Ajmer region

Ajmer is a historical region in central Rajasthan, a central part of a big Chauhan empire in 11-12th centuries.

The region includes a present day Ajmer district and is bounded on the west by Marwar, on the northeast by Dhundhar, on the southeast by Hadoti, and on the south by Mewar regions.

Geography

The area of the province was 2710 square miles. The plateau, on whose centre stands the town of Ajmer, may be considered as the highest point in the plains of North India; from the circle of hills which hem it in, the country slopes away on every side - towards river valleys on the east, south, west and towards the Thar Desert region on the north.

The Aravalli Range is the distinguishing feature of the district. The range of hills which runs between Ajmer and Nasirabad marks the watershed of the continent of India. The rain which falls on the southeastern slopes drains into the Chambal, and so into the Bay of Bengal; that which falls on the northwest side into the Luni River, which discharges itself into the Rann of Kutch.

The province is on the border of what may be called the arid zone; it is the debatable land between the north-eastern and south-western monsoons, and beyond the influence of either. The south-west monsoon sweeps up the Narmada valley from Bombay and crossing the tableland at Neemuch gives copious supplies to Malwa, Jhalawar and Kota and the countries which lie in the course of the Chambal River.

The clouds which strike Kathiawar and Kutch are deprived of a great deal of their moisture by the hills in those countries (now the majority of this region is in Gujarat state within independent India), and the greater part of the remainder is deposited on Mount Abu and the higher slopes of the Aravalli Range, leaving but little for Merwara, where the hills are lower, and still less for Ajmer. It is only when the monsoon is in considerable force that Merwara gets a plentiful supply from it. The north-eastern monsoon sweeps up the valley of the Ganges from the Bay of Bengal and waters the northern part of Rajasthan, but hardly penetrates farther west than the longitude of Ajmer.

On the varying strength of these two monsoons the rainfall of the district depends. The agriculturist of Ajmer-Merwara could never rely upon two good harvests in succession.

History

Rule of Chauhans

The independent history of the region is closely connected to Chauhans, who ruled this part from 11 th till 14th centuries. Chauhan clan was one of the four main Rajput dynasties (Agnivanshis) of that era, the others being Pratiharas, Paramaras and Chalukyas.

One of the branches of Chauhans established themselves in the salt lake Sambhar area (in the Dhundhar region). Sakhambari branch remained near lake Sambhar and married into the ruling Gurjar-Pratihara, who then ruled an empire in Northern India.

The Chauhans later asserted their independence from the Pratiharas, and in the early eleventh century, the Sakhambari king "Ajaya-Raja" founded the city of "Ajayameru" (Ajmer) in the southern part of their kingdom, and in the mid twelfth century, his successor Vigraharaja enlarged the state, captured Dhilika (the ancient name of Delhi) from the Tomaras and annexed some of their territory along the Yamuna River, including Haryana and Delhi.

In 12th century the Chauhans dominated Delhi, Ajmer, Ranthambhor. They were also prominent at Godwar in the southwest of Rajputana, and at Hadoti (Bundi and Kota) in the east. Chauhan politics were largely campaigns against the Chalukyas and the invading Muslim hordes.

The Chauhan kingdom became the leading state and a powerful kingdom in Northern India under King Prithviraj III (1165-1192), also known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora. Prithviraj III has become famous in folk tales and historical literature as the Chauhan king of Delhi who resisted the Muslim attack in the first Battle of Tarain (1191). Armies from other Rajput kingdoms, including Mewar assisted him. The Chauhan kingdom collapsed after Prithviraj was defeated by Mohammed of Ghor in 1192 at the Second Battle of Tarain.

Ajmer after Prithviraj III

This failure ushered in Muslim rule in North India in the form of the SLAVE DYNASTY, the first of the Delhi Sultanates, but the Chauhans remained in Ajmer as feudatories of Mohammed of Ghor and the Sultans of Delhi until 1365, when Ajmer was captured by the rulers 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.

Ajmer-Merwara province

In 1818 the Marathas sold Ajmer to the British for 50,000 rupees, and it became Ajmer-Merwara Province. Since then Ajmer had enjoyed unbroken peace and stable governance.

The province consisted of the districts of Ajmer and Merwara, which were physically separated by the territory of Rajputana Agency. Ajmer-Merwara was administered directly by the British Raj, by a commissioner who was subordinate to the governor-general's agent for Rajputana. Ajmer-Merwara remained a province of India from independence in 1947 to 1950, when it became the state of Ajmer. Ajmer state was merged into Rajputana on November 1, 1956.