History of Ajmer

Overview

The history of Ajmer, a city in the present-day Indian state of Rajasthan, spans more than a millennium of continuous political, religious and cultural significance. Founded by the Chahamana (Chauhan) dynasty in the early medieval period, Ajmer grew into one of the most strategically important cities of north-western India. Its location at the foot of the Aravalli range, on the corridor between Delhi and Gujarat, made it a contested prize for successive ruling powers, including the Chauhans, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, the Marathas and finally the British.

Key facts

Background and etymology

The name Ajmer is derived from Ajayameru, meaning "invincible hill", a reference to the hill fort of Taragarh that towers above the city. Local tradition credits the founding of the settlement to the Chauhan ruler Ajayaraja II in the early 12th century, although the surrounding region of Sapadalaksha had been under Chauhan control well before that date. The city's strategic position on the trade and military route linking the Gangetic plains with Gujarat and the western coast shaped much of its later history.

Chauhan period

Under the Chahamanas, Ajmer functioned as a capital of the dynasty alongside Shakambhari (Sambhar). The rulers patronised Sanskrit learning and Jain and Shaivite institutions, and built temples and reservoirs, including the Anasagar lake, attributed to Arnoraja in the 12th century. Prithviraj III, popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan, is the most celebrated ruler of this line. After his defeat by Muhammad of Ghor at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, Ajmer passed to the Ghurids, marking the end of independent Chauhan rule in the city.

Delhi Sultanate

Following the Ghurid conquest, Ajmer was incorporated into the territories that would soon form the Delhi Sultanate. The Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, a mosque constructed from materials of earlier temples and Sanskrit colleges, dates from this period and reflects the architectural transition of late 12th- and early 13th-century north India. During this era the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti settled in Ajmer, where he died around 1236. His tomb subsequently became the Dargah Sharif, the most important Chishti shrine in the subcontinent and a site of continuous pilgrimage for Muslims and others alike.

Mughal period

Ajmer's strategic and religious importance attracted close Mughal attention. Akbar annexed the region in 1559 and made Ajmer the headquarters of a subah (province) covering much of present-day Rajasthan. He commissioned the Akbari Fort and Magazine in 1570, which served as a residence and administrative seat. Akbar made repeated pilgrimages on foot to the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti and used Ajmer as a base for his campaigns against Mewar.

Jahangir held court at Ajmer for an extended period between 1613 and 1616, during which he received the English ambassador Sir Thomas Roe, an event of significance for the early commercial diplomacy of the East India Company. Shah Jahan added marble structures to the dargah complex. Mughal control weakened in the 18th century as imperial authority declined.

Maratha period

By the mid-18th century Ajmer had become contested between regional powers. The Marathas, particularly the Scindias of Gwalior, established control over the city in the latter half of the century. Maratha rule was punctuated by conflict with the Rajput states of Mewar, Marwar and Jaipur, and the period was marked by political instability and shifting fortifications around Taragarh.

British period

Ajmer was ceded to the British East India Company by Daulat Rao Scindia under the Treaty of 1818, following the Third Anglo-Maratha War. It became the nucleus of a small Crown-administered enclave known as Ajmer-Merwara, which remained directly under British rule even as the surrounding princely