Bundelkhand Agency
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, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Bundelkhand Agency
A collection of Native States in the Central India Agency, under a Political Agent, lying between 23° 49' and 26° 18' N. and 78° 11' and 81° 3' E., with an area of about 9,852 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Jalaun, Hamlrpur, and Banda Districts of the United Provinces ; on the south by the Saugor and Damoh Districts of the Central Provinces ; on the east by the Baghelkhand Agency ; and on the west by the Jhansi District of the United Provinces and by part of Gwalior. Of the total area, about 8,000 square miles h'e in the level country to the west of the Panna range, while the remainder falls in the rugged tract formed by that branch of the Vindhyas. Except in the small portion lying north of Datia, the principal rock up to the Panna range is gneiss.
In the area north of Datia and surrounding Samthar, however, this formation is covered with alluvium. In the Panna range sandstones and other rocks of the Vindhyan series are well represented. The mineral riches of this tract may be considerable, but have as yet been imperfectly examined. The soil is generally of much lower fertility than in Malwa, being mainly of the lighter classes known as kdba?- and ranka?-.
The population in 1901 was 1,308,316, giving a density of 133 persons per square mile. Hindus numbered 1,225,740, or 94 per cent. ; Musalmans, 46,356; Animists (chiefly Gonds), 22,952; Jains, 12,207; and Christians, 608. The Agency contains 4,244 villages and 10 towns, of which 7 are the capitals of States, the remaining 3 being Nowgong cantonment (11,507), Seondha (5,542), and Nadigaon (4,443).
For the early history of this tract see British Bundelkhand. The political charge was created in 1802 after the Treaty of Bassein, a Political ofificer being attached to the forces operating in Bundelkhand for the purpose of introducing order into the civil administration. In 1811, when the country was settled, an Agent to the Governor-General for Bundelkhand was appointed, with head-quarters at Banda. In 1818 the head-quarters were moved to Kalpi, in 1824 to Hamlrpur, and in 1832 back to Banda. In 1835 the control passed to the newly appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, whose head-quarters were at Agra.
In 1849 the superior control was handed over to the Commissioner for the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, a Political Assistant at Jhansi holding immediate charge under his orders. The Assistant was soon after moved to Nowgong, which is still the head-quarters, the superior control being transferred to the Resident at Gwalior, who at this time held an independent charge directly under the Supreme Government. In 1854, on the creation of the Central India Agencv, the control passed to the i\gent to the Governor-General for Central India. From 1862 to 1871 the Baghel- khand charge was held conjointly with that of Bundelkhand, the Political Assistant being replaced in 1865 by a Political Agent.
In 1888 Khaniadhana was made over to the Resident at Gwalior, and in 1896 the Chaube JagTrs with Baraunda and with Jaso were transferred to Baghelkhand. There are now 9 States, 13 estates, and the isolated pargana of Aeampur belonging to the Indore State in the Bundelkhand Agency. Of these, only 3 are held under treaties : namely, Orchha, Datia, and Samthar. The remainder are sanad holdings : namely, Panna, Charkhari, Ajaigarh, Bijawar, Baoni, Chhatarpur, Sarila, Dhurwai, Bijna, Tori-Fatehpur, Banka-PaharI, JignT, LuGASi, Bihat, BerI, At.Ipura, Gaurihar, Garrauli, and Naigawan Rebai. The jdgir of Bilheri, subordinate to the Chhatarpur State, is held under British guarantee. The chiefs of the treaty States exercise full powers. The sanad States were created on British assumption of the paramount power, after the Treaty of Bassein. The minor States were, during the early years of tlie nineteenth century, tributary to All Bahadur of Banda, a grandson of the Peshwa.
The policy of the British Government was to confirm these chiefs in possession of such territory as they held under All Bahadur, subject to conditions of allegiance and fidelity, the renunciation of all views of future aggrandize- ment, and the abandonment of all lands acquired subsequent to the death of All Bahadur. In return for compliance with these conditions, the chiefs received sanads or deeds confirming them in possession of their States. The conditions vary slightly in the case of different grants ; but in all cases they bind the chief to submission and loyalty, and require him to govern well, to deliver up criminal refugees, and to seize thieves and robbers and surrender them to the British authorities.
The rulers are at the same time liable to such control, not inconsistent with their engagements, as the British Government may see fit to exercise ; their rights and powers are limited to such as have been expressly conferred, while the exercise of judicial powers is subject to such restrictions as may be laid down by the Government f India. In practice the chiefs of the senior sanad States — Panna, harkharl, Ajaigarh, Bijawar, BaonT, and Chhatarpur — are usually invested with full criminal powers, subject to a reference in cases in which the sentences involve death, transportation, or imprisonment for life. The minor chiefs are ordinarily permitted to exercise powers up to those of a magistrate of the first class in British India, according to their capability and experience. The Political Agent has the right to reserve for trial by himself all serious cases and such other cases as he may consider it advisable to deal with personally.
Those chiefs who have not been specially empowered are required to refer to the Political ofificer all cases of heinous crime. In 1862 sanads of adoption were granted to all the chiefs, guaranteeing them the privilege of adopting heirs in case of failure of issue, such adoption being conditional on the payment of certain succession dues {nazardna), which vary in individual cases, but ordinarily entail a payment as relief of a quarter of a year's net revenue on each direct succession, and half a year's net revenue in cases of adoption.
The Jhansi-Manikpur section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway passes along the north of the Agency, which is intersected by two high roads. One of these strikes north-west and south-east from Jhansi, connecting Gwalior, Datia, Nowgong, Chhatarpur, and Satna; the other leads from Banda (in the United Provinces) through Mahoba to Chhatarpur, and to Saugor in the Central Provinces.
I'he Political Agent exercises the powers of a District Magistrate and a Court of Sessions within the limits of his charge, where such powers are not exercised by the chiefs. He is District and Sessions Judge for those portions of the Jhansi-Manikpur and Jhansi-Bhopal sections of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway which pass through the Orchha State and the Alipura and Garrauli yVz^zri-, and also exercises the powers of an x'\ppellate and Sessions Court for Nowgong cantonment.
The Agency contains the States, portions of States, and petty States shown in the following table : —
