Malwa is a
historical region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
of west-central
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
occupying a
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the
volcanic upland north of the
Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synonymous with the former state of
Madhya Bharat
Madhya Bharat, also known as Malwa Union, was an Indian state in west-central India, created on 28 May 1948 from twenty-five princely states which until 1947 had been part of the Central India Agency, with Jiwajirao Scindia as its Rajpramukh. ...
which was later merged with
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
. At present the historical Malwa region includes districts of western
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
and parts of south-eastern
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. Sometimes the definition of Malwa is extended to include the
Nimar
Nimar is the southwestern region of Madhya Pradesh state in west-central India. This region has sub-regions which include Nimad, Khandya and Bhuwana.
The region lies south of the Vindhya Range, and consists of two portions of the Narmada and ...
region south of the Vindhyas.
The Malwa region had been a separate political unit from the time of the ancient
Malava Kingdom
The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...
. It has been ruled by several kingdoms and dynasties, including the
Avanti Kingdom, The
Mauryans
The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
, the
Malavas
The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...
, the
Guptas, the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either t ...
s, the
Delhi Sultanate, the
Malwa sultans, the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
and the
Marathas
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
. Malwa continued to be an administrative division until 1947, when the
Malwa Agency
Malwa Agency was an administrative section of India's Central India Agency. The headquarters of the political agent was at Mandsaur (Mandasor) / Neemuch (Nimach). The other chief towns of the region were : Ratlam and Jaora.
History
The Malw ...
of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
was merged into
Madhya Bharat
Madhya Bharat, also known as Malwa Union, was an Indian state in west-central India, created on 28 May 1948 from twenty-five princely states which until 1947 had been part of the Central India Agency, with Jiwajirao Scindia as its Rajpramukh. ...
(also known as Malwa Union) state of independent India.
Although its political borders have fluctuated throughout history, the region has developed its own distinct culture, influenced by the Rajasthani, Marathi and Gujarati cultures. Several
prominent people in the history of India have lived in Malwa, including the poet and dramatist
Kalidasa, the author
Bhartrihari, the mathematicians and astronomers
Varahamihira and
Brahmagupta, and the polymath king
Bhoja
Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all ...
.
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
had been the political, economic, and cultural capital of the region in ancient times, and
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
is now the largest city and commercial centre.
Overall,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
is the main occupation of the people of Malwa. The region has been one of the important producers of
opium in the world. Wheat and soybeans are other important cash crops, and textiles are a major industry.
Malwi is a
demonym given to people from the Malwa region.
History
![Coin showing Karttikeya and Lakshmi, Ujjain, circa 150–75 BC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Coin_showing_Karttikeya_and_Lakshmi%2C_Ujjain%2C_circa_150%E2%80%9375_BC.jpg)
Several early Stone Age or
Lower Paleolithic habitations have been excavated in eastern Malwa. The name ''Malwa'' is derived from the name of the ancient Indian tribe of ''
Malavas
The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...
''. The name ''Malava'' is said to be derived from the Sanskrit term ''Malav'', which means "part of the abode of ''
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
''". The location of the Malwa or ''Moholo'', mentioned by the 7th-century Chinese traveller
Xuanzang
Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...
, is plausibly identified with present-day Gujarat.
The region is cited as ''Malibah'' in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
records, such as ''Kamilu-t Tawarikh'' by Ibn Asir.
The
Malwa Culture
The Malwa culture was a Chalcolithic archaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region of Central India and parts of Maharashtra in the Deccan Peninsula. It is mainly dated to BCE, but calibrated radiocarbon dates have suggested that the b ...
was a
Chalcolithic
The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...
archaeological culture which existed in the Malwa region, as well as nearby parts of
Maharashtra to the south, during the 2nd millennium BCE.
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
, also known historically as ''Ujjaiyini'' and ''Avanti'', emerged as the first major centre in the Malwa region during India's second wave of
urbanisation
Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the ...
in the 7th century BC (the first wave was the
Indus Valley Civilization). Around 600 BC an earthen rampart was built around Ujjain, enclosing a city of considerable size. Ujjain was the capital city of the
Avanti kingdom, one of the prominent
mahajanapada
The Mahājanapadas ( sa, great realm, from ''maha'', "great", and ''janapada'' "foothold of a people") were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urba ...
s of ancient India. In the post-
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
period—around 500 BC—Avanti was an important kingdom in western India; it was ruled by the
Haihayas
The Heheya Kingdom (also known as Haihaya, Haiheya, Heiheya _sa.html" ;"title="nowiki/> sa">हैहय was a kingdom ruled by the Yadava people, who claimed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. One of the mo ...
, a people who were responsible for the destruction of Naga power in western India.
[Ahmad, S. H., ''Anthropometric measurements and ethnic affinities of the Bhil and their allied groups of Malwa area.'', Anthropological Survey of India,1991, ']
The region was conquered by the
Nanda Empire in the mid-4th century BC, and subsequently became part of the
Maurya Empire.
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
, who was later a Mauryan emperor, was governor of Ujjain in his youth. After the death of Ashoka in 232 BC, the Maurya Empire began to collapse. Although evidence is sparse, Malwa was probably ruled by the
Kushanas, the
Shakas and the
Satavahana dynasty
The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the la ...
during the 1st and 2nd century CE. Ownership of the region was the subject of dispute between the
Western Kshatrapas
The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas (Brahmi:, ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh ...
and the
Satavahana
The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the la ...
s during the first three centuries AD. Ujjain emerged a major trading centre during the 1st century AD.
![Rupmati Pavilion 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Rupmati_Pavilion_01.jpg)
Malwa became part of the
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
during the reign of
Chandragupta II (375–413), also known as ''Vikramaditya'', who conquered the region, driving out the
Western Kshatrapa
The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas ( Brahmi:, ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian ( Saka) rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pr ...
s. The Gupta period is widely regarded as a golden age in the history of Malwa, when Ujjain served as the empire's western capital. The astronomer Varahamihira was based in Ujjain, which emerged as a major centre of learning, especially in
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
and
mathematics. Around 500, Malwa re-emerged from the dissolving
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
as a separate kingdom; in 528,
Yasodharman
Yashodharman (Gupta script: ''Ya-śo-dha-rmma'', ) (r. 515 – 545) was a ruler of Malwa, in central India, during the early part of the 6th century. He probably belonged to the Second Aulikara dynasty. He conquered much of the Indian subco ...
of Malwa defeated the
Hunas
Hunas or Huna (Middle Brahmi script: ''Hūṇā'') was the name given by the ancient Indians to a group of Central Asian tribes who, via the Khyber Pass, entered the Indian subcontinent at the end of the 5th or early 6th century. The Huna Kin ...
, who had invaded India from the north-west. During the seventh century, the region became part of
Harsha
Harshavardhana ( IAST Harṣa-vardhana; c. 590–647 CE) was a Pushyabhuti emperor who ruled northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was the son of Prabhakaravardhana who had defeated the Alchon Huna invaders, and the younger brother of Rajy ...
's empire, who disputed the region with the
Chalukya
The Chalukya dynasty () was a Classical Indian dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the 12th centuries. During this period, they ruled as three related yet individual dynasties. The earliest dynasty ...
king
Pulakesin II of
Badami
Badami, formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from CE 540 to 757. It is famous for its rock cut monuments ...
in the
Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
.
In 756 AD
Gurjara-Pratiharas
The Gurjara-Pratihara was a dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the mid-8th to the 11th century. They ruled first at Ujjain and later at Kannauj.
