Ajmer

From Jatland Wiki

Ajmer (अजमेर) is a city in Ajmer District in India's Rajasthan state. Its population was approximately 500,000 in 2001. The city gives its name to a district, and also to a former province of British India called Ajmer-Merwara, which, after India's independence, became the state of Ajmer until November 1, 1956, when it was merged into Rajasthan state.

It is situated in 26° 27, N. lat. and 74° 44, E. long., on the lower slopes of Taragarh hill, in the Aravalli Range. To the north of the city is a large artificial lake, called Anasagar, adorned with a marble structure called Baradari.

The city is well laid out with wide streets and handsome houses. Ajmer is at an important railway junction. The city is a trade center and has cotton mills and railroad shops. Manufactures include wool textiles, hosiery, shoes, soap, and pharmaceuticals.

History

Ajmer (Ajaya-meru in Sanskrit) was founded in the tenth century CE by Raja Ajay Pal Chauhan. He established the Chauhan dynasty which continued to rule the country while repeated waves of Muslim invasion swept across India. Ajmer was conquered by Muhammad of Ghor, founder of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1193. Its internal government, however, was handed over to the Chauhan rulers upon the payment of a heavy tribute to the conquerors. Ajmer then remained feudatory to Delhi until 1365, when it was captured by the ruler of Mewar. In 1509 Ajmer became a source of contention between the maharajas of Mewar and Marwar, and was ultimately conquered by the Marwar ruler in 1532. Ajmer was lost to the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1559. It continued to be in the hands of the Mughals, with occasional revolts, till 1770, when it was ceded to the Marathas. From that time up to 1818 Ajmer was the scene of an ongoing struggle, being seized at different times by the Mewar and the Marwar maharajas, from whom it was often retaken by the Marathas. In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the British for 50,000 rupees. Since then Ajmer has enjoyed unbroken peace and stable governance.