Banswara

Banswara, town, southern Rajasthan state, northwestern India. It is situated in an upland region of low hills just west of a large reservoir formed by damming the Mahi River.

The area once constituted the princely state of Banswara, founded about 1530, of which the walled town of Banswara was the capital. Earlier the region had formed part of the original Dungarpur state. The princely state merged with Rajasthan in 1948.

Banswara is an agricultural market centre. Its principal industries include cotton ginning, flour milling, hand-weaving, and woodworking. A government college there is affiliated with the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. The area around Banswara is comparatively flat and fertile, drained mainly by the Mahi. Corn (maize), wheat, and gram (chickpeas) are the chief crops. Iron ore, lead, zinc, silver, and manganese deposits are worked. Pop. (2001) 85,665; (2011) 99,969.