The Gurjara-Pratiharas were instrumental in containing Arab armies moving east of the ...
advanced into Malwa. In 786 the region was captured by the
Rashtrakuta kings of the Deccan, and was disputed between the Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara Pratihara kings of
Kannauj
Kannauj ( Hindustani pronunciation: ənːɔːd͡ʒ is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is a corrupted form of the class ...
until the early part of the tenth century. The Emperors of the
Rashtrakuta dynasty
Rashtrakuta ( IAST: ') (r. 753-982 CE) was a royal Indian dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the sixth and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing thei ...
appointed the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either t ...
rulers as governors of Malwa. From the mid-tenth century, Malwa was ruled by the
Paramara
The Paramara dynasty ( IAST: Paramāra) was an Indian dynasty that ruled Malwa and surrounding areas in west-central India between 9th and 14th centuries. They belonged to the Parmara clan of the Rajputs.
The dynasty was established in either t ...
s, who established a capital at
Dhar
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...
. King
Bhoja
Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was an Indian king from the Paramara dynasty. His kingdom was centered around the Malwa region in central India, where his capital Dhara-nagara (modern Dhar) was located. Bhoja fought wars with nearly all ...
, who ruled from about 1010 to 1060, was known as the great
polymath
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
philosopher-king of medieval India; his extensive writings cover philosophy, poetry, medicine, architecture, construction, town planning, veterinary science, phonetics, yoga, and archery. Malwa became an intellectual centre of India, and became home to a major astronomical observatory, attracting scholars from all over India including
Bhāskara II. His successors ruled until about 1305, when Malwa was
conquered by the Delhi Sultanate. Malwa was several times invaded by the south Indian
Western Chalukya Empire
The Western Chalukya Empire ruled most of the Deccan Plateau, western Deccan, South India, between the 10th and 12th centuries. This Kannada people, Kannadiga dynasty is sometimes called the ''Kalyani Chalukya'' after its regal capital at Kalya ...
.
Dilawar Khan
Dilawar Khan was an Afghan governor of the Malwa province of central India and laterly Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate during the decline of the Delhi Sultanate. After serving at the court in Delhi, he was appointed governor at Dhar in A.H. 793 ...
, previously Malwa's governor under the rule of the Delhi sultanate, declared himself sultan of Malwa in 1401 after the
Mughal conqueror
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kü ...
attacked Delhi, causing the break-up of the sultanate into smaller states. Khan started the ''
Malwa Sultanate
The Malwa Sultanate ( fa, ) (Pashto: ; ''lit: Mālwā Salṭanat'') was a late medieval Islamic sultanate in the Malwa region, covering the present day Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern Rajasthan from 1392 to 1562. It was fo ...
'' and established a capital at
Mandu, high in the
Vindhya Range overlooking the
Narmada River valley. His son and successor,
Hoshang Shah
Hoshang Shah (Alp Khan) (1406–1435) was the first formally appointed Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate of Central India.{{Cite book , last=Sen , first=Sailendra , title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History , publisher=Primus Books , year=2013 , ...
(1405–35), developed Mandu as an important city. Hoshang Shah's son, Ghazni Khan, ruled for only a year and was succeeded by
Mahmud Khalji
Mahmud Khalji (1436–69), also known as Mahmud Khilji and Ala-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I was a 15th-century Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate, a kingdom in what is now the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. Khilji crowned himself sultan after assassinating ...
(1436–69), the first of the
Khalji
The Khalji or Khilji (Pashto: ; Persian: ) dynasty was a Turco-Afghan dynasty which ruled the Delhi sultanate, covering large parts of the Indian subcontinent for nearly three decades between 1290 and 1320.[Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...]
. The Muslim sultans invited the Rajputs to settle in the country. In the early 16th century, the sultan sought the aid of the sultans of Gujarat to counter the growing power of the Rajputs, while the Rajputs sought the support of the
Sesodia Rajput kings of
Mewar.During that time Much of the Malwa was conquered by
Rana Sanga of
Mewar who appointed one of his close allies
Medini Rai as ruler of Malwa under his lordship.
Chanderi was capital of his kingdom.After the defeat of
Rajput confederation in
Battle of Khanwa
The Battle of Khanwa was fought at Khanwa on March 16, 1527. It was fought between the invading Timurid forces of Babur and the Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga for suprermacy of Northern India. The battle was a major event in Medieval ...
near
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
against
Babur which was fought for Supremacy of
Northern India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...
between
Rajputs
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
and
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
.
Babur then siege
Chanderi offering Shamsabad to Medini rai instead of Chanderi as it was capital of his kingdom and was of great importance but Rai refused
Babur offer and choose to die. He was defeated by
Babur in January 1528 at
Battle of Chanderi and
Babur conquer the fort.
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
stormed Mandu in 1518. In 1531,
Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
Qutb-ud-Din Bahadur Shah, born Bahadur Khan was a sultan of the Muzaffarid dynasty who reigned over the Gujarat Sultanate, a late medieval kingdom in India from 1526 to 1535 and again from 1536 to 1537. He ascended to throne after competing with h ...
, captured Mandu, executed Mahmud II (1511–31), and shortly after that, the Malwa sultanate collapsed.
The
Mughal emperor
Akbar captured Malwa in 1562 and made it a
subah (province) of his empire. The
Malwa Subah existed from 1568 to 1743. Mandu was abandoned by the 17th century. During the 17th century much of Western Malwa was held by the
Rathor
The Rathore is a Rajput clan found in Northern India.
Subclans
Jodhana, Vadhel, Jaitawat, Kumpawat, Champawat, Meratiya, Udawat, Karamsot etc. are the branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs. Coverage
This article discusses the "Kanauj ...
s of the Ratanawat branch. The Ratanawats later broke into several states which later became
Ratlam State
Ratlam State was a 13 gun salute (15 local) princely state in India, part of the Malwa Agency of Central India during the British Raj.
The state's capital was Ratlam town in modern Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh. Ratlam State was original ...
,
Sitamau State
Sitamau State was a princely state of the British Raj before 1947. Its capital was in Sitamau town, Mandsaur district, Madhya Pradesh. The total area of the state was 350 square miles. The average revenue of the state was Rs.130,000.
History
R ...
and
Sailana State
Sailana State was an 11 gun salute princely state in India, part of the Malwa Agency of Central India during the British Raj. The state enjoyed an estimated revenue of Rs.5,00,000.
History
Sailana State was founded by Raja Jai Singh, great-gr ...
. Some of the lesser states were
Multhan
Multhan is a village in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
School's in Multhan
Government Higher Secondary School,
Jahwar Navoday Vidhyalay,
Bharat Vidhiya Niketan
History
During British Raj, the State was in the Badnawar pargana. The ...
and
Kachi-Baroda.
![Holkar courtian coolspark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Holkar_courtian_coolspark.jpg)
As the Mughal state weakened after 1700, the
Marathas
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
held sway over Malwa under dispatchment of
Baji Rao I under leadership of
Chimnaji Appa,
Nemaji Shinde and
Chimnaji Damodar
Chimnaji Damodar Moghe, popularly known as Chimnaji Damodar, was among the first ''Sardars'' to cross the boundary of Maharashtra to engage Mughal forces located in the central and northern regions of India in 1698. He also served as ''Rajadnya'' ...
were the first
Maratha
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as ...
generals to cross the boundary of
Maharashtra and to invade in Malwa in 1698. Subsequently,
Malharrao Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the es ...
