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112-417: Bijawar is a city the state of Madhya Pradesh , India. It is the administrative headquarters of Bijawar Taluk , and was formerly the capital of a princely state of British India of the same name. The people of Bijawar are demanding the district status from their state government. It is the 53rd proposed district of Madhya Pradesh The native state of Bijawar covered an area of 2520 km (973 sq. m.) in
224-509: A Bundela Rajput descended from the ruler of Orchha . It was conquered in the 18th century by Chhatarsal, the founder of Panna , a Rajput of the Bundela clan, by whose descendants it was held till its accession to India. It was confirmed to Ratan Singh in 1811 by the British government for the usual deed of allegiance. In 1857 Bhan Pratap Singh rendered signal services to the British during
336-550: A descendant of Yayati. The princes of this country are said to have come from the line of Druhyu who was a famous king of the Rigvedic period and one of the five sons of king Yayati of lunar dynasty. The river Indus watered the lands of Gandhara. Taksashila and Pushkalavati , the two cities of this Mahajanapada, are said to have been named after Taksa and Pushkara, the two sons of Bharata , a prince of Ayodhya and younger brother of Lord Rama . According to Vayu Purana (II.36.107),
448-497: A higher rainfall whereas the parts of the north-west receive less. Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Sidhi, and other extreme eastern parts receive more than 150 cm of rainfall. The districts of western Madhya Pradesh receive less than 80 cm of rainfall. The winter season starts in November. The temperature remains low in the northern parts of the state in comparison to the southern parts. The daily maximum temperature in most of
560-505: A part of the kingdom of Kashmira . The Jataka also gives another name Chandahara for Gandhara. Gandhara Mahajanapada of Buddhist traditions included territories of east Afghanistan , and north-west of the Punjab (modern districts of Peshawar (Purushapura) and Rawalpindi ). Its later capital was Taksashila (Prakrit for Taxila ). The Taksashila University was a renowned centre of learning in ancient times, where scholars from all over
672-837: A powerful people dwelling in Northern India. According to Mahabharata, Panduputra Bhimasena is said to have conquered the chief of the Mallakas in the course of his expedition in Eastern India. During the Buddhist period, the Mallakas Kshatriya were a republican people with their dominion consisting of nine territories corresponding to the nine confederated clans. These republican states were known as gaṇasaṅgha s . Two of these confederations – one with Kushinagar (modern Kasia near Gorakhpur ) as its capital and
784-568: A prince from the lineage of Yudhishtra . Though a well known monarchical people in the earlier period, the Kurus are known to have switched to a republican form of government during the 6th to 5th centuries BCE. In the 4th century BCE, Kautiliya 's Arthashastra also attests the Kurus following the Rajashabdopajivin (Royal Consul) constitution. The Magadha was one of the most prominent and prosperous of Mahajanapadas. The kingdom of
896-632: A sutra of Jainism , gives a different list of sixteen Mahajanapadas: The author of the Bhagavati Sutra (or the Vyākhyāprajñapti ) has a focus on the countries of Madhydesa and of the far east and south only. He omits the nations from Uttarapatha like the Kamboja and Gandhara. The more extended horizon of the Bhagvati and the omission of all countries from Uttarapatha "clearly shows that
1008-535: A well known republican people since Epic times. The Mahabharata refers to several gaṇaḥ (or Republics) of the Kambojas. Kautiliya 's Arthashastra attestes the Kambojas republican character and Ashoka 's Edict No. XIII also testifies the presence of the Kambojas along with the Yavanas. Pāṇini's Sutras, though tend to convey that the Kamboja of Pāṇini was a Kshatriya monarchy, but "the special rule and
1120-573: Is also found in later days in the Visakhapatnam region. The Matsyas had not much political importance of their own during the time of Buddha. The Panchalas occupied the country to the east of the Kurus between the mountains and river Ganges. It roughly corresponded to modern Budaun , Farrukhabad and the adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh . The country was divided into Uttara-Panchala and Dakshina-Panchala. The northern Panchala had its capital at Adhichhatra or Chhatravati (modern Ramnagar in
1232-532: Is also known for Jatashankar, a holy place about 18 km from the town. Bijawar is also known for Janki Nibas Temple because it is similar to Ayodhya Temple. Another famous temple, Kanchan Temple, was built by Maharani Kanchan Kuwar of Bijawar. Maharani Kanchan Kuwar was born in Karahiya and Princes of Karahiya and was the daughter of Rao Shahab of Karahiya. The rulers belonged to the Bundela dynasty. Bijawar
