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{{Short description| | {{Short description|Princely state in India}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}} | {{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} | ||
{{Infobox former | {{Infobox former country | ||
|conventional_long_name = Rewa State | | conventional_long_name = Rewa State | ||
|common_name = Rewa | | common_name = Rewa | ||
| | | capital = {{ubl|[[Bandhavgarh Fort|Bandhavgarh]]|[[Rewa, Madhya Pradesh|Rewa]]}} | ||
| | | era = | ||
|era = | | year_start = {{circa}} 1140 | ||
|year_start = {{circa}} | | date_start = | ||
|date_start = | | event_start = | ||
|event_start= | | year_end = 1947 | ||
|year_end = 1947 | | date_end = | ||
|date_end = | | event_end = [[Political integration of India|Accession to India]] | ||
|event_end= [[ | | event1 = | ||
|event1 = | | date_event1 = | ||
|date_event1 = | | p1 = | ||
|p1 = | | s1 = India | ||
|s1 = India | | flag_p1 = | ||
|flag_p1 = | | flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg | ||
|flag_s1 = Flag of India.svg | | image_flag = Flag of the Rewa State.svg | ||
|image_flag =Flag of the Rewa State.svg | | image_coat = Rewa State CoA.png | ||
|image_coat = Rewa State CoA.png | | stat_area1 = 33,670 | ||
|stat_area1 = | | stat_year1 = 1901 | ||
|stat_year1 =1901 | | stat_pop1 = 1327385 | ||
|stat_pop1 = 1327385 | | today = India | ||
|today | | footnotes = ''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer''. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1952) p. 369 | ||
|footnotes = ''Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer''. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1952) p. 369 | |||
}} | }} | ||
[[File:Maharaja of Rewa in 1877.jpg|thumb|The Maharaja of Rewa in 1877]] | |||
[[File:Maharaja of Rewa in 1877.jpg|thumb|The Maharaja of Rewa, Raghuraj Singh Ju Deo Bahadur in 1877]] | |||
[[File:Maharaja rewapalace govindgarh1870.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Govindgarh Palace|Govindgarh palace]] of the Maharaja of Rewa in 1882]] | [[File:Maharaja rewapalace govindgarh1870.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Govindgarh Palace|Govindgarh palace]] of the Maharaja of Rewa in 1882]] | ||
'''Rewa State''', also known as '''Rewah''', was a | '''Rewa State''', also known as '''Rewah''', was a kingdom and later [[princely state]] of India, surrounding its eponymous capital, the town of [[Rewa, Madhya Pradesh|Rewa]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | ||
Rewa was one of the largest princely states in the [[Bagelkhand Agency]] and the second largest in [[Central India Agency]]. Rewa was also the third-wealthiest principality in [[Central India Agency|Central India]], with an average revenue of 2.9 million rupees in 1901.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V09_384.gif|title = Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 9, page 378 — Imperial Gazetteer of India — Digital South Asia Library}}</ref> The Bagelkhand Agency was dissolved in 1933, following which Rewa was placed under the authority of the [[Indore Residency]]. Rewah state had a 15-gun salute. | |||
[[File:Central India Agency Map.jpg|thumb|Central India Agency Map]] | [[File:Central India Agency Map.jpg|thumb|Central India Agency Map]] | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
[[ | According to legend, the kingdom of Rewa was founded around 1140 CE. On 5 October 1812, it became a [[British protectorate]]. Between 1 April 1875 and 15 October 1895, Rewa remained under the direct colonial administration of [[British India]].<ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_princes_A-J.html Princely States of India]. ''worldstatesmen.org''.</ref> | ||
The ruler of Rewa ruled from [[Bandhavgarh]] during the founding reign of Raja Vyaghra Dev, who was a direct descendant of [[Vaghela dynasty#List of rulers|Gujarati warrior king Vir Dhawal]]. In 1617, Maharaja Vikramaditya Singh moved his capital to Rewa. Maharaja [[Martand Singh]] was the last ruler of Rewa who acceded to the [[Political integration of India|Union of India]] after the independence of India.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} | |||
