Mewar is located in the mid -southern part of Rajasthan and encompasses, broadly, the Districts of Rajsamand, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Chittaurgarh. Historically, the area comprised the erstwhile states of Udaipur, Shahpura (under partial subordination to Udaipur) and Pratapgarh, while to the south lay the states of Dungarpur and Banswara which were affiliated to Udaipur by descent and together formed the cultural zone known as Vagad. At the time of their merger into Rajasthan the areas commanded by Udaipur, Shahpura and Pratapgarh amounted, respectively, to 13,170, 405 and 873 sq. miles. Northwestern Mewar is dominated by the hilly Aravalli region which has been described as the most distinctive region of Rajasthan. While the hills are about 50 km. wide in the north, they fan out towards the southeast and the southwest as they descend. The northwestern limit forms a high ridge, beyond which lie Godwad and Marwar. The highest part of the Aravalli region, called the Bhorat Plateau, lies between Gogunda and Kumbhalgarh and has an average height of about 1255 metres. Around Udaipur, in the southeast, the hills are characterised in 'a great node of, spurs and curving ridges'. Col. Tod described the valley of Udaipur as 'the most diversified and most romantic spot on the continent of India'.