mahal at the Dhār Fort
File:Dhar Fort, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 5.jpg|Entire view of Bawari (Water Source at the Dhār Fort)
File:Dhar Fort, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 4.jpg|Entrance view from inside the fort at Dhār
File:Dhar Fort, Dhar, Madhya Pradesh 7.jpg|The Dhār Fort
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Bagh Print]]
* [[Bagh Caves]]
* [[Maratha Empire]]
* [[List of Maratha dynasties and states]]
* [[List of forts in India]]
* [[Dhar iron pillar]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons category}}
*[http://dhar.nic.in/ DhārDistrict governmental website]
*[http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~islamarc/WebPage1/htm_eng/dhar-eng.htm Dhārat the Islamic Monuments of India Photographic Database]
*[http://www.indore360.com/portal/index.php/Places/Mandu.html More Information about Mandu near Dhar]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Indore Division}}
{{Forts in India}}
{{Forts in Madhya Pradesh}}

[[Category:Dhar| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Dhar district]]
[[Category:Cities in Malwa]]
[[Category:Former capital cities in India]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 1st century BC]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures of the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:16th-century forts in India]]