Madhya Pradesh: Modern History And Popular Movements

After the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 Mughal control began to weaken and the Marathas began to expand from their base in Central Maharashtra.
Between 1720-1760 the Marathas took control of most of Madhya Pradesh and Maratha clans were established semi-autonomous states under the nominal control of the Maratha Peshwas.
▸ Maratha ruler Bajirao I divided the Maratha empire into five territories, among which Indore and Gwalior state became the seat of Holkar and Scindia dynasty.
▸ Holkar dynasty (1727-1947) was founded by Malhar Rao Holkar and Yashwant Rao Holkar III was the last ruler. Scindia dynasty (1761-1948) was founded by Ranoji Scindia and George Jewaji Rao Scindia was the last ruler.
▸ Before 1857 there were many revolts in Madhya Pradesh. These were revolt by Bhonsle, revolt by Devnath Singh, revolt by Dillah Shah, etc.
▸ In the Revolt of 1857 Madhya Pradesh played an important role. Places like Neemuch, Muraar, Garh Mandla, Shivpuri, Mhow, Sagar, Banapura, Shahgarh and Mandla joined in the revolt.
▸ Madhya Pradesh also played significant role in Indian National Movement. The important national movements and incidents took place here included Seoni Satyagraha, Non-Cooperation Movement, Jabalpur Jhanda Satyagraha, Salt Satyagraha, Jungle Satyagraha, Charan Paduka Massacra, Bhopal Praja Mandal's agitation, Individual Satyagraha, etc.
▸ After independence the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal were merged. Thus a new Madhya Pradesh state was created on 1st November, 1956.

Maratha Rule in Madhya Pradesh

The Maratha empire dominated much of Indian subcontinent in 17th and 18th century. Maratha ruler Bajirao I divided the Maratha empire among five different territories for administrative convenience i.e. Indore, Gwalior, Dhar, Dewas, (Senior) and Dewas ( Junior). All these territories were assigned to a particular Governor. In the state of Madhya Pradesh, there were two such territories i.e. Indore and Gwalior under Holkar and Scindia, respectively.

Indore State

▸ Indore state was also known as Holkar state. It was a Maratha Princely State during British Raj.
▸ On 18th May, 1724, the Nizam accepted the rights of the Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I to collect Chauth (taxes) from the area.
▸ In 1733, the Peshwa assumed full control of Malwa and appointed his commander Malhar Rao Holkar as the Subedar (Governor) of the province.
▸ After the defeat of Holkar rulers in the Third Anglo-Maratha war, an agreement was signed on 6th January, 1818 with the British by which the Indore state became a British protectorate.
▸ The first Diwan of Holkar state as a British protectorate was Tatya Jog.
▸ The capital was moved from Maheshwar to Indore on 3rd November, 1818. Later, Indore was established as the headquarters of the British Central Indian Agency.
▸ During the reign of Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar, Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar III, and Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar, railways operations that had been introduced in the state in 1875.
▸ After the Independence of India in 1947, Indore state along with a number of neighbouring Princely States, acceded to India. Yashwant Rao Holkar III, the last ruler of the state, signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union on 1st January, 1950.
▸ The territories of the state became part of new Indian states of Madhya Pradesh.

Gwalior State

▸ Gwalior state was a Princely State during the British Raj. Marathas built this state taking opportunity from fragmentation in the Mughal Empire and lack of central authority from Delhi.
▸ It was ruled in Subsidiary Alliance with the British by the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas.
▸ The Gwalior state was important from the point of view of its strategic location and strength of its forts.
▸ The state was founded in the early 18th century by Ranoji Scindia, as part of the Maratha confederacy.
▸ Under Mahadji Scindia (1761-94), Gwalior state became a leading power in Central India and dominated the affairs of the confederacy.
▸ Gwalior state came under British power after the Anglo-Maratha wars.
▸ After India's independence in 1947, the Gwalior state was merged into new Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Holkar Dynasty (1727-1947)

