56-529: The Central Provinces was a province of British India . It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Nagpur was the primary winter capital while Pachmarhi served as the regular summer retreat. It became the Central Provinces and Berar in 1903. The Central Provinces
112-461: A thermal power station , which is one of the biggest in India. There are other heavy industries and mines in the region. The region has mineral resources with coal and manganese , the major minerals. Iron ore and limestone have also been identified as potential mining resources. Chandrapur district contributes 29% of all mineral output of Maharashtra. Cricket is the most popular sport in
168-730: A chief commissioner: At the time of independence in 1947, British India had 17 provinces: Upon the Partition of India into the Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan , eleven provinces (Ajmer-Merwara-Kekri, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Bombay, Central Provinces and Berar, Coorg, Delhi, Madras, Panth-Piploda, Orissa, and the United Provinces) joined India, three (Baluchistan, North-West Frontier and Sindh) joined Pakistan, and three ( Punjab , Bengal and Assam ) were partitioned between India and Pakistan. In 1950, after
224-408: A collector's office which is responsible for day-to-day administration. The District Collector is a Central Indian Government IAS appointee who is in charge of the governance of a district in a state. Vidarbha has a total population of 23,003,179 according to the 2011 India census. The region occupies 31.6% of the total area and is home to 21.3% of the total population of Maharashtra. According to
280-432: A legislative power existed in such places. The same two kinds of management applied for districts. Thus Ganjam and Vizagapatam were non-regulation districts. Non-regulation provinces included: At the turn of the 20th century, British India consisted of eight provinces that were administered either by a governor or a lieutenant-governor. The following table lists their areas and populations (but does not include those of
336-709: A population in 1901 of 1,631,140, approximately 15% of the total population. The largest was Bastar , with an area of 13,062 miles, and the smallest was Satki, with an area of 138 square miles. The princely states were in Chhattisgarh Division, except for Makrai , which was in Hoshangabad District . 21°09′N 79°05′E / 21.15°N 79.09°E / 21.15; 79.09 Presidencies and provinces of British India The provinces of India , earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns , were
392-484: A small part of Burma, and by 1886, almost two thirds of Burma had been made part of British India. This arrangement lasted until 1937, when Burma was reorganized as a separate British colony. British India did not apply to other countries in the region, such as Sri Lanka (then Ceylon ), which was a British Crown colony , or the Maldive Islands , which were a British protectorate . At its greatest extent, in
448-434: A unit. In the 1901 census, 6,111,000 (63% percent) of the population spoke variants of Hindi, chiefly Chhattisgarhi (27%), Bundeli (15%), Bagheli (10%) and Malvi or Rajasthani (5%). 2,107,000 (20%) spoke Marathi, the majority language of Wardha , Nagpur , Chanda , and Bhandara districts, and the southern portions of Nimar, Betul, Chhindwara, and Balaghat districts. Oriya speakers numbered 1,600,000, or 13.5%, but
504-499: Is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons and the region receives very less rainfall due to its location in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats . Droughts and famines are common with more than 1.4 lakh farmer suicides in the period 1997 to 2006. The largest and major city in the region is Nagpur and other major towns include Amravati , Akola , Chandrapur and Gondia . Varhadi and Zadi dialects of Marathi
560-401: Is opposed by Shiv Sena , one of the major regional political parties in the state. Political economist Shrikant Jichkar opposed the separation of the region from Maharashtra, stating that it was not sustainable. He noted that income from available natural resources would not be able to balance the subsidies given by the government, whose cooperation would be vital to any development and that
616-563: Is reserved for Scheduled Tribes . In the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly , the region is represented by 62 Vidhan Sabha seats. The Vidarbha movement started in the 1930s demanding a separate state of Vidarbha. The demand has been raised at times due to perceived neglect of the region by the Government of Maharashtra . While the demand is supported by major political parties BJP and Congress , it
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#1732765902959672-426: Is widely spoken. Hindu festivals like Holi , Diwali and Dasara are celebrated throughout the region. The Nagpur Central Museum ( est. 1863) maintains collections from the region. The GDP of the region is estimated to be ₹ 5,445.4 billion (US$ 65 billion) 2022-23. The region also holds considerable mineral resources and forest cover. The region is economically under developed compared to