(1694–1766) became leader of Maratha armies in Malwa in 1724, and in 1733 the Maratha
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...
granted him control of most of the region, which was formally ceded by the Mughals in 1738.
Ranoji Scindia
Ranoji Shinde the founder of the Scindia dynasty from maratha caste that produced outstanding Maratha military commanders during the 18th century. Later the Scindia served as vassals of the British from the northern Princely state of Gwalior. ...
, noted Maratha commander, established his headquarters at Ujjain in 1721. This capital was later moved to
Gwalior State
Gwalior state was a semi-autonomous Maratha state. It was centred in modern-day Madhya Pradesh, arising due to the rise of the Maratha Empire and fragmentation of the Mughal Empire.
It was ruled by the Scindia, House of Scindia (anglicized fro ...
by
Daulatrao Scindia
Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...
. Another Maratha general, Anand Rao
Pawar
Pawar (also spelled as Pavar and Puar) is an Indian surname found among Koli, Maratha or Mahar castes in Maharashtra. Maratha Pawar claim descent from the Parmar clan of Rajput's. In the north region of Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, the ...
, established himself as the Raja of
Dhar
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...
in 1742, and the two Pawar brothers became Rajas of
Dewas State
Dewas State was a territory within Central India, which was the seat of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj.
After the Maratha conquest of Central India, Dewas was divided into two states - Dewas Senior ruled by Tukoji Rao ('Ba ...
.
At the end of the 18th century, Malwa became the venue of fighting between the rival Maratha powers and the headquarters of the
Pindari
The Pindaris were irregular military plunderers and foragers in 17th- through early 19th-century Indian subcontinent who accompanied initially the Mughal army, later the Maratha army, and finally on their own before being eliminated in the 1817 ...
s, who were irregular plunderers. The Pindaris were rooted out in a campaign by the British general
Lord Hastings
Baron Hastings is a title that has been created three times. The first creation was in the Peerage of England in 1290, and is extant. The second creation was in the Peerage of England in 1299, and became extinct on the death of the first holder in ...
, and further order was established under
Sir John Malcolm
Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian.
Early life
Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of Geor ...
.
The
Holkar
The Holkar (Pronunciation: o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Mara ...
dynasty ruled Malwa from
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
and
Maheshwar
Maheshwar is a town, near Khargone city in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state, in central India. It is located on State Highway-38 ( Khargone city-Barwaha- Bandheri Highway),13.5 km east of National Highway 3 (Agra-Mumbai highway) a ...
on the
Narmada until 1818, when the Marathas were defeated by the British in the
Third Anglo-Maratha War
The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the English East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha ter ...
, and the Holkars of Indore became a
princely state of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
.
After 1818 the British organised the numerous princely states of central India into the
Central India Agency
The Central India Agency was created in 1854, by amalgamating the Western Malwa Agency with other smaller political offices which formerly reported to the Governor-General of India. The agency was overseen by a political agent who maintained ...
; the Malwa Agency was a division of Central India, with an area of and a population of 1,054,753 in 1901. It comprised the states of
Dewas State
Dewas State was a territory within Central India, which was the seat of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj.
After the Maratha conquest of Central India, Dewas was divided into two states - Dewas Senior ruled by Tukoji Rao ('Ba ...
(
senior and
junior branch),
Jaora
Jaora is a city and a municipality in Ratlam district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Jaora is located in the Malwa region, between Ratlam and Mandsaur. It was the capital of the Jaora princely state of Jaora before Independence. During ...
,
Ratlam
Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam di ...
,
Sitamau
Sitamau is a town and a nagar panchayat in Mandsaur district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is in the Mandsaur district of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.
It was the seat of the princely Sitamau State.
Demographics
India census
...
and
Sailana
Sailana is a town in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Sailana is from Ratlam city and away from Banswara district of the neighboring state of Rajasthan.
Sailana was once the capital of the Sailana State before it merged ...
, together with a large part of
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
, parts of Indore and
Tonk, and about 35 small estates and holdings. Political power was exercised from Neemuch.
Upon
Indian independence in 1947, the Holkars and other princely rulers acceded to India, and most of Malwa became part of the new state of
Madhya Bharat
Madhya Bharat, also known as Malwa Union, was an Indian state in west-central India, created on 28 May 1948 from twenty-five princely states which until 1947 had been part of the Central India Agency, with Jiwajirao Scindia as its Rajpramukh. ...
, which was merged into Madhya Pradesh in 1956.
Geography
![Hindostan_1814_(cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Hindostan_1814_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The Malwa region occupies a plateau in western Madhya Pradesh and south-eastern
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
(between and ),
with
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
in the west. The region includes the Madhya Pradesh districts of
Agar,
Dewas
Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pua ...
,
Dhar
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...
,
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
,
Jhabua
Jhabua is a town and a municipality in Jhabua district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Jhabua District.
Recently the district has got international recognition because of its endemic hen species ...
,
Mandsaur
Mandsaur is a city and a municipality in Mandsaur district located on Border of Mewar and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mandsaur District. The ancient Pashupatinath Temple is l ...
,
Neemuch
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the malwa region. Neemuch crowns the north western part of MP. It has been also referred to city of Nature and Peace. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrati ...
,
Rajgarh,
Ratlam
Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam di ...
,
Shajapur
Shajapur is a town in Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state in west-central India. It is the headquarters of Shajapur district.
Geography
Shajapur is located at . It has an average elevation of . The highest peak is known as Bhairo Dungri.
...
,
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
, and parts of
Guna and
Sehore
Sehore is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the district headquarters of Sehore District and is located on the Bhopal-Indore highway, 38 km from Bhopal.
History
Sehore stands at the f ...
, and the Rajasthan districts of
Jhalawar
Jhalawar () is a city, municipal council and headquarter in Jhalawar district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located in the southeastern part of the state. It was the capital of the former princely state of Jhalawar, and is the admin ...
and parts of
Kota,
Banswara
Banswara is a city in the Banswara district in southern Rajasthan, India. The name, Banswara, came from "Bans wala" (bamboo) forests, as Bamboo grew in abundance around this place within the area.
Banswara is also known as "City of a Hundred ...
and
Pratapgarh.
Malwa is bounded in the north-east by the
Hadoti
Hadoti is a region of Rajasthan state in western India, which was once called the Bundi Kingdom. The biggest cities are Jhalawar and Kota. It includes the districts of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar and Kota and is bounded on the west by the Mew ...
region, in the north-west by the
Mewar region, in the west by the
Vagad
Vagad (also known as Vagar, Hindi: वागड) is a region in southeastern Rajasthan state of western India. Its boundaries are roughly defined by those of the districts of Dungarpur and Banswara. Major cities of the region are Dungarpur an ...
region and
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
. To the south and east is the Vindhya Range and to the north is the
Bundelkhand upland.
The plateau is an extension of the
Deccan Traps, formed between 60 and 68
million years ago
The abbreviation Myr, "million years", is a unit of a quantity of (i.e. ) years, or 31.556926 teraseconds.
Usage
Myr (million years) is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used with Mya (million years ago) ...
at the end of the
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Period (music), a concept in musical composition
* Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
. In this region the main classes of soil are
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
, brown and ''bhatori'' (stony) soil. The volcanic, clay-like soil of the region owes its black colour to the high
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with Symbol (chemistry), symbol Fe (from la, Wikt:ferrum, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 element, group 8 of the periodic table. It is, Abundanc ...
content of the
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
from which it formed. The soil requires less irrigation because of its high capacity for moisture retention. The other two soil types are lighter and have a higher proportion of sand.
