a historical region in central India. Originally known as Avanti, it was apparently renamed in the first century A.D. The name “Malwa” was derived from the ancient tribe Malawa. Malwa was part of the Gupta empire, the Harsha empire, the Delhi sultanate, the Mogul empire, and the Maratha confederacy.

a plateau in India, on the northwestern part of the Hindustan Peninsula. It is bounded in the northwest by the Aravalli Range, and its southern tip joins the Vindhya Range. Elevations are from 200 to 600 m (in the northwest, Mount Bhainsror reaches an elevation of 614 m). Stepped plains alternate with smooth ridges. The plateau is strongly dissected by the Chambal valley and the valleys of the Chambal’s tributaries. It is composed of Proterozoic sandstone, which in the south is covered with basalt lava. The climate is subequatorial and monsoonal. The rains (about 1,000 mm per year) fall mainly in summer. Fertile, black tropical soils (regurs) are formed on the basalt. In the north there are thickets of acacia, mimosa, Terminalia, and bamboo. In the south there are monsoon light forests of sal, teak, ebony, sandalwood, and satinwood. Cotton and wheat are cultivated.