728-494: Is widely spoken. There have been demands for a separate state of Vidarbha, due to perceived neglect from the Government of Maharashtra . While the demand is supported by major political parties BJP and Congress , it is opposed by Shiv Sena , one of the major regional political parties in the state. According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata and other Puranic scriptures, princess Rukmini considered to be an incarnation of
784-565: The Ain-i-Akbari , the region was part of Berar Subah , in the Medieval period . In 1680, the region was captured by Sambhaji , the son of Shivaji , who was the founder of Maratha empire . In 1724, Asaf Jah , who later became the Nizam of Hyderabad , declared independence and brought most of the region under his nominal rule. The administration and right of collecting taxes were held by
840-526: The Ain-i-Akbari , the region was part of Berar Subah , known as the Gulshan-e-Berar in the Medieval period . In 1680, the region was captured by Sambhaji , the son of Shivaji who was the founder of Maratha empire . In 1724, following a battle at Buldana , Asaf Jah defeated the Mughal governor and declared independence. Most of the region came under the nominal rule of Jah, who later became
896-671: The Battle of Buxar , the Company obtained the Diwani of Bengal, which included the right to administer and collect land-revenue (land tax) in Bengal , the region of present-day Bangladesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar beginning from 1772 as per the treaty signed in 1765. By 1773, the Company obtained the Nizāmat of Bengal (the "exercise of criminal jurisdiction") and thereby full sovereignty of
952-626: The Indian Empire . India was divided into British India, regions that were directly administered by the British, with acts established and passed in the British parliament, and the princely states , ruled by local rulers of different ethnic backgrounds. These rulers were allowed a measure of internal autonomy in exchange for recognition of British suzerainty . British India constituted a significant portion of India both in area and population; in 1910, for example, it covered approximately 54% of
1008-672: The Nizam of Hyderabad , though the administration and right of collecting chauth were held by the Marathas. In 1803, following the defeat of the Marathas, the region came under the rule of British East India Company . Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was part of the Bombay State . After
1064-604: The States Reorganisation Act , which re-organized state boundaries, majority of the region became part of Maharashtra . Vidarbha lies in Central India on the northern part of the Deccan Plateau . It borders the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the south and Marathwada and Uttar Maharashtra regions of Maharashtra to the west. It lies in
1120-617: The Vidarbha region, which includes Nagpur , the capital of the province. The eastern portion of the state lay in the upper Mahanadi River basin, which forms fertile rice-growing region of Chhattisgarh . The Maikal Range separates the basins of the Narmada and the Mahanadi. The Chota Nagpur Plateau extended into the northeast corner of the province. General censuses were held in 1866, 1872, 1881, 1891 and 1901. The population in 1866
1176-1034: The rain shadow region of the Western Ghats and the terrain is largely flat. The Satpura Range lies to the north of Vidarbha region with Melghat in Amravati district forming part of the southern offshoot of the Satpura Range. Large basaltic rock formations exists throughout the region, part of the 66-million-year-old volcanic Deccan Traps . Bhandara and Gondia district are entirely occupied by metamorphic rock and alluvium, making their geology unique in Maharashtra. The Poorna river basin lies in Western Vidarbha and comprises Akola , Amaravati and Buldhana districts . The region has extremely high innate soil and water salinity. Vidarbha has 11 districts divided into two divisions: Amravati (earlier Berar ) and Nagpur divisions. Each district has
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#17327659029591232-644: The 2011 census, Hinduism was the principal religion in the state at 76.91% of the total population, while Buddhists constituted 13.08 of the total population. Vidarbha accounts for 45.91% of total Buddhists in Maharashtra . The largest city in the region is Nagpur and other major towns include Amravati , Akola , Chandrapur and Gondia . As per the 2011 census, 73.72% of the population speaks Marathi , 8.30% Hindi , 6.23% Urdu , 2.58% Lambadi , 1.83% Gondi , 1.10% Korku and 1.02% Telugu as their first language. Varhadi and Zadi dialects of Marathi
1288-599: The Central Provinces consisted of four divisions ( Nerbudda , Jubbulpore , Nagpur , and Chhattisgarh ), which were further divided into 18 districts - five districts in each division except Chhattisgarh, which had three districts. Berar was under the administrative authority of the Chief Commissioner for the Central Provinces, but administered separately. The Central Provinces also contained 15 princely states, which accounted for 31,188 square miles and