The average elevation of the plateau is 500 m. Some of the peaks over 800 m high are at Sigar (881 m),
Janapav
Janapav also known as Janapav Kuti is a mountain at altitude of 854m from sea level & highest peak of vindhayanchal range. a famous tourist place located on Indore-Mumbai highway, near the village of Janapav Kuti in Mhow Tehsil, Indore district ...
(854 m) and Ghajari (810 m). The plateau generally slopes towards the north. The western part of the region is drained by the
Mahi River
The Mahi is a river in western India. It rises in Madhya Pradesh and, after flowing through the Vagad region of Rajasthan, enters Gujarat and flows into the Arabian Sea. It is one of the relatively few west-flowing rivers in India, alongside the ...
, while the
Chambal River drains the central part, and the
Betwa River and the headwaters of the
Dhasan and
Ken
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in ...
rivers drain the east. The
Shipra River
The Shipra, also known as the Kshipra, is a river in Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The river rises in the North of Dhar district, and flows north across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River at the MP-Rajasthan boundary in Mand ...
is of historical importance because of the
Simhasth mela, held every 12 years. Other notable rivers are
Parbati,
Gambhir and
Choti Kali Sindh.
Due to its altitude of about 550 to 600 meters above mean sea level, the region has comparatively cool evenings against the hot days during the summer season. Even if the day temperature reaches 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, the night temperatures are always in range of 20 to 22 degrees making the climate much cooler than the other areas of the region. The cool morning wind, the ''karaman'', and an evening breeze, the ', make the summers less harsh. The term ''Shab-e-Malwa'', meaning dusk in Malwa (from ''shab'',
for night), was introduced by the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
.
![Mhow2 coolspark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Mhow2_coolspark.jpg)
The year is popularly divided into three seasons: summer, the rains, and winter. Summer extends over the months of
Chaitra
Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar.
In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...
to
Jyestha
Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha ( sa, ज्येष्ठ; ne, जेठ ''jēṭ''; as, জেঠ ''zeth''; or, ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third mon ...
(mid-March to mid-May). The average maximum temperature during the summer months is 37 °C, which typically rises to around 40 °C on a few days. The rainy season starts with the first showers of
Aashaadha (mid-June) and extends to the middle of
Ashvin
Ashvin or Ashwin or Ashwan (; bn, আশ্বিন; hi, आश्विन; or, ଆଶ୍ୱିନ; Malay/ Indonesian: ''Aswin''; Thai: ''Asawin''), also known as Aswayuja, is the seventh month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, the solar ...
(September). Most of the rain falls during the southwest
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...
spell, and ranges from about 80 cm in the west to about 10.5 cm in the east. Indore and the immediately surrounding areas receive an average of 90 cm of rainfall a year. The growing period lasts from 90 to 150 days, during which the average daily temperature is below 30 °C, but seldom falls below 20 °C. Winter is the longest of the three seasons, extending for about five months (mid-Ashvin to
Phalgun, i.e., October to mid-March). The average daily minimum temperature ranges from 6 °C to 9 °C, though on some nights it can fall as low as 3 °C. Some cultivators believe that an occasional winter shower during the months of
Pausha
Pausha ( sa, पौष ; hi, पूस ; ta, தை ), also called Paush, Poush, Pausa or Pushya, is the tenth month of the Hindu calendar, corresponding with December/January of the Gregorian calendar. In the Indian national calendar, Pausha ...
and
Maagha—known as Mawta—is helpful to the early summer wheat and germ crops.
![Sambar chennai](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Sambar_chennai.jpg)
The region is part of the
Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
,
Narmada valley dry deciduous forests
The Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion of central India. The ecoregion lies mostly in Madhya Pradesh state, but extends into portions of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh states.
Se ...
, and
Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests
The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests, presently known as East Deccan moist deciduous forests, is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in east-central India. The ecoregion covers an area of , extending across po ...
.
Vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characte ...
: The natural vegetation is
tropical dry forest
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
, with scattered
teak
Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...
''(Tectona grandis)'' forests. The main trees are ''
Butea'', ''
Bombax
''Bombax'' is a genus of mainly tropical trees in the mallow family. They are native to western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the subtropical regions of East Asia and northern Australia. It is distinguished from the gen ...
'', ''
'', ''
Acacia'', ''
Buchanania
''Buchanania'' is a genus of plants in the family Anacardiaceae and subfamily Anacardioideae.
Species
The following are included:
*'' Buchanania amboinensis'' Miq. — native to Papua New Guinea
*'' Buchanania axillaris'' (Desr.) Ramamo ...
'' and ''
Boswellia
''Boswellia'' is a genus of trees in the order Sapindales, known for its fragrant resin. The biblical incense frankincense is an extract from the resin of the tree '' Boswellia sacra'', and is now produced also from '' B. frereana''.
Frankincens ...
''. The shrubs or small trees include species of ''
Grewia
''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, Grewia was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, these ...
,
Ziziphus mauritiana
''Ziziphus mauritiana'', also known as Indian jujube, Indian plum, Chinese date, Chinese apple, ber, and dunks is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused with the closely related Chinese jujube ( ...
,
Casearia
''Casearia'' is a plant genus in the family Salicaceae. The genus was included in the Flacourtiaceae under the Cronquist system of angiosperm classification, and earlier in the Samydaceae. Recent research indicates that the latter group might ...
,
Prosopis
''Prosopis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It contains around 45 species of spiny trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia. They often thrive in ari ...
,
Capparis,
Woodfordia, ''
Phyllanthus
''Phyllanthus'' is the largest genus in the plant family Phyllanthaceae. Estimates of the number of species in this genus vary widely, from 750David J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book.'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University P ...
,'' and ''
Carissa
''Carissa'' is a genus of shrubs or small trees native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia and Asia. Until recently about 100 species were listed, but most of them have been relegated to the status of synonyms or assigned ...
''.
Wildlife
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...
:
Sambhar ''(Cervus unicolor)'',
Blackbuck
The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources.
It stands up to high at the shoulder. Ma ...
''(Antilope cervicapra)'', and
Chinkara
The chinkara (''Gazella bennettii''), also known as the Indian gazelle, is a gazelle species native to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Taxonomy
The following six subspecies are considered valid:
* Deccan chinkara (''G. b. bennettii'') ...
''(Gazella bennettii)'' are some common
ungulate
Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, ...
s.
During the last century, deforestation has happened at a fast rate, leading to environmental problems such as acute
water scarcity
Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is whe ...
and the danger that the region is being desertified.
Demographics
![gaduliya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Gaduliya.jpg)
The population of the Malwa region was 22,773,993 in 2011, with a population density of a moderate 270/km
2. The annual birth rate in the region was 31.6 per 1000, and the death rate 10.3. The infant mortality rate was 93.8, slightly higher than the overall rate for the Madhya Pradesh state.
There are numerous tribes in the region, such as the
Bhils
Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India.
Bhils are listed as tribal people of the ...
—and their allied groups, the
Meos the
Bhilalas,
Barelas and
Patelias—and the
Meenas
Meena () is a sub-group of Bhils. They speak Meena language. They started adopting the Brahmin worship system. Its name is also transliterated as ''Meenanda'' or ''Mina''. Historians claim that they belong to the Matsya tribe. They got the sta ...
