Orchha State
Orchha State | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British India | |||||||
1531–1950 | |||||||
Imperial Gazetteer of India | |||||||
Capital | Orchha, Tikamgarh | ||||||
Area | |||||||
• 1908 | 5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi) | ||||||
Population | |||||||
• 1908 | 321,364 | ||||||
History | |||||||
• Established | 1531 | ||||||
• Accession to the Union of India | 1950 | ||||||
| |||||||
Today part of | India |
Orchha State (also known as Urchha, Ondchha and Tikamgarh)
The
History
Before company rule
Orchha State was founded in 1531 by the
Rudra Pratap Singh was succeeded by his son, Bharatichand, who died without leaving an heir in 1554 and was in turn succeeded by his younger brother, Madhukar Shah.
During the rule of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, his vassal, Vir Singh Deo, was ruler of the Orchha area.[7] His reign ended in either 1626[8] or 1627 and it was during this period that Orchha reached its zenith in both political power and architectural splendour. Examples of the architecture include the Jahangir Mahal (built ca. 1605) and the Sawan Bhadon Mahal.[7]
In the early-17th century, Raja
The town of Tehri, Tikamgarh, about 52 miles (84 km) south of Orchha, became the capital of Orchha state in 1783, and is now the district town; Tehri was the site of the fort of Tikamgarh, and the town eventually took the name of the fort.[1]
-
Jahangir Mahal, Orchha
-
Memorial Chhatris of the ruler of Orchha, on the bank of the Betwa River.
-
Lakshmi Temple, Orchha
During the British era
On 23rd December 1812, Orchha king made treaty of alliance with Britishers. Hamir Singh, who ruled from 1848 to 1874, was elevated to the style of
In 1908, the boundaries of the state lay between 24° 26′ and 25° 40′ North and 78° 26′ and 79° 21′ East. It formed a part of the
Vir Singh, Pratap Singh's successor, merged his state with the Union of India on 1 January 1950. The district became part of Vindhya Pradesh state, which was merged into the state of Madhya Pradesh in 1956.
Rulers
Rajas
Prior to Company Rule, the rulers of Orchha all held the title of Raja. They were:
- Rudra Pratap Singh (1501–1531)[11]
- Bharatichand (1531–1554)[5]
- Madhukar Shah (1554–1592)[12]
- Ram Shah (1592–1605)[12]
- Vir Singh Deo (also spelled Bir Singh Deo) (1605–1626/7)[4][8]
- Jhujhar Singh (1626/7–1635)[8] (brother of Hardaul Singh)
- Devi Singh (1635–1641) (brother of Jhujhar Singh)
- Pahar Singh (1641–1653)
- Sujan Singh (1653–1672)
- Indramani Singh (1672–1675)
- Jaswant Singh (1675–1684)
- Bhagwat Singh (1684–1689)
- Udwat Singh (1689–1735)
- Prithvi Singh (1735–1752)
- Sanwant Singh (1752–1765)
- Hati Singh (1765–1768)
- Man Singh (1768–1775)
- Bharti Singh (1775–1776)
- Vikramajit Mahendra (1776–1817)[8]
- Dharam Pal (1817–1834)[8] Queen Ladai Sarkar was his wife
- Taj Singh (1834–1842)[8]
- Surjain Singh (1842–1848)[8] (Queen Ladai Sarkar ruled at this time)
- Hamir Singh (1848–1865)[8]
Maharajas
During the British era, initially under Company Rule and then as a part of the British Raj, the title of Raja was in use until 1865, when it was replaced with that of Maharaja. The rulers were:
- Hamir Singh (1865–1874)[8]
- Pratap Singh (1874–1930)[8]
- Vir Singh II (4 March 1930 – acceded 1 January 1950) (b.1899 - d.1956)
Titular Maharajas
- Vir Singh II (1 January 1950 – 1956)
- Devendra Singh (1956 – 1978)
- Madhukar Shah (1978 – present)
Postal history
Postage stamps for the state were prepared for use in 1897 but were never issued. The first Orchha State stamps were issued in 1913 (half-
Separate stamps were discontinued on 30 April 1950 after the state was merged with the Union of India early that year.
Coinage
Orchha minted coins in copper and silver. The currency was known as Gaja Shahi because it most commonly bore the symbol of a mace (gaja) on the reverse. The mace symbol was imitated on coins issued by Datia State.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. 19. Clarendon Press. 1908. p. 241.
- ISBN 978-1-93270-554-6.
- ^ "Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Fort and Palace at Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19976-592-8.
- ISBN 978-0-19976-592-8.
- ^ a b "Sawan Bhadon Palace, Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-89689-940-7.
- ^ Edwardes, Michael (1975) Red Year. London: Sphere Books, p. 117
- ^ Great Britain India Office. The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908
- ISBN 978-0-19976-592-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19976-592-8.
- ^ Stanley Gibbons' Simplified Stamp Catalogue (24th ed.). Stanley Gibbons Ltd. 1959. p. 1063.
- "Discovery of monuments at Orchha". Economic Times. 20 September 2009.
External links
- Media related to Orchha State at Wikimedia Commons
- "Orchha Journal; See the Ruins (Before They Vanish)". New York Times. 18 January 1992.