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#17327823537151344-1011: Is divided into 55 districts for administrative purposes. The district is the main unit of administration. These districts are arranged in 10 divisions, listed below: The population of Madhya Pradesh consists of a number of ethnic groups and tribes , castes and communities. The scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes constitute a significant portion of the population of the State 15.6% and 21.1% respectively. The main tribal groups in Madhya Pradesh are Gond , Bhil , Baiga , Korku , Bhadia (or Bhariya), Halba, Kaul , Mariya , Malto and Sahariya . Mandla , Dhar , Dindori , Barwani , Jhabua and Alirajpur districts have more than 50% tribal population, with Jhabua and Alirajpur having nearly 90% tribal population. In Khargone , Khandwa , Burhanpur , Betul , Chhindwara , Seoni , Anuppur , Umaria , Shahdol and Singrauli districts 30–50% of
1456-513: Is home to the largest number of Marathis outside Maharashtra. Although large numbers of Marathis can be found in urban centres like Indore, the highest concentrations are in the southern areas of the state adjoining Maharashtra. Marathi is the most-spoken language in Burhanpur district, while it is a major minority language in the southern parts of Mahakoshal especially Betul, Chhindwara and Balaghat districts. There are several languages spoken by
1568-426: Is located at 24°38′N 79°30′E / 24.63°N 79.5°E / 24.63; 79.5 . It has an average elevation of 398 metres (1305 feet). As of the 2011 Census of India , Bijawar had a population of 20,513 - 10,838 males and 9,675 females, giving a sex ratio of 893 compared to the state average of 931. There were 2942 children aged 0–6 i.e. 14.34% of the population. The literacy rate
1680-986: Is mainly practised by Marathis in the south. Most respondents who answered 'Other' self-identified as following Adivasi religions such as Koya Punem of the Gonds. Three sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO : the Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986) including Devi Jagadambi temple , Khajuraho , Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) and the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003). Other architecturally significant or scenic sites include Ajaigarh , Amarkantak , Asirgarh , Bandhavgarh , Bawangaja , Bhopal , Vidisha , Chanderi , Chitrakuta , Dewas , Dhar , Gwalior , Indore , Nemavar , Jabalpur , Burhanpur , Maheshwar , Mandleshwar , Mandu , Omkareshwar , Orchha , Pachmarhi , Shivpuri , Sonagiri , Mandla and Ujjain . Madhya Pradesh
1792-1266: Is noted for its classical and folk music. Some of the noted Hindustani classical music gharanas in Madhya Pradesh include the Maihar gharana , the Gwalior gharana and Senia gharana . Two of the medieval India's most noted singers, Tansen and Baiju Bawra , were born near Gwalior in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Noted Dhrupad exponents Aminuddin Dagar (Indore), Gundecha Brothers (Ujjain) and Uday Bhawalkar (Ujjain) were also born in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Renowned classical singer Kumar Gandharva spent his life at Dewas. The birthplaces of noted playback singers Kishore Kumar (Khandwa) and Lata Mangeshkar (Indore) and singer and composer Aadesh Shrivastava (Jabalpur) are also located in MP. The local styles of folk singing are Faga, Bhartahari, Sanja geet, Bhopa , Kalbelia , Bhat, Bhand, Vasdeva, Videsia, Kalgi Turra, Nirgunia, Alha, Pandwani Gayan and Garba Garbi Govalan. Mahajanapada The Mahājanapadas were sixteen kingdoms and aristocratic republics that existed in ancient India from
1904-554: Is now the centre of the Buddhist pilgrimage circle which is being developed by the tourism development corporation of Uttar Pradesh. The Mallakas, like the Licchavis , are mentioned by Manusmriti as Vratya Kshatriyas . They are called Vasishthas (Vasetthas) in the Mahapparnibbana Suttanta. The Mallakas originally had a monarchical form of government but later they switched to one of Samgha (republican union),
2016-576: Is the 26th highest in the country (2018–19). According to the SDG India Index 2020–21 compiled by the NITI Aayog , Madhya Pradesh ranks 21st on sustainable development goals, 9th on gender equality, and 10th on clean water and sanitation. Languages in Madhya Pradesh (2011) The official language of the state is Hindi , which is spoken by over two-thirds of the population and is used for all government business. In urban areas Standard Hindi
2128-550: Is the main language, while Urdu is spoken by Muslims. In rural areas, however, most speak varieties counted as dialects of Hindi in the census, although most are quite distinct. In the west are Malvi and Nimadi in the Malwa and Nimar regions, which are more closely related to the Rajasthani languages . In Bundelkhand in the north and Baghelkhand in the east are spoken Bundeli and Bagheli which are eastern varieties of