1344-618: The East India Company's victories at the Battle of Plassey (1757), and Battle of Buxar (1764)—both within the Bengal Presidency established in 1765—and the abolition of local rule (Nizamat) in Bengal in 1793, the company gradually began to formally expand its territories across India . By the mid-19th century, and after the three Anglo-Maratha Wars and the four Anglo-Mysore Wars , the East India Company had become
1400-646: The Ganges-Yamuna basin and the Narmada River basin, which occupies the center and west of the province, and flows westward to empty into the Arabian Sea . The upper Narmada valley forms the center of the Mahakoshal region. Jabalpur (formerly Jubbulpore) lay on the upper Narmada, and was an important railway junction. The Satpura Range divides the Narmada valley from the Deccan Plateau to
1456-745: The Hindu saint Gajanan Maharaj who lived there. Chikhaldara in Amravati district is a hill station and popular tourist destination. Vidarbha has ten Lok Sabha constituencies. Nagpur district has two seats Nagpur and Ramtek , while Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha constituency is spread across districts of Chandrapur , Gadchiroli and Gondia . Yavatmal and Washim districts form part of Yavatmal–Washim Lok Sabha constituency . Other seats include Akola , Amravati , Bhandara , Buldhana , Gondia , and Wardha . Amravati and Ramtek seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, while Gadchiroli-Chimur
1512-754: The Madras Presidency (or the Presidency of Fort St. George), the Bombay Presidency, and the Bengal Presidency (or the Presidency of Fort William)—each administered by a governor. After Robert Clive 's victory in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the puppet government of a new Nawab of Bengal , was maintained by the East India Company. However, after the invasion of Bengal by the Nawab of Oudh in 1764 and his subsequent defeat in
1568-490: The Marathas. In 1803, following the defeat of the Marathas, the region came under the rule of British East India Company . Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was part of the Bombay State . After the Re-organization of Indian states, majority of the region became part of Maharashtra in 1960. The GDP of
1624-595: The administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent . Collectively, they have been called British India . In one form or another, they existed between 1612 and 1947, conventionally divided into three historical periods: "British India" did not include the many princely states which continued to be ruled by Indian princes, though by the 19th century under British suzerainty —their defence, foreign relations, and communications relinquished to British authority and their internal rule closely monitored. At
1680-466: The area and included over 77% of the population. In addition, there were Portuguese and French exclaves in India. Independence from British rule was achieved in 1947 with the formation of two nations, the Dominions of India and Pakistan , the latter including East Bengal , present-day Bangladesh . The term British India also applied to Burma for a shorter time period: beginning in 1824,
1736-422: The company established its first factory at Hoogly in 1640. Almost a half-century later, after Mughal Emperor Aurengzeb forced the company out of Hooghly for its tax evasion, Job Charnock was tenant of three small villages, later renamed Calcutta , in 1686, making it the company's new headquarters. By the mid-18th century, the three principal trading settlements including factories and forts, were then called
Central Provinces - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-447: The decade, with epidemics of cholera in seven of the ten years. A portion of the decrease (between one-eighth and one-quarter) was from emigration to Assam and other provinces of India. The central Provinces contained two distinct linguistic regions: Mahakoshal , consisting mainly of Hindi -speaking districts, and Vidarbha , chiefly, but not exclusively, a Marathi -speaking area. The linguistic regions could not be fully integrated as
1848-492: The defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War more of his territory was annexed to the Madras Presidency. In 1801, Carnatic , which had been under the suzerainty of the company, began to be directly administered by it as a part of the Madras Presidency. By 1851, the East India Company's vast and growing holdings across the sub-continent were still grouped into just four main territories: By
1904-438: The dependent native states): During the partition of Bengal (1905–1912), a new lieutenant-governor's province of Eastern Bengal and Assam existed. In 1912, the partition was partially reversed, with the eastern and western halves of Bengal re-united and the province of Assam re-established; a new lieutenant-governor's province of Bihar and Orissa was also created. In addition, there were a few provinces that were administered by
