Charkhi Dadri is a city and headquarters of Charkhi Dadri district in the state of Haryana located in southern Haryana, India, about 90 km from the national capital Delhi. The town was made by joining the villages of Charkhi and Dadri after urban development. Charkhi Dadri is on NH 148B between Narnaul to Bathinda and NH 348B between Meerut to Pilani segment passing through the city. Etymology "Dadri" is derived from a lake called Dadar which was full of dadur (Sanskrit: frog) from which it took its current name. To distinguish Dadri from other similarly named places in the area, sometimes Dadri's name was appended to the nearby village of Charkhi. After India became independent, in recognition of the contribution of people of Charki village during the first war of independence in 1857 against the British colonial rule and Praja Mandala movement against the oppressive rule of the Jind State, the government officially named the town as Charkhi-Dadri. When Ramkrishna Dalmia, the founder of Dalmia Group, established a cement factory at Dadri during the rule of Jind State, the town was renamed as "Dalmia Dadri" on request of Sir Ganga Ram Kaul who was then Chief Minister of Jind State, which was renamed to "Charkhi Dadri" when Jind State was merged with Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) in 1948. History Early history The town was founded around the 12th century by Bilhan Singh. According to the oral tradition, he saw a cow and lion drinking water side by side at dadur lake. Intrigued by the sight, he went to a nearby cottage where a Mahatma named Swami Dayal lived. Bilhan Singh sought Mahatma's blessings and was told that if he made the place his home, his family would be blessed and would rule over it in the future. Mughal era During the medieval times, Dadri was also a pargana (district) and riyasat (state). Mughal emperors Akbar and Farrukhsiyar both issued firmans (housed in Red Fort Archaeological Museum and "Rao Harnarian Singh Dhan Collection of Charkhi Dadri" respectively) to grant land to zamindars as "madad-i-mash" (subsistence allowance). In 1780 CE, mughal emperor Shah Alam II bestwowed the title of Rao of some Brahmins of the town. Rao Dhan Singh, took part in the revolt of 1857 and fought bravely in the Battle of Narnaul, against British but due to failure of revolt lost their jagirdari included many villages to