Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh (; Hindi: [ˈmədʱjə pɾəˈdeːʃ] ; lit. 'Central Province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Other major cities include Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Chhindwara and Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by population with over 72 million residents. It borders the states of Rajasthan to the northwest, Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Maharashtra to the south and Gujarat to the west. The area covered by the present-day Madhya Pradesh includes the area of the ancient Avanti Mahajanapada, whose capital Ujjain (also known as Avantika) arose as a major city during the second wave of Indian urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. Subsequently, the region was ruled by the major dynasties of India. The Maratha Empire dominated the majority of the 18th century.