Ajaigarh State

Ajaigarh State
Princely State of British India
1765–1949
Flag
Ajaigarh State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
History
History
• Established	1765
• Independence of India	1949
Succeeded by India

Ajaigarh State was one of the princely states of India during the period of the British Raj. The state was founded in 1785 and its capital was located in Ajaigarh, Madhya Pradesh.

Ajaigarh's last ruler signed the accession to the Indian Union on 1 January 1950.

History

Ajaigarh was the capital of a princely state of the same name during the British Raj. Ajaigarh was founded in 1765 by Guman Singh, who was the nephew of Raja Pahar Singh of Jaitpur State. After Ajaigarh was captured by the British in 1809, it became a princely state in the Bundelkhand Agency of the Central India Agency. It had an area of 771 mile² (1997 km²), and a population of 78,236 in 1901. The rulers bore the title of sawai maharaja. He commanded an estimated annual revenue of about £15,000/-, and paid a tribute of £460/-. The chief resided at the town of Nowgong, at the foot of the hill-fortress of Ajaigarh, from which the state took its name. This fort, situated on a steep hill, towers more than 800 ft (244 m) above the eponymous township, and contains the ruins of several temples adorned with elaborately carved sculptures. The town was often afflicted by malaria, and suffered severely from famine in 1868-1869 and 1896–1897.

The state acceded to the Government of India on 1 January 1950; the ruling chief was granted a privy purse of Rs. 74,700/-, and the courtesy use of his styles and titles. All of these were revoked by the government of India in 1971, at the time when these privileges were revoked from all erstwhile princes. The former princely state became part of the new Indian state of Vindhya Pradesh, and most of the territory of the former state, including the town of Ajaigarh, became part of Panna District, with a smaller portion going to Chhatarpur District. Vindhya Pradesh was merged into Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956.

Rulers Of Ajaigarh

                  Maharajadhiraja Chhatrasal     : 1649-1731
               (founder Ruler of many Kingdoms)
    ___________________________|________________________________
Hirdeshah                   Jagatraj                   Bhartichandra
 (Panna)                    (Jaitpur)                     (Jaso)
   ____________________________|______________________________
Vir Singh                   Kirat Singh           Pahar Singh (1758–1765)
   ____________________________|______________________________
Khuman Singh         Guman Singh (1765–1792)             Durg Singh
(Charkari)             (Banda) (No issues)                    |
                               |__________________Son of______|
                         Bhakhat Singh           :b.1792-d.1837
                   (Founder ruler of Ajaigarh)
                               |_______________________________
                               |                              |
                   Madho Singh (R. 1837–1849)     Mahipat Singh (R. 1849–1853)
                        (No male issue)                       |
                                                              |
                    Ranjore Singh (K.C.I.E)___________Vijay Singh (R. 1853–1855)
                     (born 1844 died 1919)           (Died early, fell from horse)
                               |
                       Punyapratap Singh
                      born 1884-died 1958
                               |
                     Devendra Vijay Singh
       born 1913-died 1984 (Privy Purses, titles abolished)

Gallery

Ajaygarh state car no.17

See also

• Bundelkhand Agency
• Vindhya Pradesh

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ajaigarh". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.