[[Akbar]] was given refuge at Rewa at age 10, when his father [[Humayun]] fled India following a defeat in war. Prince Ramchandra Singh and Akbar grew up together as royal heirs. Maharaja Ramchandra Singh and Akbar remained friends. In the mid-1550s, Raja Ramachandra Singh Baghela maintained a musically talented court, including the legendary [[Tansen]]. Two of the Navratnas of Akbar, Tansen and [[Birbal]] (originally named Mahesh Das) were sent from Rewa by Maharaja Ramchandra Singh once Akbar became Emperor of India. In 1580, Akbar reorganized his empire into 12 ''[[Subah]]s'' and combined the provinces of [[Jaunpur Sultanate]], [[Kara-Manikpur]] and territory of Bandhogarh into the ''Subah of Ilahabad''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | |||
Raja Vishwanath Singh abolished Sati in the state under British pressure in 1847. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Rewa State sided with the British East India Company.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=David E.U. |title=Baghelkhand or the Tiger's Lair |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-19-568321-9 |pages=170–180}}</ref> Rewa State was important for the British Raj from perspective of logistics as roads and railway lines connecting Gangetic plains to Deccan passed through the state.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
Rewa was the first princely state in India to declare [[Hindi language|Hindi]] the national language, in the times of Maharaja | Rewa was the first princely state in India to declare [[Hindi language|Hindi]] the national language, in the times of Maharaja Gulab Singh. He is also credited for declaring the first responsive government in modern India, providing citizens of Rewa state a right to question their monarch's decisions.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | ||
The state came under British paramountcy in 1812 and remained a princely state within the [[British Raj]] until [[independence of India|India's independence]] in 1947. | The state came under British paramountcy in 1812 and remained a princely state within the [[British Raj]] until [[independence of India|India's independence]] in 1947.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | ||
During the long minority of Raja Venkat Raman Singh ({{abbr|b.|born}}1876, {{abbr|r.|ruled}}1880–1918), the administration of the state was reformed. In 1901, the town boasted a high school, a "model jail" and two hospitals: the Victoria hospital and the Zenana hospital. However, it was still adjudged among the most backward areas of the country by [[V.P. Menon]], after he visited the state in 1947. | During the long minority of Raja Venkat Raman Singh ({{abbr|b.|born}}1876, {{abbr|r.|ruled}}1880–1918), the administration of the state was reformed. In 1901, the town boasted a high school, a "model jail" and two hospitals: the Victoria hospital and the Zenana hospital. However, Lord Irwin criticized the lagging of state in terms of development and he spoke of Rewa's need to end its aloofness with the world and it was still adjudged among the most backward areas of the country by [[V.P. Menon]], after he visited the state in 1947.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | ||
During Gulab Singh's reign, the state turned more towards autocracy and regional autonomy with tahsildars needing His Highness' permission for petty decisions. | |||
=== Post-independence period === | === Post-independence period === | ||
Upon India's independence in 1947, the maharaja of Rewa acceded unto the [[Dominion of India]]. Rewa later merged with the Union of India and became part of [[Vindhya Pradesh]], which was formed by the merger of the former princely states of the [[Baghelkhand]] and [[Bundelkhand]] agencies. Rewa served as the capital of the new state. | Upon India's independence in 1947, the maharaja of Rewa acceded unto the [[Dominion of India]]. Rewa later merged with the Union of India and became part of [[Vindhya Pradesh]], which was formed by the merger of the former princely states of the [[Baghelkhand]] and [[Bundelkhand]] agencies. Rewa served as the capital of the new state.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Namdeo |first=Shivam |date=2025-05-26 |title=Rewa, Madhya Pradesh: A Comprehensive Socio-Economic And Cultural Overview |url=https://timelybharat.com/rewa-madhya-pradesh/#Post-Independence_Integration_and_Evolution_1947_%E2%80%93_Present |access-date=2025-05-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