, who all differ to a remarkable degree from the regional population in their dialects and social life. They encompass a variety of languages and cultures. Some tribes of the region, notably the
Kanjars, were
notified in the 19th century for their criminal activities, but have since been denotified. A nomadic tribe from the
Marwar
Marwar (also called Jodhpur region) is a region of western Rajasthan state in North Western India. It lies partly in the Thar Desert. The word 'maru' is Sanskrit for desert. In Rajasthani languages, "wad" means a particular area. English tra ...
region of Rajasthan, the
Gadia Lohar
Gadia Lohars (also known as Gaduliya Lohars or Rajput Lohar) are a nomadic community of Rajasthan, India. They are also found in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. They are ''lohar'' (ironsmith) by profession who move on from one place to anoth ...
s—who work as ''lohars'' (blacksmiths)—visit the region at the start of the agricultural season to repair and sell agricultural tools and implements, stopping temporarily on the outskirts of villages and towns and residing in their ornate metal carts. The
Kalbelia
The Kalbelia are a snake charming tribe from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. The dance is an integral part of their culture and performed by men and women.
Kalbelia tribe
Kalbelias are followers of Sage Kanifnath, who drank a bowl of poi ...
is another nomadic tribe from Rajasthan that regularly visits the region.
Religion
Malwa has a significant number of
Dawoodi Bohras
The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. Their largest numbers reside in India, Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East, with a growing presence across Europe, North America, Sout ...
, a subsect of
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
Muslims from Gujarat, who are mostly businessmen by profession. Besides speaking the local languages, the Bohras have their own language,
Lisan al-Dawat
Lisaan ud-Da'wat or ''Lisaan o Da'wat il Bohra'' or ''Lisan ud-Dawat'' ( ar, لسان الدعوة, lit=language of the Da'wat, ''da'wat ni zabaan''; abbreviated LDB) is the language of the Dawoodi Bohras and Alavi Bohras, two Isma'ili Shi'a ...
. The
Patidar
Patidar ( Gujarati: ) is an Indian landlord and agrarian caste found mostly in Gujarat but also in at least 22 other states of India. The community comprises at multiple subcastes, most prominently the Levas and Kadvas. They form one of the ...
s, who probably originated from the
Kurmi
Kurmi is traditionally a non-elite tiller caste in the lower Gangetic plain of India, especially southern regions of Awadh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bihar. The Kurmis came to be known for their exceptional work ethic, superior til ...
s of
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
, are mostly rural farmers who settled in Gujarat around 1400.
Languages
Periods of
Maratha rule led to the growth of sizeable Marathi communities. The region of
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
,
Dhar
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...
,
Dewas
Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pua ...
and
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
has a considerable
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
speaking populace. A significant number of
Marwaris,
Jats and
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s also live in the region. The
Sindhis
Sindhis ( sd, سنڌي Perso-Arabic: सिन्धी Devanagari; ) are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who speak the Sindhi language and are native to the province of Sindh in Pakistan. After the partition of British Indian empire in 1947, man ...
, who settled in the region after the
partition of India, are an important part of the business community. Like southern Rajasthan, the region has a significant number of
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
s, who are mostly traders and business people. The region is home to smaller numbers of
Goan Catholics
Goan Catholics ( gom, Goenchem Katholik) are an ethno-religious community of Indian Christians following the Roman Rite of worship from the Goa state, in the southern part of the Konkan region along the west coast of India. They are Konkan ...
,
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian people fall into two different groups: those with mixed Indian and British ancestry, and people of British descent born or residing in India. The latter sense is now mainly historical, but confusions can arise. The '' Oxford English ...
s,
Punjabis and
Parsis
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...
or Zoroastrians. The Parsis are closely connected to the growth and evolution of
Mhow
Mhow, officially Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, is a town in the Indore district in Madhya Pradesh state of India. It is located south-west of Indore city, towards Mumbai on the old Mumbai-Agra Road. The town was renamed as ''Dr. Ambedkar Nagar'' in 20 ...
, which has a Parsi fire temple and a
Tower of Silence
A ''dakhma'' ( fa, دخمه), also known as a Tower of Silence, is a circular, raised structure built by Zoroastrians for excarnation (that is, the exposure of human corpses to the elements for decomposition), in order to avert contamina ...
.
Economy
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
is the commercial capital of Malwa region and Madhya Pradesh as state. Malwa is one of the world's major opium producers. This crop resulted in development of close connections between the economies of Malwa, the western Indian ports and
China, bringing international capital to the region in the 18th and 19th centuries. Malwa opium was a challenge to the
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
of the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, which was supplying
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
opium to China. This led the British company to impose many restrictions on the production and trade of the drug; eventually, opium trading was pushed underground. When smuggling became rife, the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
eased the restrictions. Today, the region is one of the largest producers of legal opium in the world. There is a central, government-owned opium and alkaloid factory in the city of Neemuch. Nevertheless, there is a still a significant amount of illicit opium production, which is channelled into the black market. The headquarters of India's Central Bureau of Narcotics is in
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...
. The
Rajputana-Malwa Railway was opened in 1876.
The region is predominantly agricultural. The brown soil in parts of the region is particularly suitable for the cultivation of such ''unalu'' (early summer) crops as wheat, gram (''
Cicer arietinum'') and til (''
Sesamum indicum
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
''). Relatively poor soil is used for the cultivation of such ''syalu'' (early winter) crops as millet (''
Andropogon sorghum''), maize (''
Zea mays''),
mung bean (''Vigna radiata''),
urad (''Vigna mungo''), batla (''
Pisum sativum
The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
'') and peanuts (''
Arachis hypogaea
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small and la ...
''). Overall, the main crops are jowar, rice, wheat, coarse millet, peanuts and pulses, soya bean, cotton, linseed, sesame and sugarcane. Sugar mills are located in numerous small towns.
The black, volcanic soil is ideal for the cultivation of cotton, and textile manufacture is an important industry. Large centres of textile production include Indore, Ujjain and Nagda. Maheshwar is known for its fine ''Maheshwari'' saris, and Mandsaur for its coarse woollen blankets. Handicrafts are an important source of income for the tribal population. Coloured lacquerware from Ratlam, rag dolls from Indore, and papier-mâché articles from Indore, Ujjain and several other centres are well known.
Mandsaur district is the sole producer in India of white- and red-coloured
slate, used in the district's 110 slate pencil factories. There is a cement factory in . Apart from this, the region lacks mineral resources. The region's industries mainly produce consumer goods—but there are now many centres of large- and medium-scale industries, including Indore, Nagda and Ujjain. Indore has a large-scale factory that produces diesel engines.
Pithampur
Pithampur is a town near Dhar city in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India. Pithampur is an industrial city, and is a part of Indore Metropolitan Region. Pithampur houses major industries and companies of Madhya Pradesh.
Demographics
...
, an industrial town 25 km from Indore, is known as the Detroit of India for its heavy concentration of automotive industry. Indore is recognised as the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, and is the main centre for trade in textiles and agro-based products. It has one of the six
Indian Institutes of Management
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are central government-owned-public business schools for management offering undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and executive programmes along with some additional courses in the field of busines ...
and one of sixteen
Indian Institute of Technology.
Culture
![Figurine coolspark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Figurine_coolspark.jpg)
The culture of Malwa has been significantly influenced by Rajasthani culture, because of their geographic proximity.
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
influence is also visible, because of recent rule by the
Marathas
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
.
The main language of Malwa is
Malvi
The Malvi or Malavi, also known as Manthani or Mahadeopuri, is breed of zebu cattle from the Malwa plateau in western Madhya Pradesh, in central India. It is a good draught breed; the milk yield of the cows is low.
