DHAR

Town (pop., 2001 prelim.: 75,472), western Madhya Pradesh state, central India.

On the northern slopes of the Vindhya Range, it commands one of the gaps leading to the Narmada River valley. An ancient town, it was famous as the capital of the Rajputs (9th–14th centuries). It was conquered by the Muslims in the 14th century, was under Mughal dominion, and fell to the Marathas in 1730. Long a centre of culture and learning, its fine historic sites include the Pillar Mosque (1405), built out of the remains of Jaina temples.