MADHYA PRADESH
Madhya Pradesh is the richest state in the country in respect of painted
rock-shelters, the majority of which have been found in the districts of
Sehore, Bhopal, Raisen, Hoshangabad and Sagar. During the ascendancy of the
Guptas the whole region came under the domain of the imperial Guptas and
subsequently formed part of Harshvardhan's empire. With the decline in
imperial power the province was broken up into small principalities
contending forever to establish their supremacy over one another. Chandels
were one such dynasty claiming descent from the moon, who carved out a
strong prosperous kingdom for themselves after the decline of the great
empire. There was a short spell of inspired construction activity under the
Chandels in the 10th to 11th centuries. They are the ones who have left
behind the cluster of matchless temples at Khajuraho.
Chandels were followed by Pratihara and Gaharwar Rajput dynasties claiming
mythical origins relating their scions to the gods or heroes in the epics.
They lived and died by a difficult code of chivalry, wasted away scarce
resources in an expensive feudal life style and could not ultimately keep at
bay the expanding Muslim power. Rulers of Malwa fought a running battle with
the subedars of Gujarat or the commanders of the Sultan of Delhi throughout
the sultanate period. The grand Moghul Akbar succeeded in subduing most of
them and his sterner grandson Aurangzeb broke through the last pockets of
resistance in this region.
Many of the smaller kingdoms trace their origins to the lands granted by the
emperor at Delhi to those who had served him well. Bir Singh Deo of Orchcha
was for instance installed on his throne by Jehangir who felt obliged to the
Bundela chieftain for having removed a painful thorn - Abul Fazal, from his
side. Abul Fazal one of the nine jewels of Akbar's court, was murdered at
his behest near Gwalior.
Some other principalities came into being with branching of families,
internecine quarrels and the munificence of the Marathas who were
indomitable with - the decline of the Moghuls. Rulers of Ratlam and Sitamau
claim close relationship with the ruling house of jodhpur in Rajasthan.
In course of time the Marathas were replaced by the British who entered into
treaty relationships with these princely states and established paramountcy
over them. This was the Raj period when the Central Provinces were left for
the large part outside developments in British India. The Maharajas were
free to indulge in their expensive whims much to the chagrin of their poor
populace. This is the world evoked by Kipling in his jungle Book and
chronicled by E M Forster in The Hill of Devi. Jhabua, Nagod, Alirajpur,
Sarguja, Dewas Senior and junior were quaint names of exotic places where
eccentric Englishmen could strive to carve out a career or amass a fortune
or simply drop out to. These were destinations where the Prince of Wales or
the Viceroy could be taken out for the treat of his life - a tiger shoot, or
to savour the extravagant life style of the Maharajas. Most of these blue
blooded gentry were content to be renowned for their prowess with a heavy
gun or patronage of arts and crafts.
Independence of India was followed by the merger of hundreds of princely
states into the union, with the foundation of the Republic on 26 January
1950. The boundaries were rationalized with reorganisation of states and
Madhya Pradesh assumed its present face. |