town, central Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The town lies at the foot of a spur of the Vindhya Range, on which stands an ancient sandstone fort with several palaces and a mosque. A strategic community in the history of eastern Malwa, Raisen was the 16th-century stronghold of Silhari, a Rajput (warrior caste) chief, and was an important administrative centre under the Mughals. Annual festivals are held. Raisen lies in a region that was once part of the Bhopal princely state. Wheat, jowar (grain sorghum), and cotton are the major crops of the region; sandstone deposits are worked. A Buddhist stupa (shrine) at nearby Sanchi (Sānchi) dates from about 250 BCE. Pop. (2001) 35,702.