2240-528: Is the state animal and the dudhraj is the state bird of Madhya Pradesh. Based on composition, the teak and sal forests are the important forest formations in the state. Bamboo-bearing areas are widely distributed. The Narmada is the longest river in Madhya Pradesh. It flows westward through a rift valley, with the Vindhya ranges sprawling along its northern bank and the Satpura range of mountains along
2352-519: The Digha Nikaya , mentions twelve Mahajanapadas from the above list and omits four of them (Assaka, Avanti, Gandhara, and Kamboja). Chulla-Niddesa , another ancient text of the Buddhist canon, adds Kalinga to the list and substitutes Yona for Gandhara, thus listing the Kamboja and the Yona as the only Mahajanapadas from Uttarapatha . The Vyākhyāprajñapti (or the Bhagavati Sutra ),
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#17327823537152464-611: The Ashtadhyayi of Pāṇini. In Kautiliya 's Arthashastra , the Vrishnis are described as sangha or republic. The Vrishnis, Andhakas and other allied tribes of the Shoorsaini formed a sangha and Vasudeva ( Krishna ) is described as the sangha-mukhya . Mathura, the capital of Surasena, was also known at the time of Megasthenes as the centre of Krishna worship. The Surasena kingdom had lost its independence on annexation by
2576-582: The Bareilly district ), while southern Panchala had its capital at Kampilya or Kampil in the Farrukhabad District. The famous city of Kanyakubja or Kanauj was situated in the kingdom of Panchala. Originally a monarchical clan , the Panchals appear to have switched to republican corporation in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. In the 4th century BCE, Kautiliya 's Arthashastra also attests
2688-482: The Bhimbetka rock shelters . Chalcolithic sites belonging to Kayatha culture (2100–1800 BCE ) and Malwa culture (1700–1500 BCE) have been discovered in the western part of the state. Madhya Pradesh is also the world's ninth-most populous subnational entity . The city of Ujjain arose as a major centre in the region, during the second wave of Indian urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. It has served as
2800-615: The British and incorporated into Central Provinces and Berar and the Central India Agency . Some years after India's independence, the Central Provinces and Berar was renamed as Madhya Pradesh with Nagpur as its capital: this state included the southern parts of the present-day Madhya Pradesh and northeastern portion of today's Maharashtra. In 1956, this state was reorganised and its parts were combined with
2912-535: The Bundelkhand Agency . Forests covered nearly half the total area of the state, which was believed to be rich in minerals, but lack of transport facilities had hindered the development of its resources. The state takes its name from the chief town, Bijawar, which was founded by Bijai Singh, one of the Gond chiefs of Garha Mandla, in the 17th century. The first ruler of the state was Bir Singh Deo (1765–93),
3024-727: The Daradas and the Gandharas constituted the Kamboja country. The capital of Kamboja was probably Rajapura (modern Rajori) in the south-west of Kashmir. The Kamboja Mahajanapada of the Buddhist traditions refers to this cis-Hindukush branch of ancient Kambojas. The trans-Hindukush region including the Pamirs and Badakhshan which shared borders with the Bahlikas (Bactria) in
3136-465: The Indian independence movement . Several notable leaders such as Chandra Shekhar Azad , B. R. Ambedkar , Shankar Dayal Sharma , Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Arjun Singh were born in what is now Madhya Pradesh. After the independence of India, Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 from the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as
3248-560: The Indian subcontinent . They included parts of the trans- Vindhyan region, and all had developed prior to the rise of Buddhism in India. Archaeologically, this period has been identified as corresponding in part to the Northern Black Polished Ware culture. The term " Janapada " literally means the foothold of a people . The fact that Janapada is derived from Jana points to an early stage of land-taking by
3360-684: The Islamic Suri dynasty , operated from the Gwalior Fort during 1553–56 and became the ruler of Delhi as a Vikramaditya king winning 22 battles continuously from Bengal to Gujrat and defeating Akbar's forces in the Battle of Delhi on 7 October 1556. However, he chose Delhi as his capital after his formal Coronation and left Gwalior. After Hemu's defeat by Akbar at the Second Battle of Panipat in 1556, most of Madhya Pradesh came under
3472-584: The Kshatriya people (or the Kshatriya Jana) who had settled therein. Buddhist and other texts only incidentally refer to sixteen great nations ( Solasa Mahajanapadas ) that existed prior to the time of the Buddha. They do not give any connected history except in the case of Magadha. The Buddhist Anguttara Nikaya , at several places, gives a list of sixteen great states: Another Buddhist text,
