Rajgarh State राजगढ़ राज्य | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Late 15th century–1948 | |||||||
 Flag | |||||||
| Motto: Rao adwitīya Rājgarh Darbār ("the chief of Rajgarh has no equal")[1] | |||||||
 Rajgarh State in theImperial Gazetteer of India | |||||||
| Capital | Rajgarh | ||||||
| Religion | Hinduism[1] | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | Late 15th century | ||||||
• Partition withNarsinghgarh State | 1681 | ||||||
| 1948 | |||||||
| Area | |||||||
| 1901 | 2,492 km2 (962 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 1901 | 88,376 | ||||||
| |||||||
TheKingdom of Rajgarh also known asRajgarh State was aprincely state in present-dayIndia, named after its capitalRajgarh, Madhya Pradesh. It was part of the colonialBhopal Agency of theCentral India Agency during theBritish Raj.[1] It lay in the region ofMalwa known asUmathwara after the ruling Umath clan of Rajputs, a branch of theParamara dynasty.[1] The neighbouringNarsinghgarh State was ruled by a cadet branch of this family, after being partitioned in 1681.[1]The Rajgarh State had an area of 2,492 km² and a population of 88,376 in 1901.
The state revenue reached Rs.450,000 in 1901, the privy purse was Rs.140,000 rupees. The Grain and opium were the principal articles of trade.[2][3]
The Umats of Rajgarh claim descent from the medievalParamara dynasty that ruled over Malwa for some 600 years.[1] The Umats were driven out of Sindh by theSamma dynasty during the 14th century; Samma sources assign this event to either 1334 or 1351 CE, while the Umats assign it to 1347.[1] Upon being expelled from Sindh, the Umats migrated to Malwa under the leadership of one Sarangsen, who then acquired land in the area between theSindh andParbati rivers.[1] This area would come to be known as Umatwara after the Umats.[1]
Sarangsen is said to have later received the title ofRawat by the Rana ofChittor.[1] His descendants were held in high regard by theDelhi Sultans; Rawat Karam Singh, 4th in descent from Sarangsen, is said to have been made governor ofUjjain underSikandar Lodi.[1] Karam Singh received asanad for 22 districts in Umatwara, and he made his capital atDuparia, nearShajapur.[1]
A later descendant, Rawat Krishnaji or Kishen Singh, was also governor of Ujjain, and the Kishenpura quarter of Ujjain was supposedly named after him.[1] He died in 1583 and was succeeded by his son Dungar Singh, who founded the town ofDungarpur near Rajgarh and made it his capital.[1] Dungar Singh had six sons, with the two oldest being Udaji and Dudaji.[1] After Dungar Singh was killed atTalen in 1603, Udaji inherited the estate and was recognised as the rightful heir in a sanad granted byAkbar.[1] He moved the capital toRatanpur and ruled until 1621.[1]
Udaji's successor, Chhatar Singh, died in battle in 1638 and was succeeded by his son Mohan Singh.[1] As Mohan Singh was still a minor at the time, thediwan Ajab Singh, a descendant of Dudaji who had served as a minister of Chhatar Singh, was made regent of the Umatwara estate.[1] The capital was moved back to Dungarpur for the duration of Ajab Singh's regency, and the town of Rajgarh was founded in 1640.[1] After Ajab Singh died in battle atNalkhera in 1668, his son Paras Ram succeeded as manager of the estate.[1] At this point, Mohan Singh moved his capital to Rajgarh, while Paras Ram moved his capital toPatan, just south of Rajgarh, where he built a fort.[1]
The division of Umatwara into Rajgarh and Narsinghgarh States took place in 1681.[1] An initial division of villages had been made in 1675, leading to a sort of dual jurisdiction between Mohan Singh and Paras Ram that proved to be unmanageable.[1] Thus, a formal division of the Umatwara territory into two states was made in 1681, with the ruler of Rajgarh (Mohan Singh) receiving five extra villages in recognition of his seniority.[1] The daughter Mrinalini fled to the Himalayas and named her new seat (in presentHimachal Pradesh)Rajgarh as well.[citation needed]
In 1855, Rajgarh State contributedRs. 25,000 towards the construction of the parts of theAgra-Bombay road that were within its borders.[1]
