I m p e r I a L g a z e t t ee r o f I n d I a vol. X i I i

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Ijpura.
Ilam Bazar.
Ilol.
Indapur Town.

Iggutappadevarbetta.—

Lofty mountain in the Padinalknad

taluk

of Coorg, Southern India, situated in 12

17' N. and 75

38' E., near

the Paditora pass, sacred to the god Iggutappa.

Iglas.

—Central western

lahsll

of Aligarh District, United Provinces,

comprising the

parganas

of Hasangarh and Gorai, and lying between

7

° 35

d 27

55' N. and 77°47

and 78° 3' E., with an area of

213 square miles. Population increased from 107,227 in 1891 to

118,803

1901- There are 209 villages and one town, Beswan

(population, 2,871). The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was

Rs. 2,96,000, and for cesses Rs. 49,000. The

tahsil

is intersected by

IMP HAT,

3

2

9

high ridges of sandy soil with good loam between. There is no canal

irrigation, and well-irrigation has become more difficult of late years

owing to a fall in the spring-level. In 1903-4 the area under cultiva

tion was 187 square miles, of which only 78 were irrigated.

Ijpura.

—Petty State in MahI Kantha, Bombay.

Ikkeri.

—Village in the Sagar

taluk

of Shimoga District, Mysore,

situated in 14

7' N. and 75

i' E., 3 miles south of Sagar town.

Population (1901), 205. Ikkeri (‘the two streets’) was from about

1560 to 1640 the capital of the Keladi chiefs, afterwards removed to

Bednur. Ikkeri continued, however, to be the nominal capital, the

Rajas were called by its name, and the coins were called Ikkeri

pagodas and fanams, although the mint was removed. The walls were

of great extent, forming three concentric enclosures. In the citadel

was the palace, of mud and timber, adorned with carving and false

gilding. The only building now remaining is the Aghoresvara temple.

On the floor in front of the shrine are effigies of three of the kings,

doing obeisance, with their names over each. Huchcha (‘ mad ’)

Somasekhara is represented as manacled and fettered. The space

between the central pillars, i8-| feet, was the standard measure for

garden land.

Ilam Bazar.

—Village in the head-quarters subdivision of Birbhum

District, Bengal, situated in 23

38' N. and 87° 32' E., on the banks

of the Ajay river. Population (1901), 1,815. It is the seat of a con

siderable trade, and is celebrated for its manufacture of lac ornaments

and toys,

tasar

silk, and brass-ware.

Ilichpur.

—District,

taluk,

and town in Berar.

See

Ellichpur.

Ilkal.—Town in the Hungund

taluka

of Bijapur District, Bombay,

situated in 15

57' N. and 76

7' E., 8 miles south-east of Hungund.

Population (1901), 9,019. The municipality was created in 1868, and

had an average income during the decade ending 1901 of Rs. 7,700.

In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 6,400. A large masonry embankment

was constructed in 1886, at a cost of Rs. 15,700, to protcct the town

from floods. Ilkal is the principal market-town of the

tdluka

and

a centre of the weaving and dyeing industries; the staple exports are

silk and cotton manufactures and agricultural produce. Cotton cloth,

manufactured into

saris

for women’s dress, is exported to Sholapur,

Poona, Belgaum, and the Nizam’s Dominions. There are three

modern temples. A yearly fair is held in honour of Banshankari on

the full moon of Paush (January-February). The town contains

a dispensary.

Ilol.

—Petty State in MahI Kantha, Bombay.

Imphal.

—Capital of the State of Manipur, Eastern Bengal and

Assam, situated in 24

49' N. and 93

57' E. A cart-road connects

Imphal with Kohima and the Brahmaputra Valley, and bridle-paths

33°

IMPHAL

cross the hills that separate Manipur from Cachar and Burma. The

population in 1901 was 67,093, of whom nearly 96 per cent, were

Hindus. The history of Imphal cannot be distinguished from that

of the

a n i p u r

t a t e

but of recent years it has been notorious

owing to the outbreak that occurred there in 1891. A palace revolu

tion had taken place, the Raja had fled from the country, and the

Chief Commissioner, Mr. Quinton, had proceeded to Manipur to settle

the newly appointed ruler on the throne, and to arrest the Senapati

who was the original instigator of the revolution. The Senapati

declined to obey the summons of the Chief Commissioner, and the

troops sent to arrest him were fiercely attacked. The engagement

continued till the evening, when an armistice was agreed to, and the

Chief Commissioner, with four officers, entered the Raja’s fort under

a safe-conduct. The Manipuris, however, broke faith, the Political

Agent was speared, and the Chief Commissioner and his three com

panions formally beheaded by the public executioner. The attack

on the Residency was then resumed ; and the defenders, thinking it

untenable, retreated to Cachar. .V few weeks afterwards Imphal was

re-entered by three columns of troops and satisfaction exacted for the

outrage.

