1.
Indore State
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Indore State, also known as Holkar State, was a Maratha princely state in India during the British Raj. Its rulers belonged to the Holkar dynasty and the state was under the Central India Agency, Indore was a 19 Gun Salute princely state. Indore princely state was located in the present-day Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, the capital of the state was the city of Indore. By 1720, the headquarters of the local pargana were transferred from Kampel to Indore, on 18 May 1724, the Nizam accepted the rights of the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I to collect chauth from the area. In 1733, the Peshwa assumed the control of Malwa. On 29 July 1732, Bajirao Peshwa-I granted Holkar State by merging 28 and half parganas to Malhar Rao Holkar and his daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar moved the states capital to Maheshwar in 1767, but Indore remained an important commercial and military centre. After the defeat of the Holkar rulers in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Holkar dynasty was able to continue to rule Indore as a princely state mainly owing to the efforts of their Dewan Tatya Jog. The capital was moved from Maheshwar to Indore on 3 November 1818 and the Indore Residency, later Indore would be established as the headquarters of the British Central India Agency. In 1906 electric supply was started in the city, a brigade was established in 1909 and in 1918. During the period of Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II efforts were made for the planned development, yashwant Rao Holkar II, the last ruler of the state, signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union on 1 January 1950. The territories of the state part of the new Indian state of Madhya Bharat. The kings of Indore held the title of Maharaja Holkar, the rulers of the state were entitled to a 19 gun salute by the British authorities. C.1808 -1811 Bala Ram Seth 1811 - Dec 1817 Ganpal Rao 1818 - Apr 1826 Tantia Jogh Apr 1826 -1827, raoji Trimbak 1827 Daji Bakhshi 1827. -1829 Appa Rao Krishna 1829 -1834, madhav Rao Phadnis Apr 1834 - Nov 1836 Sardar Revaji Rao Phanse 1836 -1839. - Oct 1841 Narayan Rao Palshikar 1841 -1842, -1848 Bhao Rao Phanse 1848 -1849. Ram Rao Palshikar 1852 -1873 the ruler 1873 -1875 Sir Madhava Rao 1875 -1881 Ragunath Rao 1881, shahamat Ali 1884 -1886 Nana Moroji Trilokekar 1886 -1888 Ragunath Rao c.189. Munshi Nanak Chand ji Airen 4 Apr 1913 - Oct 1914 Narayan Ganesh Chandravarkar 1914 -1916, Ram Prasad Dube Nov 1921 -1923. Ram Prasad Dube Feb 1926 -1939 Siremal Bapna 1939 -1942, Sardar Dina Nath 1942 -1947 Raja Gyannath Madan 1947 R. G
2.
Rajwada
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Rajwada is a historical palace in Indore city. It was built by the Holkars of the Maratha Empire about two centuries ago and this seven storied structure is located near the Chhatris and serves today as a fine example of royal grandeur and architectural skills. The structure comprises two parts, the first one located at the heart of the city and the one standing in the old part of the town. Rajwada palace exhibits a blend of Maratha styles, the structure is sure to leave you spellbound. The entrance itself is beautiful with lofty archway and a giant wooden door covered with iron studs, the lower three floors are made of stone and the upper floors are made of wood. The existing building is rectangular with cylindrical bastions at the four corners and it was constructed in 1766 and later the southern part was rebuilt in the years 1811-1833 after being damaged by fire. These families lived in and around Indore and went on to work for several structures for the Holkars, today it stands proudly with its 7 story façade of carved stone and wood jails, jharokhas and chattries. The front bay has substantial forecourt assessed by a large fenestration in the front façade, all activity within this structure has been systematically removed and now boasts of a small office of the Joint Director, Archeology and Souvenir Shop run by the Archeology. The rest of the building is ground and two floors, one side of the front bay has been destroyed as has the complete rear bay. The rear bay, before reconstruction was an empty shell with garden within, the architecture is of the Maratha period & style. The aisles & arcades, punctured by delicate niches, doors & windows create a space in which articulation of open, semi-open & covered areas is effortless and this building was to be rebuilt by H. The only departure from the building was a concealed ms pipe frame for structural stability in this earthquake prone zone - a necessity to obtain relevant building permissions
3.