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3584-545: The Magadhas roughly corresponded to the modern districts of Patna and Gaya in southern Bihar and parts of Bengal in the east. The capital city of Pataliputra was bound in the north by the river Ganges, in the east by the river Champa, in the south by the Vindhya mountains and in the west by the river Sona. During Buddha's time its boundaries included Anga. Its earliest capital was Girivraja or Rajagaha (modern Rajgir in
3696-710: The Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad , was founded by Dost Mohammed Khan , a former General in the Mughal army. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War , the British conquered the entire region. All the sovereign states in the region became princely states of British India , governed by the Central India Agency . The Mahakoshal region became a British province: the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories . In 1861,
3808-408: The Mughal rule. Gondwana and Mahakoshal remained under the control of Gond kings, who acknowledged Mughal suzerainty but enjoyed virtual autonomy . The Mughal control weakened considerably after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Between 1720 and 1760, the Marathas conquered most of Madhya Pradesh, resulting in the establishment of semi-autonomous states under the nominal control of
3920-723: The Peshwa of Pune : the Holkars of Indore ruled much of Malwa, Pawars ruled Dewas and Dhar , the Bhonsles of Nagpur dominated Mahakoshal-Gondwana area, while the Scindias of Gwalior controlled the northern parts of the state. The most notable Maratha rulers of the region were Mahadji Shinde , Ahilyabai Holkar and Yashwantrao Holkar . Besides these, there were several other small states , including Bhopal , Orchha , and Rewa . The Bhopal state , which paid tribute to both
4032-464: The Rigveda , with their king Kashu Chaidya. The location of the capital city, Suktimati , has not been established with certainty. Historian Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri and F. E. Pargiter believed that it was in the vicinity of Banda, Uttar Pradesh . Archaeologist Dilip Kumar Chakrabarti has proposed that Suktimati can be identified as the ruins of a large early historical city, at a place with
4144-582: The Vedic period . Two of the Mahājanapadas were most probably gaṇasaṅgha s (aristocratic republics), and others had forms of monarchy. Ancient Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya make frequent reference to sixteen great kingdoms and republics that had developed and flourished in a belt stretching from Gandhara in the northwest to Anga in the east to Asmaka in the southern part of
4256-473: The 18 biosphere reserves in India. Most of them are located in eastern Madhya Pradesh near Jabalpur . Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, and Satpura National Parks are managed as Project Tiger areas. The National Chambal Sanctuary is managed for conservation of gharial and mugger , river dolphin , smooth-coated otter and a number of turtle species. Ken-gharial and Son-gharial sanctuaries are managed for conservation of gharial and mugger. The barasingha
4368-403: The 2011 figures, the recorded forest area of the state is 94,689 km (36,560 sq mi) constituting 30.7% of the geographical area of the state. It constitutes 12.3% of the forest area of India. Legally this area has been classified into "Reserved Forest" (65.3%), "Protected Forest" (32.8%) and "Unclassified Forest" (0.2%). Per capita forest area is 2,400 m (0.59 acres) as against
4480-777: The 2nd century CE. Subsequently, the region was conquered by the Gupta empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, and their southern neighbours, the Vakataka 's. The rock-cut temples at Bagh Caves in the Kukshi tehsil of the Dhar District show the presence of the Gupta dynasty in the region, supported by the testimony of a Badwani inscription dated to the year of 487 CE. The attacks of the Hephthalites or White Huns brought about
4592-702: The 6th/5th century BCE, the growing state of the Magadhas emerged as the predominant power in ancient India, annexing several of the Janapadas of the Majjhimadesa. A bitter line in the Puranas laments that Magadhan emperor Mahapadma Nanda exterminated all Kshatriyas , none worthy of the name Kshatriya being left thereafter. This refers to the Kasis, Kosalas, Kurus, Panchalas, Vatsyas and other neo-Vedic tribes of
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4704-532: The Adivasis. The various Bhil languages are Indo-Aryan languages spoken by 50 lakh Bhils of western Madhya Pradesh. Although many, especially in the eastern parts of their range, have adopted the regional languages as mother tongue, the languages are still strong in the far-western hills especially Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur districts where they are in the majority. Bhili , the Bareli languages and Bhilali are
4816-677: The Assakas from that of the Mulakas (or Alakas). The country of Assaka lay outside the pale of Madhyadesa . It was located on a southern high road, the Dakshinapatha . At one time, Assaka included Mulaka and abutted Avanti. The country of the Avantis was an important kingdom of western India and was one of the four great monarchies in India in the post era of Mahavira and Buddha, the other three being Kosala , Vatsa and Magadha . Avanti
