KHARGONE (WEST NIMAR), Madhya Pradesh

Main Attraction: KHARGONE – MAHESHWAR

Maheshwar was a glorious city at the dawn of Indian civilization when it was Mahishmati, capital of King Kartivarjun. This temple town on the banks of the river Narmada finds mention in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata Revived to its ancient position of importance by the Holkar queen Rani Ahilyabai of Indore.

Documented history states that the Holkar ruler, Malhar Rao captured the fort in 1733 and undertook some repairs and reconstructions. When his daughterin-law Ahilya Bai Holkar ascended the throne in 1767, she rebuild the fort as we see it today. The formidable walls of the Maheshwar Fort are pierced with five gates, of which two are more frequently used by the local population.

Brief History

Nothing is known about the origin of the name of Prant Nimar. The name, Nimar, is supposed to have been derived from nim(half), as the prant was supposed to be half way down the course of the Narmada, but in reality it is much nearer the mouth than the source of the river.

The territories now comprised in the district perhaps were in the kingdom of the Haihaya or Kalchuries, whose capital Mahishmati is identified with the town of Maheshwar. From 9th to 12th centuries most of the territories comprised in the district were ruled by the Parmar kings of Dhar as is apparent from inscriptions found at Mandhata and Harsud in Khandwa (East Nimar) district. 

The Mohammedans under Alauddin appeared in the district for the first time in 1294. Later Malik Kafur marched through the region in 1306. In 1370 Feroz Tughlak made over the district round about Khandesh and Nimar to an Arab adventurer. Since Malik Raja Faruki’s time the region became more or less subject to Mohammedan rule. From 1401, most of the district was held by the independent Mohammedan kings of Mandu and by Faruki kings of Burhanpur. Akbar included Nimar in the Subah of Malwa. In Aurangzeb’s days most of the Nimar was included in the Subah of Aurangabad. Towards, the end of 17th century, the Marathas entered the district carrying on their depredation as far as Dharmpuri in Dhar district. 

In 1720 the Moghul emperor granted to the Peshwa, the Chauth and Sardesh Mukhi on the Deccan province, which included Nimar. The death of Aurangzeb resulted in liquidation of imperial authority of Delhi and gradual strengthening of Maratha power over the Malwa region and hence over Nimar. In 1739, the Nizam was forced to agree to grant the complete sovereignty of the territories between the Narmada and Chambal to the Peshwa. This made Peshwa the ruler of the portions of the district north of Narmada. In 1751-52 by arrangement with Ghaziuddin, one of the sons of Nizam ul Mulk, all the southern Nimar was also passed absolutely to the Peshwa and by 1755 it was entirely in the hands of his officers. In 1751 Ramchandra Ballal Bhuskute was in charge of the tract. The district of this time had thirty-two mahals held by the Peshwa. 

Holkar and the Barwani and Dhar chiefs, though nominally it was all under the Peshwa. In 1768 the Holkar mahals (Sendhwa and Nagalwadi) were confiscated but were restored to Ahilyabai in 1769. In 1778 the district passed entirely into the hands of the Holkar, Scindia and the Parmar of Dhar except the Kasrawad Pargana which remained with the Peshwa. The period 1767 to1795, when Ahilyabai aided by her able commander-in-chief, Tukojirao ruled the district, was one of most prosperous periods for the district. Tukojirao also died two years after Ahilyabai and his death proved disastrous to the kingdom of the Holkars, as it gave rise to serious succession disputes between the sons of Tukojirao. Yeswantrao Holkar-I, a son of Tukojirao, emerged with success but the constant wars and raids lead to a fall in his success in the district till the last stage of the treaty of Mandsaur which was signed in January 1818, between the British and Malhar Rao Holkar. 

Group of Pindaries and the armies of Holkar and Scindia swept through the district and devastated the field and drove away its inhabitants. By this treaty, Mandleshwar, Kasrawad and some other portions of the district were passed on to the British. In 1823, by the treaty of Gwalior, the parts of the district held by Scindia were also placed under British management. The district (including the present East Nimar) under the British had its headquarters at Mandleshwar. Till 1947 the district (with the exception of most of the present Barwani and Rajpur tahsils and a small pocket in Maheshwar tahsil that was held by Dewas remained in the domain of the Holkars.

The district lies in a tract which has always been, historically important for its being on the easiest natural route that connects the northern and the southern parts of India. Most parts of the district were included, at different times, in the kingdoms of the early Haihayas of Mahishmati (now supposed by the most scholars as Maheshwar) the Parmars of Malwa and the Ahirs, Farukis and Chauhans of Asirgarh. Akbar in the subah of Malwa included Nimar, its territories being divided among the three sarkars of Bijagarh, Handia and Mandu. The greater part of the district lay in the Bijagarh Sarkar, the administrative headquarters being at the town of Jalalabad .In 1778, the Peshwa’s territory in Nimar roughly corresponding to the old Moghul Mahal of Banswa or Basina was sub-divided and bestowed by the Peshwa in jagir on the Maratha leaders Holkar, Scindhia and Pawar of Dhar except the tracts of Kasrawad, Kanapur and Beria (Beria Pargana).