Though containing a large population, Imphal is an overgrown

village rather than a town in the ordinary sense of the word, and

more than half the working males are dependent on agriculture for

their support. Three rivers converge at this point; and along the

banks of each river is a single row of cottages, each standing in a

garden about half an acre in extent and buried in dense groves

of bamboos and fruit trees. Viewed from above, the town has the

appearance of a dense forest with a large square clearing in the centre.

In this clearing are situated the palace of the Raja, the cantonments

and offices, and the houses of the European residents. The town

contains a small jail with accommodation for 100 prisoners, and

a hospital with 14 beds. The rainfall is moderate (70 inches), and

as Imphal lies about 2,000 feet above the sea, the climate is cool

and pleasant. The daily bazar held in the town is the great centre

of trade for the valley. Drinking-water is usually obtained from the

rivers, which are exposed to every form of pollution, and outbreaks

of cholera are frequent and severe.

Indapur Taluka.—

Tdluka

of Poona District, Bombay, lying

between 17

54' and 18

20'

N. and 74

39' and 75

io' E., with

an area of 567 square miles.

contains one town,

n d a p u r

(popu

lation,

5,533),

its head-quarters; and 85 villages. The population

in 1901 was 66,895, compared with 70,986 in 1891. The density,

118 persons per square mile, is much below the District average.

The demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was i-i lakhs, and for cesses

IX DA WGYl

Rs. 7,500. The country is hilly and rugged in the north-west and centre,

but towards the rivers it is open and smooth. The soils are extremely

shallow and stony. As regards rainfall, Indapur is one of the worst-

placed

tdlukas

in the Deccan, the annual average being only about

20 inches.

Indapur Town.

—Head quarters of the

tdluka

of the same name

in Poona District, Bombay, situated in 18

7' N. and 75

E.,

miles

south-east

Poona

city.

Population

(1901),

5,533-

A weekly market and a fair, attended by Muhammadans, is held

annually in November. The municipality, established in 1865, had

an average income during the decade ending 1901 of Rs. 3,900. In

1903-4 the income was Rs. 3,900. The town has a dispensary,

established in 1870, and is celebrated for the manufacture of coarse

cotton cloth. There are two schools, one for boys with 216 pupils,

and one for girls with 36.

Indarpat.

—Village in Delhi District, Punjab, occupying the site

of the ancient Indraprastha, and situated in 28° 36' N. and 77

17' E.,

close to the modern city of Delhi. The original town stood upon the

banks of the Jumna, between the Kotila of Firoz Shah and the tomb

of Humayun; and although the river has now shifted its channel

a mile eastward, the former bed may still be traced past the early

site. Scarcely a stone of the ancient capital remains standing : but

the village of Indarpat and the Muhammadan fort of Purana Kila

probably occupy the true site, while the modern name is obviously

a corruption of the old Hindu name. Indraprastha is commonly

believed to have been founded by the earliest Aryan colonists of

India ; and the Mahabharata relates how the five Pandavas, Yudhi-

shthira and his brethren, leading a body of settlers from Hastinapur

011 the Ganges, expelled the savage Nagas, and built their capital upon

this spot. For later details see Delhi Citv.

Indaw

(formerly Manle). — Central township of Katha District,

Upper Burma, lying between 23

57' and 24

23' N. and 95

58'

and 96° 16' E., on either side of the Sagaing-Myitkyina railway, with

an area of 416 square miles. The population was 11,291 in 1891, and

14,208 in 1901, distributed in 151 villages. The head-quarters are at

Indaw (population, 470), on the railway. The township is watered by

the Meza river. In some parts there are wide plains, affording scope

for large expansion of cultivation. The township contained 18 square

miles under cultivation in 1903-4, and the land revenue and

thatha-

meda

amounted to Rs. 49,200.

Indawgyi.

—Lake in the south-west of Mvitkyina District, Upper

Burma, lying between 25

5' and 25

20' N. and 96° 18' and 96° 23' E.,

and measuring about 16 miles by 6. It is the largest lake in Burma.

