Indore

Indore (; ISO: , ) is the largest city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh where it serves as the capital and the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division. Modern-day Indore was established on the banks of the Kanh and Saraswati rivers and traces its roots to its 16th-century founding as a trading hub between the Deccan Plateau and Delhi. Following the conquest of Malwa by Peshwa Baji Rao I, the city came under the control of the Maratha Empire until its annexation by the British East India Company. Prior to Indian independence, the Kingdom of Indore was a nineteen Gun Salute Princely State of the British Raj with the Holkars as rulers.

With an estimated population of 5.6 million in 2025 distributed over nearly 10 thousand square kilometres, the metropolitan region encompassing Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Pithampur and Nagda serves as the financial capital of Madhya Pradesh. One of India's main industrial hubs, the metropolitan region is a major center for pharmaceutical and automotive manufacturing with, notably, Asia’s longest test track.

The largest education hub in central India, it is home to an Indian Institute of Technology and an Indian Institute of Management and is one of the cities selected under the central government's flagship Smart Cities Mission and Swachh Survekshan programmes.

Consistently ranked as India's cleanest city, Indore is regularly commended for its clean air and proper waste management. Alt URL

Etymology Gupta inscriptions name Indore as "Indrapura". It is believed that the city is named after its Indreshwar Mahadev Temple, where Shiva is the presiding deity. It is believed that Indra himself did Tapasya (meditation) in this place and led sage Swami Indrapuri to establish the temple. Later, Tukoji Rao Holkar who belonged to the Holkar clan of the Marathas and was the feudatory of Indore, renovated the temple. The older name of Indore is believed to be Indur, as referenced in historical records. In 2017, a proposal was brought forward by the Indore Municipal Corporation to rename the city as "Indur".

History Gupta Empire (Gupta era) Gupta Empire inscription mentions Indore as city/town of Indrapura in Gupta Indore Copper plate inscription dated 146 Gupta era or 465 CE. These are also some of the earliest mentions of Indore where the city is mentioned as 'Indrapura'. Indrapura (modern day Indore) was then known for its sun temple, where in 464–65 CE, Gupta king Skandagupta had made an endowment for the permanent maintenance of the city's sun temple. The temple was constructed by two merchants of the city – Achalavarman and Bhṛikuṇṭhasiṁha.

Holkar era (Maratha Empire)

During the Mughal era, the area under the modern Indore district was equally divided between the administrations (sarkars) of Ujjain and Mandu. Kampel was the headquarters of a mahal (administrative unit) under the Ujjain sarkar of Malwa Subah (province). The area of the modern Indore city was included in the Kampel pargana (administrative unit).

In 1715, the Marathas invaded this region (Mughal territory) and demanded chauth (tax) from the Mughal Amil (administrator) of Kampel. The Amil fled to Ujjain, and the local zamindars agreed to pay Chauth to the Marathas. The chief zamindar, Nandlal Chaudhary (later known as Nandlal Mandloi), paid a chauth of around Rs. 25,000 to the Marathas. Jai Singh II, the Mughal Governor of Malwa, reached Kampel on 8 May 1715, and defeated the Marathas in a battle near the village. The Marathas came back in early 1716, and raided Kampel in 1717. In March 1718, the Marathas, led by Santaji Bhonsale, invaded Malwa again, but were unsuccessful this time.

By 1720, the headquarters of the local pargana were transferred from Kampel to Indore, due to the increasing commercial activity in the city. In 1724, the Marathas under the new Peshwa Baji Rao I, launched a fresh attack on the Mughals in Malwa. Baji Rao I himself led the campaign, accompanied by his lieutenants Udaji Rao Pawar, Malhar Rao Holkar and Ranoji Scindia. The Mughal Nizam met the Peshwa at Nalchha on 18 May 1724, and acceded to his demand of collecting chauth from the area. The Peshwa returned to the Deccan, but left Malhar Rao Holkar at Indore to oversee the chauth collection.

The Marathas maintained friendly relations with Nandlal Chaudhary, who held influence over the local Sardars (chiefs). In 1728, they defeated the Mughals decisively in the battle of Amjhera, and consolidated their authority in the area over the next few years. On 3 October 1730, Malhar Rao Holkar was appointed as the Maratha chief of Malwa. The local zamindars, who had the title of Chaudhari, came to be known as Mandlois (after mandal, an administrative unit) during the Maratha reign. The Holkar dynasty of the Marathas, which controlled the region, conferred the title of Rao upon the local zamindar family.Major General Sir John Malcolm, Central India, Part I, pp. 68–70 After Nandlal died, his son Tejkarana was accepted as the Mandloi of Kampel by the Peshwa Baji Rao I. The pargana was formally granted to Malhar Rao Holkar by merging 28 and one-half Pargana by the Peshwa in 1733. The pargana headquarters were transferred back to Kampel during his reign. After his death, his daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar moved the headquarters to Indore in 1766. The tehsil of Kampel was converted into Indore tehsil by a change in the name. Ahilyabai Holkar moved the state's capital to Maheshwar in 1767, but Indore remained an important commercial and military centre.

