Jhalawar

Jhalawar, also called Jhalrapatan or Brijnagar, town, far southeastern Rajasthan state, northwestern India. It is situated on an upland plateau just west of the Kali Sindh River, a tributary of the Chambal River, about 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Kota.

The old town of Jhalrapatan (Patan) was founded as a cantonment (military installation) in 1796. The former ruling family of Jhalawar state was the Jhala Rajput clan (the warrior rulers of the historical region of Rajputana). The principality of Jhalawar was created from the partition of the original Kota princely state in 1838. In 1897, when the greater part of the town was restored to Kota, its present boundaries were created. Jhalawar became part of the state of Rajasthan in 1948.

The new town, including the palace and cantonment, lies just to the north of the old town. Jhalawar is a major road junction and an agricultural market centre. It has a government college affiliated with the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. Just northeast of town is Jhalawar Fort (Gagron Palace), one of several historic fortifications in Rajasthan that were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013.

Jhalawar’s surrounding area is part of the Malwa Plateau, a fertile undulating plain in the north and a hilly tract toward the south. Cotton, wheat, oilseeds, corn (maize), and jowar (grain sorghum) are the chief crops. Iron ore and sandstone deposits are worked. Nearby is the site of the ancient city of Chandravati (c. 1st century ce). Pop. (2001) town, 48,054; (2011) town, 66,919.