Ar: see AHAR.

Aram Shah, son of AIBAK, the founder of Delhi's Slave Dynasty. When Aibak died, his son succeeded him for a short time (1210), but was quickly displaced by his brother-in-law, ILTUTMISH (1211-1236).

Aravali (Aravalli) Award, one of the annual State of Rajasthan awards in Udaipur: see MAHARANA MEWAR FOUNDATION AWARDS.

Aravali (mountain range): see ARAVALLI HILLS.

Aravalli (Aravali) Hills, the rugged mountain range that runs northeast to southwest through the centre of the State of Rajasthan for over 600 km. In the north, the ranges rarely exceed a height of 1,000 m. and average considerably less. But in the south they increase in width, complexity and elevation, reaching a maximum of 1,722 m. at Mount Abu. The Aravallis act as a boundary separating the Thar Desert from the plains and plateaus of eastern Rajasthan. The range provided a secure hideaway for Rajputs in the medieval period in their conflict against the Mughals. During this period, the kingdoms of Marwar and Jaipur also had designs on Mewar, but the ruggedness of the mountains protected Mewar from the onslaught of these two states. It was among the valleys and hills of the Aravallis that Maharana PRATAP SINGH I waged his famous guerrilla warfare against the Mughals. See HALDIGHATI, BATTLE OF.

Aravalli Garden: see GURU GOVIND SINGH PARK.

Aravalli Vatika, Udaipur; a small landscaped grove near Anand Bhawan (Building) on the bank of Fateh Sagar Lake. It is about 12 m. high with paved steps leading to the top. The rocks which abound in the vatika (a garden on a hill) and the nearby Rock Garden have geological importance in that they are part of the Aravalli Hills and are considerably older than the Himalayas. From the top of the rock there is an overview of FATEH SAGAR, the PRATAP MEMORIAL and SAJJANGARH (the Monsoon Palace).

Arbuda (Arbud, Adhar) Devi Temple, Mt. Abu: see DILWARA JAIN TEMPLES.

Archaeological Museum, Govt. of Rajasthan, Ahar Village, Udaipur: see AHAR MUSEUM.

Archaeological Museum, Govt. of Rajasthan, Chittorgarh; at the eastern end of the Banbir-ki-Diwar next to the Navkotha Magazine. It houses historical artefacts collected from the ruins of the fort. Included are Buddhist stupas beneath the trees in front of the office, which were found near Jaimal and Patta's Tank.

Archaeological Museum, Govt. of Rajasthan, City Palace, Udaipur, close to the Badi Pol, the first entrance to the City Palace. The former Accountant General's office has been converted into an archaeological museum, which has various sections: epigraphy (study of inscriptions); iconography (study of religious icons); numismatology (study of coins); archives; armoury, and paintings. Displays contain letters written by Prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan) to the Maharana of Udaipur. The display also has the original turban, which Khurram exchanged for that of Karan Singh (indicating that they had become brothers) following the Prince's stay at Jag Mandir.

Archaeology. The earliest settlements uncovered in Mewar are at GILUND, on the right bank of the Banas River in Rajsamand District; BALATHAL about 42 km. southeast of Udaipur in the Vallabhnagar Tehsil of Udaipur District and 40 km. from Ahar; and in the Ahar vicinity, which was excavated in 1952-53 and 1953-54 by R.C. Agrawala, heading a joint team of the State Archaeological Dept. led by Prof. H.D. Sankalia, the Deccan College, Pune, and the University of Melbourne. Archaeologists at the several sites found indications of mud brick houses with a few small rectangular rooms, the use of barley, the cultivation of wheat and peas, earthenware pots, and bread that was baked in clay ovens. There were also stone age implements such as hand axes, wooden tools, sharpened bones, and evidence that copper was in use before 2480 BC.

architecture: see ARTS AND CRAFTS OF MEWAR.

Areth Pol, Kumbhalgarh, the fort's first gateway built in 1458. It is 1,088 m. above sea level. See also GATES (POLS) IN UDAIPUR.

Ari Singh. Apart from Rawal and Maharana Ari Singh, there were a couple of other persons with this name. They were 1. Kunwar Ari Singh of SISODA; one of the nine sons of Rana LAKSHA SINGH and father of HAMIR SINGH I (1326-1364). One of the heroes of Chittor, he died defending the fort during the first sack (1303), and 2. Kunwar Ari Singh of Tiroli; son of Maharana JAGAT SINGH I and brother of Maharana RAJ SINGH I.

Ari Singh I, Rawal, thirtieth ruler of the Mewar Dynasty (r. 1127-1138); succeeded Rawal VIJAI SINGH; he ruled for eleven years from AHAR. Little is known of his reign. His son, CHAUD SINGH, succeeded him. See also MEWAR'S LOST GENERATIONS.

