NAGAUR

also spelled Nagor town, administrative headquarters of Nagaur district, Rajasthan state, western India. Nagaur, a walled town held successively by the 12th-century Hindu ruler of Dilli (Delhi), Prthviraja, by the 12th- and 13th-century Muslim conqueror Muhammad of Ghur, and by Bikaner and Jodhpur chieftains, is said to take its name from its traditional founders, the Naga Rajputs (warrior rulers of the historic region of Rajputana). The fort contains palaces and a 17th-century mosque built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 162858). Connected by rail and road with Bikaner and Merta, it is a trade centre for bullocks, wool, hides, and cotton. Industries include handloom weaving and the manufacture of camel fittings, metal utensils, and ivory goods. Nagaur district (6,841 sq m [17,718 sq km]), formerly part of Jodhpur princely state, comprises a sandy plain bordered east by the Aravalli Range. Bajra (pearl millet), sorghum (jowar), and pulses are the chief crops, and an excellent breed of oxen is reared. Marble (at Makrana) and gypsum deposits are worked. Pop. (1981) town, 48,005; district, 1,628,669.