In 1956, Vindhya Pradesh was merged with other nearby political entities to form the Indian constitutive state of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. The Maharaja's palace was converted into a museum.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | |||
In February 2007, an extensive book on the history of Rewa, ''Baghelkhand, or the Tigers' Lair'' by Dr D.E.U Baker, was published by Oxford University Press.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} | |||
== Revolt of 1857 == | |||
Thakur Ranmat Singh<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kushwaha |first=Sonelal |title=विंध्य के वीर सपूत...जिन्होंने 1957 की क्रांति में छुड़ाए थे अंगेे्रजों के छक्के |language=Hindi |trans-title=The brave sons of Vindhya... who freed the sixes of the British in the 1957 revolution |work=Patrika |publisher= |publication-date=17 July 2022 |url=https://www.patrika.com/satna-news/the-brave-son-of-vindhyas-thakur-ranmat-singh-7284408/}}</ref> of Mankahri revolted against the British and was hanged in 1859. | |||
In the context of the 1857 Indian Rebellion, the princely state of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh played a significant role, but a controversial one. Thakur Ranmat Singh, a notable leader from Mankhari village in Satna district, emerged as a key figure in the uprising within the region. Holding the rank of Sardar in the Maharaja of Rewa's service, Thakur Ranmat Singh became increasingly discontented with British interference, particularly by the Resident Political Agent, Willoughby Osborne. | |||
Inspired by the rebellion's broader momentum, Ranmat Singh led a formidable group of 2,000 rebels, besieging Osborne's bungalow. Although Osborne escaped, the rebels continued their struggle, engaging in multiple battles across areas like Nagod, Bhilsain, Chitrakoot, Nowgong, and Keoti. These activities made Thakur Ranmat Singh a significant threat to British control in the area <ref>(https://testbook.com/mppsc-preparation/revolt-of-1857-in-madhya-pradesh) </ref><ref>{{Cite(https://ensureias.com/blog/current-affairs/thakur-ranmat-singh)</ref> | |||
However, the Maharaja of Rewa, under British pressure, eventually turned against Ranmat Singh. Despite initial sympathies for his cause, the Maharaja facilitated Ranmat Singh's capture. Thakur Ranmat Singh was arrested, charged with the murder of Europeans, and hanged in August 1860.<ref>(https://ensureias.com/blog/current-affairs/thakur-ranmat-singh (https://cmsadmin.amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?9137{{Cite(https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2816073)</ref> | |||
This betrayal by the Rewa state highlights the complexities and internal conflicts during the 1857 Rebellion, where loyalty and resistance often intertwined in the fight against colonial rule. | |||
== Rulers== | == Rulers== | ||
[[Image:Delhi Durbar 1903.jpg|250px|thumb|Elephant Carriage of the [[Maharaja]] of Rewa, [[Delhi Durbar#Durbar of 1903|Delhi Durbar of 1903]].]] | [[Image:Delhi Durbar 1903.jpg|250px|thumb|Elephant Carriage of the [[Maharaja]] of Rewa, [[Delhi Durbar#Durbar of 1903|Delhi Durbar of 1903]].]] | ||
The predecessor state, Bandhogarh, was founded {{circa}} 1140 | The predecessor state, Bandhogarh, was founded {{circa}} 1140. Vyaghra Deo, a brother of a ruler of Gujarat, is said to have made his way into northern India around the middle of the 13th century and gained the fort of Marpha, {{convert|18|mi|order=flip|abbr=on}} north-east of [[Kalinjar]]. His son Karandeo, married a [[Kalchuri|Kalchuri (Haihaya)]] princess of [[Garha Kingdom|Mandla]], and received in dowry the fort of Bandhogarh which, until its destruction in 1597 by [[Akbar]], was the Baghel capital. In 1298, [[Ulugh Khan]], acting under orders of the sultan of Delhi, [[Alauddin Khilji]], drove the [[Karna (Vaghela dynasty)|last Vaghela ruler]] of Gujarat from his country and this is believed to have caused a considerable migration of Baghels to Bandhogarh. Until the 15th century, the Baghels of Bandhogarh were engaged in extending their possessions and escaped the attention of the Delhi Sultans, in 1498–1499, [[Sikandar Lodi]] failed in his attempt to take the fort of Bandhogarh.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} | ||
