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.
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.
thumb|An early Gupta era inscription from ancient India. This is a photograph of a personal copy of plates published by John Fleet in 1888, with Inscriptions of the Early Gupta Kings And Their Successors, as a part of the Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum series, Vol. 3
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.
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.
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.
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File:Raja Shrimat Sir Kashirao (Dada Saheb) Holkar (KCSI) (KIH).jpg|Kashirao (Dada Saheb) Holkar KCSI (Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India), the elder brother of Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar II, receiving public recognition by the Viceroy, Lord Canning, in open durbar on 14 January 1861
File:Tookajee Rao Holkar.jpg|Tukoji Rao Holkar II, Indore, from a drawing by Mr. W. Carpenter, Jun.," from the Illustrated London News, 1857
File:Shivajirao Holkar 1859 1908.jpg|Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar of Indore
File:Tukojirao III Maharaja Holkar of Indore.jpg|Tukoji Rao Holkar III, The Maharaja of Indore (1890–1978) by James Lauder, London
File:Investiture of his Highness Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar Bahadur of Indore 9th May 1930.jpg|Investiture of His Highness The Maharaja Yeshwant Rao II Holkar Bahadur of Indore 9 May 1930
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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 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. As per estimates, the population in 2025 is approximately 3,482,830.