1960-639: The early 20th century, the territory of British India extended as far as the frontiers of Persia in the west; Afghanistan in the northwest; Nepal in the north, Tibet in the northeast; and China, French Indochina and Siam in the east. It also included the Aden Province in the Arabian Peninsula . The East India Company , which was incorporated on 31 December 1600, established trade relations with Indian rulers in Masulipatam on
2016-698: The east coast in 1611 and Surat on the west coast in 1612. The company rented a small trading outpost in Madras in 1639. Bombay, which was ceded to the British Crown by Portugal as part of the wedding dowry of Catherine of Braganza in 1661, was in turn granted to the East India Company to be held in trust for the Crown. Meanwhile, in eastern India , after obtaining permission from the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to trade with Bengal,
2072-472: The eastern part of the state, it comprises Amravati (earlier Berar ) and Nagpur divisions. As per the 2011 Census , the region had a population of 23,003,179. The region occupies 31.6% of the total area and is home to 21.3% of the total population of Maharashtra. Situated in central India, it borders the state of Madhya Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Telangana to the south and Marathwada and Uttar Maharashtra regions of Maharashtra to
2128-749: The expanded Bengal Presidency . During the period, 1773 to 1785, very little changed; the only exceptions were the addition of the dominions of the Raja of Banares to the western boundary of the Bengal Presidency, and the addition of Salsette Island to the Bombay Presidency . Portions of the Kingdom of Mysore were annexed to the Madras Presidency after the Third Anglo-Mysore War ended in 1792. Next, in 1799, after
2184-656: The goddess Lakshmi and the wife of lord Krishna , was born to Bhishmaka, the king of the Vidarbha kingdom. Vidarbha was part of the Satavahana Empire during 1st to 2nd century CE), ascertained by the Satavahana coins found in Pauni . The coins and inscriptions from the period of Paramara king Jagadeva have been found in the northern parts the region. An inscription discovered at Jainad names Jagadeva as
2240-434: The new Indian constitution was adopted, the provinces in India were replaced by redrawn states and union territories. Pakistan, however, retained its five provinces, one of which, East Bengal , was renamed East Pakistan in 1956 and became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971. Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: [ʋid̪əɾbʱə] ) is a geographical region in the west Indian state of Maharashtra . Forming
2296-617: The paramount political and military power in south Asia, its territory held in trust for the British Crown . Company rule in Bengal (after 1793) was terminated by the Government of India Act 1858 , following the events of the Bengal Rebellion of 1857 . Henceforth known as British India, it was thereafter directly ruled as a colonial possession of the United Kingdom , and India was officially known after 1876 as
Central Provinces - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-404: The region is estimated to be ₹ 5,445.4 billion (US$ 65 billion) 2022-23. The economy of the region is largely dependent on agriculture with oranges and cotton being the major crops. The region also holds considerable mineral resources and forest cover. The region is economically under developed compared to the rest of Maharashtra with considerable poverty and malnutrition . Agriculture
2408-556: The region, with corruption rampant in the region. Columnist and journalist P Sainath opined that the relief packages were destined to fail as corruption in the government meant that little impact happened on the ground. Nagpur is a major hub for business and healthcare. MIHAN is the major cargo hub in the region, operational out of Nagpur Airport . Nagpur also hosts Information Technology Special Economic Zone (IT SEZ). for information-technology companies. Amravati and Yavatmal are known for cotton production. Chandrapur has
2464-608: The region. Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground (VCA) hosted international cricket matches. In 2008, the new Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium was built in Jamtha. The eastern part of Vidarbha consists of Maharashtra's oldest National Park , the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve , one of the Project Tiger Reserves . Shegaon is a place of pilgrimage with temples attributed to
2520-466: The rest of Maharashtra with considerable poverty and malnutrition . The economy of the region is largely dependent on agriculture with oranges and cotton being the major crops. Agriculture is largely dependent on seasonal monsoons and the region receives very less rainfall. Droughts and famines are common with more than 1.4 lakh farmer suicides in the period 1997 to 2006. Though Government of India has provided relief packages aimed at
