SHAJAPUR

also spelled Shahjapur town, administrative headquarters of Shajapur district, Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The town lies just west of the Lakunda River. It was founded c. AD 1640 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, its name being a corruption of Shahjahanpur. A well-preserved fort contains the palace of Tara Bai, a historic Maratha queen. The town is a major road junction and an agricultural market; cotton ginning is the chief industry. There is a college affiliated with Vikram University. A fruit research farm is nearby. Shajapur district (area 2,394 sq mi [6,201 sq km]) comprises areas of the former Gwalior, Bhopal, and Dewas princely states. It lies on the fertile Malwa Plateau, watered by the Kali Sindh and Newaj rivers. Cotton, millet, wheat, peanuts (groundnuts), and tobacco are the chief crops. Jaina remains are scattered throughout the district, which was transferred from Gwalior division in 1956. Pop. (1981) town, 33,969; district, 840,247.