Indore
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Indore /ɪnˈdɔər/, is the largest and most populous city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division, Indore was described by the Economic Times as the commercial capital of the state. It is also considered as a hub of the state. With a census-estimated 2011 population of 1,994,397 and 2,170,295, the city is distributed over a land area of just 530 square kilometers making Indore the most densely populated major city in the central province. It comes under Tier 2 cities in India, Indore traces its roots to its 16th century founding as a trading hub between the Deccan and Delhi. The city and its surroundings came under Hindu Maratha Empire on 18 May 1724 after Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I assumed the control of Malwa. During the days of the British Raj, Indore State was a 19 Gun Salute princely state ruled by the Maratha Holkar dynasty, Indore served as the capital of the Madhya Bharat from 1950 until 1956. Indores financial district, anchored by central Indore, functions as the capital of the Madhya Pradesh and is home to the Madhya Pradesh Stock Exchange. It has also qualified the first round of Smart Cities Mission and has selected as one of the first twenty cities to be developed as Smart Cities. By 1720, the headquarters of the local pargana were transferred from Kampel to Indore, on 18 May 1724, the Nizam accepted the rights of the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I to collect chauth from the area. In 1733, the Peshwa assumed the control of Malwa. Nandlal Chaudhary accepted the suzerainty of the Marathas, on 29 July 1732, Bajirao Peshwa-I granted Holkar State by merging 28 and half parganas to Malhar Rao Holkar, the founder ruler of Holkar dynasty. His daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar moved the capital to Maheshwar in 1767. In 1818, the Holkars were defeated by the British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, a residency with British resident was established at Indore, but Holkars continued to rule Indore State as a princely state mainly due to efforts of their Dewan Tatya Jog. During that time, Indore was established the headquarters of British Central Agency, Ujjain was originally the commercial centre of Malwa. But the British administrators such as John Malcolm decided to promote Indore as an alternative to Ujjain, because the merchants of Ujjain had supported anti-British elements. In 1906 electric supply was started in the city, fire brigade was established in 1909 and in 1918, first master-plan of city was made by noted architect and town planner, Patrick Geddes. During the period of Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar II efforts were made for the planned development, with the introduction of Railways in 1875, the business in Indore flourished till the reign of Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar III and Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar
4.
Malhar Rao Holkar
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Malhar Rao Holkar was a noble of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. Malhar Rao is particularly known for being the first Maratha Subhedar of Malwa in Central India and he was the first prince from the Holkar family which ruled the Indore State. He was one of the officers to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the state of Indore to rule by the Peshwas. Malhar Rao Holkar was from the Dhangar community, a group that is not technically a part of the Maratha caste. He was born on 16 March 1693 in the village of Hol, near Jejuri, Malhar Rao grew up in Taloda at house of his maternal uncle, Bhojirajrao Bargal. He married Gautama Bai, his uncles daughter, in 1717 and he also married Bana Bai Sahib Holkar, Dwarka Bai Sahib Holkar, Harku Bai Sahib Holkar, a Khanda Rani. This Khanda Rani status stems from the fact that she was a Rajput princess, he had sent his sword to represent him at the wedding, Holkar lived at a time when it was possible for ambitious people to improve their standing substantially. And in 1715 he was serving in forces under the control of Kadam Bande in Khandesh, in 1721, having become disllusioned with Bande, Holkar became a soldier in the service of the Peshwa, Bajirao. Became close to him and was able to move up the ranks. Participation in the Peshwas campaign of 1723-24 was followed by a diplomatic role, Holkar was commanding a force of 500 men in 1725 and in 1727 he received a grant so that he could maintain troops in various areas of Malwa. Successful work during the Battle of Palkhed of 1728, during which he disrupted the supplies and communications of the Mughal armies, further increased his status. One of the foremost commanders of the Maratha Empire, he participated in the victory near Delhi in 1737. He also wrested Bassein from the Portuguese in 1739 and he received Rampura, Bhanpura and Tonk in 1743, for the assistance given to Madhosingh I of Jaipur in his contest with Ishwari Singh. Granted an Imperial Sardeshmuckhi for Chandore, for his gallantry in the Rohilla campaign of 1748, from 1748 onwards, Malhar Rao Holkar’s position in Malwa became firm and secure. He became ‘Kingmaker’ in Northern and Central India and master of a territory lying on both the sides of the Narmada as well as Sahyadri. In the Battle of Fatthegad and Farukhabad, they defeated the Rohillas, when Mughal Emperor came to know that Ahmed Shah Abdali had attacked Punjab in December 1751, he asked Safdarjung to make peace with Rohillas and Bangash. On 12 April 1752 Safdarjung agreed to help Marathas but the Emperor didn’t ratify the agreement, at the same time, the Peshwa asked Malharrao Holkar to return to Pune as Salabat Khan had attacked the city. The Marathas besieged Kumher Fort from 20 January to 18 May 1754, the war continued for about four months
5.
