Malwa

Coordinates: 22°43′31″N 75°51′56″E / 22.7252°N 75.8655°E / 22.7252; 75.8655
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the region in Central India. For the region in North India, see
Malwa Union
.

Malwa
Malwi, Hindi
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
ISO 3166 codeIN-MP
Largest cityIndore

Malwa is a

region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synonymous with the former state of Madhya Bharat which was later merged with Madhya Pradesh. At present the historical Malwa region includes districts of western Madhya Pradesh and parts of south-eastern Rajasthan. Sometimes the definition of Malwa is extended to include the Nimar
region south of the Vindhyas.

The Malwa region had been a separate political unit from the time of the ancient

British India was merged into Madhya Bharat
(also known as Malwa Union) state of independent India.

Although its political borders have fluctuated throughout history, the region has developed its own distinct culture, influenced by the Rajasthani, Marathi and Gujarati cultures. Several

Varahamihira and Brahmagupta, and the polymath king Bhoja. Ujjain had been the political, economic, and cultural capital of the region in ancient times, and Indore
is now the largest city and commercial centre.

Overall, agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Malwa. The region has been one of the important producers of opium in the world. Wheat and soybeans are other important cash crops, and textiles are a major industry.

Malwi is a demonym given to people from the Malwa region.

History

Ceramic goblet of the Malwa culture from Navdatoli, Malwa, 1300 BCE.
Karttikeya and Lakshmi
(Ujjain, c. 150–75 BC)

Several early Stone Age or

Arabic records, such as Kamilu-t Tawarikh by Ibn Asir.[citation needed
]

The Malwa Culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region, as well as nearby parts of Maharashtra to the south, during the 2nd millennium BCE.[5][6]

Haihayas, a people who were responsible for the destruction of Naga power in western India.[7]

The region was conquered by the

Satavahanas
during the first three centuries AD. Ujjain emerged a major trading centre during the 1st century AD.

Rani Roopmati Pavilion at Mandu, built by Miyan Bayezid Baz Bahadur (1555–62)

Malwa became part of the

Hunas
, who had invaded India from the north-west.

During the seventh century, the region became part of

Pulakesin II of Badami in the Deccan. During his reign the Buddhist pilgrim monk Xuanzang had visited India and mentions seeing a hundred Buddhist monasteries along with a same number of Deva temples of different kinds with the adherents of Pashupata Shaivism making a majority. He also states that there were two places in India that were remarkable for the great learning of the people, viz., Malwa and Magadha. The people there esteemed virtue, were of an intelligent mind and exceedingly studious.[8]

In 756 AD

Rashtrakuta dynasty appointed the Paramara rulers as governors of Malwa.[10] From the mid-tenth century, Malwa was ruled by the Paramaras, who established a capital at Dhar. King Bhoja, who ruled from about 1010 to 1060, was known as the great polymath philosopher-king of medieval India; his extensive writings cover philosophy, poetry, medicine, architecture, construction, town planning, veterinary science, phonetics, yoga, and archery. Malwa became an intellectual centre of India, and became home to a major astronomical observatory, attracting scholars from all over India including Bhāskara II. His successors ruled until about 1305, when Malwa was conquered by the Delhi Sultanate. Malwa was several times invaded by the south Indian Western Chalukya Empire.[11]

Map of the Khaljis of Malwa at their height

Mughals.[13]Babur then siege Chanderi offering Shamsabad to Medini rai instead of Chanderi as it was capital of his kingdom and was of great importance but Rai refused Babur offer and choose to die. He was defeated by Babur in January 1528 at Battle of Chanderi and Babur conquer the fort.[14]

subah (province) of his empire. The Malwa Subah existed from 1568 to 1743. Mandu was abandoned by the 17th century. During the 17th century much of Western Malwa was held by the Rathors of the Ratanawat branch. The Ratanawats later broke into several states which later became Ratlam State, Sitamau State and Sailana State. Some of the lesser states were Multhan and Kachi-Baroda.[16][17]

Sculpture of a Holkar courtier from Fort Ahilya.

As the Mughal state weakened after 1700, the

Dewas State
.

At the end of the 18th century, Malwa became the venue of fighting between the rival Maratha powers and the headquarters of the

Narmada until 1818, when the Marathas were defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and the Holkars of Indore became a princely state of the British Raj
.

After 1818 the British organised the numerous princely states of central India into the

Tonk, and about 35 small estates and holdings. Political power was exercised from Neemuch.[4]

Upon

Indian independence in 1947, the Holkars and other princely rulers acceded to India, and most of Malwa became part of the new state of Madhya Bharat
, which was merged into Madhya Pradesh in 1956.

Geography

Malwa (central India, in yellow), as depicted in the Ostell's New General Atlas, 1814

The Malwa region occupies a plateau in western Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern

Sehore, and the Rajasthan districts of Jhalawar and parts of Kota, Banswara and Pratapgarh
.

