It has a river known as Jawai Nadi. Jalore lies to south of Sukri river, a tributary of Luni river and the river Jawai Nadi passes through it. The town is about 140 km (87 mi) south of Jodhpur and 489 km (304 mi) from the state capital Jaipur. Jalore hasn't grown that much in terms of infrastructure. The town center has many corporate offices like Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank, Birla Sun Life Insurance Ltd, Shreeram Transport Finance Company among others.
History
Maharaja of ParmarRajputs, founded Jalore city, and constructed town known as Suvarngiri or Songir, the Golden Mount, on which the fort stands. In ancient city Jalore was known as Jabalipura - named after the Hindu saint Jabali.[3] It was a flourishing town in the 8th century and according to some historical sources, in the 8th-9th centuries, accommodation was provided to one branch of the Pratihara empire at Jablipur (Jalore).[4] Uddyotana-sūri composed Kuvalaya-mālā at Jabalipura in 779 CE, during the reign of the Gurjara-Pratihara king Vatsaraja.[5]
Parmara Emperor Vakpati Munja(972-990 CE) ruled the region — after this conquest he divided these conquered territories among his Parmara princes - his son Aranyaraj Parmar was granted Abu region, his son and his nephew Chandan Parmar, Dharnivarah Parmar was given Jalore region. This ended almost 250 years Pratihar rule over Bhinmal, which included Raja Man Pratihar was ruled Bhinmal.[6] Abu's Raja Mahipal Parmar (1000-1014 CE) also ruled territories in Southwest of Bhinmal, comprising four hills - Dodasa, Nadwana, Kala-Pahad and Sundha, and ParmarRajputs gradually built jagir included 52 villages in and around modern Jalore district. Abu's Raja Mahipal Parmar was a contemporary of Raja Man Pratihar's son Dewalsimha Pratihar made many invasion attempts re-establish Pratihar hold onto Bhinmal and failed to make Lohiyana (present Jaswantpura) his capital, along with subclan became Dewal Pratihars.[7]
ParmarRajputs, Jalore's Chauhan Kanhaddeo, the dewals resisted invasion from Allauddin Khilji, and Mughal army. Thakur Dhawalsimha Dewal of Lohiyana supplied manpower to Maharana Pratap and married his daughter to the Maharana, in return Maharana gave him the title of “Rana” which has stayed with them till this day[8]
Jalore was ruled by the Paramaras in the 10th century, and Paramaras ruled in Jalore with support of the Chahamana ruler of Nadol, Kirtipala, the youngest son of Alhana in 1181, and founded the Jalore line of Chauhans. His son Samarasimha succeeded him in 1182. Samarasimha was succeeded by Udayasimha, who expanded the kingdom by recapturing Nadol and Mandor from the Turks. Jalore was commending of Udayasimha's reign against the Delhi Sultanate.[9]
Udayasimha was succeeded by Chachigadeva and Samantasimha. Samantasimha was succeeded by his son Kanhadadeva. During the reign of Kanhadadeva, Jalor was attacked and captured in 1311 by the Delhi's Afghan Sultan Alauddin Khalji.[10] Kanhadadeva and his son Viramadeva died defending Jalore. Jalore was the hometown of Jaiwanta Bai, mother of Maharana Pratap (1572–1597). She was the daughter of Akhey Raj Songara. Rathore rulers of Ratlam used the Jalore fort to safe-keep their treasure.
The Turkic rulers of Palanpur State of Gujarat briefly ruled Jalor in the 16th century and it became part of the Mughal Empire. It was restored to Marwar in 1704, and remained part of the kingdom until shortly after Indian Independence in 1947.
There are 12 Math (Big Hindu monasteries) and 13 Takiya (Masjid).
Jalore is known as the "Cradle of the Marwari horse" - an indigenous horse breed famed for its beauty, endurance and loyalty to the horsemen who fought interminable wars on horseback.