=== List of rulers === | === List of rulers === | ||
The following is a list of known rulers of Rewa (or its predecessor state, Bandhogarh), in chronological order by their reign. | The following is a list of known rulers of Rewa (or its predecessor state, Bandhogarh), in chronological order by their reign. They took the title of Raja or, from 1857, Maharaja. | ||
<!-- | <!--Bharatpedia is not a genealogy guide. Giving a list with non-notable rulers for the sake of completeness is one thing, but it is hardly worth including all of the non-inheiring second sons, cousins, and wives.--> | ||
* Maharaja Vyaghra Deo | * Maharaja Vyaghra Ju Deo | ||
* Maharaja Karan Deo | * Maharaja Karan Ju Deo | ||
* Maharaja Sohag Deo | * Maharaja Sohag Ju Deo | ||
* Maharaja Sarang Deo | * Maharaja Sarang Deo | ||
* Maharaja Vilas Deo, established the [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]] city. | * Maharaja Vilas Deo, established the [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]] city. | ||
| Line 84: | Line 95: | ||
* Maharaja Bheer Deo | * Maharaja Bheer Deo | ||
* Maharaja Shalivahan Deo, {{abbr|r.|ruled}}1495–1500, Raja of Bandhogarh | * Maharaja Shalivahan Deo, {{abbr|r.|ruled}}1495–1500, Raja of Bandhogarh | ||
* Maharaja Veer Singh Deo, r.1500–1540, established the town of [[Birsinghpur]]. | * Maharaja Veer Singh Deo, r. 1500–1540, established the town of [[Birsinghpur]]. | ||
* Maharaja Virbhan Singh, r.1540–1555 ; fought against Sher | * Maharaja Virbhan Singh, r. 1540–1555; fought against Sher Shah with Chandela Rajputs during the siege of Kalinjar Fort | ||
* Maharaja Ramchandra Singh, r.1555–1592 | * Maharaja Ramchandra Singh, r.1555–1592 | ||
* Maharaja Birbhadra Singh Deo, 1592-1602 | * Maharaja Birbhadra Singh Deo, 1592-1602 | ||
* Maharaja Duryodhan Singh(illegitimate son of Birbhadra Singh Deo),1602-1618,(deposed) | * Maharaja Duryodhan Singh (illegitimate son of Birbhadra Singh Deo), 1602-1618,(deposed). His accession gave rise to disturbances. [[Akbar]] intervened, captured and dismantled the Bandhogarh fort in 1597, after a siege of eight months. | ||
* Maharaja Vikramaditya Deo, r.1618–1630. He founded the town of Rewa in 1618 (which perhaps means that he undertook the construction of palaces and other buildings there because the place had already assumed importance in 1554 when it was held by Jalal Khan, son of emperor [[Shershah Suri]]). | * Maharaja Vikramaditya Deo, r.1618–1630. He founded the town of Rewa in 1618 (which perhaps means that he undertook the construction of palaces and other buildings there because the place had already assumed importance in 1554 when it was held by Jalal Khan, son of emperor [[Shershah Suri]]). | ||
* Maharaja Amar Singh II, r.1630–1643, established the town of [[Amarpatan]]. | * Maharaja Amar Singh II, r.1630–1643, established the town of [[Amarpatan]]. | ||
* Maharaja Anoop Singh Deo, r.1643–1660 | * Maharaja Anoop Singh Deo, r.1643–1660. | ||
* Maharaja Bhao Singh Deo, r.1660–1690. He married twice but died childless. | * Maharaja Bhao Singh Deo, r.1660–1690. He married twice but died childless. | ||
* Maharaja Anirudh Singh Deo, r.1690–1700, a grandson of Raja Anoop Singh, he was adopted by and succeeded his childless uncle, Raja Bhao Singh. | * Maharaja Anirudh Singh Deo, r.1690–1700, a grandson of Raja Anoop Singh, he was adopted by and succeeded his childless uncle, Raja Bhao Singh. | ||
* Maharaja Avadhut Singh Deo, r.1700–1755. The state was sacked by | * Maharaja Avadhut Singh Deo, r.1700–1755. The state was sacked by [[Harde Sah]] of [[Panna State|Panna]], {{circa}}1731, causing the Raja to flee to Pratapgarh in [[Oudh]] (Awadh). | ||
* Maharaja Ajit Singh Deo, r.1755–1809. The state was sacked by Nayak Yashwantrao alias Shrimant Jaswantkubje from Bundelkhand | * Maharaja Ajit Singh Deo, r.1755–1809. The state was sacked by Nayak Yashwantrao alias Shrimant Jaswantkubje from Bundelkhand. Several Kalchuri families died defending the state. | ||