Maharaja
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Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a great ruler, great king or high king. It has also been the title of emperors, including Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh empire, the female equivalent, Maharani, denotes either the wife of a Maharaja, and also in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajmata queen mother, Maharaj Kumar generally denotes a son of a Maharaja, but more specific titulatures are often used at each court, including Yuvaraj for the heir. The form Maharaj indicates a separation of noble and religious offices, the word Maharaja originates in Sanskrit and is a compound karmadhāraya term from mahānt- great and rājan ruler, king). It has the Latin cognates magnum great and rex king, the Sanskrit title Maharaja was originally used only for rulers who ruled a considerably large region with minor tributary rulers under them. Since mediaeval times, the title was used even by monarchs of smaller states claiming to be the descendants of ancient Maharajas, the word Maharaja may be understood simply to mean ruler or king, in spite of its literal translation as great king. The word, however, can also mean emperor in contemporary Indian usage, two Rajas who became Maharajas in the twentieth century were the Maharaja of Cochin and the legendary Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala. Variations of this include the following, each combining Maha- great with an alternative form of Raja king, so all meaning Great King, Maharana, Maharawal, Maharawat, Maharao. Maharajah has taken on new spellings due to change and migration. It has even been shortened to Mahraj and Maraj but the most common is Maharajah, despite its literal meaning, unlike many other titles meaning Great King, neither Maharaja nor Rajadhiraja, nor even its equivalent amongst. Maharaja, Maharajadhiraja, never reached the standing required for imperial rank, dharma-maharaja was the devout title of the rulers of the Ganga dynasty. In the Mughal Empire it was common to award to various princes a series of lofty titles as a matter of protocolary rank. The british would, as partamaount power, do the same, Maharajadhiraja, Great Prince over Princes, a title of honour, one degree higher than Sawai Maharaja Bahadur. Sawai Maharaja Bahadur, a title of honour, one higher than Sawai Maharaja. Sawai Maharaja, a title of one degree higher than Maharaja Bahadur. Maharaja Bahadur, a title of honour, one higher than Maharaja. Maharaja itself could also be grahted as a personal, non-hereditary style, like Raja and various other titles, Maharaja was repeatedly awarded to notables without a princely state, such as zamindars. g. The Diwan Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad, held such a Maharaja-title, Maharaj Kumar means son of a Maharaja or Heir-Apparent, the female equivalent is Maharaj Kumari, daughter of a Maharaja
6.
