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Marathas (Dhar)
AD 1728 - 1948
Dhar and Dewas
were princely states in the present day
Indian
state of Madhya Pradesh. In the early eighteenth century
Maratha
Sardar Udaji Pawar and his brothers accompanied
Peshwa
Baji Rao I on his expeditions to subjugate the regions of
Malwa. In recognition of
his services, Udaji Pawar was rewarded with the jagir of Dhar in 1728. Udaji
later fell out with Peshwa Baji Rao and his lands were transferred to his
brother, Anandrao Pawar (the other brother was Jagdevrao Pawar of the
Chitgaon line) and he was sent away to Multan.
The states of Dhar and Dewas were ruled by different
families belonging to the same clan, that of the Pawars, or Ponwars, Puars,
etc. Dewas further divided into a senior and junior house with the Pawar
brothers demarcating their individual regions of control.
The Pawars today consider themselves to have descended
from the Parmaras, an
offshoot of the
Rashtrakuta dynasty which ruled regions in central India. They were
Gurjars who assumed the status of Chandravanshi
Rajput Kshatriyas (they
claim descent from Raja Vikramaditya of Malwa. His descendents found
fluctuating fortunes and some settled as rajas of Bijolya, in
Mewar,
present day Rajasthan state). Some of their clan members (Puar Rajputs) also
ruled in the central Indian regions of Rajgarh and Chatarpur.
(Information by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha.) |
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Raja Kishen Singh |
Ruler of the principality of Bijalya,
Mewar, Rajasthan. |
1610 |
Raja Kishen Singh's son, Shambhu Singh, incurs his
father's displeasure and emigrates to the region of Maharashtra. Once there he serves
under the Nizamshah of
Ahmednagar,
and comes to be known as Shivajirao Pawar. |
1627 - 1658 |
Shambhu Singh / Shivajirao Pawar |
Son. |
1627 |
Shivajirao Pawar receives Sukhawadi (Supa) as his jagir. He
later tries to extend his territory but is suppressed by the
Marathas who
are gaining a foothold in the Deccan.
He marries twice,
firstly to a Rajput named Phul Kunwarba, and secondly to a Maratha by the
name of Mhalsabai Sahib who bears him a son named Krishnarao. |
1658 |
Shivajirao is killed by the Dalvi of Hunga while returning to Supa. |
1658 - 1667 |
Krishnarao Pawar |
Son. Born 1631. |
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Krishnarao joins the army of the
Maratha
king, Shivaji, at the age of sixteen and builds a fortress at Supa.
He has three sons, named Bubajirao, Kerojirao, and Ranojirao. Bubajirao is a
founding figure of the senior house of
Dewas while Kerojirao's
great-grandson becomes the first ruler of Dhar. |
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Kerojirao Pawar |
Son. Officer in Shivaji's
Maratha
army. |
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Sambhajirao Pawar |
Son. |
1728 - 1732 |
Udajirao Pawar |
Son. Commander in the
Maratha
army. |
1728 |
Udajirao assists
Maratha
Peshwa Baji
Rao I in his
Malwa campaign. In reward for his services, Udaji Pwar is given Dhar as his
jagir (estate). |
1732 |
Udajirao falls out with the
Peshwa and his jagir rights
are transferred to his two brothers, Tukaji Pawar and Jivaji
Pawar of Dewas, who establish themselves as rulers of the
Senior and
Junior branch
respectively. Udajirao is sent off to Multan, where he dies.
Of his two sons, Malharrao dies in 1787 at the Battle of Tunga, and Haibatrao
succeeds as
ruler in the Dewas junior branch after being adopted by his uncle. |
1732 - 1736 |
Anandrao Pawar |
Died 1749. |
1732 - 1736 |
After assisting Udajirao in the
Malwa campaign, Anandrao receives the sanad
from the
Peshwa
following Udajirao's dismissal. He rules Dhar for four years and abdicates
in favour of his eldest son, Yeshwantrao
(his other son being Raijirao, the jagirdar (estate-holder) of Dag and Ganraur).