* Maharaja Jai Singh Deo, b.1765, r.1809–1835. In 1812, a body of Pindaris raided Rewa from Mirzapur territory, for which Jai Singh was called upon to accede to a treaty acknowledging the protection of the British Government, and agreed to refer all disputes with neighbouring chiefs to their arbitration and to allow British troops in his territories. | * Maharaja Jai Singh Deo, b.1765, r.1809–1835. In 1812, a body of Pindaris raided Rewa from Mirzapur territory, for which Jai Singh was called upon to accede to a treaty acknowledging the protection of the British Government, and agreed to refer all disputes with neighbouring chiefs to their arbitration and to allow British troops in his territories. | ||
* Maharaja Vishwanath Singh Deo, b.1789, r.1835–1854. | * Maharaja Vishwanath Singh Deo, b.1789, r.1835–1854. | ||
* Maharaja Raghuraj Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1831, r.1854–1857 as Raja then as Majaraja 1857–1880. He helped the British quell the uprisings in the neighbouring Mandla and Jabalpur districts in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|mutiny of 1857]]. For this service the [[Sohagpur | * Maharaja Raghuraj Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1831, r.1854–1857 as Raja, then as Majaraja 1857–1880. He helped the British quell the uprisings in the neighbouring Mandla and Jabalpur districts in the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|mutiny of 1857]]. For this service, the [[Sohagpur (Shahdol)]] and [[Amarkantak]] [[pargana]]s were restored to his rule (having been seized by the [[Marathas]] in the beginning of the century), and he was made the first Majaraja of Rewa, ruling until his death on 5 February 1880. | ||
* Maharaja Venkatraman Ramanuj Prasad Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1876, r.1880–1918. | * Maharaja Venkatraman Ramanuj Prasad Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1876, r.1880–1918. | ||
* Maharaja Gulab Singh | * Maharaja Gulab Singh Deo Bahadur, b.1903, r.1918–1946 (deposed). | ||
* Maharaja Sajjan Singh of Ratlam (Regent), b.1880, r.1918–1919, 1922–1923. | * Maharaja Sajjan Singh of Ratlam (Regent), b.1880, r.1918–1919, 1922–1923. | ||
* Philip Bannerman Warburton (Interim), b.1878, r.1919. | * Philip Bannerman Warburton (Interim), b.1878, r.1919. | ||
* Dewan Bahadur Brijmohan Nath Zutshi (Regent, President of Regency Council), b.1877, r.1920–1922. | * Dewan Bahadur Brijmohan Nath Zutshi (Regent, President of Regency Council), b.1877, r.1920–1922. | ||
* Elliot James Dowell Colvin (Interim), b.1885, r.1922. | * Elliot James Dowell Colvin (Interim), b.1885, r.1922. | ||
* Maharaja [[Martand Singh]] | * Maharaja [[Martand Singh]] Deo Bahadur, b.1923, r.1946–1995. | ||
* [[Pushpraj Singh]], b. 1960, r. 1995–present. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
| Line 123: | Line 135: | ||
[[Category:1790s establishments in India]] | [[Category:1790s establishments in India]] | ||
[[Category:1947 disestablishments in India]] | [[Category:1947 disestablishments in India]] | ||
[[Category:Vassal and tributary states of the Mughal Empire]] | |||
Latest revision as of 18:47, 9 March 2026
Rewa State | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 1140–1947 | |||||||
 Flag
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| |||||||
| Capital | |||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | c. 1140 | ||||||
| 1947 | |||||||
| Area | |||||||
| 1901 | 33,670 km2 (13,000 sq mi) | ||||||
| Population | |||||||
• 1901 | 1,327,385 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Today part of | India | ||||||
Columbia-Lippincott Gazetteer. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1952) p. 369 | |||||||
Rewa State, also known as Rewah, was a kingdom and later princely state of India, surrounding its eponymous capital, the town of Rewa.[citation needed]
Rewa was one of the largest princely states in the Bagelkhand Agency and the second largest in Central India Agency. Rewa was also the third-wealthiest principality in Central India, with an average revenue of 2.9 million rupees in 1901.[1] The Bagelkhand Agency was dissolved in 1933, following which Rewa was placed under the authority of the Indore Residency. Rewah state had a 15-gun salute.