India
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India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and it is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast, in the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Indias Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a border with Thailand. The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE, in the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires, the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia. In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate, the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal empire, in the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance, in 2015, the Indian economy was the worlds seventh largest by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the major economies and is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, a nuclear weapons state and regional power, it has the third largest standing army in the world and ranks sixth in military expenditure among nations. India is a constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society and is home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu, the latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as The people of the Indus, the geographical term Bharat, which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. Scholars believe it to be named after the Vedic tribe of Bharatas in the second millennium B. C. E and it is also traditionally associated with the rule of the legendary emperor Bharata. Gaṇarājya is the Sanskrit/Hindi term for republic dating back to the ancient times, hindustan is a Persian name for India dating back to the 3rd century B. C. E. It was introduced into India by the Mughals and widely used since then and its meaning varied, referring to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan or India in its entirety
7.
Princely state
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A princely state, also called native state or Indian state, was a nominally sovereign monarchy under a local or regional ruler in a subsidiary alliance with a greater power. At the time of the British withdrawal,565 princely states were recognised in the Indian subcontinent, apart from thousands of zamindaris. Rulers of salute states entitled to a gun salute of eleven guns and above received from the British the style of Highness, while the Nizam of Hyderabad had the unique style of Exalted Highness. At the other end of the scale, the principality of Lawa covered an area of 49 km2, or smaller than Bermuda. Some two hundred of the states had an area of less than 25 km2. The era of the princely states effectively ended with Indian independence in 1947, by 1950, almost all of the principalities had acceded to either India or Pakistan – thirteen to Pakistan and the rest to India. During this time, the princely states were merged into unions, each of which was headed by a former ruling prince with the title of Rajpramukh. In 1956, the position of Rajpramukh was abolished and the federations dissolved, the Indian Government formally derecognised the princely families in 1971, followed by the Government of Pakistan in 1972. The widespread expansion of Islam during this time brought many principalities into tributary relations with Islamic sultanates, notably the Delhi Sultanate, in the south, however, the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire remained dominant until the mid-17th century, among its tributaries was the future Mysore Kingdom. The Turco-Mongol Mughal Empire brought a majority of the existing Indian kingdoms and principalities under its suzerainty by the 17th century, beginning with its foundation in the early 16th century. The advent of Sikhism resulted in the creation of the Sikh Empire in the north by the early 18th century, at the same time, the Marathas carved out their own states to form the Maratha Empire. Through the 18th century, former Mughal governors formed their own independent states, India under the British Raj consisted of two types of territory, British India and the Native states or Princely states. In general the term British India had been used also to refer to the regions under the rule of the East India Company in India from 1774 to 1858, the term has also been used to refer to the British in India. More prestigious Hindu rulers often used the title Raja, Raje or a variant such as Rana, Rao, also in this class were several Thakurs or Thakores and a few particular titles, such as Sardar, Mankari, Deshmukh, Sar Desai, Raja Inamdar, Saranjamdar. The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had the prefix maha in their titles, as in Maharaja, Maharana, Maharao, etc. The states of Travancore and Cochin had queens regnant styled Maharani, generally the female forms applied only to sisters, spouses and widows, there were also compound titles, such as rajadhiraj, Raj-i-rajgan, often relics from an elaborate system of hierarchical titles under the Mughal emperors. For example, the addition of the adjective Bahadur raised the status of the one level. Furthermore, most dynasties used a variety of titles, such as Varma in South India
8.
