Madhya Pradesh, state in northern India, bordered by the Indian states of Rajasthan on the northwest, Uttar Pradesh on the northeast, Chhattisgarh on the east, Maharashtra on the south, and Gujarat on the west. Madhya Pradesh is located in the geographic heart of India.

It fell under Islamic control in the 11th century and was annexed into the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. By 1760 the area was under Maratha rule and came under British domination early in the 19th century.

Economy of Madhya Pradesh is agriculture. The chief crops are rice, durra, wheat, pulses, groundnuts, linseed, and cotton. Among livestock raised are buffalo and other cattle, sheep, and goats. Industries include the processing of sugar and the manufacture of cotton textiles, newsprint, pottery, cement, carpets, silk, rayon, jute products, glass, steel.erved.

Major industrial towns are Ujjain, Bhopal, Indore, Khandwa, Jabalpur and Gwalior.

Area 171,215 square miles (443,446 square km). Population: (1991) 66,135,862

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