SHIVPURI

also called Sipri city, northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is situated on an elevated watershed from which streams radiate in all directions. It formerly served as a summer capital of Gwalior princely state. In 1804 the town was captured from the Narwar Rajput chief by the Sindhia family, whose palace still stands. Nearby are marble cenotaphs of the Sindhia rulers. Shivpuri, which was constituted a municipality in 1904, has a hospital, a forestry training school, and a college affiliated with Jiwaji University. A natural wildlife sanctuary surrounds the city, which is connected by road and rail with Gwalior and is an agricultural market and a major distribution centre for the products of the surrounding forested area. The region in which Shivpuri is situated consists chiefly of forested hill ridges. The area west of the Vindhya Range is fairly level and fertile, however, and allows the cultivation of jowar (sorghum), wheat, legumes, corn (maize), oilseeds, and barley. Iron and aluminum deposits are also worked in the region. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 108,271.