The breed has been studie ...
, although Hindi is widely spoken in the cities. This Indo-European language is subclassified as Indo-Aryan. The language is sometimes referred to as Malavi or Ujjaini. Malvi is part of the
Rajasthani
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
branch of languages; Nimadi is spoken in the
Nimar
Nimar is the southwestern region of Madhya Pradesh state in west-central India. This region has sub-regions which include Nimad, Khandya and Bhuwana.
The region lies south of the Vindhya Range, and consists of two portions of the Narmada and ...
region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order, Bachadi,
Bhoyari
Bhoyari, also known as Bhoyari Pawari, is an Indo-Aryan dialect of Central India. It is spoken by the Bhoyar social group in Betul, Chhindwara, and Wardha districts.
See also
* Rajasthani Language
Rajasthani (Devanagari: ) refers to ...
in betul chindwada, Dholewari, Hoshangabadi, Jamral, Katiyai, Malvi Proper, Patvi, Rangari, Rangri and Sondwari. A survey in 2001 found only four dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts of Ujjain, Indore, Dewas and Sehore), Rajawari (Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch), Umadwari (Rajgarh) and Sondhwari (Jhalawar, in Rajasthan). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.
Traditional Malwa food has elements of
Rajasthani
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
,
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
and
Maharashtrian cuisine. Traditionally,
jowar
''Sorghum bicolor'', commonly called sorghum () and also known as great millet, broomcorn, guinea corn, durra, imphee, jowar, or milo, is a grass species cultivated for its grain, which is used for food for humans, animal feed, and ethanol produ ...
was the staple cereal, but after the
Green Revolution in India, wheat has replaced jowar as the most important food crop; many are
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
Vegetariani ...
s. Since the climate is mostly dry throughout the year, most people rely on stored foods such as pulses, and green vegetables are rare. A typical snack of Malwa is the ''bhutta ri kees'' (made with grated corn roasted in
ghee and later cooked in milk with spices). ''Chakki ri shaak'' is made of wheat dough, which is washed under running water, steamed and then used in a gravy of curd. The traditional bread of Malwa is called ''baati/bafla'', which is essentially a small, round ball of wheat flour, roasted over dung cakes, in the traditional way. ''
Baati
Baati is a hard, unleavened bread cooked in most of areas of Rajasthan, and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states of India. It is prized for its long shelf life and high nutritional content, and, in desert areas, for the minima ...
'' is typically eaten with dal (pulses), while ''baflas'' are dripping with ghee and soaked with dal. The ''amli ri kadhi'' is ''kadhi'' made with tamarind instead of yogurt. Sweet cakes, made of a variety of wheat called ''tapu'', are prepared during religious festivities. Sweet cereal called ''thulli'' is also typically eaten with milk or yoghurt. Traditional desserts include ''mawa-bati'' (milk-based sweet similar to
Gulab jamun), ''khoprapak'' (coconut-based sweet), ''
shreekhand
Shrikhand is a traditional sweets of the Indian subcontinent, sweet of the Indian subcontinent made from strained yogurt. It is often served as part of a ''thali'' (platter) or with ''puris'' (puffed deep-fried whole wheat bread). It is a traditio ...
'' (yogurt based) and ''malpua''.
''
Lavani'' is a widely practised form of folk music in southern Malwa, which was brought to the region by the
Marathas
The Marathi people ( Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
. The ''Nirguni Lavani'' (philosophical) and the ''Shringari Lavani'' (erotic) are two of the main genres. The Bhils have their own folk songs, which are always accompanied by dance. The folk musical modes of Malwa are of four or five notes, and in rare cases six. The devotional music of the ''Nirguni'' cult is popular throughout Malwa. Legends of ''Raja'' Bhoj and ''Bijori'', the ''Kanjar'' girl, and the tale of ''Balabau'' are popular themes for folk songs. Insertions known as ''stobha'' are commonly used in Malwa music; this can occur in four ways: the ''matra stobha'' (syllable insertion), ''varna stobha'' (letter insertion), ''shabda stobha'' (word insertion) and ''vakya stobha'' (sentence insertion).
![Mhow coolspark](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Mhow_coolspark.jpg)
Malwa was the centre of
Sanskrit literature during and after the Gupta period. The region's most famous playwright,
Kalidasa, is considered to be the greatest Indian writer ever. His first surviving play is ''Malavikagnimitra'' (Malavika and Agnimitra). Kalidasa's second play, his masterpiece, is the
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
''Abhijnanashakuntalam'' (Devanagari: अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलम्, IAST: ''Abhijñānaśākuntalam''), also known as ''Shakuntala'', ''The Recognition of Shakuntala'', ''The Sign of Shakuntala'', and many other variant ...
, which tells the story of king Dushyanta, who falls in love with a girl of lowly birth, the lovely Shakuntala. The last of Kalidasa's surviving plays is ''
Vikramuurvashiiya'' ("Urvashi conquered by valour"). Kalidasa also wrote the epic poems ''
Raghuvamsha'' ("Dynasty of Raghu"), ''
Ritusamhāra'' and ''Kumarasambhava'' ("Birth of the war god"), as well as the lyric ''
Meghaduuta'' ("The cloud messenger").
''
Swang'' is a popular dance form in Malwa; its roots go back to the origins of the Indian theatre tradition in the first millennium BC. Since women did not participate in the dance-drama form, men enacted their roles. ''Swang'' incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry, accompanied alternately by song and dialogue. The genre is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented.
''Mandana'' (literally painting) wall and floor paintings are the best-known painting traditions of Malwa. White drawings stand out in contrast to the base material consisting of a mixture of red clay and cow dung. Peacocks, cats, lions, goojari, bawari, the
swastika and chowk are some motifs of this style. ''Sanjhya'' is a ritual wall painting done by young girls during the annual period when Hindus remember and offer ritual oblation to their ancestors. Malwa miniature paintings are well known for their intricate brushwork. In the 17th century, an offshoot of the Rajasthani school of miniature painting, known as ''Malwa painting'', was centred largely in Malwa and Bundelkhand. The school preserved the style of the earliest examples, such as the ''Rasikapriya'' series dated 1636 (after a poem analysing the love sentiment) and the ''Amaru Sataka'' (a 17th-century Sanskrit poem). The paintings from this school are flat compositions on black and chocolate-brown backgrounds, with figures shown against a solid colour patch, and architecture painted in vibrant colours.
The biggest festival of Malwa is the ''Simhastha mela'', held every 12 years, in which more than 40 million pilgrims take a holy dip in river
Shipra
The Shipra, also known as the Kshipra, is a river in Madhya Pradesh state of central India. The river rises in the North of Dhar district, and flows north across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River at the MP-Rajasthan boundary in ...
. The festival of ''Gana-gour'' is celebrated in honour of
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
and
Parvati
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...
. The history of the festival goes back to ''Rano Bai'', whose parental home was in Malwa, but who was married in Rajasthan. Rano Bai was strongly attached to Malwa, and did not want to stay in Rajasthan. After marriage, she was allowed to visit Malwa only once a year; ''Gana-gour'' symbolises these annual return visits. The festival is observed by women in the region once in the month of ''Chaitra'' (mid-March) and ''Bhadra'' (mid-August). The ''Ghadlya'' (earthen pot) festival is celebrated by the girls of the region, who gather to visit every house in their village in the evenings, carrying earthen pots with holes for the light from oil lamps inside to escape. In front of every house, the girls recite songs connected with the Ghadlya and receive food or money in return. The ''Gordhan'' festival is celebrated on the 16th day in the month of Kartika. The
Bhil
Bhil or Bheel is an ethnic group in western India. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages. As of 2013, Bhils were the largest tribal group in India.