Peshwa
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A Peshwa was the equivalent of a modern Prime Minister in the Maratha Empire. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati, but later, they became the de facto leaders of the Marathas, and the Chatrapati was reduced to a nominal ruler. During the last years of the Maratha Empire, the Peshwas themselves were reduced to titular leaders, and remained under the authority of the Maratha nobles, all the Peshwas during the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji belonged to Deshastha Brahmin family. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle, who was appointed as the head of the Ashta Pradhan by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the initial Peshwas were all ministers who served as the chief executives to the king. The later Peshwas held the highest administrative office and also controlled the Maratha confederacy, under the Chitpavan Brahmin Bhat family, the Peshwas became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Confederacy. The Peshwas office was most powerful under Baji Rao I, under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats, the Maratha Empire reached its zenith, ruling most of the Indian subcontinent. However, after the Peshwa Raghunathrao allied with the British, the Peshwas power declined substantially, later on many provinces were controlled and administered either by the Maratha nobles such as Daulat Rao Sindhia, or by the East India Company. During this period, the Maratha confederacy came to its end through its formal annexation into the British Empire in 1818, clever Deshasthas were happy with the downfall as they were kept away from power by talented Chitpavans for a long time. The word Peshwa is from Persian پیشوا pēshwā, meaning foremost, after the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as the first Peshwa. Shivaji Maharaj renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term is commonly used. The first Peshwa was Moropant Trimbak Pingale who served the monarch and his son, Nilopant Pingale, was appointed Peshwa by the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji after Moropants s death in 1683. The second Peshwa, Ramchandra Amatya, received royal status from Chhatrapati Rajaram as Hukumatpanha from 1689 to 1699 and he was a sound administrator who rose from the level of a local Kulkarni to the ranks of Ashta Pradhan due to guidance and support from Shivaji. Amatya is a Sanskrit term denoting counselor, guide, supervisor or overseer of both personal and governmental affairs and he recaptured many forts from the Mughals between 1690 and 1694, some in person, as well as personally conducting guerilla war techniques. When Chhatrapati Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689, before leaving from Maharashtra, Ramchandra Pant managed the entire state under many challenges such as the Mughal influx, the betrayal of Vatandars, and scarcity of food. With his help, Sachiv kept the Maratha State on an economic footing. Pant got tremendous military help from Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, in 1698, he happily stepped down from the post of Hukumatpanha and Rajaram offered this post to his wife Tarabai. Tarabai gave an important position to Pant in the administration of Maratha State and he wrote a book called Adnyapatra मराठी, आज्ञापत्र which explained different techniques of war, maintenance of forts and administration etc. The concepts in Adnyapatra and the wisdom and leadership of ] greatly helped the Maratha empire in building the foundation of state, as he was more loyal to Tarabai than Shahu, he was sidelined after the arrival of Chhatrapati Shahu
9.
Maheshwar
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Maheshwar is a city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located 13 km east of National Highway 3 and 91 km from Indore, the City lies on the north bank of the Narmada River. It was the capital of the Malwa during the Maratha Holkar reign till 6 January 1818, the word Maheshwar in Hindi means Great God, an epithet of Lord Shiva. Writers such as HD Sankalia, PN Bose and Francis Wilford, among others, according to a popular legend, one day the King Sahasrarjun and his 500 wives went to the river for a picnic. When the wives wanted a vast play area, the King stopped the mighty river Narmada with his 1000 arms, while they were all enjoying themselves, Ravana flew by in his Pushpak Vimana. Downstream, when he saw the dry bed, he thought it was an ideal place to pray to Lord Shiva. He made an out of sand and began to pray. When Sahasrajuna’s wives were done playing and they stepped out of the river bed, the voluminous river flowed down sweeping Ravana’s shivalinga along, messing up his prayers. Furious, Ravana tracked Sahasrajuna and challenged him, armed to the hilt the mighty Ravana was in for a huge surprise. The mighty Sahasrarjuna with the 1000 arms pinned Ravana to the ground, then he placed 10 lamps on his heads and one on his hand. After tying up Ravana, Sahasrarjuna dragged him home and tied him up to the pole of his son. A humiliated Ravana stayed prisoner until his release was secured, jamadagni rishi, Renuka Devi and Lord Parashurama with whom Kartavirya Arjunas story is closely associated also lived nearby. As per the legend, there was a king named Nila who ruled over Mahishmati. King Nila had a daughter who was exceedingly beautiful, so much so that Agni fell in love with her which was reciprocated. The princess always used to stay near the fire of her father. And king Nilas sacred fire, even if fanned, would not blaze until agitated by the breath of her lips. Agni, assuming the form of a Brahman starts courting with the princess for long, but, one day the couple was discovered by the king, who became furious. Nila thereupon ordered the Brahman to be punished according to law, at this the illustrious deity flamed up in wrath and beholding the terrible flame, the king felt terrified and bent his head low on the ground
10.