Malwa is bounded in the north-east by the Hadoti region, in the north-west by the Mewar region, in the west by the Vagad region and Gujarat. To the south and east is the Vindhya Range and to the north is the Bundelkhand upland.

The plateau is an extension of the

period. In this region the main classes of soil are black, brown and bhatori (stony) soil. The volcanic, clay-like soil of the region owes its black colour to the high iron content of the basalt
from which it formed. The soil requires less irrigation because of its high capacity for moisture retention. The other two soil types are lighter and have a higher proportion of sand.

The average elevation of the plateau is 500 m. Some of the peaks over 800 m high are at Sigar (881 m),

Choti Kali Sindh
.

Due to its altitude of about 550 to 600 meters above mean sea level, the region has comparatively cool evenings against the hot days during the summer season.

Mughals
.

The Vindhya Range marks the southern boundary of the plateau, and is the source of many rivers of the region.

The year is popularly divided into three seasons: summer, the rains, and winter. Summer extends over the months of

Maagha—known as Mawta—is helpful to the early summer wheat and germ crops.[7]

The Sambhar is one of the most common wild animals found in the region.

The region is part of the

Narmada valley dry deciduous forests, and Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests
.

Woodfordia, Phyllanthus, and Carissa
.

Sambhar (Cervus unicolor), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), and Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) are some common ungulates.[21]
During the last century, deforestation has happened at a fast rate, leading to environmental problems such as acute water scarcity and the danger that the region is being desertified.

Demographics

A girl from the Gadia Lohars nomadic tribe of Marwar, cooking on the outskirts of a village in Ratlam district

The population of the Malwa region was 22,773,993 in 2011, with a population density of a moderate 270/km2. The annual birth rate in the region was 31.6 per 1000, and the death rate 10.3. The infant mortality rate was 93.8, slightly higher than the overall rate for the Madhya Pradesh state.

There are numerous tribes in the region, such as the

Meenas, who all differ to a remarkable degree from the regional population in their dialects and social life. They encompass a variety of languages and cultures. Some tribes of the region, notably the Kanjars, were notified in the 19th century for their criminal activities, but have since been denotified. A nomadic tribe from the Marwar region of Rajasthan, the Gadia Lohars—who work as lohars (blacksmiths)—visit the region at the start of the agricultural season to repair and sell agricultural tools and implements, stopping temporarily on the outskirts of villages and towns and residing in their ornate metal carts. The Kalbelia is another nomadic tribe from Rajasthan that regularly visits the region.[22]

Religion

Religion in Malwa (2011)[23]

  
Muslim
(9.17%)
  Others (1.80%)

Malwa has a significant number of

Lisan al-Dawat. The Patidars
, who Migrated from Gujarat settle in the Malwa-nimar. The Whole Malwa-Nimar belt is dominated by Patidar's who are large landowner's.

Languages

The most spoken language in Malwa region is

Parsis or Zoroastrians. The Parsis are closely connected to the growth and evolution of Mhow, which has a Parsi fire temple and a Tower of Silence
.

Economy

Children in an opium field in Malwa

Rajputana-Malwa Railway
was opened in 1876.

The region is predominantly agricultural. The brown soil in parts of the region is particularly suitable for the cultivation of such unalu (early summer) crops as wheat, gram (

Pisum sativum) and peanuts (Arachis hypogaea
). Overall, the main crops are jowar, rice, wheat, coarse millet, peanuts and pulses, soya bean, cotton, linseed, sesame and sugarcane. Sugar mills are located in numerous small towns.

The black, volcanic soil is ideal for the cultivation of cotton, and textile manufacture is an important industry. Large centres of textile production include Indore, Ujjain and Nagda. Maheshwar is known for its fine Maheshwari saris, and Mandsaur for its coarse woollen blankets. Handicrafts are an important source of income for the tribal population. Coloured lacquerware from Ratlam, rag dolls from Indore, and papier-mâché articles from Indore, Ujjain and several other centres are well known.

Mandsaur district is the sole producer in India of white- and red-coloured

Indian Institute of Technology
.

Culture

A Maratha-styled sculpture from Maheshwar

The culture of Malwa has been significantly influenced by Gujarati and Rajasthani culture, because of their geographic proximity.

Marathas
.

The main language of Malwa is

Rajasthani branch of languages; Nimadi is spoken in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order, Bachadi, Pawari/Bhoyari in Betul, Chhindwara, Pandhurna and Wardha districts. [24] Dholewari, Hoshangabadi, Jamral, Katiyai, Malvi Proper, Patvi, Rangari, Rangri and Sondwari. A survey in 2001 found only four dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts of Ujjain, Indore, Dewas, Dhar, Agar Malwa, Sehore), Rajawari (Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch), Umadwari (Rajgarh) and Sondhwari (Jhalawar, in Rajasthan). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.[25]

Traditional Malwa food has elements of

shreekhand
(yogurt based) and malpua.