It is surrounded by low hills on the south, east, and west ; and its

2

IN DA 1VGYI

overflow, known as the Indaw stream, flows first north-eastward and

then south-eastward into the Mogaung, which enters the Irrawaddy

some distance south of Myitkyina. The lake abounds in fish, and

the valley surrounding it is fertile.

Indhyadri.—Hill range in Bombay, Berar, and Hyderabad.

See

Ajanta.

Indi Taluka.—Northernmost

taluka

of Bijapur District, Bombay,

lying between i6° 56' and 17

29' N. and 75

33' and 76° 12' E.,

with an area of 838 square miles. It contains 121 villages, but

110 town, the head-quarters being at the village of Indi. The popu

lation in 1901 was 75,961, compared with 92,479 in 1891. The

rate of decrease was very high, and the density of population is

lower than in other

talukas

, owing to the poverty of the soil. The

demand for land revenue in 1903-4 was 2*03 lakhs, and for cesses

Rs. 15,000. Indi is an unbroken and almost treeless plain. Towards

the south and south-east near Hutturki, Tamba, and Shirshad, and

along the streams running by those villages, the country is populous

and well cultivated and the villages are comparatively rich. The

annual rainfall averages nearly 25 inches.

Indi Village.—Headquarters of the

taluka

of the same name in

Bijapur District, Bombay, situated in 17

n' N. and 76° E., on

the Southern Mahratta Railway. Population (1901), 4,427. In the

Bhlma Mahatmya

Indi is described as the Paya Kshetra, or ‘milk

spot,’ and Palei was known as Chik Indi, or ‘little Indi.’ Its origin

is connected by a tradition with the discovery of a sacred

litigant

through a cow giving milk at the spot where the

litigant

lay buried.

There is a shrine of Kanteshwar or Shanteshwar at Indi. In 1790

it was the chief town of a subdivision in the Bijapur

sarkar.

The

village contains a dispensary, two boys’ schools with 204 pupils, and

a girls’ school with 31.

Indore Residency.—A Political Charge in Central India, created

in 1818. In 1854 the appointment of Resident at Indore was merged

in that of the Agent to the Governor-General for Central India, who

continued to hold direct charge of portions of the Indore State in

addition to the superior control of the whole Agency. It was found

necessary in 1899 to appoint a separate officer to the political charge of

the Indore State. The Resident now holds charge of the whole State,

except the

parganas

of Lawani, Chikalda, and Petlawad, which are under

the Political Agent in Bhopawar ; Talen and SundarsT, under the Politi

cal Agent, Bhopal; Nandwas (or Nandwai), under the Mewar Residency,

Rajputana ; and Alampur, under the Political Agent in Bundelkhand.

The Residency has an area of 8,960 square miles, and a population

(1901) of 833,410, of whom Hindus number 662,888, or 79 per cent. ;

Musalmans, 77,825 ; Animists, 73,638; Jains, 13,487; and Christians,

INDORE STATE

333

4,565. The density of population is 93 persons per square mile.

The chief towns are

n d o r e

i t y

(population, including the Agent to

the Governor-General’s Camp or Residency limits, 97,804), the canton

ment of

h o v v

(36,039),

ä m p u r a

(8,273),

h a r g o n

(7,624),

a

-

h e s h w a r

(7,042),

e h i d p u r

(6,68

a r w ä h a

(6,094),

h a n p u r a

(4,639), and

a r ä n a

(4,490). There are also 3,089 villages in the

charge. The Resident has his head-quarters in the Agent to the

Govemor-General’s Camp at Indore city.

Indore State (

IndTir

).—Native State in the Central India Agency,

under the Resident at Indore, lying between 21

22' and 26° 3' N. and

30' and 78° 51' E., with an area of 9,500 square miles, including

the isolated

pargana

of Nandwäs or Nandwai (area 36 square miles),

which lies geographically in Räjputäna. It is bounded on the north

by Gwalior State; on the east by the States of Dewäs and Dhär and

the Nimär District of the Central Provinces; on the south by the

Khändesh District of the Bombay Presidency ; and on the west by the

States of Barwänl and Dhär. The State takes its name from its capital,

originally the small village of Indreshwar or Indore, which was first

raised to a place of importance in the eighteenth century, and after

1818 became the permanent seat of the Holkar family.