This dynasty was founded by Malhar Rao Holkar in 1727 in Indore. The important rulers of this dynasty were as follows: Malhar Rao He was assigned the rule of five group of villages under Maratha Empire. He was the first Maratha Subedar of Malwa region. His supremacy established in 1730. He participated in the third Battle of Panipat. His position and state was better as compared to Scindias in Gwalior. Malerao Holkar He became the king in 1766 but he enjoyed only one year of rule and died at an early age. Devi Ahilya Bai (1766-97) She governed the territory after her son Malerao Holkar. Devi Ahilya Bai was a great devotee of lord Shiva. She established wells, shelters for travellers, temples for her subjects. She was very popular among her people due to her welfare activities. For worshipping, she created an another capital Maheshwar (Khargone) apart from the main capital Rajwada (Indore). She died in 1797.
Yashwant Rao Holkar-III He was the last ruler of Holkar dynasty. Holkar was the last Maratha power defeated by the Britishers in 1818. He signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Union on 1st January, 1950 and the Holkar state acceded to the union of state.

Scindia Dynasty (1761-1948)

This dynasty was founded by Ranoji Scindia. The important rulers of this dynasty were as follows: Mahadji Scindia He was the greatest Scindia warrior who took part in the war of Panipat (III) 1761 against Ahmed Shah Abdali. He defeated Lokendra Singh Jat of Gwalior and captured the fort of Gwalior. He laid the foundation of Gwalior kingdom. He reinstated the wandering Mughal King Shah Alam II in Delhi in 1785 and controlled the king till 1803, when the Britishers captured Delhi for the first time.
Daulat Rao Scindia (1794-1827) In 1794 AD, Daulat Rao Scindia became the ruler of Scindia dynasty. In 1810 AD, he made Gwalior as the capital of Scindias. Earlier the capital of Scindias was Ujjain. After the death of Daulat Rao Scindia, his queen Beizabai controlled the throne until the adopted child, Jankoji Rao took over the charge.
Jankoji Rao (1827-1843) He took over the charge of Scindia empire after Beizabai.
After the death of Jankoji Rao, the Queen Tarabai took over the charge of empire and adopted a child named Jewaji Rao.
George Jewaji Rao Scindia (1925-1948) He was the last king of Scindia Empire who acceded the empire to Government of India. He was appointed as Raj Pramukh on 18th May, 1948 for Central India.

Revolts in Madhya Pradesh Before 1857

Revolt by Bhonsle The first revolt of the state is assumed to be the revolt by Appaji Bhonsle in 1818. The revolt occurred when Britishers demanded some of the territories of Bhonsle like, Mandla, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni and parts of Narmada valley. In this revolt Bhonsle was defeated by the Britishers.
Revolt by Devnath Singh In 1833, he fought strongly against the mighty British, however British power was successful in suppressing his revolt.
Revolt by Kuen Shah (1842) Belonging from Hirapur state, he revolted against Britishers but not succeeded.
Revolt of Dillan Shah He revolted against British policies, interferences and exploitation. The revolt covered districts of Sagar, Damoh, Mandla, Jabalpur, etc.
However the revolt was not properly organised and coordinated and hence easily suppressed by the Britishers.