Marathas
. The Nirguni Lavani (philosophical) and the Shringari Lavani (erotic) are two of the main genres. The Bhils have their own folk songs, which are always accompanied by dance. The folk musical modes of Malwa are of four or five notes, and in rare cases six. The devotional music of the Nirguni cult is popular throughout Malwa. Legends of Raja Bhoj and Bijori, the Kanjar girl, and the tale of Balabau are popular themes for folk songs. Insertions known as stobha are commonly used in Malwa music; this can occur in four ways: the matra stobha (syllable insertion), varna stobha (letter insertion), shabda stobha (word insertion) and vakya stobha (sentence insertion).

Typical countryside near Mhow during the monsoon season

Malwa was the centre of

Meghaduuta
 ("The cloud messenger").

Swang is a popular dance form in Malwa; its roots go back to the origins of the Indian theatre tradition in the first millennium BC. Since women did not participate in the dance-drama form, men enacted their roles. Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry, accompanied alternately by song and dialogue. The genre is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented.[26]

Mandana (literally painting) wall and floor paintings are the best-known painting traditions of Malwa. White drawings stand out in contrast to the base material consisting of a mixture of red clay and cow dung. Peacocks, cats, lions, goojari, bawari, the swastika and chowk are some motifs of this style. Sanjhya is a ritual wall painting done by young girls during the annual period when Hindus remember and offer ritual oblation to their ancestors. Malwa miniature paintings are well known for their intricate brushwork.[27] In the 17th century, an offshoot of the Rajasthani school of miniature painting, known as Malwa painting, was centred largely in Malwa and Bundelkhand. The school preserved the style of the earliest examples, such as the Rasikapriya series dated 1636 (after a poem analysing the love sentiment) and the Amaru Sataka (a 17th-century Sanskrit poem). The paintings from this school are flat compositions on black and chocolate-brown backgrounds, with figures shown against a solid colour patch, and architecture painted in vibrant colours.[28]

The biggest festival of Malwa is the Simhastha mela, held every 12 years, in which more than 40 million pilgrims take a holy dip in river

Shipra. The festival of Gana-gour is celebrated in honour of Shiva and Parvati. The history of the festival goes back to Rano Bai, whose parental home was in Malwa, but who was married in Rajasthan. Rano Bai was strongly attached to Malwa, and did not want to stay in Rajasthan. After marriage, she was allowed to visit Malwa only once a year; Gana-gour symbolises these annual return visits. The festival is observed by women in the region once in the month of Chaitra (mid-March) and Bhadra (mid-August). The Ghadlya (earthen pot) festival is celebrated by the girls of the region, who gather to visit every house in their village in the evenings, carrying earthen pots with holes for the light from oil lamps inside to escape. In front of every house, the girls recite songs connected with the Ghadlya and receive food or money in return. The Gordhan festival is celebrated on the 16th day in the month of Kartika. The Bhils of the region sing Heeda, anecdotal songs to the cattle, while the women sing the Chandrawali song, associated with Krishna
's romance.

The most popular fairs are held in the months of

Tejaji
. The Triveni mela is held at Ratlam, and other fairs take place in Kartika at Ujjain, Mandhata (Nimad), among others.

Muslim community of Malwa is headed by Mufti e Azam Malwa or Grand Mufti of Malwa, who follows Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (an important leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat[29]).[30][31] He is considered as the supreme fatwa issuing authority of the region. Mufti Rizwanur-Rahman Faruqi was succeeded by his son in law Mufti Habeeb yar Khan. The current incumbent is Mufti Noorul Haq.[30][31]

Tourism

The main tourist destinations in Malwa are places of historical or religious significance. The river Shipra and the city of Ujjain have been regarded as sacred for thousands of years. The

Bhartrihari caves are associated with interesting legends. Since the fourth century BC, Ujjain has enjoyed the reputation of being India's Greenwich,[32]
as the
Jai Singh II
is one of the four such observatories in India and features ancient astronomical devices. The Simhastha mela, celebrated every 12 years, starts on the full moon day in Chaitra (April) and continues into Vaishakha (May) until the next full moon day.

Mandu was originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom named it Shadiabad (city of joy). It remained as the capital, and in it the sultans built exquisite palaces like the Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal, ornamental canals, baths and pavilions. The massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's tomb provided inspiration to the designers of the Taj Mahal centuries later. Baz Bahadur built a huge palace in Mandu in the 16th century. Other notable historical monuments are Rewa Kund, Rupmati's Pavilion, Nilkanth Mahal, Hathi Mahal, Darya Khan's Tomb, Dai ka Mahal, Malik Mughit is Mosque and Jali Mahal.

