THE LAND OF THE RED STONE

Situated in the eastern part of Rajasthan, Dholpur became a separate district in 1982 comprising four tehsils of Bharatpur – namely Dholpur, Rajakhera, Bari and Baseri. Carved out of Bharatpur district, Dholpur is surrounded by Agra on the north, Morena district of Madhya Pradesh on the south and Karauli on the west.
Ever since its existence, Dholpur remains one of the most fascinating regions in the state that has witnessed the oldest civilizations, and is extremely rich in cultural heritage. It used to be the seat of the Dholpur princely state before Independence, and today is a city of diverse culture and historical grandeur.
The red sandstone from Dholpur is famous throughout the country and was famously used in the construction of the Red Fort in Delhi.

The history of this princely state is known to date back to Buddha’s time. Several centuries ago, Dholpur was a part of the Mauryan Empire and came under the rule of various rulers all along the Mughal period. Around the 8th to the 10th century, Dholpur was known to be ruled by the Chauhans.Until 1194, it continued to be under the rule of Mohammed Gauri.
Dholpur was initially known as Dhawalpuri named after the ruler Raja Dhawal Deo, also known as Dholan Deo Tomar who established the city in 700 AD (though some historians have dated the formation to 1005 AD.) Later, it came to be known as Dholpur.