History[edit | edit source]
According to legend, the kingdom of Rewa was founded around 1140 CE. On 5 October 1812, it became a British protectorate. Between 1 April 1875 and 15 October 1895, Rewa remained under the direct colonial administration of British India.[2]
The ruler of Rewa ruled from Bandhavgarh during the founding reign of Raja Vyaghra Dev, who was a direct descendant of Gujarati warrior king Vir Dhawal. In 1617, Maharaja Vikramaditya Singh moved his capital to Rewa. Maharaja Martand Singh was the last ruler of Rewa who acceded to the Union of India after the independence of India.[citation needed]
Akbar was given refuge at Rewa at age 10, when his father Humayun fled India following a defeat in war. Prince Ramchandra Singh and Akbar grew up together as royal heirs. Maharaja Ramchandra Singh and Akbar remained friends. In the mid-1550s, Raja Ramachandra Singh Baghela maintained a musically talented court, including the legendary Tansen. Two of the Navratnas of Akbar, Tansen and Birbal (originally named Mahesh Das) were sent from Rewa by Maharaja Ramchandra Singh once Akbar became Emperor of India. In 1580, Akbar reorganized his empire into 12 Subahs and combined the provinces of Jaunpur Sultanate, Kara-Manikpur and territory of Bandhogarh into the Subah of Ilahabad.[citation needed]
Raja Vishwanath Singh abolished Sati in the state under British pressure in 1847. During the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Rewa State sided with the British East India Company.[3] Rewa State was important for the British Raj from perspective of logistics as roads and railway lines connecting Gangetic plains to Deccan passed through the state.[3]
Rewa was the first princely state in India to declare Hindi the national language, in the times of Maharaja Gulab Singh. He is also credited for declaring the first responsive government in modern India, providing citizens of Rewa state a right to question their monarch's decisions.[citation needed]
The state came under British paramountcy in 1812 and remained a princely state within the British Raj until India's independence in 1947.[citation needed]
During the long minority of Raja Venkat Raman Singh (b.1876, r.1880–1918), the administration of the state was reformed. In 1901, the town boasted a high school, a "model jail" and two hospitals: the Victoria hospital and the Zenana hospital. However, Lord Irwin criticized the lagging of state in terms of development and he spoke of Rewa's need to end its aloofness with the world and it was still adjudged among the most backward areas of the country by V.P. Menon, after he visited the state in 1947.[citation needed]
During Gulab Singh's reign, the state turned more towards autocracy and regional autonomy with tahsildars needing His Highness' permission for petty decisions.
Post-independence period[edit | edit source]
Upon India's independence in 1947, the maharaja of Rewa acceded unto the Dominion of India. Rewa later merged with the Union of India and became part of Vindhya Pradesh, which was formed by the merger of the former princely states of the Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand agencies. Rewa served as the capital of the new state.[4]
In 1956, Vindhya Pradesh was merged with other nearby political entities to form the Indian constitutive state of Madhya Pradesh. The Maharaja's palace was converted into a museum.[citation needed]
In February 2007, an extensive book on the history of Rewa, Baghelkhand, or the Tigers' Lair by Dr D.E.U Baker, was published by Oxford University Press.[citation needed]
Revolt of 1857[edit | edit source]
Thakur Ranmat Singh[5] of Mankahri revolted against the British and was hanged in 1859.
