With a total population of 1 million, Gwalior is the 14th largest Hindi speaking city of India. Highest employment in Gwalior district is in the automobile, electronics, crafts, and the government sector. Gwalior has 60% Industrial and miscellaneous workers, 37% Agricultural workers and 3% Household workers. Gwalior is a good agricultural belt since the district is in the center of the Gird region, and is largely a level plain. Gwalior is best known for its imposing hilltop fort, which was famously described as the pearl amongst fortresses in India. Historically, the city has been the cradle of a number of dynasties that ruled it over the years and their influence is clearly visible in the many regal structures that dominate the cityscape. In the medieval period, Gwalior played a prominent role in Indias history and in the development of Hindustani Classical Music. The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khayal Gharanas to which most classical Indian musicians trace the origin of their style. Legendary musicians like Tansen and Baiju Bawara belonged to Gwalior. In the year 1231, Iltutmish captured Gwalior after an 11 month long effort and from then till the end of the 13th century, the city remained under the Muslim Rule. In 1375, Raja Veer Singh was made the ruler of Gwalior and he founded the rule of the Tomar clan. During those years, Gwalior saw its golden period. The Jain Sculptures at Gwalior Fort were built during Tomars rule. Raja Man Singh made his dream palace, the Man Mandir Palace which is now a main tourist attraction at Gwalior Fort. The oldest representation of zero in the world can be found at the Chaturbhuj Temple at Gwalior Fort dating back to the 9th century. In the 1730s, the Scindias captured Gwalior and it remained a princely state during the British Rule.