The State is formed of several detached tracts, of which the largest

and most compact lies south of the Narbada river. These tracts may

be conveniently divided into two main sections,

which

correspond

the

natural

divisions

the

aspects^

plateau and the hilly tract. The plateau section

comprises the portion which lies in Mälwä proper, and is included in

the

R

ämpura

-B

hänpura

ehidpur

and

ndore

districts.

The

country in this section, except for the range lying north of Rämpura

and some scattered hills in the Mehidpur district and Petläwad

par

gana

r, is typical of M

älwä

generally. The hilly tract, which comprises

the N

imär

and N

emäwar

districts, lies partly on and partly south

of the great Vindhyan scarp, the Nimär district including also a portion

of the Sätpurä range. The plateau section has an area of

4,320 square

miles, the hilly tract an area of

5,143 square miles. Besides these two

sections, the small isolated

pargana

of A

lampur

in Bundelkhand, with

an area of

37 square miles, owes its existence solely to the presence

in it of the cenotaph of Malhär Rao Holkar. The great Vindhyan

range, which almost bisects the State, determines its watershed. All the

streams north of this barrier flow towards the Jumna-Ganges

doäb,

the

chief stream being the C

hambal

, with its tributaries, the S

ipra

and

lesser and greater K

ali

ind

. T

the south of the Vindhyas lies

the N

arbadä

river, with its numerous tributaries.

Very little is known concerning the geology of the territories that

By Mr. E. Vredenburg, Geological Survey of India.

334

IXBO RE STATE

constitute Ilolkar’s dominions. The principal rock in Malwfi is

Deccan trap, weathering superficially into the black soil to which the

region owes its great fertility. Near Rampura, east of Nimach, Vin-

dhyan rocks of both upper and lower series are exposed, in addition to

the Deccan trap. The districts south of the Narbada, largely occupied

by the northern spurs of the Satpura Hills, consist principally of Deccan

trap. North of the Narbada, the denudation of the Deccan trap has

proceeded far enough to bring into view an interesting sequence of the

underlying rocks, including gneiss, Bijawars, and Lametas. Gneiss

occupies a large portion of the Nemawar district, being overlaid, north

of Chandgarh, by Bijawar and Vindhyan strata. Between Katkuf and

the Kanar river and at other places near Barwaha, peculiar fault

breccias occur either within the Bijawar outcrop, or separating the

Bijawars from the Vindhyans. The matrix of the breccia is usually

siliceous, but often contains a large admixture of hematite. Strata

belonging to the Lameta or infra-trappean group cover a large area

around Katkut. They are mostly sandstones underlaid by conglomer

ates. Round Katkut the Lameta beds are unfossiliferous and probably

of fresh-water origin ; but north of Barwaha, at the Ghatia quarries, the

conglomerate underlying the sandstone contains marine fossils identical

with those found in the cretaceous limestones east of

a g h

known as

the Bagh beds. The exposure at the Ghatia quarry marks the eastern

most limit reached by the sea in which the Bagh beds were deposited.

The Lameta group contains excellent building stones. The sand

stone quarries at Ghatia north of Barwaha, and those situated on the

banks of the Kanar river, east of Katkut, have supplied a great deal

of the material used for constructing the Holkar State Railway. One

of the limestones is a rock made up of fragments of marine organisms

resembling corals, known for that reason as coralline limestone. It

constitutes a stone of great beauty, which has been largely used in

the ancient buildings of

a n d u

for which it was obtained from the

old quarries near Chirakhan. 'Phis locality has been famous geologi

cally since 1856, owing to the discovery there by Colonel Keatinge

of the Cretaceous fossils which settled the age of the Bagh beds.

The low rocky hills of northern Indore often bear a stunted jungle

containing

Butea frondosa, Acacia arabica, A. Catechu

, and

A.

leucophloea

, and many shrubs, such as species of

Greivia, Zizyphus,

Capparis, Carissa,

and

Tamarix.

In places where the forest is taller,

the leading species are

Bombax maiabaricum

,

Sterculia ureas, Ano-

geissus latifolia

and

A. pendnla

,

Dichrostachys, Prosopis,

and species

Cordia.

Farther south are tracts with principally

sa/ai

(Bostvellia

serrata)

and a thin scrub jungle of

F/ueggea

,

Phy/lanthus, Antidesma

and similar shrubs. Still farther south occur typical forests ot the

Central Indian highland class, with teak,

sdj {Tenninaiia tomentosa

HISTORY

tendü

(

Dio spy ros tomentosa),

black-wood (

Dalbergia ¡atifo/ia), tinis

(Oitgeinia dalbergioides), anjan

(ffardwickia binata

), and similar

species.

