Formerly Central India (Bhopawar) Agency, Malwa; now in Madhya Pradesh.
Location : Lying between 21°57 and 23°15’ north, and 74°37’ and 75°37’ east. Bordered on the north by Ratlam; east by parts of Gwalior and Indore; on the south by Barwani, and on the west by Jhabua and portions of Gwalior and Indore.
Area : 1,800 square miles.
Population : 243,430 (1931).
History : The Puar Rajputs, the ancestors of the last ruling family, were established in Dhar long before the Christian Era. The celebrated Rajas Vicramaditya and Bhoj are said to have reigned in Dhar. Vicramaditya transferred the capital from Ujjain to Dhar. The present Dhar dynasty was founded in 1729 by Udaji Rao Ponwar a distinguished solider who received the territory as a grant from the Peshwa. During the Pindhari raids, the state’s territory was whittled away until it was restored in size in 1819 when it was taken under protection by the British. The name of the state was taken from the old city of Dhar long famous as the capital of the Paramura Rajputs. The state was confiscated for rebellion in 1857 but was restored in 1864 with the ‘usual’ reduction in territory.
Revenue Stamps : Between 1920-1921 and 1925-1926, the receipts from the sale of stamps averaged about 46,000 rupees annually.
Capital : Dhar City.
Rulers : Rajput
Maharaja Anand Rao Puar IV, born 1920, adopted 1926 (1926-1947).
Maharaja Sir Udaji Rao Puar (1898-1926)
Raja Anand Rao Puar III (1864-1898).
Reference : The Court fee and Revenue Stamps of the Princely States of India by Adolph Koeppel and Raymond D. Manners
In this Blog I will share some of the items from my collection of Dhar. Readers are requested to send their suggestions/opinions about this blog. Questions from readers are also welcome.