In the context of the 1857 Indian Rebellion, the princely state of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh played a significant role, but a controversial one. Thakur Ranmat Singh, a notable leader from Mankhari village in Satna district, emerged as a key figure in the uprising within the region. Holding the rank of Sardar in the Maharaja of Rewa's service, Thakur Ranmat Singh became increasingly discontented with British interference, particularly by the Resident Political Agent, Willoughby Osborne.
Inspired by the rebellion's broader momentum, Ranmat Singh led a formidable group of 2,000 rebels, besieging Osborne's bungalow. Although Osborne escaped, the rebels continued their struggle, engaging in multiple battles across areas like Nagod, Bhilsain, Chitrakoot, Nowgong, and Keoti. These activities made Thakur Ranmat Singh a significant threat to British control in the area [6][7]
However, the Maharaja of Rewa, under British pressure, eventually turned against Ranmat Singh. Despite initial sympathies for his cause, the Maharaja facilitated Ranmat Singh's capture. Thakur Ranmat Singh was arrested, charged with the murder of Europeans, and hanged in August 1860.[8]
This betrayal by the Rewa state highlights the complexities and internal conflicts during the 1857 Rebellion, where loyalty and resistance often intertwined in the fight against colonial rule.
Rulers[edit | edit source]
The predecessor state, Bandhogarh, was founded c. 1140. Vyaghra Deo, a brother of a ruler of Gujarat, is said to have made his way into northern India around the middle of the 13th century and gained the fort of Marpha, 29 km (18 mi) north-east of Kalinjar. His son Karandeo, married a Kalchuri (Haihaya) princess of Mandla, and received in dowry the fort of Bandhogarh which, until its destruction in 1597 by Akbar, was the Baghel capital. In 1298, Ulugh Khan, acting under orders of the sultan of Delhi, Alauddin Khilji, drove the last Vaghela ruler of Gujarat from his country and this is believed to have caused a considerable migration of Baghels to Bandhogarh. Until the 15th century, the Baghels of Bandhogarh were engaged in extending their possessions and escaped the attention of the Delhi Sultans, in 1498–1499, Sikandar Lodi failed in his attempt to take the fort of Bandhogarh.[citation needed]
List of rulers[edit | edit source]
The following is a list of known rulers of Rewa (or its predecessor state, Bandhogarh), in chronological order by their reign. They took the title of Raja or, from 1857, Maharaja.
- Maharaja Vyaghra Ju Deo
- Maharaja Karan Ju Deo
- Maharaja Sohag Ju Deo
- Maharaja Sarang Deo
- Maharaja Vilas Deo, established the Bilaspur city.
- Maharaja Bhimal Deo
- Maharaja Anik Deo [Ranik Deo]
- Maharaja Valan Deo
- Maharaja Dalkeshwar Deo
- Maharaja Malkeshwar Deo
- Maharaja Variyar Deo
- Maharaja Bullar Deo
- Maharaja Singh Deo
- Maharaja Bhairam Deo
- Maharaja Narhari Deo
- Maharaja Bheer Deo
- Maharaja Shalivahan Deo, r.1495–1500, Raja of Bandhogarh
- Maharaja Veer Singh Deo, r. 1500–1540, established the town of Birsinghpur.
- Maharaja Virbhan Singh, r. 1540–1555; fought against Sher Shah with Chandela Rajputs during the siege of Kalinjar Fort
- Maharaja Ramchandra Singh, r.1555–1592
- Maharaja Birbhadra Singh Deo, 1592-1602
- Maharaja Duryodhan Singh (illegitimate son of Birbhadra Singh Deo), 1602-1618,(deposed). His accession gave rise to disturbances. Akbar intervened, captured and dismantled the Bandhogarh fort in 1597, after a siege of eight months.
