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Ajmer[ajmEr´, uj–] Pronunciation Key, former state, NW India. Now part of Rajasthan state, it formerly consisted of two detached areas surrounded by Rajasthan and was identical with the former British province of Ajmer-Merwara. The city of Ajmer (1991 pop. 402,700), the former capital and now a district administrative center, was founded in the 12th cent. The city is a trade center and has cotton mills and railroad shops. Manufactures include wool textiles, hosiery, shoes, soap, and pharmaceuticals. Marble is quarried nearby. Ajmer was a Mughal military base; it was there that Jehangir received Sir Thomas Roe, ambassador of James I of England. A Jain temple (constructed 1153; now a mosque), the tomb of the Muslim saint Muin-al-din Hasan Chishti, and a palace of Akbar are the most notable historic buildings. Mayo Rajkumar College is in Ajmer.
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