All the ordinary wild animals are met with, including tigers, leopards,

bears, hyenas,

sämbar, chltal

, and antelope. Bison

(Bos gaums)

and

wild buffalo

(Bubalus ami)

were formerly plentiful in the Sätpurä

region, but are now almost, if not quite, extinct. In the Mughal

period elephants were caught in the Bijägarh and

a t w ä s

forests.

Small game is plentiful throughout the State.

The climate in Mälwä is temperate ; the temperature varies in the

hot season from 46° to uo° and in the cold season from 40° to 90°.

In the districts south of the Vindhyan scarp, however, much higher

temperatures are met with, while the cold season is of short duration.

The annual rainfall on the plateau area averages 30 inches, and in the

hilly tract 40 inches.

The Holkars belong to the Dhangar or shepherd caste. Their

ancestors are said to have migrated southwards to the Deccan from

the region round Muttra, and to have settled at the

village of Hal or Hoi on the Nira river, 40 miles History,

from Poona, whence they take their family name. Malhär Rao Holkar,

the founder of the house of Indore, was born in 1694, being the only

son of Khandojl, a simple peasant. On the death of his father, he and

his mother went to live in Khändesh with NäräyanjT, his mother’s

brother, a man of some property, who maintained a body of horse

for his overlord Sardär Kadam Bände. Malhär Rao was enrolled in

this body of horse, and at the same time married his uncle’s daughter,

Gautama Bai. His soldierly qualities rapidly brought him to the front,

and attracted the notice of the Peshwä, who in 1724 took him into his

service and gave him the command of 500 horse. Sardär Kadam was

delighted at the young man’s prowess, and permitted him to assume

and fly at the head of his body of horse the banner of the Bände

family, a triangular red and white striped flag, to this day the ensign

of the Holkar house. In 1728 he received a grant of 12 districts in

Mälwä, increased to 82 in 1731. Previous to this he had acquired

land south of the Narbada, including the town of Maheshwar, which

practically remained the capital of the Holkar dominions until 181S,

as Indore, acquired in 1733, did not become the real administrative

capital until after the Treaty of Mandasor. Malhär Rao at this time

possessed territory yielding an income of 74^ lakhs a year, the Peshwä

honouring him with the title of

Sübahdär

of Mälwä. He was con

tinually employed in the Peshwä’s conquests, against the Nizäm (1738),

the Portuguese at Bassein (1739), and the Rohillas (1751); and his

influence and possessions increased rapidly. In 1761 came the

disastrous battle of Pänlpat, which broke the Maräthä power for

336

IXDO RE STATE

a time. Thus Malhar Rao, from being the son of a small peasant,

had

become

sixty-seven

the

holder

vast

territories

stretching

from the Deccan to the Ganges. After the flight from Panlpat, he

proceeded to establish and consolidate his power in his possessions.

Death, however, overtook him suddenly at

l a m p u r

on May 2, 1766.

Malhar Rao was primarily a soldier, and in no way the equal of his

contemporary MahadjT Sindhia as a politician ; but his courage was

unsurpassed, and his disregard of money proverbial. He had one son,

Khande Rao, who was killed in 1754. Khande Rao’s son, Male Rao,

was a boy of weak intellect. He was allowed to succeed, but soon

showed by his excesses that he was unfit to rule, and died a raving

madman in 1767. His mother, Ahalya Bai, refused to adopt an heir

and

personally

assumed

charge

the

administration

the

State.

The Peshwa’s uncle, Raghuba, who was then in Central India, wished

to compel her to adopt; but MahadjT Sindhia supported Ahalya Bai,

and her position was at length recognized. She selected TukojI Rao

Holkar, a member of the same clan but not related to the ruling family,

to bear titular honours and command her armies. He was a simple

soldier, and served Ahalya Bai with unswerving loyalty until her death.

The administration of Ahalya Bai is still looked upon in Central

India as that of a model ruler. Her toleration, justice, and careful

management of all the departments of the State were soon shown in

the increased prosperity of her dominions, and the peace which ruled

throughout

her

days.

Her

charities,

which

extended

all

over

India,

and include buildings at Badrinath, Gaya, and Rameswaram, are pro

verbial. It was during her rule that the Holkar Darbar first employed

regular battalions under Chevalier Dudrenec, Boyd, and others.

the

death

Ahalya

Bai

1795,

TukojI

Rao

succeeded.

