Hin: रतलाम ratalāma
‘Ratan and Ram’s City’ [Ra(t)tram] City/District, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
From Ratan and Ram Singh
Ratlam was the capital of the former princely state of Ratlam which Raja Ratan Singhji, descendant of Raja Udai Sing of Jodhpur, founded in 1652.
In recognition of their military services against the Uzbeks at Kandahar (Afghanistan) and the Persians at Khorasan (Central Asia), Raja Ratan and his son Ram Singh were awarded tracts of land in Rajputana and Malwa by Shah Jaham.
The capital city and the state came to be known as Ratram which combined their two names.
Ratlam was an important rading city under the British: salt, opium and tobacco. Today it manufactures copper wire, plastic ropes, chemicals and oxygen, and is known for its Ratlami saris, its pure 22-carat gold and the salty snack called Ratlami Sev.
For related place names see Indian Place names and Madhya Pradesh place names.
