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The area that now forms Dungarpur district was inhabited by the Bhil people from as early as 4000 BCE, and they remained the dominant ethnic group throughout later periods. Rajputs invaded the region in the 12th century, establishing a foothold that would evolve over centuries. In 1197 a Rajput prince from Mewar, Guljaram Punjabikir, founded Dungarpur State, though full Rajput control over the district took many more years to consolidate. The Rajputs referred to the combined area of present‑day Dungarpur and Banswara districts as Bagar or Vargar, while the Bhils continued to form the core of the local military and police under British rule.

Dungarpur became the seat of the elder branch of the Guhilot family of Mewar. The city itself was founded in 1282 A.D. by Rawal Veer Singh, the eldest son of Mewar’s ruler Karan Singh, and later expanded near the end of the 14th century by Rawal Bir Singh, who named it after Dungaria, an independent Bhil chieftain. The chiefs of Dungarpur bore the title Maharawal, tracing their lineage to Mahup, the disinherited eldest son of Karan Singh, who seized the Bagar region from the Bhil chiefs after taking refuge with his mother’s Chauhan family.

After the death of Rawal Udai Singh of Bagar at the Battle of Khanwa in 1527, his territories were split into the princely states of Dungarpur and Banswara. Over the following centuries the region passed under Mughal, Maratha and finally British suzerainty, becoming a 15‑gun salute state by treaty in 1818. By 1901 the district’s population was recorded at 100,103, with the town of Dungarpur itself housing 6,094 inhabitants.

The last ruling Maharawal of Dungarpur was Rai‑i‑Rayan Maharawal Shri Lakshman Singh Bahadur (1918–1989). He received the Knight Commander of the Star of India in 1935 and the Grand Commander of the Indian Empire in 1947. Following India’s independence he served twice in the Rajya Sabha (1952, 1958) and later as a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in 1962 and again in 1989.

Dungarpur district lies in southern Rajasthan on the border with Gujarat and covers an area of about 3,770 km². Its shape is roughly triangular, with the Mahi River forming the southeastern boundary against Banswara district and the Som River, a tributary of the Mahi, marking the northern edge alongside Udaipur district. To the southeast it is bounded by the Gujarat districts of Sabarkantha, Panchmahal and Dahod, while the Vatrak River originates within the district itself.

The climate is dry, with a hot season from April to June when maximum temperatures typically range between 40 °C and 45 °C. Winters are milder, with minimum temperatures usually falling between 10 °C and 12 °C in January. The district receives most of its rainfall during the monsoon season, which extends from June through September, although occasional showers can occur from November to February.

Rainfall is highly variable across the district. In Dungarpur town in the northwest, annual precipitation can reach up to 880 mm, whereas the northeastern area around Nithawa receives less than 500 mm in some years. This variability is illustrated by Nithawa’s recorded rainfall of 805 mm in 2013 compared with just 465 mm in 2014. Overall, the district’s average annual rainfall lies between roughly 470 mm and 760 mm.

Compared with the desert regions of northern and western Rajasthan, Dungarpur’s climate is relatively milder. Summer averages range from a maximum of about 43 °C to a minimum of 26 °C, while winter averages are around 25 °C maximum and 9 °C minimum. The mean temperature in November is about 23 °C, accompanied by a humidity level of roughly 68 %.

The 2011 census recorded Dungarpur district’s population at 1,388,552, with a sex ratio of 990 females per 1,000 males and a literacy rate of 60.78%. Only 6.39% of residents lived in urban areas, while Scheduled Tribes comprised a dominant 70.82% of the population, reflecting the district’s strong tribal character.

Wagdi, a dialect of Bhili, is the mother tongue for the overwhelming majority of the district’s inhabitants, spoken by 96.00% of people according to the same census. Hindi is the first language for a small minority, accounting for 3.02% of speakers. The prevalence of Wagdi aligns with Dungarpur’s location in the Vagad region, where Bhil communities are the primary ethnic group.

The Vagad region, which includes both Dungarpur and neighboring Banswara districts, is noted for its predominantly Bhil population. In census records the language is sometimes listed under the name ‘Bagri’, but it is essentially the Wagdi language spoken by the local Bhils.

Within the district’s urban centre, Dungagi town, the 2011 census reported a population of 47,706, with a slightly higher proportion of males (52%) than females (48%). The town’s overall literacy rate stands at 59.5%, with male literacy at 72.9% and female literacy at 46.2%, and 13% of its residents were under six years of age.

At the 2001 Indian census Dungarpur district was organized into four tehsils: Aspur, Dungarpur, Sagwara and Simalwara. Around 2007 a new tehsil, Bichiwara (also spelled Bichhiwara), was created from the western part of Dungarpur tehsil, expanding the district’s administrative units.

The district contains four urban settlements. Two of these are municipalities—Dungarpur and Sagwara—while the other two, Seemalwara and Galiakot, are classified as census towns. These towns serve as local hubs within the largely rural district.

Beyond the towns, Dungarpur district is predominantly rural. According to the 2011 census, the district comprised 976 villages, reflecting its extensive village network and agrarian character.

Together, the tehsils, municipalities, census towns, and villages form the administrative framework of Dungarpur district, defining its governance and local organization.