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GWALIOR

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 749 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GWALIOR , a native See also:

state of See also:India, in the Central India agency, by far the largest of the numerous principalities comprised in that See also:area. It is the dominion of the Sindhia See also:family. The state consists of two well-defined parts which may roughly be called the See also:northern and the See also:southern. The former is a compact See also:mass of territory, bounded N. and N.W. by the See also:Chambal See also:river, which separates it from the See also:British districts of See also:Agra and See also:Etawah, and the native states of See also:Dholpur, See also:Karauli and See also:Jaipur of See also:Rajputana; E. by the British districts of See also:Jalaun, See also:Jhansi, See also:Lalitpur and See also:Saugor; S. by the states of See also:Bhopal, See also:Tonk, See also:Khilchipur and See also:Rajgarh; and W. by those of See also:Jhalawar, Tonk and See also:Kotah of Rajputana. The southern, or See also:Malwa, portion is made up of detached or semi-detached districts, between which are interposed parts of other states, which again are mixed up with each other in bewildering intricacy. The two portions together have a See also:total area of 25,041 sq. m. Pop. (1901), 2,933,001, showing a decrease of 13 % in the See also:decade. The state may be naturally divided into See also:plain, See also:plateau and hilly See also:country. The plain country extends from the Chambal river in the extreme southwards for about 8o m., with a maximum width from See also:east to See also:west of about 120 M. This plain, though broken in its southern portion by See also:low hills, has generally an See also:elevation of only a few See also:hundred feet above See also:sea-level. In the summer See also:season the See also:climate is very hot, the shade temperature rising frequently to 112° F., but in the See also:winter months (from See also:November to See also:February inclusive) it is usually temperate and for See also:short periods extremely See also:cold.

The See also:

average rainfall is 30 in., but the See also:period 1891-1901 was a decade of low rainfall, and See also:distress was caused by See also:famine. See also:South of this See also:tract there is a See also:gradual ascent to he Central India plateau, and at Sipri the See also:general level is 1500 ft. above the sea. On this plateau lies the See also:remainder of the state, with the exception of the small See also:district of Amjhera in the extreme south. The elevation of this region gives it a moderate climate during the summer as compared with the plain country, while the winter is warmer and more equable. The average rainfall is 28 in. The remaining portion of the state, classed as hilly, comprises only the small district of Amjhera. This is known as the Bhil country, and lies among the See also:Vindhya mountains with a mean elevation of about 'Soo ft. The rainfall averages 23 in. In the two years 1899 and 1900 the See also:monsoon was very weak, the result being a severe famine which caused See also:great mortality among the Bhil See also:population. Of these three natural divisions the plateau possesses the most fertile See also:soil, generally of the See also:kind known as " See also:black See also:cotton," but the low-lying plain has the densest population. The state is watered by numerous See also:rivers. The See also:Nerbudda, flowing west, forms the southern boundary.

The greater See also:

part of the drainage is discharged into the Chambal, which forms the See also:north-western and northern and eastern boundary. The See also:Sind, with its tributaries the Kuwari, Asar and Sankh, flows through the northern See also:division. The See also:chief products are See also:wheat, millets, pulses of various kinds, See also:maize, See also:rice, See also:linseed and other oil-seeds; See also:poppy, yielding the Malwa See also:opium; See also:sugar-See also:cane, cotton, See also:tobacco, See also:indigo, See also:garlic, See also:turmeric and See also:ginger. About 6o % of the population are employed in agricultural and only 15% in See also:industrial occupations, the great See also:majority of the latter being See also:home workers. There is a See also:leather factory at See also:Morar; cotton-presses at Morena, Baghanaand See also:Ujjain; ginning factories at Agar, Nalkhera, Shajapur and Sonkach; and a cotton-See also:mill at Ujjain. The cotton See also:industry alone shows possibilities of considerable development, there being 55,000 persons engaged in it at the See also:time of the See also:census of 1901. The population is composed of many elements, among which Brahmans and Rajputs are specially numerous. The prevailing See also:religion is See also:Hinduism, 84% of the See also:people being See also:Hindus and only 6% Mahommedans. The See also:revenue of the state is about one million See also:sterling; and large reserves have been accumulated, from which two millions were See also:lent to the See also:government of India in 1887, and later on another million for the construction of the Gwalior-Agra and See also:Indore-See also:Neemuch See also:railways. The railways undertaken by the state are: (I) from Bina on the See also:Indian Midland to Goona; (2) an See also:extension of this See also:line to Baran, opened in 1899; (3) from Bhopal to Ujjain; (4) two See also:light railways, from Gwalior to Sipri and Gwalior to Bhind, which were opened by the See also:viceroy in November 1899. On the same occasion the viceroy opened the See also:Victoria See also:College, founded to commemorate the See also:Diamond See also:Jubilee; and the Memorial See also:Hospital, built in memory of the maharaja's See also:father. British currency has been introduced instead of Chandori rupees, which were much depreciated.

