DUNGARPUR

town, administrative headquarters of Dungarpur district, Rajasthan state, northwestern India. An agricultural market centre, it is linked by road with Udaipur, as well as with Vadodara, Ahmadabad, and Indore via Godhra (Gujarat). Dungarpur, former capital of the Dungarpur princely state, was founded in the 14th century and was named after Dungaria, an independent chieftain of the Bhil people. A hospital and a government college affiliated with the University of Rajasthan are located there. Dungarpur district (1,456 sq mi [3,770 sq km]) consists of a hilly forested area drained by the Mahi River, which forms part of its eastern boundary. Agriculture is the principal occupation, and wheat, millet, rice, corn (maize), and pulses are the chief crops. Beryllium, lead, zinc, silver, iron-ore, and mica deposits are worked extensively. A former princely state, Dungarpur was included in Banswara state until c. 1530. Successively under Mughal, Maratha, and British control, it became part of the state of Rajasthan in 1948. Pop. (1981) town, 27,556; district, 682,845.