Bhils are listed as tribal people of t ...
s of the region sing ''Heeda'', anecdotal songs to the cattle, while the women sing the ''Chandrawali'' song, associated with
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
's romance.
The most popular fairs are held in the months of ''
Phalguna
Phalguna ( sa, फाल्गुन ) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Phalguna is twelfth month of the year, and corresponds with February/March in the Gregorian calendar.Henderson, Helene. (Ed.) (2005) ' ...
'', ''
Chaitra
Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar.
In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...
'', ''
Bhadra
''Bhadra''Feminine: sa, भद्रा, Bhadrā is a Sanskrit word meaning 'good', 'fortune' or 'auspicious'. It is also the name of many men, women and objects in Hindu mythology.
Male Figures King of Chedi
Bhadra was a king of Chedi Kingdom ...
'', ''Ashvin'' and ''
Kartik''. The ''Chaitra'' fair, held at Biaora, and the ''Gal yatras'', held at more than two dozen villages in Malwa are remarkable. Many fairs are held in the tenth day of the month of ''Bhadra'' to mark the birth of
Tejaji
Veer Teja Ji or Tejaji is a Rajasthani folk deity. He is considered one of the major eleven incarnations of Shiva and worshipped as a deity in whole (Rural & Urban) Rajasthan.
Veer Teja was born around 1074 in Khadnal, Rajasthan, India. His pare ...
. The ''Triveni mela'' is held at Ratlam, and other fairs take place in ''Kartika'' at Ujjain, Mandhata (Nimad), among others.
Muslim community of Malwa is headed by Mufti e Azam Malwa or Grand Mufti of Malwa, who follows Aala Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (an important leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat).
[मुफ्ती-ए-मालवा का हुआ इंतकाल, जामा मसजिद में किया सुपुर्दे खाक. ]Dainik Bhaskar
''Dainik Bhaskar ''is India's largest Hindi-language daily newspaper owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. According to Audit Bureau of Circulations, it is ranked 3rd in the world by circulation and is the largest newspaper in India by circula ...
. He is considered as the supreme fatwa issuing authority of the region. Mufti Rizwanur-Rahman Faruqi was succeeded by his son in law Mufti Habeeb yar Khan. The current incumbent is Mufti Noorul Haq.
Tourism
The main tourist destinations in Malwa are places of historical or religious significance. The river Shipra and the city of Ujjain have been regarded as sacred for thousands of years. The
Mahakal Temple of Ujjain is one of the 12 ''
jyotirlingas''. Ujjain has over 100 other ancient temples, including ''
Harsidhhi
Harsidhhi, one of the aspects of Durga is a regional Hindu goddess, popular in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, adjoining Maharashtra states of India.
Names
Harsiddhi, a contracted form or, at its very least, a form of "Harshad Amba" – The Happy Mot ...
'', ''Chintaman Ganesh'', ''Gadh
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In this tra ...
ka'', ''Kaal
Bhairava
Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव ) or Kala Bhairava is a Shaivite and Vajrayāna deity worshiped by Hindus and Buddhists. In Shaivism, he is a powerful manifestation, or avatar, of Shiva associated with annihilation. In Trika system ''Bhaira ...
'' and ''Mangalnath''. The Kalideh Palace, on the outskirts of the city, is a fine example of ancient Indian architecture. The
Bhartrihari caves are associated with interesting legends. Since the fourth century BC, Ujjain has enjoyed the reputation of being India's
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
,
as the
Prime Meridian
A prime meridian is an arbitrary meridian (a line of longitude) in a geographic coordinate system at which longitude is defined to be 0°. Together, a prime meridian and its anti-meridian (the 180th meridian in a 360°-system) form a great ...
of the Hindu geographers. The observatory built by
Jai Singh II
Jai Singh II (3 November 1681 – 21 September 1743) popularly known as Sawai Jai Singh was the 29th Kachwaha Rajput ruler of the Jaipur State, Kingdom of Amber, who later founded the fortified city of Jaipur and made it his capital. He was born ...
is one of the four such observatories in India and features ancient astronomical devices. The ''Simhastha mela'', celebrated every 12 years, starts on the full moon day in Chaitra (April) and continues into Vaishakha (May) until the next full moon day.
Mandu was originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers. Towards the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the Sultans of Malwa, the first of whom named it Shadiabad (city of joy). It remained as the capital, and in it the sultans built exquisite palaces like the Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal, ornamental canals, baths and pavilions. The massive Jami Masjid and Hoshang Shah's tomb provided inspiration to the designers of the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...
centuries later.
Baz Bahadur
Bayazid Baz Bahadur Khan was the last Sultan of Malwa Sultanate, who reigned from 1555 to 1562. He succeeded his father, Shuja'at Khan. He is known for his romantic liaison with Roopmati.
Baz Bahadur as sultan did not bother to look after hi ...
built a huge palace in Mandu in the 16th century. Other notable historical monuments are ''Rewa Kund'',
Rupmati's Pavilion, Nilkanth Mahal, Hathi Mahal, Darya Khan's Tomb, Dai ka Mahal, Malik Mughit is Mosque and Jali Mahal.
Close to Mandu is Maheshwar, a town on the northern bank of
Narmada River that served as the capital of the
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
state under
Ahilyabai Holkar
Ahilya Bai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble queen of the Maratha Empire, in early-modern India. She established Maheshwar (in Madhya Pradesh) as the seat of Holkar Dynasty.
After the demise of her husband Kha ...
. The Maratha ''rajwada'' (fort) is the main attraction. A life-size statue of Rani Ahilya sits on a throne within the fort complex. Dhar was the capital of Malwa before Mandu became the capital in 1405. There, the fort is in ruins but offers a panoramic view. The Bhojashala temple (built-in 1400) is still used as a place of worship on Tuesday. Dhar is also a birthplace of Raja Bhoj. Dhar people named as Dharwasi.
Modern
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
was planned and built by Ahilyabai Holkar. The grand Lal Baag Palace is one of its grandest monuments. The ''Bada Ganpati'' temple houses what is possibly the largest Ganesh idol in the world, measuring 7.6 m from crown to foot. The ''
Kanch Mandir
Kanch Ka Mandir ( hi, काँच मंदिर), literally Temple of Glass, is a famous Jain temple in Indore, built by Sir Seth Hukumchand Jain. The construction began sometime around 1903.
There are quite a few other temples in India kn ...
'' is a Jain temple entirely inlaid with glass. The Town Hall was made in 1904 in the indo-gothic style; originally named
King Edward Hall, it was renamed
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
Hall in 1948. The ''chhatris'' are the tombs or cenotaphs erected in memory of dead Holkar rulers and their family members.
The shrine of
Hussain Tekri
The shrine of Hussain Tekri was built in the 19th century by Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur, the Nawab of Jaora. It is situated on the outskirts of the town of Jaora in the Ratlam district of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Mohammad If ...
, built by the
Nawab of Jaora
Jaora State was a Salute state, 13 gun-salute princely state of the British Raj. It was part of the Malwa Agency.
The total area of the princely state, with the dependencies of Piploda and Panth-Piploda, was . Jaora state was divided into four ...
