Orchha State

Coordinates: 25°21′N 78°38′E / 25.35°N 78.64°E / 25.35; 78.64
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Orchha State
British India
1531–1950
Flag of Orchha
Flag
Coat of arms of Orchha
Coat of arms
Imperial Gazetteer of India
CapitalOrchha, Tikamgarh
Area 
• 1908
5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi)
Population 
• 1908
321,364
History 
• Established
1531
• 
Accession to the Union of India
1950
Succeeded by
India
Today part ofIndia

Orchha State (also known as Urchha, Ondchha and Tikamgarh)

British India. The state was ruled by Bundela clan of Rajputs.[2] It was located within what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh
.

The

independence of India in 1947, it acceded to the Union of India
, in 1950.

History

Before company rule

standing at 344 feet.

Orchha State was founded in 1531 by the

Betwa and established it as his new capital. He died in the same year.[5]

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.

`Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni, records him as a rebel in 1583.[6]

The capture of Orchha by invading Mughal forces (October 1635).

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

Marathas in the 18th century.[8]

The Royal Chhatris of Orchha

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]

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

Rani Lakshmibai's army and her allies in August 1857. (She intended at this time to hold Jhansi on behalf of the British who had no forces there at the time.)[9]
Maharaja Pratap Singh (born 1854, died 1930), who succeeded to the throne in 1874, devoted himself entirely to the development of his state, himself designing most of the engineering and irrigation works that were executed during his reign.

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

1901 Census of India recorded a population of 321,634.[10] It was the oldest and highest in rank of all the Bundela states,[8]
with a 15-gun salute, and its maharajas bore the hereditary title First of the Prince of Bundelkhand.

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

Vir Singh
Maharaja Pratap Singh of Orchha

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

Orchha stamp, dated 1914

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-

anna and one anna); in 1914 there was another issue of four stamps (half-anna to four annas). The third issue was in 1939 when a range of stamps bearing the maharajah's portrait were issued which included denominations from half-anna to eight annas and one rupee to ten rupees.[13]

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

  1. ^ a b c Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. 19. Clarendon Press. 1908. p. 241.
  2. .
  3. ^ "Chaturbhuj Temple, Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Fort and Palace at Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  5. ^ .
  6. .
  7. ^ a b "Sawan Bhadon Palace, Orchha". British Library. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  8. ^ .
  9. ^ Edwardes, Michael (1975) Red Year. London: Sphere Books, p. 117
  10. ^ Great Britain India Office. The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1908
  11. .
  12. ^ .
  13. ^ Stanley Gibbons' Simplified Stamp Catalogue (24th ed.). Stanley Gibbons Ltd. 1959. p. 1063.

External links

25°21′N 78°38′E / 25.35°N 78.64°E / 25.35; 78.64