MahadjI

Sindhia

had

died

1794,

and

TukojI,

now

seventy

years

of age, was looked up to as the leading Maratha chief. He followed

in the steps of Ahalya Bai, and during his life the prosperity of the

State continued. Politically, he acted as a check on the youthful and

warlike Daulat Rao Sindhia, which went far to secure general tranquil

lity;

but he

died

1797,

and confusion at once followed. Tukoji

Rao left two legitimate sons, Kashi Rao and Malhar Rao; and two

illegitimate sons,

Jaswant

Rao

and

Vithojl.

Kashi

Rao

was

weak

intellect, and Malhar Rao had attempted to be recognized by Tukoji

as successor. Failing to attain his desire, Mal’nar Rao threw himself

the

protection

Nana

Farnavls.

Kashi

Rao

then

appealed

Daulat Rao Sindhia, who at once seized this opportunity of becoming

practically the manager of the Holkar estates, and Malhar Rao was

attacked

and

killed.

From

this

disaster,

Jaswant

Rao

and

Vithoji

escaped. The former, after a fugitive life spent partly as a prisoner

at Nagpur and partly at Dhar, managed at length to raise a force

HISTOR Y

337

and appeared as the champion of Khande Rao, a posthumous son of

Malhar Rao, being joined in 1798 by Amir Khan (afterwards Nawab

of Toxk). Kashi Rao's troops under Dudrenec were defeated at

Kasrawad, whereupon Dudrenec transferred his allegiance and his

battalions to Jaswant Rao, who entered the capital town of Maheshwar

and seized the treasury there. Soon afterwards, however, he was

defeated at Satwas by some of Sindhia’s battalions and retired on

Indore, but subsequently attacked Ujjain, extracting a large sum from

its inhabitants. In October, 1801, Sarje Rao Ghatke, the notorious

minister of Daulat Rao Sindhia, sacked Indore, practising every kind

of atrocity on the inhabitants and razing the town to the ground.

Jaswant Rao, however, assisted by Amir Khan and his Pindaris, then

proceeded to scour the country from the Jumna to the Nizam’s terri

tories. By 1802 he had regained his prestige, and so increased his

forces as to be able to attack the Peshwa at Poona. This defeat drove

the Peshwa to sign the Treaty of Bassein with the British, and Jaswant

Rao was forced to retire to Malwa. He held aloof during the war of

1803 against Sindhia, possibly in hopes of aggrandizing himself at that

chiefs expense. But in 1804, after rejecting all offers of negotiation,

he finally came into collision with the British forces. In the Mukan-

dwara pass he gained a temporary success over Colonel Monson, but

was defeated by Lord Lake at Dig (November, 1804). In December,

1805, he was driven to sign the Treaty of Rajpurghat on the banks

of the Beas river, the first engagement entered into between the British

Government and the house of Holkar. By this treaty he ceded much

land in Rajputana, but received back certain of his former possessions

in the Deccan, while the country round

uxch

in Bundelkhand was

granted in

jagir

to his daughter, Bhima Bai, who was married to

Govind Rao Bolia. Lord Cornwallis’s policy of non-interference,

however, gave him another chance; the Rajputana districts were

restored to him, and he proceeded to recoup his shattered fortunes by

plundering the Rajput chiefs. In 1806 he poisoned Khande Rao and

murdered Kashi Rao, and thus became in name, what he had long been

in fact, the head of the house of Holkar. He began at this time to

show signs of insanity, and died a raving lunatic at Bhanpura in 1811.

Jaswant Rao left no legitimate heirs ; but before his death, Tulsi

Bai, his concubine, a woman of remarkable beauty and superior

education, had adopted his illegitimate son, Malhar Rao, who was

placed on the

gaddi,

Zalim Singh of Kotah coming to Bhanpura to pay

the homage due from a feudatory to his suzerain. After Jaswant

Rao’s death the State rapidly became involved in difficulties. Revenue

was collected at the sword’s point indiscriminately from Sindhia’s,

the Ponwar’s, or even Holkar’s own territories. There was in fact no

real administration, its place being taken by a mere wandering and

VOL. XIII.

338

INDORE STATE

predatory court, presided over by a woman whose profligate ways

disgusted even her not too particular associates. Plot and anarchy

were rife. Tulsi Bai was personally desirous of making terms with the

British, but was seized and murdered by her troops, and things rapidly

grew from bad to worse.