,
Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur, in the 19th century, is on the outskirts of Jaora in the Ratlam district. Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur was buried in the same graveyard where Hussain Tekri was buried. During the month of
Moharram, thousands of people from all over the world visit the shrine of
Hazrat Imam Hussain there, which is a replica of the Iraqi original. The place is famous for the rituals called ''Hajri'' to cure mental illness.
Image:Manduvalley1 coolspark.jpg, Mandu Valley
Image:Maheshwar Fort - Exterior 01.jpg, Maheshwar Fort (exterior)
Image:Maheshwar Fort 01.jpg, Maheshwar Fort (interior)
Sports
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
is one of the most popular sports in the region.
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
is also home to the
Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), headquartered at Indore, India, is the governing body of cricket in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the Madhya Pradesh cricket team. The board was formed in 1940 as the Holkar Cricket Associati ...
. The city has two international cricket ground, the
Holkar Cricket Stadium
The Holkar (Pronunciation: o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Marat ...
. The first cricket ODI match in state was played in Indore at
Nehru Stadium, Indore
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium located in Indore, India, is a multi-purpose stadium used for cricket, football, Kho Kho, and basketball with a capacity for 25,000 people.
However, all the international as well as national cricket matches take plac ...
.
Venues
Demands for statehood
There have been demands for a separate Malwa state with the probable capital at
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
. The region includes the Madhya Pradesh districts of
Dewas
Dewas is a city in the Malwa region of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The municipality was formerly the seat of two 15-Gun Salute state princely states during the British Raj, Dewas Junior state and Dewas Senior state, ruled by the Pua ...
,
Mandsaur
Mandsaur is a city and a municipality in Mandsaur district located on Border of Mewar and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mandsaur District. The ancient Pashupatinath Temple is l ...
,
Neemuch
Neemuch or Nimach is a town in the malwa region. Neemuch crowns the north western part of MP. It has been also referred to city of Nature and Peace. The town shares its northwestern border with the state of Rajasthan and is the administrati ...
,
Ratlam
Ratlam, known historically as Ratnapuri (lit. ''gem city''), is a city in the northwestern part of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh state of India. The city of Ratlam lies above sea level. It is the administrative headquarters of Ratlam di ...
,
Shajapur
Shajapur is a town in Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state in west-central India. It is the headquarters of Shajapur district.
Geography
Shajapur is located at . It has an average elevation of . The highest peak is known as Bhairo Dungri.
...
,
Agar,
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
,
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
,
Barwani
Barwani or Badwani ( hi, Baḍwāni) is a municipal town in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India, that is situated near the left bank of the Narmada River. It is the administrative headquarters of Barwani district and has also served a ...
,
Burhanpur
Burhanpur'' is a historical city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the Tapti River and northeast of city of Mumbai, southwest of the state's capi ...
,
Dhar
Dhar is a city located in Dhar district of the Malwa region in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of the Dhar district. Before Indian independence from Great Britain, it was the capital of the Dh ...
,
Jhabua
Jhabua is a town and a municipality in Jhabua district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Jhabua District.
Recently the district has got international recognition because of its endemic hen species ...
,
Khandwa
Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District.
Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line conn ...
,
Khargone
Khargone is a city and administrative headquarters of an Khargone district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The city is located on the bank of the Kunda river and is known for its cotton and chilly (chili pepper) production. It is also ...
,
Alirajpur and
Rajgarh.
The main language of Malwa is
Malvi
The Malvi or Malavi, also known as Manthani or Mahadeopuri, is breed of zebu cattle from the Malwa plateau in western Madhya Pradesh, in central India. It is a good draught breed; the milk yield of the cows is low.
The breed has been studie ...
, although Hindi is widely spoken in the cities. This Indo-European language is subclassified as Indic. The language is sometimes referred to as Malavi or Ujjaini. Malvi is part of the
Rajasthani
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
branch of languages; ''Nimadi'' is spoken in the
Nimar
Nimar is the southwestern region of Madhya Pradesh state in west-central India. This region has sub-regions which include Nimad, Khandya and Bhuwana.
The region lies south of the Vindhya Range, and consists of two portions of the Narmada and ...
region of Madhya Pradesh and in Rajasthan. The dialects of Malvi are, in alphabetical order, ''Bachadi'', ''Bhoyari'', ''Dholewari'', ''Hoshangabadi'', ''Jamral'', ''Katiyai'', Malvi Proper, ''Patvi'', ''Rangari'', ''Rangri'' and ''Sondwari''. A survey in 2001 found only four dialects: Ujjaini (in the districts of Ujjain, Indore, Dewas and Sehore), ''Rajawari'' (Ratlam, Mandsaur and Neemuch), ''Umadwari'' (Rajgarh) and ''Sondhwari'' (Jhalawar, in Rajasthan). About 55% of the population of Malwa can converse in and about 40% of the population is literate in Hindi, the official language of the Madhya Pradesh state.
See also
*
Madhya Bharat
Madhya Bharat, also known as Malwa Union, was an Indian state in west-central India, created on 28 May 1948 from twenty-five princely states which until 1947 had been part of the Central India Agency, with Jiwajirao Scindia as its Rajpramukh. ...
*
List of people from Malwa
The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in the region of Malwa, India.
Historical
* Malhar Rao Holkar Holkar dynasty founders....and first Maratha Empire subedar Madhya Bharat
* Kalidasa (c 100? BC - c 400? AD), ...
References
*
Malcolm, Sir John, ''A Memoir of Central India including Malwa and Adjoining Provinces.'' Calcutta, Spink, 1880, 2 Volumes, 1129 p., ''.''
* Chakrabarti, Manika, ''Malwa in Post-Maurya period: a critical study with special emphasis on numismatic evidences.'' Calcutta. Punthi Pustak, 1981.
* Day, Upendra Nath, ''Medieval Malwa: a political and cultural history 1401–1562.'', New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1965.
* Jain, Kailash Chand, ''Malwa through the ages from the earliest times to 1305 A.D.'', Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 1972.
* Khare, M.D. ''Splendour of Malwa paintings.'', New Delhi, Cosmo Publications, 1983., ''ASIN B0006EHSUU''
* Joshi, Ramchandra Vinayak, ''Stone age cultures of Central India.'', Poona, Deccan College, 1978.
* Seth, K.N., ''The growth of the Paramara power in Malwa.'', Bhopal, Progress Publishers, 1978.
* Sharma, R.K., ed., ''Art of the Paramaras of Malwa.'', Delhi, Agam Kala Prakashan, 1979.
* Sircar, D.C. ''Ancient Malwa and the Vikramaditya tradition.'', New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1969., '
* Singh, Raghubir, ''Malwa in transition'', Laurier Books, 1993, '
* Srivastava, K, ''The revolt of 1857 in Central India-Malwa'', Allied Publishers, ''ASIN B0007IURKI''
* Ahmad, S. H., ''Anthropometric measurements and ethnic affinities of the Bhil and their allied groups of Malwa area.'', Anthropological Survey of India,1991, '
* Farooqui, Amar, ''Smuggling as subversion: colonialism, Indian merchants, and the politics of opium, 1790–1843'', Lexington Books, 2005, '
* Mathur, Kripa Shanker, ''Caste and ritual in a Malwa village'', Asia Pub. House, 1964.
Bibliography
*
*
{{coord, 22.7252, N, 75.8655, E, region:IN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki, display=title
Geography of Madhya Pradesh
Historical Indian regions
Natural regions
Plateaus of Madhya Pradesh
Regions of India
Proposed states and union territories of India
Geography of Ujjain