The state maintains three regiments of Imperial Service See also:

cavalry, two battalions of See also:infantry and a transport See also:corps. See also:History.—The Sindhia family, the rulers of the Gwalior state, belong to the Mahratta nation and originally came from the neighbourhood of See also:Poona. Their first See also:appearance in Central India was See also:early in the 18th See also:century in the See also:person of Ranoji (d. 1745), a See also:scion of an impoverished See also:branch of the family, who began his career as the See also:peshwa's slipper-See also:carrier and See also:rose by his military abilities to be See also:commander of his bodyguard. In 1726, together with Malhar See also:Rao See also:Holkar, the founder of the See also:house of Indore, he was authorized by the peshwa to collect See also:tribute (chauth) in the Malwa districts. He established his headquarters at Ujjain, which thus became the first See also:capital of Sindhia's dominions. Ranoji's son and successor, Jayapa Sindhia, was killed at See also:Nagaur in 1759, and was in his turn succeeded by his son Jankoji Sindhia. But the real founder of the state of Gwalior was Mahadji Sindhia, a natural son of Ranoji, who, after narrowly escaping with his See also:life from the terrible slaughter of See also:Panipat in 1761 (when Jankoji was killed), obtained with some difficulty from the peshwa a re-See also:grant of his father's possessions in Central India (1769). During the struggle which followed the See also:death of Madhu Rao Peshwa in 1772 Mahadji seized every occasion for extending his See also:power and possessions. In 1775, however, when Raghuba Peshwa threw himself on the See also:protection of the British, the reverses which Mahadji encountered at their hands—Gwalior being taken by See also:Major See also:Popham in 1780—opened his eyes to their power. By the treaty of Salbai (1782) it was agreed that Mahadji should withdraw to Ujjain, and the British retire north of the See also:Jumna. Mahadji, who undertook to open negotiations with the other belligerents, was recognized as an See also:independent ruler, and a British See also:resident was established at his See also:court.

Mahadji, aided by the British policy of See also:

neutrality, now set to See also:work to establish his supremacy over Hindustan proper. Realizing the superiority of See also:European methods of warfare, he availed himself of the services of a Savoyard soldier of See also:fortune, See also:Benoit de See also:Boigne, whose See also:genius for military organization and command in the See also:field was mainly instrumental in establishing the Mahratta power. Mahadji's disciplined troops made him invincible. In 1785 he re-established Shah Alam on the imperial See also:throne at See also:Delhi, and as his See also:reward obtained for the peshwa the See also:title of vakil-ul-mutlak or vicegerent of the See also:empire, contenting himself with that of his See also:deputy. In 1788 he took See also:advantage of the cruelties practised by Ghulam Kadir on Shah Alam, to occupy Delhi, where he established himself as the See also:protector of the aged See also:emperor. Though nominally a deputy of the peshwa he was now ruler of a vast territory, including the greater part of Central India and Hindustan proper, while his lieutenants exacted tribute from the chiefs of Rajputana. There can be no doubt that he looked with See also:apprehension on the growing power of the British; but he wisely avoided any serious collision with them. Mahadji died in 1794, and was succeeded by his adopted son, Daulat Rao Sindhia, a See also:grandson of his See also:brother Tukoji. When, during the period of unrest that followed the deaths of the peshwa, Madhu Rao II., in 1795 and of Tukoji Holkar in 1797, the Mahratta leaders fought over the question of supremacy, the peshwa, Baji Rao II., the titular See also:head of the Mahratta See also:confederation, fled from his capital and placed himself under British protection by the treaty of See also:Bassein (See also:December 31, 1802). This. interposition of the British government was resented by the confederacy, and it brought on the Mahratta See also:War of 1803. In the See also:campaign that followed a combined Mahratta See also:army, in which Daulat Rao's troops furnished the largest contingent, was defeated by General See also:Arthur See also:Wellesley at See also:Assaye and See also:Argaum in Central India; and See also:Lord See also:Lake routed Daulat Rao's European-trained battalions in Northern India at Agra, See also:Aligarh and See also:Laswari. Daulat Rao was then compelled to sign the treaty of Sarji Anjangaon (December 30, 1803), which stripped him of his territories between the Jumna and See also:Ganges, the district of See also:Broach in See also:Gujarat and other lands in the south.

