Mewar

This article is about the natural and historical region. For the state during the British Raj, see Udaipur State. For other uses, see Mewar (disambiguation).
Historical Region of Western India
Mewar (मेवाड़)
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Location Southern Rajasthan
19th-century flag
Guhil State established: AD 734
Language Mewari
Religion: Hinduism
Dynasties Moris (up to AD 734)
Guhilots (734-1303)
Sisodias (1326–1949)
Historical capitals Nagda, Chittaurgarh, and Udaipur
Map of the Mewar Region

Mewar or Mewāḍ (Hindi: मेवाड़) is a region of south-central Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur and some parts of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The region was for centuries a Rajput kingdom, the Mewar Kingdom or Udaipur Kingdom, that later became a princely state under the British.

It was originally called Medhpaat and Lord Shiva (Ekling Nath) is called Medhpateshwar (Lord of Medhpaat). Over time, the name Medhpath became Mewar. The Mewar region lies between the Aravali Range to the northwest, Ajmer to the north, Gujarat and the Vagad region of Rajasthan to the south, the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state to the southeast and the Hadoti region of Rajasthan to the east.

Geography

The northern part of Mewar is a gently sloping plain, drained by the Bedach and Banas River and its tributaries, which empty northwest into the Chambal River, a tributary of the Yamuna River. The southern part of the region is hilly, and marks the divide between the Banas and its tributaries and the headwaters of the Sabarmati and Mahi rivers and their tributaries, which drain south into the Gulf of Khambhat through Gujarat state. The Aravalli Range, which forms the northwestern boundary of the region, is composed mostly of sedimentary rocks, like marble and Kota Stone, which has traditionally been an important construction material.

The region is part of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests' ecoregion. Protected areas include the Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary, the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, the Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mewar has a tropical 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 June to September every year, during the southwest monsoon.

History

Main article: Udaipur State
Maharanas
Rana Kumbha was the vanguard of the fifteenth century Hindu resurgence in northwestern India. A very tall and powerful man, he held the Mewar flag flying high in an age when several Indian kings like Kapilendradeva of east India, Deva Raya II of south India and Man Singh Tomar of central India defeated the Turkic invaders in different parts of India; and he expanded his kingdom at the expense of the sultanates of Malwa and Gujarat.[1]
Rana Sanga of Mewar became the principal player in Northern India. His objectives grew in scope – he planned to conquer the much sought after prize of the Muslim rulers of the time, Delhi. However, his defeat in the Battle of Khanwa consolidated the new Mughal dynasty in India.
Maharana Pratap of Mewar, a 16th-century Rajput ruler firmly resisted the Mughals. Akbar sent many missions against him. He survived to ultimately gain control of all of Mewar, excluding Chittorgarh Fort.[2]

The Udaipur State, also known as Mewar Kingdom, was a princely state in India at the time of the British Raj.

The state of Mewar was founded around 530; later it would also, and ultimately predominantly, called Udaipur after the name of the capital. In 1568, Emperor Akbar conquered Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar. It remained in Mughal hands for about 150 years. When Udaipur State joined the Indian Union in 1949 it had been ruled by the Chattari Rajputs of Mori, Guhilot and Sisodia dynasties for over 1,400 years.[3][4] Chittaurgarh was the capital of Sisodia clans of Rajputs of Mewar.

Title of Maharana

The Mewarian rulers used the title "Maharana" (Prime Minister or Custodian) instead of the typical title "Maharaja" (Great King or Emperor) as they merely believed themselves to be custodians of the Hindu civilization epitomized in the temple of Eklingji, a manifestation of Lord Shiva.

Economy

The economy of the Mewar region relies primarily on tourism, the marble and stone industry, mining, handicrafts, zinc smelters, cement and tyre factories, as well as agriculture. Major crops include maize, groundnut, soybean, wheat, and mustard. Opium is also grown in the adjoining regions of the southeast (Pratapgarh and Nimbahera). Fishery also thrives in the region's various lakes, supported by a government fisheries department.

Tourism

Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary
City Palace, Udaipur.
The Jain temple in Ranakpur

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4.
  2. ↑ John Merci, Kim Smith; James Leuck (1922). "Muslim conquest and the Rajputs". The Medieval History of India pg 67-115
  3. ↑ Princely States of India
  4. ↑ "Udaipur State (also called Mewar): History". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909. pp. v. 24, p. 87.

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