Mandalgarh


Mandalgarh is a town with municipality in Bhilwara district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Pincode of Mandalgarh is 311604.

History

Mandalgarh was ruled by Bhil king, the last Bhil king of Mandalgarh was Mandiya Bhil
The place, situated at a distance of 54 km towards South-East of Bhilwara. It is sub division, tehsil and panchayat samiti of same name. The place is of historical importance because it was the scene of many a fierce battle during the mediaeval times, according to the Muslim historians.
The place was taken twice by Mahmud Khilji of Malwa in the middle of the fifteenth century, and subsequently appears to have belonged alternately to the Ranas of Mewar and the Mughal emperors. In or about 1650, Shah Jahan granted it in Jagir to Raja Roop Singh of Kishangarh, who partially built a palace here, but Rana Raj Singh retook it in 1660. Twenty years later, Aurangzeb captured the palace and in 1700 made it over to Jhujar Singh Chief of Pisangan from whom it was recovered by Rana Amar Singh in 1706, and it since then remained in the uninterrupted possession of his successors.
Chivalrous Mehta Agar Chand, son of Mehta Prithviraj, then adviser to Maharana Ari Singh II since 1761, was also appointed as first Kiledar of Mandalgarh Fort in 1765. The patta signed and given by Maharana Ari Singh II of Mewar reads - "My order to Brother Mehta Agar Chand. The district of Mandalgarh has become rebellious, considering you to be our own person, we are sending you there. Try your best for the good of the Maharana and while trying for good, some wrong may be overlooked. Settle there with your family so long as Shri Eklingji's supremacy prevails, the district shall be yours. Build houses for your dwelling and try to inhabit people and farmers by granting them concessions. Manage the affairs of the fort with strong hand". Mehta Agar Chand strengthened the fortifications by repairing, reconstruction and remodelling the outer walls of defence and repaired the existing gates. Mehta Agar Chand, later served Mewar as Pradhan. Mandalgarh Fort remained under the Kiledaari of successive Bachhawat Mehtas till Independence of India in 1947.
To the North-West is a fort about half a mile in length with a low rampart wall and bastions encircling the crest of the hill on which it stands. The fort is said to have been constructed by a chief of the Balnote Clan of Rajputs. There is an old temple Jaleshwar by name The fort also houses a temple dedicated to Shiva near Mandalgarh a small village Vitthalpura.
During medieval period, due to an unknown reason, some of the families of local Brahma community migrated & settled themselves in North Maharashtra's Shirpur tehsil of Dhule district. These people formed a small village with the same name as Mandalgarh and retained the same name for few centuries. Over the time "garh" from Mandalgarh was chopped off by people who preferred to call shorter version of name of the village, "Mandal", in their daily routines. The village is still known as Mandal and some of the aged people alive still remember that their grandparents or great grandparents used to call Mandal as Mandalgarh. The local language of people of village Mandal is Ahirani which has a lot of words that match with those of Rajasthani words.

Geography

Mandalgarh is located at. It has an average elevation of 382 metres.

Demographics

India census, Mandalgarh had a population of 20,161. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Mandalgarh has an average literacy rate of 50%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 63%, and female literacy is 36%. In Mandalgarh, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.