Hin: झालावाड़ jhālāvād
‘Jhala’s City’ City/District, Rajasthan
From Jhala and Skt: pura→wara, ‘fort, ‘city’.
Jhalawar was founded by Jhala Zalim Singh, the Rajput Dewan of Kota State (90km away), in the late 18thC as a military barracks to defend his territories from invading Marathas. His grandson, Jhala Madan Singh, became the new ruler in 1838 when the British split it off from Kota state. He built the Garh Place and Fort and established Jhalawar as a state in its own right.
Jhalawar, as a princely state under the British, remained under the control of the Jhala family until Independence, with the city being an export centre for opium, oil-seeds, and cotton.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Rajasthan place names.
Garh Palace Ravikrishnan A K
