Gwalior State
Scindia-ruled Maratha power in Central India that became the largest princely state of the Central India Agency.
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via Wikipedia: Gwalior State · see source
Gwalior State was a Maratha state in Central India, ruled by the Hindu House of Scindia, that later became a princely state under British paramountcy. Ranoji Sindhia founded it in the early 18th century within the Maratha Confederacy.
It took its name from the old town of Gwalior, prized for its commanding fort, and in time its capital grew at Lashkar near that fort. Under Mahadji Sindhia it became the dominant force in Central India, and after the Anglo-Maratha Wars it was the largest state in the Central India Agency. The British granted it a 21-gun salute, and after 1947 it merged into Madhya Bharat.
Lore & Background
Gwalior itself had a long past before the Scindias: Iltutmish took it in 1231, the Tomars held it from 1398, and it fell under the Mughals in 1528. Ranoji Sindhia, from a family of hereditary village headmen near Satara, was authorized in 1726 by Peshwa Baji Rao I to collect chauth and sardeshmukhi in Malwa, and he based himself at Ujjain until his death on 19 July 1745.
His son Jayappa was killed at Nagaur in 1755, and grandson Jankoji was executed after the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, bringing Mahadji to power. Mahadji clashed with the British until the Treaty of Salbai in 1782, which recognized him as an independent chief. With an army organized by Benoit de Boigne, he restored Shah Alam II at Delhi and dominated northern India until his death in 1794.
Reader's Guide
At its height the state covered 64856 km2 in two main parts: a compact northern block around Gwalior bounded by the Chambal River, and a fragmented Malwa section that included Ujjain. Its population in 1940 was 4,006,159.
During the 1857 rebellion, Jayajirao Scindia sided with the British and lent Gwalior troops to suppress it. In 1936 the Gwalior residency was detached from the Central India Agency and placed directly under the Governor-General. After independence, the Scindia rulers acceded to the Union of India.
Did You Know?
- Between 1782 and December 1805, Gwalior annexed Dholpur State.
- Mahadji received the title of deputy Vakil-ul-Mutlak after restoring the Mughal emperor in 1785.
- De Boigne defeated the forces of Tukaji Holkar at Lakheri on 1 June 1793.
- Ranoji's cenotaph stands near Shujalpur, where he died.
More in Early Modern State Formation And Dynasties
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Gwalior State (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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