By the same treaty he was deprived of the forts of Gwalior and Gohad; but these were restored by Lord See also:

Cornwallis in 1805, when the Chambal river was made the northern boundary of the state. By a treaty signed at See also:Burhanpur in 1803 Daulat Rao further agreed to maintain a subsidiary force, to be paid out of the revenues of the territories ceded under the treaty of Sarji Anjangaon. When, however, in 1816 he was called upon to assist in the suppression of the See also:Pindaris, though by the treaty of Gwalior (1817) he promised his co-operation, his conduct was so equivocal that in 1818 he was forced to sign a fresh treaty by which he ceded See also:Ajmere and other lands. Daulat Rao died without issue in 1827, and his widow,Baiza Bai (d. 1862), adopted Mukut Rao, a boy of eleven belonging to a distant branch of the family, who succeeded as Jankoji Rao Sindhia. His See also:rule was weak; the state was distracted by interminable See also:palace intrigues and military mutinies, and affairs went from See also:bad to worse when, in 1843, Jankoji Rao, who See also:left no See also:heir, was succeeded by another boy, adopted by his widow, See also:Tara Bai, under the name of Jayaji Rao Sindhia. The growth of turbulence and See also:misrule now induced Lord See also:Ellenborough to interpose, and a British force under See also:Sir See also:Hugh See also:Gough advanced upon Gwalior -(December 1843). The Mahratta troops were defeated simultaneously at See also:Maharajpur and Punniar (December 29), with the result that the Gwalior government signed a treaty ceding territory with revenue sufficient for the See also:maintenance of a contingent force to be stationed at the capital, and limiting the future strength of the Gwalior army, while a See also:council of regency was appointed during the minority to See also:act under the resident's See also:advice. In 1857 the Gwalior contingent joined the mutineers; but the maharaja himself remained loyal to the British, and fled from his capital until the See also:place was retaken and his authority restored by Sir Hugh Rose (Lord See also:Strathnairn) on the 19th of See also:June 1858. He was rewarded with the districts of Neemuch and Amjhera, but Gwalior fort was occupied by British troops and was only restored to his son in 1886 by Lord Dufferin. Jayaji Rao, who died in 1886, did much for the development of his state. He was created a G.C.S.I. in 1861, and subsequently became a counsellor of the empress, a G.C.B. and C.I.E.

His son, the maharaja, Madhava Rao Sindhia, G.C.S.I., was See also:

born in 1877. During his minority the state was administered for eight years by a council of regency. He was entrusted with ruling See also:powers in 1894, and in all respects continued the reforming policy of the council, while paying See also:personal See also:attention to every /See also:department, being a keen soldier, an energetic See also:administrator, and fully alive to the responsibilities attaching to his position. He was created an honorary aide-de-See also:camp to the See also:king-emperor and an honorary See also:colonel in the British army. He went to See also:China as orderly officer to General Gaselee in 1901, and provided the expedition with a hospital See also:ship at his own expense, while his Imperial Service Transport Corps proved a useful See also:auxiliary to the British army in the See also:Chitral and See also:Tirah expeditions. The See also:CITY OF GWALIOR iS 76 M. by See also:rail S. of Agra, and had a population in Igor of 119,433• This total includes the new See also:town of Lashkar or " the Camp " which is the See also:modern capital of the state and old Gwalior. The old town has a threefold See also:interest: first as a very See also:ancient seat of Jain See also:worship; secondly for its example of palace See also:architecture of the best See also:Hindu period (1486-1516); and thirdly as an historic fortress. There are several remarkable Hindu temples within the fort. One, known as the Sas See also:Baku, is beautifully adorned with bas-reliefs. It was finished in A.D. 1093, and, though much dilapidated, still forms a most picturesque fragment. An older Jain See also:temple has been used as a See also:mosque.

Another temple in the fortress of Gwalior is called the Teli-Mandir, or " Oilman's Temple." This See also:

building was originally dedicated to See also:Vishnu, but afterwards converted to the worship of See also:Siva. The most striking part of the Jain remains at Gwalior is a See also:series of caves or See also:rock-cut sculptures, excavated in the rock on all sides, and numbering nearly a hundred, great and small. Most of them are See also:mere niches to contain statues, though some are cells that may have been originally intended for residences. One curious fact regarding them is that, according to See also:inscriptions, they were all excavated within the short period of about See also:thirty-three years, between 1441 and 1474. Some of the figures are of See also:colossal See also:size; one, for instance, is 57 ft. high, which is taller than any other in northern India. The palace built by See also:Man Singh (1486-1516) forms the most interesting example of early Hindu work of its class in India. Another palace of even greater extent was added to this in 1516; both Jehangfr and Shah Jahan added palaces to these two—the whole making a See also:group of edifices unequalled for picturesqueness and interest by anything of their class in Central India. Among the apartments in the palace was the celebrated chamber, named the Baradari, supported on 12 columns, and 45 ft. square, with a See also:stone roof, forming one of the most beautiful palace-halls in the See also:world. It was, besides, singularly interesting from the expedients to which the Hindu architect was forced to resort to imitate the vaults of the Moslems. Of the buildings, however, which so excited the admiration of the emperor See also:Baber, probably little now remains. The fort of Gwalior, within which the above buildings are situated, stands on an isolated rock. The See also:face is perpendicular and where the rock is naturally less precipitous it has been scarped.

Its greatest length from north-east to south-west is a mile and a See also:

half, and the greatest breadth 900 yds. The rock attains its maximum height of 342 ft. at the northern end. A rampart, accessible by a steep road, and farther up by huge steps cut out of the rock, surrounds thefort. The citadel stands at the north-eastern corner of the enclosure, and presents a very picturesque appearance. The old town of Gwalior, which is of considerable size, but irregularly built, and extremely dirty, lies at the eastern See also:base of the rock. It contains the See also:tomb of Mahcmmed Ghaus, erected during the early part of See also:Akbar's reign. The fort of Gwalior was traditionally built by one Surya Sen, the See also:raja of the neighbouring country. In 1196 Gwalior was captured by Mahommed Ghori; it then passed into the hands of several chiefs until in 1559 Akbar gained See also:possession of it, and made it a state See also:prison for captives of See also:rank. On the dismemberment of the Delhi empire, Gwalior was seized by the Jat rana of Gohad. Subsequently it was garrisoned by Sindhia, from whom it was wrested in 1780 by the forces of the East India See also:Company, and to whom it was finally restored by the British in 1886. The modern town contains the palace of the chief, a college, a high school, a girls' school, a service school to See also:train officials, a See also:law school, hospitals for men and for See also:women, a museum, See also:paper-See also:mills, and a See also:printing-See also:press issuing a state See also:gazette. - GWALIOR RESIDENCY, an administrative unit in the Central India agency, comprises Gwalior state and eleven smaller states and estates.

Its total area is 17,825 sq. m., and its population in 1901 was 2,187,612. Of the area, 17,020 sq. m. belong to Gwalior State, and the agency also includes the small states of Raghugarh, Khaniadhana, Paron, Garha, Umri and Bhadaura, with the Chhabra pargana of Tonk.

End of Article: GWALIOR

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