Ahilyabai Holkar
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Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar was the Holkar Queen of the Maratha ruled Malwa kingdom, India. Rajmata Ahilyabai was born in the village of Chondi in Jamkhed, Ahmednagar and she moved the capital to Maheshwar south of Indore on the Narmada River. Ahilyabais husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in the battle of Kumbher in 1754, twelve years later, her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar, died. A year after that she was crowned as the queen of the Malwa kingdom and she tried to protect her kingdom from plundering Muslim invaders. She personally led armies into battle and she appointed Tukojirao Holkar as the Chief of Army. Rani Ahilyabai was a builder and patron of many Hindu temples which embellished Maheshwar. Seeing the destroyed and desecrated temple in Somnath, Rani Ahilyabai built a temple where Lord Shiva is still worshipped by Hindus, Ahilyabai was born on 31 May 1725 in the village of Chaundi, in the present-day Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra. Her father, Mankoji Rao Shinde, was the Patil of the village, women then did not go to school, but Ahilyabais father taught her to read and write. Recognising her piety and her character, he brought the girl to the Holkar territory as a bride for his son and she was married to Khanderao in 1733. Ahilya Bai’s husband Khanderao was killed during the siege of Kumbher in 1754, twelve years later, her father-in-law, Malharrao died. Malharrao was succeeded by Malerao, the son of Khanderao. From 1767 until her death in 1795, she ruled Malwa and you may halt there for four or five days. You should keep your big artillery and arrange for its ammunition as much as possible…. On the march you should arrange for military posts being located for protection of the road. Already trained to be a ruler, Ahilyabai petitioned the Peshwa after Malhar’s death, some in Malwa objected to her assumption of rule, but the army of Holkar supported her leadership. She led them in person, with four bows and quivers of arrows fitted to the corners of the howdah of her favourite elephant, Ahilyabai daily public audience and was always accessible to anyone who needed her ear. She also built forts and roads in Malwa, sponsored festivals, outside Malwa, she built dozens of temples, ghats, wells, tanks and rest-houses across an area stretching from the Himalayas to pilgrimage centres in South India. The Bharatiya Sanskritikosh lists as sites she embellished, Kashi, Gaya, Somnath, Ayodhya, Mathura, Hardwar, Kanchi, Avanti, Dwarka, Badrinarayan, Rameshwar, there are many stories of her care for her people. To honour the memory of Ahilyadevi Holkar, in 1996 leading citizens of Indore instituted an award in her name to be bestowed annually on a public figure
11.
Udaipur State
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The Udaipur State, also known as Mewar State, was a princely state in northwestern India prior to the formation of the Indian Republic. The state of Mewar was founded around 530, the first capital was at Chittorgarh, later the kingdom would also, and ultimately predominantly, be called Udaipur after the name of its new capital. When Udaipur State joined the Indian Union in 1949 it had ruled by the Chattari Rajputs of Mori Guhilot Parihar. The most important vassal territories of Udaipur were Chani, Jawas, Jura, Madri, Oghna, Panarwa, Para, Patia, Sarwan and Thana. Udaipur State assisted the British East India Company in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, only on 31 January 1818 did the Udaipur Kingdom became a British protectorate. The institution of the Mewar Residency, gave the Udaipur State a measure of control over the states of Banswara, Dungarpur. The British authorities granted the ruler of Udaipur a 19 gun salute, Udaipur State became a focus for the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. The last ruler of Udaipur Kingdom signed the accession to Independent India on 7 April 1949, kanak-Sen left Koshala in the 2nd century and settled in Saurashtra. His descendents established themselves and became rulers at Vallabhi, ages later, Prince Guhaditya also known as Guhil obtained the small kingdom of Idar. His name became the patronymic Grahilot, later corrupted to Gahlot, the Gahlot Dynasty sometimes supported the Pratiharas along with the Chauhans against the Arab invasions of India in the 7th century. Later the wilderness of Idar had to be abandoned and the clan settled at Ahar, around the 12th century the sons of Karan Singh I included Mahup, who established himself at Dungarpur while