Basoda (Nawab-Basoda, Haidargarh-Basoda)
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts.Many units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Basoda (Nawab-Basoda, Haidargarh-Basoda)
A mediatized chief- ship in Central India, under the Bhopal Agency, situated on the Malwa plateau, with an area of about 40 square miles, and a population (1901) of 4,987. The town from which the State takes its name was founded by Raja Bir Singh Deo of Orchha in the seventeenth century. It is often styled Muhammadgarh-Basoda and Haidargarh-Basoda, to dis- tinguish it from the place of the same name in Gwalior State, but is generally called Nawab-Basoda. The State is bounded on the west by the Sironj district of Tonk State, and a portion of Gwalior ; on the north by the Saugor District of the Central Provinces, and the States of Patharl, Korwai, and Muhammadgarh ; on the east by Saugor District and Bhopal ; and on the south by Bhopal.
The Nawabs of Basoda belong to the Korwai family founded by Muhammad Diler Khan, an Afghan of the Barakzai Firoz Khel, in the eighteenth century. On his death the State was divided between his two sons, Korwai falling to the elder. The younger, Ahsan-uUah Khan, settled at first at Rakha and Bahadurgarh, now Isagarh in the Gwalior State, but being hard pressed by the Marathas, moved his capital to Basoda in 1753. In 181 7 the State fell into the hands of Sindhia, but was restored in 1822 on the mediation of the British authorities. The chief, though nominally subordinate to Sindhia, pays him no tribute, and in his relations with that Darbar receives the countenance and support of the Political Agent, who since 1822 has exercised the same general authority in this chiefship as in the guaranteed chiefships subject to his control.
Ahsan-ullah died in 1786, having alienated part of his possessions to form the State of Muhammadgarh. He was followed by Nawab Baka- ullah Khan and Asad Ali Khan, the last being at one time minister of the Bhopal State, from which he was, however, removed for intriguing with the pretender Dastglr. The present chief is Haidar All Khan, who succeeded in 1897, and bears the title of Nawab. The State con- tains twenty-three villages, and is fertile and produces good crops About 10 square miles, or 25 per cent, of the total area, are cultivated, 126 acres being irrigated. The chief exercises the criminal powers of a first-class magistrate, all heinous crimes being dealt with by the Political Agent. The normal revenue of the State is Rs. 19,000, of which Rs. 16,000 is derived from land. The incidence of the land revenue demand is Rs. 2-9-3 Per acre of cultivated area. Basoda, the chief town, is situated in 23° 51' N. and 77° 56' E. Population (1901), 1,850. It contains a British post office, a jail, a school, and a dispensary. '