The Revolt of 1857 and Madhya Pradesh

The first expression of organised resistance against the British was the Revolt of 1857. It began as a revolt of the sepoys of the company's army but eventually secured the participation of the masses. Its causes lay deeply embedded in the grievances that all sections of Indian revolted against the British rule. The main causes of the revolt were social arrogance of the British and induction of enfield rifles in the army, cartridge of which had fat of cow and pig.
Role of Madhya Pradesh in 1857 Revolt
In the Revolt of 1857, Madhya Pradesh played an important role. The following places have an important contribution in the revolt of 1857: Neemuch On 3rd June, 1857, the first revolt in Madhya Pradesh was happened in Neemuch. Colonel Sobers with the help of Rajput soldiers suppressed this revolt. During the Revolt of 1857 the Scindias and the Nawab of Bhopal supported the Britishers.
Muraar (Gwalior) On 14th June, 1857, soldiers of Muraar Cantonment revolted and destroyed all communication systems. Rani Laxmi Bai alongwtih Tantia Tope also revolted in Gwalior but with the help of Scindias, British suppressed the revolt.
Garh Mandla Shankar Shah and Raghunath Shah revolted in Garh Mandla.
Mhow (Indore) In Mhow Cantonment, the revolt started under the leadership of Saadat Khan. The Britishers defeated and their officers migrated to Sehore. Begum Sikander of Bhopal state helped the British officers and provided shelter to them.
Mandsaur Humayun came to Mandsaur from Delhi and established an independent state and ruled over Mandsaur with the title Firoz Shah.
Sagar The Sagar Cantonment, revolt happened under the leadership of Sheikh Ramzan.
Banapura and Shahgarh The revolt was also happened in Banapur and Shahgarh states by the kings of these states.
Shivpuri On 20th June, 1857 the revolt started in Shivpuri. Rani Laxmibai and Tatya Tope fought against the Britishers from one place to another. The king of Narwar, Man Singh betrayed Tatya Tope and handed him over to the British. Tatya was hanged on 18th April, 1859 at Shivpuri. Rani Laxmibai died near Gwalior on 18th June, 1858.
Mandla In Mandla, Rani Avanti Bai of Ramgarh revolted against the British. Rani Avanti Bai was regarded as the Jhansi of Ramgarh. On 20th March, 1858 she was Martyred as a result of defeat by British forces.
Mandaleshwar Military troops at Mandaleshwar revolted and killed British Captain Benjamin Hebbs.
End of 1857 Revolt in Madhya Pradesh
In January 1858, the end of revolt was near when Sir Hugh Rose marched from Bhopal into Sagar district to attack Rahatgarh. Renewed attacks on several towns in Damoh in June and July 1858 caused a mild panic, but by August additional troops had suppressed the disturbances.