Close to Mandu is Maheshwar, a town on the northern bank of Narmada River that served as the capital of the Indore state under Ahilyabai Holkar. The Maratha rajwada (fort) is the main attraction. A life-size statue of Rani Ahilya sits on a throne within the fort complex. Dhar was the capital of Malwa before Mandu became the capital in 1405. There, the fort is in ruins but offers a panoramic view. The Bhojashala temple (built-in 1400) is still used as a place of worship on Tuesday. Dhar is also a birthplace of Raja Bhoj. Dhar people named as Dharwasi.

Modern

King Edward Hall, it was renamed Mahatma Gandhi
Hall in 1948. The chhatris are the tombs or cenotaphs erected in memory of dead Holkar rulers and their family members.

The shrine of

Moharram, thousands of people from all over the world visit the shrine of Hazrat Imam Hussain
there, which is a replica of the Iraqi original. The place is famous for the rituals called Hajri to cure mental illness.

Sports

Holkar Cricket Stadium. The first cricket ODI match in state was played in Indore at Nehru Stadium, Indore
.

The Vijay Balla ("Victory Bat") made out of concrete with names of the players of the Indian team who won the test series against England (1971) and West Indies(1972)

Venues

No. Venue City Sport Capacity
1
Holkar Cricket Stadium
 Indore Cricket 30,000
2 Nehru International Cricket Stadium Indore Cricket 25,000
3 Indore Sports Complex Indore Cricket 50,000
4 Abhay Khel Prashal Indore Indoor Sports 500
5 Indore Tennis Club Indore
Lawn Tennis
 500
6 Emerald High School Ground Indore Cricket 500
7 Daly College Indore Field Hockey, Football, Cricket 500 each

Demands for statehood

There have been demands for a separate Malwa state with the probable capital at

Rajgarh
.

The main language of Malwa is

Rajasthani branch of languages; Nimadi is spoken in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order, Bachadi, Bhoyari/Pawari, Dholewari, Hoshangabadi, Jamral, Katiyai, Malvi Proper, Patvi, Rangari, Rangri and Sondwari. A survey in 2001 found only four dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts of Ujjain, Indore, Dewas and Sehore), Rajawari (Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch), Umadwari (Rajgarh) and Sondhwari (Jhalawar, in Rajasthan). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Average elevation of the Malawa Plateau
  2. JSTOR 986290
    .
  3. ^ "Malwa Plateau | plateau, India | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Malwa" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 518.
  5. ^ P. K. Basant (2012), City and the Country in Early India: A Study of Malwa, p.85
  6. ^ Upinder Singh (2008), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, p.227
  7. ^
    ISBN 81-85579-07-5
  8. ^ "Country of Mo-la-p'o (Malava) [Chapter 5]". 28 June 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  9. ^ Asiatic Society of Bombay, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay, The Society, 1951, p. 56
  10. ^ Ancient India by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar p.294
  11. ^ The Cambridge Shorter History of India p.159-160
  12. ^ Chaurasia 2002, pp. 156–157.
  13. ^ Gopinath Sharma 1954, pp. 8.
  14. ^ Gopinath Sharma 1954, pp. 39.
  15. ISBN 978-9-38060-734-4
    .
  16. ^ The Rathores of Marwar pg.108-109
  17. ^ Malwa in Transition Or a Century of Anarchy: The First Phase, 1698-1765
  18. ^ "Geochronological Study of the Deccan Volcanism by the 40Ar-39Ar Method". Archived from the original on 25 February 2006.
  19. ^ "Deccan Traps". www.mantleplumes.org. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2005.
  20. ISBN 9789380262246. Archived
    from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Dewas district". Archived from the original on 9 January 2006.
  22. ^ "Rajasthan Desert's Gypsy Women: The Kalbeliya and Bopa Women visit Pushkar Fair". www.nativeplanet.org. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ^ central provinces district gazetteers chhindwara 1907 ,पृष्ठ क्रमांक 43, 63. Printed at the Pioneer Press. 1907. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Malvi". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  26. ^ "'Swang' – The Folk Dance of Malwa". Archived from the original on 6 January 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2005.
  27. ^ "Paintings of Mewar and Malwa". Archived from the original on 30 August 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2005.
  28. ^ "Malwa painting on Encyclopædia Britannica". Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  29. ^ "Barelvi". Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Mufti e Malwa Indore".
  31. ^ a b मुफ्ती-ए-मालवा का हुआ इंतकाल, जामा मसजिद में किया सुपुर्दे खाक. Dainik Bhaskar.
  32. ^ Ujjain district official portal Archived 17 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "Malvi". Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2016.

External links

Bibliography

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22°43′31″N 75°51′56″E / 22.7252°N 75.8655°E / 22.7252; 75.8655

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