2576-646: The son of the Paramara king Udayaditya (reigned c. 1060–1086). Scholar M. H. Krishna argued that the Chalukya king Someshvara was known by the title "Jagadeva" ("Lord of the world") in the northern part of his kingdom, and it was he who issued these coins. However, all the known Chalukya coins featured Kannada script , while the coins of Jagadeva featured the Nagari script used by the Paramaras. According to
2632-517: The south and Berar to the west. The Central Provinces was landlocked , occupying the mountain ranges, plateaus, and river valleys in the centre of the Indian subcontinent . The northernmost portion of the state extended onto the Bundelkhand upland, whose northward-flowing rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna and Ganges . The Vindhya Range runs east and west, forming the watershed between
2688-804: The south. The Central Provinces included the northeastern portion of the Deccan, drained by tributaries of the Godavari River including the Wainganga , Wardha , and Indravati . These flow east towards the Bay of Bengal . A portion of Berar lay in the upper basin of the Tapti River , which drains westward into the Arabian Sea. The portion of the Central Provinces on the Deccan Plateau formed
2744-637: The state of Gujarat ), and this became the company's first headquarters town. It was followed in 1611 by a permanent factory at Machilipatnam on the Coromandel Coast , and in 1612 the company joined other already established European trading companies in Bengal in trade. However, the power of the Mughal Empire declined from 1707, first at the hands of the Marathas and later due to invasion from Persia (1739) and Afghanistan (1761); after
2800-647: The time of Indian Independence, in 1947 , there were officially 565 princely states, a few being very large although most were very small. They comprised a quarter of the population of the British Raj and two fifths of its land area, with the provinces comprising the remainders. In 1608, the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar issued a royal farman to the East India Company to establish a small trading settlement at Surat (now in
2856-434: The time of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , and the end of Company rule, the developments could be summarised as follows: The British Raj began with the idea of the presidencies as the centres of government. Until 1834, when a General Legislative Council was formed, each presidency under its governor and council was empowered to enact a code of so-called 'regulations' for its government. Therefore, any territory or province that
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#17327659029592912-412: The transfer of Sambalpur District to Bengal in 1905 reduced the number of Oriya speakers to 292,000. There were 94,000 Telugu speakers, mostly in Chanda District. Of the 730,000 who spoke other Dravidian languages , the majority spoke Gondi , and 60,000 spoke Korku . 74,000 spoke Munda languages . The Central Provinces were administered from 1861 to 1920 by a chief commissioner. Administratively,
2968-421: The west. According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata , Rukmini , the wife of lord Krishna , was born to Bhishmaka , the king of the Vidarbha kingdom. Vidarbha was part of the Satavahana Empire during 1st to 2nd century CE). The coins and inscriptions from the period of Paramara king Jagadeva , the son of the Udayaditya (reigned c. 1060–1086) have been found in the northern parts the region. According to
3024-482: Was added by conquest or treaty to a presidency came under the existing regulations of the corresponding presidency. However, in the case of provinces that were acquired but were not annexed to any of the three presidencies, their official staff could be provided as the governor-general pleased, and was not governed by the existing regulations of the Bengal, Madras, or Bombay presidencies. Such provinces became known as 'non-regulation provinces' and up to 1833 no provision for
3080-417: Was formed in 1861 by the merger of the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories and Nagpur Province . The district of Nimar which was administered by the Central India Agency was added in 1864. It was almost an island encircled by a sea of "native States" such as Bhopal State and Rewa State to the north, the Chota Nagpur States and Kalahandi State to the east, and the Nizam 's territories of Hyderabad to
3136-478: Was over 9 million, and in 1872 over 9.25 million. 1869 was a famine year. There were epidemics of smallpox and cholera in 1872, 1878, and 1879. By 1881 the population had risen to 11.5 million, and by 1891 to nearly 13 million. The population in 1901 was 11,873,029, a reduction of 800,000 from 1891. The lack of summer monsoon rains in 1897 and 1900 led to widespread crop failures and huge famines in those years, and there were partial crop failures in four other years in
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