Major Rebellions in the Revolt of 1857

Important National Movements in Madhya Pradesh

Lahore Session (1899) In Lahore Session held in 1988, Dr Harisingh Gaur took part. He demanded separation of different department of administration.
Jabalpur Conference (1906) In this conference held in 1906, some leaders organised a meeting to decide political activities in the state. Therefore, the political initiatives started in the state in 1906.
Seoni Satyagraha (1916) The freedom struggle started in Madhya Pradesh with Seoni Satyagraha organised in 1916.
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22) In Madhya Pradesh, Non-cooperation Movement was started under the leadership of Prabhakar Dundiraj in 1920. In 1922, during Non-Cooperation Movement, the British clothes were burned in front of the Sehore police station of Bhopal principality.
Jabalpur Jhanda Satyagraha (1923) In 1923, the Police Commissioner at Jabalpur insulted the strategy of to hoist National Flag. The Flag or Jhanda Satyagraha occurred in Nagpur and Jabalpur for several months in 1923. This Satyagraha was led by Devadas Gandhi, Ramagopalachari and Dr Rajendra Prasad. The National Flag was hoisted across the state and Sarojini Naidu and Maulana Azad hoisted the flag at the townhall of Jabalpur.
Salt Satyagraha (1930) It was also launched at Jabalpur on 6th April, 1930 under the leadership of Seth Govind Das and Pt. Dwarika Prasad Mishra as was by Gandhiji in Dandi, Gujarat. Durgashankar Mehta of Seoni district started this Satyagraha by making salt on Gandhi Chowk.
Jungle Satyagraha (1930) It was started in 1930 by tribal people of Seoni, Turi and Ghora-Dangari (Betul). Jungle Satyagraha in Jabalpur saw participation of prominent leaders like Seth Govind Das, Makhanlal Chaturvedi, Pandit Ravishankar Shukla, Pt. Dwarika Prasad Mishra and Vishnu Dayal Bhargava. The Congressmen spread the Satyagraha from village to village and also among the aboriginal tribes of the jungles. Gunjan Singh Koraku and Banjari Singh Koraku led this Satyagraha in Ghora-Dangari.
Charan Paduka Massacre (1931) Charan Paduka is a village in Chhatarpur district.
In 1931, a large meeting was held to protest against princely rule the Colonel Fisher of British ordered, police to open fire on peaceful meetings of freedom fighters and killed many innocent persons in Charan Paduka Massacre. It was also known as Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of Madhya Pradesh.
Bhopal State and Freedom Struggle The ruler of Bhopal state Begam Sikandar provided shelter to Britishers during the Mutiny of 1857 and also during freedom struggle. Therefore the freedom struggle activists started war against the Britishers as well as against the Bhopal state.
Bhopal Praja Mandal In 1937, Bhopal Praja Mandal was founded by Master Lal Singh, Laxminarayan Singhal, Dr. Jamuna Prasad Mukhariya, Udhav Das Mehta and Chatur Narayan Malviya. This Praja Mandal was organised against the Bhopal state which registered an offence and awarded the jail custody to the leaders.
Individual Satyagraha (1940-41) Gandhiji launched the nationwide Individual Satyagraha against the Britishers. This Satyagraha was started from Jabalpur in 1941 and Shri Vinoba Bhave became the first Individual Satyagrahi.
Quit India Movement (1942) Large number of people from Madhya Pradesh and tribal leaders from Betul participated in Quit India Movement. In Mandleshwar the freedom fighters prisoned in Jail, broke out the jail on 2nd October, 1942 and addressed a big crowd in the town. Later they again arrested. Chandra Shekhar Azad from Bhavra village (Alirajpur district, became a freedom fighter and took part in the armed struggle for independence. He was born on 23rd July, 1906.

Madhya Pradesh after Indian Independence

Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 out of the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the Princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as the capital of the state. The new states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal were formed out of the Central India Agency. The states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal were merged and on 1st November, 1956, Madhya Pradesh was created. Bhopal became the new capital of the state. On 1st November, 2000, as part of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 16 South-Eastern districts of the state were split off to form the new state of Chhattisgarh.

Prominent Freedom Fighters of Madhya Pradesh

Rani Avantibai She was born on 16th August, 1831 in Dindori district. She was a freedom fighter and queen of Ramgarh, who waged a war against the British to protect her kingdom. She is remembered for her valiant fight against the British during 1857 uprising for independence. She died on 20th March, 1858.
Tantia Bhil He was born in the year 1840 in Khandwa district. He was a bandit in British India. He is described very negatively as a criminal in British accounts, but is recognised by Indians as a heroic figure. Tantia Bhil was one of the greatest revolutionaries who waged an armed struggle against the British rule for twelve years. He died in the year 1890.
Thakur Sarju Prasad He was born on 1st July, 1840 in Vijayraghavgarh in Katni district. He was the ruler of Vijayraghavgarh which was taken over by the British in 1845. He took active part in revolt of 1857. He organised a group of patriotic followers and revolted against the British authorities. He was captured by the British in 1864 and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
Ravishankar Shukla He was born on 2nd August, 1877 in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Ravishankar Shukla was a leader of the Indian National Congress. He was the premier of Central Provinces and Berar and also the first Chief Minister of the reorganised Madhya Pradesh state. He died on 31st December, 1956.
Chandra Shekhar Azad He was born on 23rd July, 1906 in Bhavra village, in the present day Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. His real name was Chandra Sekhar Sitaram Tiwari. He was an Indian revolutionary who reorganised Hindustan Republican Association under its new name Hindustan Socialist Republican Army in 1927. He was involved in Kakori Train Robbery of 1925. He died on 27th February, 1931.
Lal Padmadhar Singh He was born in 1913 in Satna district. He participated in Quit India Movement (1942). He was martyred on 12th August, 1942.