Editing Ajmer (section)

== History ==
[[File:Jahangir Receives Prince Khurram at Ajmer on His Return from the Mewar Campaign.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Jahangir receives Prince Khurram at Ajmer on his return from the Mewar campaign]]

Ajmer was originally known as ''Ajayameru''. Maharaja of [[Parmar (Rajput clan)|Parmar]] [[Rajput]]s founded the Ajmer city in the 11th-century, which was admired from Chahamana king Ajaydeva. Historian [[Dasharatha Sharma]] notes that the earliest mention of the city's name occurs in Palha's ''[[Pattavali]]'', which was copied in 1113 CE (1170 [[Vikrama Samvat|VS]]) at [[Dhara (city)|Dhara]]. This suggests that Ajmer was founded sometime before 1113 CE.{{sfn|Dasharatha Sharma|1959|p=40}} A ''[[prashasti]]'' (eulogistic inscription), issued by [[Vigraharaja IV]] and found at [[Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra]] (Sanskrit college), states Ajayadeva (that is Ajayaraja II) moved his residence to Ajmer.{{sfn|Har Bilas Sarda|1911|pp=68-74}}

A later text, ''[[Prabandha Kosha|Prabandha-Kosha]]'' states that it was the 8th-century king [[Ajayaraja I]] who commissioned the Ajayameru fort, which later came to be known as the [[Taragarh Fort, Ajmer|Taragarh fort]] of Ajmer.{{sfn|R. B. Singh|1964|p=87}} According to historian R. B. Singh, this claim appears to be true, as inscriptions dated to the 8th century CE have been found at Ajmer.{{sfn|R. B. Singh|1964|p=88}} Singh theorises that Ajayaraja II later expanded the town area, constructed palaces, and moved the Chahamana capital from [[Sambhar, Rajasthan|Shakambhari]] to Ajmer.{{sfn|R. B. Singh|1964|pp=131-132}}

In 1193, Ajmer was annexed by the [[Ghurids]] and later was returned to [[Gaur (clan)|Gaur Rajput]] rulers under condition of tribute.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Ajmer|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ajmer|url-status=live|website=Encyclopaedia Britannica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906032724/https://www.britannica.com/place/Ajmer|archive-date=6 September 2015|access-date=21 October 2020}}</ref>

By the 15th century, Ajmer was captured by [[Kingdom of Mewar|Mewar]] and in 1506, Ajja Jhala was appointed as the Governor of Ajmer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Girase |first=Jaypalsingh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=onH0DwAAQBAJ&dq=ajja+jhala&pg=PT298 |title=Rashtragaurav Maharana Pratapsingh: Ek Aprajit Yoddha |date=2 August 2020 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64919-952-2 |language=hi}}</ref>

In 1556, Ajmer came under the [[Mughal Empire]] after being conquered by [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Akbar]].<ref name=":0" /> It was made the capital of the eponymous [[Ajmer Subah]]. The city enjoyed special favour under the Mughals, who made frequent pilgrimages to the city to visit the [[Ajmer Sharif Dargah|''dargah'' of Moinuddin Chishti]]. The city was also used as a military base for campaigns against Rajput rulers and, on a number of occasions, became the site of celebration when a campaign bore success. Mughal Emperors and their nobles made generous donations to the city, and endowed it with constructions such as [[Akbari Fort & Museum|Akbar's palace]] and pavilions along the [[Ana Sagar]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=77–80|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=118–122|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=170 & 174–178|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281}}</ref> Their most prominent building activities were in the ''dargah'' and its vicinity.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=220|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281}}</ref> [[Jahanara Begum]] and [[Dara Shikoh]], children of [[Shah Jahan]], were both born in the city in 1614 and 1615, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Government of India |first1=MoC |title=IndianCulture |url=https://www.indianculture.gov.in/stories/dara-shikoh |website=indianculture.gov.in |publisher=MoC, IIT Bombay, IGNOU |access-date=21 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |editor-last1=Singhal |editor-first1=Shruti |title=thebetterindia |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/168684/jahanara-begum-mughal-princess-chandni-chowk-history-india/ |website=thebetterindia.com |date=24 May 2019 |publisher=thebetterindia |access-date=21 October 2021}}</ref>

Mughal patronage of the city had waned by the beginning of the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=310|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281}}</ref> In 1752, the [[Scindias]] conquered the city,<ref name=":1">{{Citation |last=Currie |first=Peter Mark |title=Ajmer |date=1 October 2009 |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-3/*-COM_23249 |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE |publisher=Brill |language=en |doi=10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_com_23249 |access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> and in 1818, the British gained authority over the city.<ref name=":0" /> A municipality was established at Ajmer in 1866.<ref>{{cite book |author=Rima Hooja |title=A History of Rajasthan |year=2006 |publisher=Rupa |isbn=9788129108906 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ |page=1166}}</ref> Colonial-era Ajmer served as the headquarters of the [[Ajmer-Merwara Province]] and possessed a Central jail, a [[Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Ajmer#Attached Hospitals|large General Hospital]], and two smaller hospitals, according to Gazetteer, 1908. It was the headquarters of a native regiment and of a Railway Volunteer corps. From the 1900s, the United Free Church of Scotland, the church of England, the Roman Catholics, and the American Episcopal Methodists have had mission establishments here.<ref name="World Tourism Day 2018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.patrika.com/ajmer-news/world-tourism-day-2018-new-tourism-point-develop-in-ajmer-district-3472887/?ufrm=lsub|title=#World Tourism Day 2018:सूफियत की महक और तीर्थनगरी पुष्कर की सनातन संस्कृति|work=www.patrika.com|access-date=28 September 2018|language=hi-IN}}</ref> At that time there were twelve printing presses in the city, from which eight weekly newspapers were published.<ref name="Imperial Gazette of India, 1908">{{Cite book|title=THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA, 1908.|publisher=OUP|pages=Extract}}</ref>

At the time of India's independence in 1947, Ajmer continued as a separate state with its own legislature until its merger with erstwhile Rajputana province, then called Rajasthan. The Legislature of Ajmer State was housed in the building which now houses T. T. College. It had 30 MLAs, and Haribhau Upadhyay was the first chief minister of the erstwhile state, with Bhagirath Chaudhary as the first Vidhan Sabha speaker. In 1956, after acceptance of the proposal by Fazil Ali, Ajmer was merged into Rajasthan to form Ajmer District with the addition of Kishangarh sub-division of Jaipur district.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://epaper.patrika.com/c/32616903|title=Clipping of Patrika Group - Ajmer|access-date=28 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928083127/http://epaper.patrika.com/c/32616903|archive-date=28 September 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tosMAQAAMAAJ |page=1166 |title=A History of Rajasthan |isbn=9788129108906 |last1=Hooja |first1=Rima |date=29 October 2023 |publisher=Rupa & Company }}</ref>