Dhundhar


Dhundhar, also known as Jaipur region, is a historical region of Rajasthan state in western India. It includes the districts of Jaipur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, and Tonk and the northern part of Karauli District.
The region lies in east-central Rajasthan, and is bounded by the Aravalli Range on the northwest, Ajmer to the west, Mewar region to the southwest, Hadoti region to the south, and Alwar, Bharatpur, and Karauli districts to the east.

Geography

In 1900, at the times of Jaipur Kingdom, region had a total area of 15,579 square miles.
The southern and central portions of the region lie in the basin of the Banas River and its tributaries, including the Dhund River, which gives its name to the region. The northern portion of the region is drained by the Ban Ganga River, which originates in Jaipur district and flows east to join the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state.

History

The state of Jaipur was earlier knows as Amber or Dhundhar and was ruled by Meena tribe, who held a fortress at Naen. Later a Kachhwaha prince destroyed the sovereignty of Naen.

Culture

Generally liberal policies of the rulers permitted Jainism to flourish at Amber and later at Jaipur.
It continues to be one of the most important centers of Jainism in India. It is here where the Bispanthi/Digambar Terapanthi divisions among the Jains emerged in the 17th century. In the 17th century the Chittor seat of the Bhattarakas of Mula Sangh Saraswati gachchha moved from Champawati to Sanganer and then to Amber and finally to Jaipur where the last Bhattarka was present until 1965. The lineage is: