Sheopur Town, 1908
Sheopur Town
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. Town in the Sheopur district of Gwalior State, Central India, situated in 25 40' N. and 76 42' E., on the right bank of the Sip river, 959 feet above sea-level, Population (1901), 6,712. The town and fort are said to have been founded in 1537 by Gaur Rajputs, and take their name from a Saharia who was sacrificed to ensure the permanency of the settlement, and whose descendants still hold an hereditary grant of land in the neighbourhood. When Akbar was advancing on Chitor in 1567, this fort surrendered to him without a blow. In 1808 the country fell to Daulat Rao Sindhia. He granted Sheopur and the adjoining tract to his general, Jean Baptiste Filose, who at once proceeded to occupy his *'agir, and invested the fort. Though unable to take the latter by assault, he finally starved out the Gaurs, who vacated it in 1809, and retired to BARODA TOWN. The fort from that time practically became Jean Baptiste's home ; and in 1814 it was seized together with his family by Jai Singh Khich! of Raghugarh, whose territory Filose was then engaged in ravaging. After the Treaty of Gwalior in 1818, Filose fell into disfavour and was for a time imprisoned at Gwalior. On his release he retired to Sheopur, which was then his only remaining possession. Sheopur is famous for its coloured lacquer-work on wood, bedstead legs being a speciality ; playing-cards are another article of local manufacture. Besides the pargana offices, a school, a hospital, a police station, and a State post office are situated in the town.