On the outbreak of the war in 1S17 between the British and the

Peshwa the Indore Darbar assumed a hostile attitude. The defeat,

however, of the State forces by Sir Thomas H¡slop’s division at

e h i d p u r

compelled Holkar to come to terms; and on January

1818, he signed the Treaty of Mandasor, which still governs the

relations existing between the State and the British Government. By

this agreement Amir Khan was recognized as an independent chief,

all claims on the Rajputana chiefs were abandoned, and all land held

by Holkar south of the Narbada was given up, while the British

Government undertook to keep up a field force sufficient to protect

the territory from aggression and maintain its tranquillity (this force

still being represented by the Mhow garrison), the State army was

reduced to reasonable proportions, and a contingent force raised at

the expense of the State to co-operate with the British when required.

Ghafur Khan was recognized as Nawab of Jaora, independent of the

Indore Darbar, and a Resident was appointed at Holkar’s court.

The immense benefit conferred by this treaty soon became apparent.

The State income in 1817 was scarcely 5 lakhs, and even that sum

was only extorted by violence, representing rather the gains of

a predatory horde than the revenue of an established State. The

administration was taken over by Tantia Jogh, who by the time of his

death in 1826 had raised the revenue to 27 lakhs, which, added to

certain payments made by the British Government and tributary States,

brought the total to 30 lakhs. After Tantia Jogh’s death, however,

things again fell into confusion. Malhar Rao was extravagant and

weak, and easily led by favourites. Two insurrections broke out, one,

of some importance, being led by Harl Rao Holkar, who, however,

surrendered and was imprisoned at Maheshwar (1819).

Malhar Rao died in 1S33 at twenty-eight years of age, and was

succeeded by Martand Rao, a boy adopted by the late chiefs widow,

Gautama Bai. HarT Rao, however, was released from the fort of

Maheshwar by his supporters; and as the adoption of Martand Rao

had been made without the knowledge of the British Government,

Iiari Rao was formally installed by the Resident in April, 1834,

Martand Rao receiving a pension. Raja Bhao Phansia, a confirmed

drunkard, had been selected as minister and the administration soon

fell into confusion, which was added to by the excessive weakness of

the chief. Life and property were unsafe, while numerous intrigues

were set on foot on behalf of Martand Rao. Hari Rao died in 1843,

ms TOR V

339

and was succeeded by Khande Rao, who was half imbecile and died

within four months.

The claims of Martand Rao were now again urged, but the British

Government declined to sanction his succession. It was then suggested

by the Ma Sahiba Kesara Bai, a widow of Jaswant Rao, that the

younger son of Bhao Holkar, uncle to Martand Rao, should be chosen,

and the youth was installed in 1844 as Tukoji Rao Holkar II. The

Regency Council which had held office under the late chief continued,

but a close supervision was now maintained by the Resident, and

numerous reforms were set on foot. In 1848 the young chief began

to take a part in the administration. Kesara Bai, who had been

respected by all classes and rendered great assistance to the British

authorities, died in 1849. The chief then took a larger share in the

government, and showed his aptitude for ruling so rapidly that full

powers were granted to him in 1852. In the Mutiny of 1857, Holkar

was unable to restrain his troops, who consisted of about 2,000 regular

and 4,000 irregular infantry, 2,000 regular and 1,200 irregular cavalry,

with 24 guns. The irregular force attacked the Residency, and the

Agent to the Governor-General was obliged to retire to Sehore.

Holkar personally gave every possible assistance to the authorities at

Mhow ; he established regular postal communication, and at consider

able risk protected many Christians in his palace.

In order to make the Indore State more compact, various exchanges

of territory were effected between 1861 and 186S, the districts of

Satwas in Nemawar, of Barwaha, Dhargaon, Kasrawad, and Mandlesh-

war in Nimar being exchanged for land held in the Deccan, the

United Provinces, and elsewhere. In 1877, 360 square miles of

territory in the Satpura region were transferred to Holkar as an act of

grace and to commemorate the assumption by Her Majesty of the title

of Empress of India. A postal convention was effected in 1878 and

a salt convention in 1880.

