Merta

Merta, town, central Rajasthan state, northwestern India. It lies on the dry Rajasthan Steppe upland, about 45 miles (70 km) southeast of Nagaur.

It was founded about 1480 and was at one time an important trade centre. The surrounding area was the scene of several battles, including the victory of the Marathas over forces from the states of Jaipur and Jodhpur in 1790, and is the site of many memorial stone pillars. Captured by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1562, Merta contains a mosque built by him. The town is an agricultural distribution centre, and it has oilseed and cotton mills. Pop. (2001) 40,252; (2011) 46,070.