his younger brother Rahup established himself near Sisodia village. Later the term Sisodia supplanted both Gahlot and Aharya, the dynasty moved to a new capital city, Nagda. Last King of Mori Dynasty of Malwa, Mun Singh Mori, killed Mahendra II, his brother-in-law, kalbhoj, son of Mahendra II, returned with allies to recover Mewar from his uncle and established himself at the new capital of Chittor. Kshem Singh was forced to move his capital to Dungarpur owing to Muslim Invasions, interregnum - Sanchore Rulers at Chittor under Alauddin Khilji Galhot dynasty is replaced by its junior branch, Sisodia, founded by Rahup. Rana Laksha of the Sisodia Rajput clan with all his 10 sons had rallied in defense of Chittor, the Sardars decided that it was time to safeguard the royal lineage. There is mention of two sons of Rana Laksha by name, Ari Singh and Ajay Singh. Ari Singh I had a son named Hammir Singh I who was taken by his uncle Ajay to Kelwara for safety, the Sardars now picked Hamir Singh I as head of the Sisodia clan and rightful heir to the throne of Mewar. He married the daughter of Maldeo of Jalore, who now governed Chittor for the Delhi Sultanate and he overthrew his father-in-law and reclaimed his ancestral homeland
12.
Baji Rao I
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Pantpradhan Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat was a general of the Maratha Empire in India. He served as Peshwa to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu from 1720 until Bajiraos death and he is also known by the names Bajirao Ballal and Thorale Bajirao. Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Empire, especially in the north, in his brief military career spanning 20 years, Bajirao never lost a battle and won 41 battles. According to the British Army officer Bernard Montgomery, Bajirao was possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India, Bajirao was born into the Bhat family of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin lineage. His father Balaji Vishwanath was the first Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shahu, Bajirao had a younger brother Chimaji Appa and two sisters, Bhiubai Joshi and Anubai Ghorpade. He spent his childhood in his fathers newly acquired fiefdom of Saswad, Bajirao would often accompany his father on military campaigns. He was with his father when the latter was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom, when Vishwanath died in 1720, Shahu appointed the 20-year old Bajirao as the Peshwa. He is said to have preached the ideal of Hindu Pad Padshahi, Bajirao intended to plant the Maratha flag upon the walls of Delhi and other cities governed by the Mughals and he intended to replace the Mughal Empire and create a Hindu-Pat-Padshahi. By the time Bajirao became the Peshwa, Chhatrapati Shahu was almost a titular ruler, the Maratha confederacy was run in his name, but the real power lay in the hands of the Peshwa. By the time of Bajiraos appointment, Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah had recognized Marathas rights over the territories possessed by Shivaji at his death, in 1719, the Mughals had also recognized the Maratha rights to collect taxes in the six provinces of Deccan. Bajirao believed that the Mughal Empire was in decline and wanted to take advantage of this situation with aggressive expansion in north India. Sensing the declining fortune of the Mughals, he is reported to have said, Strike, strike at the trunk and the branches will fall off themselves. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan, had created his own independent kingdom in the region. For example, the Siddis controlled the Janjira fort, on January 4,1721, Bajirao met Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I at Chikhalthan to settle their disputes through agreement. However, Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha rights to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces, Nizam was made Vizier of Mughal Empire in 1721, but alarmed at his growing power, emperor Muhammad Shah transferred him from Deccan to Awadh in 1723. Nizam rebelled against the order, resigned as the Vizier and marched towards Deccan, the emperor sent an army against him, which the Nizam defeated in the Battle of Sakhar-kheda. In response, Mughal emperor was forced to recognize him as the viceroy of Deccan, the Marathas, led by Bajirao, helped Nizam win this battle. In fact, for his bravery in the battle, Bajirao was honored with a robe, a mansabdari of 7,000, an elephant, after the battle, Nizam tried to appease both the Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu as well as the Mughal emperor