After India's independence in 1947, the last ruling Raja acceded to the Indian government on 15 June 1948.[4] Rajgarh became part ofMadhya Bharat state, which was formed out of the western half of the Raj's Central India Agency of princely states. In 1956 Madhya Bharat was merged intoMadhya Pradesh state.[citation needed]
The southern and eastern parts of Rajgarh State lay on theMalwa plateau, while the northern part was very hilly.[1] The northern hills were Vindhyan sandstone, while the rest of the state was part of theDeccan Traps.[1] This area has a mostly temperate climate, with more variation in temperature in the hills.[1] The main rivers traversing the former state's territory are theParbati, on the eastern border, and its tributary theNewaj.[1]
Around the turn of the 20th century, 214,900 acres of Rajgarh State were covered by forests, about half of which were in thepargana ofBiaora.[1] These forests consisted of decidious trees interspersed with patches ofbamboo.[1] Common trees included thekarrai (Sterculia urens),Bombax malabaricum,Butea frondosa,Buchanania latifolia,dhaora (Anogeissus latifolia), andDiospyros chloroxylon (called in some earlier sourcesD. tomentosa).[1]
Animal species native to the area of Rajgarh State include various types ofdeer,leopard, andwild boar.[1]
The main exports of Rajgarh State around the turn of the 20th century were grain, crudeopium (chik),ghee, poppy seeds, andtilli, while the major imports includedpiece goods,silk,salt,sugar,kerosene oil,rice and other grains, and hardware.[1] No opium was produced in the state; all crude opium grown locally was collected by the state darbar and then exported.[1] The main manufactured goods produced werekhadi cloth,blankets, and ghee; there was also a cotton mill atBiaora which employed 26 people and produced 5,000maunds of cotton cloth annually.[1]
Rajgarh State had no mines, although two sandstone quarries existed, one atSilapati and the other atKotda.[1] A majority of the population was engaged inagriculture, with the 1901 census recording 60% of the population engaged in agricultural work.[1]
The main centres of trade wereRajgarh and Biaora, and to a lesser extent the other pargana headquarters.[1] Rajgarh and Biaora also hosted large cattle fairs.[1] The major merchant groups were theBanias (Hindu and Jain), dealing in food, opium, and piece goods; and theBohoras (Muslim), dealing mainly in hardware.[1] The main trade routes were by road toGuna,Sehore, andIndore, where goods were then transported by rail.[1]
Rajgarh State never minted its own currency.[1] Instead, coins produced byBhopal State and other princely states were in use until 1897, when theBritish rupee was declared the sole legal tender.[1]
The monarch of Rajgarh State held absolute authority in matters of governance.[1] He generally delegated executive authority to adiwan, who was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the state's various departments (Darbar, Revenue, Judicial, Public Works, Police, Educational, and Medical).[1]
Rajgarh State was divided into sevenparganas:Newalganj,Biaora,Kalipith,Karanwas,Kotra,Sheogarh, andTalen.[1] Each pargana was overseen by atahsildar, who served as the chief revenue officer and also presided over the lowest level of criminal courts in the state.[1]
At the turn of the 20th century, the state maintained a small army of 30 cavalry, 102 infantry, and 7 artillery with 4 guns.[1] The annual military budget was Rs. 20,000.[1]
A police force was established in 1902, consisting of 309 constables under the direction of aMuntazim, who was in turn assisted by an Assistant Muntazim, 5 inspectors, and 13 sub-inspectors.[1] The police force was distributed among 11thanas.[1]
The heads of the state held the title of “Rawat”, equivalent to that to Raja until 1872.[5] In 1886, the rulers also held the title ofRaja, sometimes collectively called as “Maharaj Rawat”. These titles was somewhat similar to “King” but in British context, roughly translates to ruling “Prince”. One of its ruler Rawat Moti Singh, converted to Islam under the influence of his Muslim courtier and adopted the title ofNawab.[6]