Princely State (Indore/Holkar State)

Ahalyabai Holkar is fondly remembered as a noble, saintly and courageous woman. She ruled the kingdom of Indore (which was then part of the wider Maratha Empire) for several decades. Her rule is remembered as a golden age in Indore's history. From an agricultural background herself, she married Khande Rao, prince of Indore. Thereafter, she resided in the Royal Palace. Later, she was trained in statecraft and accompanied the army to war on many occasions. At that time the Maratha Empire (which was founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsale) was at the apex of its power. There were frequent battles and skirmishes, both against foreigners as well as internal feuds. In one such battle in 1754, Ahalyabai's husband was killed. Her aged father-in-law (Malhar Rao) was shattered at the death of his son. He summoned Ahalyabai, who he loved deeply, and said: "You are now my son. I wish that you look after my kingdom".Malhar Rao Holkar died in 1766, 12 years after the death of his son Khande Rao. Malhar Rao's grandson and Khande Rao's only son Male Rao Holkar became the ruler of Indore in 1766, under Ahilya Bai's regency, but he too died within few months in April 1767. Ahilya Bai became the ruler of Indore after the death of her son with Khande Rao. Ahilya Bai was a great pioneer and builder of Hindu temples who constructed hundreds of temples and Dharmashalas throughout India.

In 1818, the Holkars were defeated by the British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, in the Battle of Mahidpur by which the capital was again moved from Maheshwar to Indore. A residency with British residents was established at Indore, but Holkars continued to rule Indore State as a princely state mainly due to efforts of their Dewan Tatya Jog. During that time, Indore has established the headquarters of the British Central Agency. Ujjain was originally the commercial centre of Malwa. But the British administrators such as John Malcolm decided to promote Indore as an alternative to Ujjain because the merchants of Ujjain had supported anti-British elements.

In 1906 electric supply was started in the city, the fire brigade was established in 1909, and 1918, the first master-plan of the city was made by noted architect and town planner, Patrick Geddes. During the period of Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II (1852–86) efforts were made for the planned development and industrial development of Indore. With the introduction of Railways in 1875, the business in Indore flourished during the reigns of Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar III and Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar.

The Holkar State Darbar (Court) was composed of many Jagirdars, Sardars, Istamuradars, Mankaris and Zamindars.

Post-independence

After India's independence in 1947, Holkar State, along with several neighbouring princely states, acceded to the Indian Union. On 1 November 1956, when Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh, Indore became part of the newly formed state. Indore a city today of nearly 4.5 million (2018) residents, has been transformed from a traditional commercial urban centre into the modern dynamic commercial capital of the state. In December 2025, a drinking water contamination incident occurred in Bhagirathpura, a neighbourhood of Indore. The incident resulted in the deaths of 21 people, while approximately 1,400 residents experienced gastrointestinal symptoms consistent with a waterborne infection.

Geography Climate Indore lies on a borderline between a tropical savanna climate (Aw) and a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa). Because of its high elevation the climate is much more moderate compared to the North Indian plains, even during the hottest months the nights are relatively cool, which is known as Shab-e-Malwa. Three distinct seasons are observed: summer, monsoon and winter. The coldest temperature was on 27 December 1936.Indore, Bhopal temperatures dip to lowest in decade (recorded in 1936)

Indore gets moderate rainfall of during June–September due to the southwest monsoon.

Indore has been ranked 6th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India.

Water bodies Indore is home to several significant water bodies, two of which have achieved international recognition as Ramsar Sites. Currently, while the Narmada River project supplies a significant portion of the city's demand, the presence and conservation of local lakes is deemed essential for mitigating the nightmare of flash floods and ensuring long-term water security.

Demographics

Indore is the most populous city in Madhya Pradesh. It is also the largest metropolitan city in Central India. According to the 2011 census of India, the population of Indore city (the area under the municipal corporation and outgrowths) was 1,994,397. The population of the Indore metropolis (urban agglomeration that includes neighbouring areas) was 2,170,295. In 2011, the city had a population density of 25,170 people per square mile (9,718 per square km), rendering it the most densely populated of all the municipalities with population over 100,000 in Madhya Pradesh. As per the 2011 census, 1,502,775 were literates, which translates to 75.4% of the total population, with an effective literacy rate (of population 7 years and above) 85.5%, with male literacy of 89.8% and female literacy was 81.2%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes populations in 2011 were 309,229 and 54,075, respectively. The total number of households were 404711.

According to the 2011 census of India, the population of Indore city (the area under the municipal corporation and outgrowths) was 1,994,397. As per estimates, the population in 2025 is approximately 3,482,830.

Religion

As of 2011, the majority of the population are Hindus (80.18%), followed by significant populations of Muslims (14.09%) and Jains (3.25%).

Languages

Hindi is the official language of Indore city, it is spoken by over 80% of the population as their first language. A number of Hindi dialects such as Malvi, Nimadi and Bundeli are spoken in decent numbers by migrants from rural areas.