Ari Singh II, Maharana (d. March 9, 1773 at Amargarh), sixty-fifth ruler of the Mewar Dynasty (r. 1761-1773). Ten years earlier, Maharana JAGAT SINGH II had been succeeded by his eldest son, PRATAP SINGH II (Ari Singh was Pratap's younger brother.) Pratap Singh was succeeded by his son, RAJ SINGH II. In 1761, Maharana Raj Singh died without an heir; some factions at Court considered he was poisoned. His uncle Ari Singh, next in line to the throne, succeeded him on April 3. Allegedly, the poisoner was none other than the uncle, who was to become a much-despised ruler. Ari Singh was ruthless in his treatment of troublemakers. Maharaj NATH SINGH of BAGORE discovered this the hard way: during the reign of Ari's predecessor, Jagat Singh, Nath Singh had assisted his brother (Maharana Jagat) in the arrest and imprisonment of the erring Crown Prince, Pratap Singh. Fearing retribution for his part in this act, Nath Singh attempted unsuccessfully to poison the incarcerated Pratap. However, in 1751 when Pratap came to the throne (as Maharana Pratap Singh II) he neglected to exact any such revenge, and the Maharaj of Bagore retained his position through Pratap's brief reign, and that of his successor, Raj Singh II, into Ari Singh's reign. It was then that retribution finally came to the now unpopular chief of Bagore when Ari Singh ordered Lal Singh of Bhainsrorgarh to get rid of Nath Singh, and the Maharaj was slain while at prayers in a temple.

Ari Singh also possessed a vile temper that divided the Court, and the City Palace in Udaipur became a simmering cauldron of suspicion and intrigue. According to one account, the inexperience of the previous Maharanas, Pratap Singh II and Raj Singh II, and now the ungovernable temper of Ari Singh II, "introduced a train of disorders which proved fatal to Mewar." At the time, Maratha rebels from the south were attacking Udaipur and demanding tribute money. Ari Singh, unable to meet these unrelenting demands, began giving various Maratha warlords grants of Mewar land in lieu of tribute money. Then Ari Singh's troubles really began with a vengeance. There was another famine in 1764, which took more from the already depleted Treasury.

Then in 1768, a young man named Ratan Singh, supposedly a posthumous son of the late Maharana Raj Singh, made a determined bid for the throne of Mewar. Because of the State's burgeoning financial straits and Ari Singh's loathsome disposition (and the possibility he had usurped the throne), the time was right for dissension. Traditionally filling the top government posts were members of the CHOONDAWAT clan, the leading sub-branch of the royal family who hated the Maharana, considering he had more than likely murdered his nephew and usurped the throne. Nor was there any love lost between the Choondawats and the SAKTAWAT clan, a lesser sub-branch who had long considered they should hold (or at least share) top governmental posts. When the young Pretender, Kunwar Ratan Singh appeared on the scene, the Choondawats immediately rallied to support him-although some say his parentage was not as he claimed and that he had been set up as a convenient puppet of the disaffected clan. The Saktawats, possibly hoping to gain much-needed favour, pledged their support of the Maharana. The Choondawats installed themselves and Ratan Singh in KUMBHALGARH, where the Pretender proclaimed himself the rightful Maharana of Mewar. To give power to his claim, he promised the Maratha Peshwa, SINDHIA, a huge reward for help in ousting Maharana Ari Singh. It was a lucrative commission that was accepted readily.

Then Zalim Singh, an exiled Rajput chieftain from KOTA, who had found a niche for himself in the Mewar court, advised Maharana Ari Singh to beat the Pretender at his own game. He recommended the Maharana hire the services of other Maratha commanders, also using the promise of substantial remuneration as bait; the Maharana agreed. With this rather confused scenario in place, Mewaris and Marathas against Mewaris and Marathas, a deadly civil war erupted. During the following five years, the wide-ranging battles themselves were equally convoluted. Kunwar Ratan Singh's army captured a great part of the crown domain, even extending its hold into the Girwa, the valley of Udaipur. In turn, Maharana Ari Singh's army put up a resilient defence and saved the capital; but he was still hated by the majority of the populace. During this period, in 1772, the British Parliament in London replaced the disgraced British East India Company with the British Government of India, a move that was to have far-reaching effects on Mewar and all of India.

In 1773, during a respite in Mewar's civil war, Maharana Ari Singh travelled north to Bundi to celebrate the annual spring festival. The heir to the Bundi throne was Prince Ajit Singh, a member of the Hara clan, yet another who had no respect for this much-despised ruler. Indeed, when Ajit Singh appeared before the Mewar ruler at Amargarh, he made a point of paying him no obeisance. A few days later, the Prince proposed a boar hunt, a favourite and exciting pastime of princes, and the Maharana agreed. Possibly not trusting Ajit Singh, the Maharana's followers wanted to accompany the two leaders on the hunt, but Ajit Singh argued that too many people in attendance would frighten away the boars. However, he finally agreed to a couple of Ari Singh's men accompanying them. On March 9, the hunt began and, after some time, when the two rulers were chasing the same boar through the thick jungle, tragedy struck: Prince Ajit Singh thrust his lance-instead of impaling the animal, it ended up piercing the Maharana's chest, killing him instantly. Though this assassination was claimed, officially, to have been accidental, unofficial sources say it was a conspiracy, the plan of "a group of Mewar nobles who detested their sovereign and wanted the reunification of their respective clans". And they had prompted the Bundi heir to do their dirty work. (It is interesting to note that this was history repeating itself: two hundred and forty two years earlier, another unpopular Maharana, Ratan Singh II, had accompanied Prince Surajmal of Bundi on a boar hunt. Again, the two men despised each other and, during the hunt, the Maharana attacked Prince Surajmal seriously wounding him in the head. Surajmal managed to retaliate and, with a heavy sword, split the Mewar ruler from neck to navel. Both died within minutes of each other.)

See HAMIR SINGH II, MAHARANA.