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Jhira Bagh Palace at Dhar, built by Anadrao Pawar
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1736 - 1761 |
Yeshwantrao Pawar I |
Son. Died fighting with the
Maratha army
at Panipat. |
1761 |
After being killed at the Third Battle of Panipat, Yeshwantrao
is succeeded by his son, Khanderao. There are three other sons, by concubines,
in the form of Mahipatrao, Haibatrao, and Murarirao. The first of those has
a son called Mahipatrao Yeshwantrao Pawar, and it is this man's own son who seizes the throne in
1810. |
1761 - 1782 |
Khanderao Pawar I |
Son. Died at Kavathe. |
1761 - 1775 |
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Rani Gahenabai Saheb |
Mother and regent until Khanderao came of age. |
1782 - 1807 |
Anandrao Pawar II |
Posthumously-born son of Khanderao. |
1782 - 1796 |
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Rani Nubadhabai Saheb |
Mother and regent until Anandrao came of age. |
1807 - 1810 |
Ramchandrarao Pawar I |
Posthumously-born son of Anandrao. Died aged 3. |
1807 - 1810 |
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Rani
Mainabaisaheb |
Mother and regent. |
1810 |
Shrimant Murarrao
Mahipatrao Pawar |
Son of Mahipatrao Yeshwantrao Pawar. Died in 1816. |
1810 |
Shrimant takes his opportunity to seize the throne for a short period but
is defeated
and flees to Jhabua where he dies in 1816. |
1810 - 1833 |
Ramchandrarao II |
Adopted son of Sardar Mahipatrao
Shinde of Karadia. |
1819 |
Ramchandrarao II signs a
treaty of friendship with the
British
East India Company. |
1832 |
Shrimant
Achyutrao Murarirao Pawar, the son of Murarirao Yeshwantrao Pawar, who
had seized the throne in 1810, now rebels again. He subsequently withdraws his
renewed claim and is pensioned off. |
1833 - 1857 |
Yeshwantrao II |
Adopted son of Rani
Sakhiraje Bai Saheb. Died at Dhar fort. |
1857 - 1858 |
The adopted son of Rani
Sakhiraje Bai Saheb and the natural son of Sardar Yeshwantrao Dakurjirao
Pawar of Multan (who himself is the great-grandson of Raje Udajirao Pawar I), Yeshwantrao
Narendra Singh supports the British
during the Indian Mutiny (or Great Sepoy Mutiny). |
1857 - 1898 |
Sir Anandrao III |
Younger (half) brother adopted by Yeshwantrao on his
deathbed. |
1857 - 1860 |
The Dhar estate is confiscated by the British
East India Company in 1857 but
is restored in 1860, following the Company's dissolution by the British
Government. Anandrao himself reigns under a imperial regency council until he
comes of age. |
1898 - 1926 |
Sir Col Udajirao Pawar II / Bhagurjirao |
Nephew and adopted son. |
1898 - 1907 |
Bhagurjirao (his original name) is the natural son of Sambhajirao Yeshwantrao Pawar (great-great grandson of Udajirao I).
he reigns under a regency council until he comes of age and assumes
power in 1907. He serves with the Poona Horse, reaching the rank of colonel. |
1926 |
Col Udajirao Pawar dies at Salon, in Bhagyat state. He has no male
heir and is succeeded by his nephew. |
1926 - 1989 |
Col Anandrao IV |
Nephew. Last king of Dhar. |
1926 - 1940 |
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Rani Devibaisaheb |
Adopted mother and regent. |
1926 - 1940 |
Anandrao IV is the natural son of Seturamrao Sambhajirao Pawar of
the Multan line and
is adopted by his aunt, Rani Devibaisaheb, the widow of Udajirao II, who rules as
regent until Anandrao comes of age and is invested with his ruling powers in
1940.
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Dhar Fort in Maharashtra
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1947 - 1948 |
The dominion of
India
is formed on 15 August 1947 following the official handover
of power by the
British.
Anandrao has to relinquish his state to India in 1948. He
subsequently serves as Junior Rajpramukh of Madhya Bharat state
until 1956. He is married to Mrinalini Bai Sahib (from the
Baroda royal family). |
1989 - Present |
? |
Present titular heir unknown. |
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