In i860 a sum of more than 3 lakhs was paid to Holkar as

compensation for expenses incurred in raising a body of troops in

place of the Mehidpur Contingent, which had mutinied; and in 1865

the contribution to the upkeep of the Mehidpur Contingent and

Malwa Bhil Corps was capitalized. Holkar receives Rs. 25,424 a year

in compensation for the Patan district made over to Bundi in 1818,

and Rs. 57,874 tribute from the Partabgarh State in Rajputana, both

payments being made through the British Government. In 1864

he ceded all land required for railways throughout the State, and in

1869 contributed a crore of rupees towards the construction of the

Khandwa-Indore branch of the Rajputana-Malwa Railway, known as

the Holkar State, Railway. Tukoji Rao was made a G.C.S.I. in 1861 ;

and at the Delhi assemblage on January 1, 1877, he was made

z 2

IXnORE STATE

a Counsellor of the Empress and a C.I.E. He died in 1886 and

was succeeded by his eldest son SivajT Rao, born in 1859.

On his accession, the Maharaja abolished all transit dues in the

State. He visited England in 1887 on the occasion of the Jubilee

of the Queen-Empress Victoria, when he was made a G.C.S.I. His

administration, however, was not a success, and for the better super

vision of so large a State a separate Resident at Indore was appointed

in 1899. In 1902 the State coinage was replaced by British currency.

In 1903 SivajT Rao abdicated in favour of his son TukojT Rao III, the

present chief, who is a minor, and is studying at the Mayo College at

Ajmer. The ex-Maharaja lives in the palace at Barwaha, receiving an

allowance of 4 lakhs a year. The chief bears the titles of His High

ness and Maharaja-dhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Bahadur, and receives

a salute of 19 guns, or 21 guns within the limits of Indore territory.

Besides

h a m n a r

and

there are no places of known archaeo

logical importance in the State. Remains are, however, numerous

throughout the Malwa district, being principally Jain and Hindu

temples of the tenth to the thirteenth century ; in some eases the

temples have been built from the ruins of older buildings, as for

example at Mori, Indok, Jharda, Makla, and many other places. In

the Nimar and Nemawar districts a considerable number of Muham

madan remains are to be met with, while forts are found throughout

the State, those at Hinglajgarh, Bijagarh, and Sendhwa being the most

important.

There have been three complete enumerations of the State, giving

(1S81) 1,054,237, (1891) 1,099,990, and (1901) 850,690. The density

. in 190X was 90 persons per square mile, rising in

Population • 11

1

*

the plateau area to 112 persons, and dropping in the

hilly tract to 69. The population increased by 4 per cent, between

18S1 and 1891, but fell by 23 per cent, in the next decade. The

decrease is mainly due to the effect of bad seasons, notably the

disastrous famine of 1899-1900, from which the State had not had

time to recover when the latest enumeration was made.

The main statistics of population and land revenue are given on the

next page.

The

chief

towns

are

n d o r e

i t y

a m p u r a

h a r g o n

a i i e s h

w a r

e h i d p u r

a r w a h a

and

h a n p u r a

(excluding

the

British

cantonment of M

h o w

and the civil station of

n d o r e

There are

also 3,368^- villages, with an average number of 252 inhabitants.

Classified by religion, Hindus number 673,107, or 79 per cent. ;

Animists, 94,047, or 11 per cent. ; Musalmans, 68,862, or 8 per cent. ;

and Jains, 14,255, or 2 per cent. The principal languages are

Malwl and the allied Nimarl and RangrI, spoken by 240,000 persons,

or 28 per cent. ; and Hindi, spoken by 492,895, or 57 per cent.

AGRICULTURE

341

The prevailing castes are Brahmans, yr,ooo, or 8 pei- cent. ; Balais,

61.000, or 7 per cent.; Rajputs, 57,000, or 7 per cent.; Chamârs,

33.000,

or 4 per cent. ; and Giijars, 28,000, or 3 per cent. About

40 per cent, of the population are supported by agriculture, 23 per cent,

by general labour, 10 per cent, by State service, and 5 per cent, by

mendicancy. Brahmans and Rajputs are the principal landholders,

the cultivators being chiefly Rajputs, Gûjars, Sondhiàs, Khàtis, and

Kunbis, and in the southern districts Bhilâlas.

Number of

O ci „

.

V

bic ccc 0

Ji -a

UJC.l

s'o -

C

in

£ .

¡u nj ^2 fo

District.

C —

■: e

pulat 1901

cd 0.2

c ï li ft

.2 -2 ^ 13

a

a £

rf,
pm *r

1 = « *
■5 8^8,

1
Area

0
E-
>

0

P
h

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