- Maharaja Vikramaditya Deo, r.1618–1630. He founded the town of Rewa in 1618 (which perhaps means that he undertook the construction of palaces and other buildings there because the place had already assumed importance in 1554 when it was held by Jalal Khan, son of emperor Shershah Suri).
- Maharaja Amar Singh II, r.1630–1643, established the town of Amarpatan.
- Maharaja Anoop Singh Deo, r.1643–1660.
- Maharaja Bhao Singh Deo, r.1660–1690. He married twice but died childless.
- Maharaja Anirudh Singh Deo, r.1690–1700, a grandson of Raja Anoop Singh, he was adopted by and succeeded his childless uncle, Raja Bhao Singh.
- Maharaja Avadhut Singh Deo, r.1700–1755. The state was sacked by Harde Sah of Panna, c.1731, causing the Raja to flee to Pratapgarh in Oudh (Awadh).
- Maharaja Ajit Singh Deo, r.1755–1809. The state was sacked by Nayak Yashwantrao alias Shrimant Jaswantkubje from Bundelkhand. Several Kalchuri families died defending the state.
- Maharaja Jai Singh Deo, b.1765, r.1809–1835. In 1812, a body of Pindaris raided Rewa from Mirzapur territory, for which Jai Singh was called upon to accede to a treaty acknowledging the protection of the British Government, and agreed to refer all disputes with neighbouring chiefs to their arbitration and to allow British troops in his territories.
- Maharaja Vishwanath Singh Deo, b.1789, r.1835–1854.
- Maharaja Raghuraj Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1831, r.1854–1857 as Raja, then as Majaraja 1857–1880. He helped the British quell the uprisings in the neighbouring Mandla and Jabalpur districts in the mutiny of 1857. For this service, the Sohagpur (Shahdol) and Amarkantak parganas were restored to his rule (having been seized by the Marathas in the beginning of the century), and he was made the first Majaraja of Rewa, ruling until his death on 5 February 1880.
- Maharaja Venkatraman Ramanuj Prasad Singh Ju Deo Bahadur, b.1876, r.1880–1918.
- Maharaja Gulab Singh Deo Bahadur, b.1903, r.1918–1946 (deposed).
- Maharaja Sajjan Singh of Ratlam (Regent), b.1880, r.1918–1919, 1922–1923.
- Philip Bannerman Warburton (Interim), b.1878, r.1919.
- Dewan Bahadur Brijmohan Nath Zutshi (Regent, President of Regency Council), b.1877, r.1920–1922.
- Elliot James Dowell Colvin (Interim), b.1885, r.1922.
- Maharaja Martand Singh Deo Bahadur, b.1923, r.1946–1995.
- Pushpraj Singh, b. 1960, r. 1995–present.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 9, page 378 — Imperial Gazetteer of India — Digital South Asia Library".
- ↑ Princely States of India. worldstatesmen.org.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Baker, David E.U. (2007). Baghelkhand or the Tiger's Lair. Oxford University Press. pp. 170–180. ISBN 978-0-19-568321-9.
- ↑ Namdeo, Shivam (26 May 2025). "Rewa, Madhya Pradesh: A Comprehensive Socio-Economic And Cultural Overview". Retrieved 26 May 2025.
- ↑ Kushwaha, Sonelal (17 July 2022). "विंध्य के वीर सपूत...जिन्होंने 1957 की क्रांति में छुड़ाए थे अंगेे्रजों के छक्के" [The brave sons of Vindhya... who freed the sixes of the British in the 1957 revolution]. Patrika (in Hindi).
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ (https://testbook.com/mppsc-preparation/revolt-of-1857-in-madhya-pradesh)
- ↑ {{Cite(https://ensureias.com/blog/current-affairs/thakur-ranmat-singh)
- ↑ (https://ensureias.com/blog/current-affairs/thakur-ranmat-singh (https://cmsadmin.amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?9137{{Cite(https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2816073)
External links[edit | edit source]
- . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 224–225.