Bagelkhand or Baghelkhand is a proposed state and a mountain range in central

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

that covers the northeastern regions of

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

and a small area of southeastern

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

History

Dahala

Baghelkhand was known as Dahala in the 6th–12th century. Rewa State was founded in the area circa 1140. The area's current name refers to the Vaghela dynasty who ruled this state.

Bagelkhand Agency

The Bagelkhand Agency was a British political unit which managed the relations of the British with a number of autonomous princely states existing outside

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

, namely Rewa and 11 minor states, of which the most prominent were

Maihar Maihar is a city in the Maihar district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Maihar District. Maihar is known for the Maa Sharda Mandir situated in the city. It is one of the Shakti Peeth. Origin o ...

, Nagod and Sohawal. Other principalities included Jaso, Kothi, Baraundha (aka Patharkachhar) as well as the Kalinjar Chaubes, consisting of the princely estates of Paldeo, Kamta-Rajaula, Tarauwhan, Pahra and Bhaisaunda.Malleson, G. B. ''An historical sketch of the native states of India,'' London 1875, Reprint Delhi 1984 Central India Agency Map

Geography

Bagelkhand is a region located in central India, characterized by its varied topography. It is bordered by the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains to the north and east, the Bundelkhand region to the west, and the Vindhya mountain range to the south. This geographical positioning gives Bagelkhand a diverse landscape that includes plains, hills, and forested areas, influencing its climate, agriculture, and settlement patterns.

Administration

The Bagelkhand region is currently divided between the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh and

. In

, it includes the districts of Rewa, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi, Anuppur, and Umaria, which collectively form the core of the historical Bagelkhand territory. In Uttar Pradesh, the region extends into parts of Chitrakoot, as well as the southern portions of Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts. The administrative boundaries of Bagelkhand do not constitute a formal political unit but represent a cultural and historical region with shared linguistic, historical, and social characteristics. Despite the division between two states, the region maintains a sense of regional identity, especially through the

Bagheli language Bagheli (Devanagari: बघेली) or Baghelkhandi is a Central Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Baghelkhand region of central India. Classification A language belonging to the Eastern Hindi subgroup, Bagheli is one of the languages d ...

, local traditions, and shared history under the Baghela Rajput rulers.

Demographics

The inhabitants of Bagelkhand are called Bagheli and they speak the

which is also designated as a dialect of Hindi.

References

{{Proposed states and territories of India Regions of Madhya Pradesh Regions of Uttar Pradesh Regions of India