4928-401: The Assakas was Potana or Potali, which corresponds present-day Bodhan in Telangana and Paudanya of Mahabharata . In Maharashtra its capital is located in Potali which corresponds to present day Nandura, Buldhana district. The Ashmakas are also mentioned by Pāṇini. They are placed in the north-west in the Markendeya Purana and the Brhat Samhita . The river Godavari separated the country of
5040-502: The Bhagvati list is of later origin and therefore less reliable." The first reference to the Angas is found in the Atharvaveda where they find mention along with the Magadhas , Gandharis and the Mujavats, apparently as a despised people. The Jaina Prajnapana ranks Angas and Vangas in the first group of Aryan people. It mentions the principal cities of ancient India . It was also a great center of trade and commerce and its merchants regularly sailed to distant Suvarnabhumi . Anga
5152-410: The British merged the Nagpur Province with the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories to form the Central Provinces . During the 1857 uprising , rebellions happened in the northern parts of the state, led by leaders like Tatya Tope , Rani Avantibai Lodhi . However, these were crushed by the British and the princes loyal to them. The state witnessed a number of anti-British activities and protests during
5264-411: The Gandharas and Kambojas were cognate people. It is also contended that the Kurus, Kambojas, Gandharas and Bahlikas were cognate people. According to Dr T. L. Shah, the Gandhara and Kamboja were nothing but two provinces of one empire and were located coterminously, hence influencing each other's language. Naturally, they may have once been a cognate people. Gandhara was often linked politically with
5376-433: The Gandharas were destroyed by Pramiti (a.k.a. Kalika) at the end of Kali Yuga . Pāṇini mentioned both the Vedic form Gandhari as well as the later form Gandhara in his Ashtadhyayi . The Gandhara kingdom sometimes also included Kashmira . Hecataeus of Miletus (549–468) refers to Kaspapyros (Kasyapura or Purushapura, i.e., modern day Peshawar) as a Gandharic city. According to Gandhara Jataka, at one time, Gandhara formed
5488-432: The Ganges basin consists of the Son , the Tons and the Rihand Rivers. Son, which arises in the Maikal hills around Amarkantak , is the largest tributary that goes into the Ganges on the south bank and that does not arise from the Himalayas . Son and its tributaries contribute the bulk of the monsoon flow into the Ganges, because the north bank tributaries are all snow fed. The forests in their basins are much richer than
5600-428: The Hindi languages, similar to Awadhi or Chhattisgarhi . In the southeast is spoken Chhattisgarhi and Powari is the language of the far south, both Eastern Hindi languages. Most speakers of these languages consider them to be dialects of Hindi and so report their language as 'Hindi' on the census. Marathi is another significant language. Due to Maratha rule over much of what is now Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
5712-413: The Jana people for a settled way of life. This process of settlement on land had completed its final stage prior to the times of the Buddha and Pāṇini . The Pre-Buddhist northern Indian sub-continent was divided into several Janapadas, demarcated from each other by boundaries. In Pāṇini's "Ashtadhyayi", Janapada stands for country and Janapadin for its citizenry. Each of these Janapadas was named after
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#17327823537155824-450: The Kambojas appear to have crossed the Hindukush and planted colonies on its southern side also. These latter Kambojas are associated with the Daradas and Gandharas in Indian literature and also find mention in the Edicts of Ashoka . The evidence in the Mahabharata and in Ptolemy 's Geography distinctly supports two Kamboja settlements. The cis-Hindukush region from Nurestan up to Rajauri in southwest of Kashmir sharing borders with
5936-432: The Kosalas and Videhans find mention in Vedic texts and appear to have been a closely allied people. The Matsya Purana and Alberuni spell Kashi as Kausika and Kaushaka respectively. All other ancient texts read Kashi. The country of Kosala was located to the north-west of Magadha, with its capital at Ayodhya . Its territory corresponded to the modern Awadh (or Oudh) in Central and Eastern Uttar Pradesh . It had
6048-428: The Kuru country was ruled by a titular chieftain (king consul) named Korayvya. The Kurus of the Buddhist period did not occupy the same position as they did in the Vedic period but they continued to enjoy their ancient reputation for deep wisdom and sound health. The Kurus had matrimonial relations with the Yadavas , the Bhojas, Trigratas, and the Panchalas. There is a Jataka reference to king Dhananjaya, introduced as
6160-509: The Magadhan empire. Vajji or Vṛji was a confederacy of neighbouring clans including the Licchavis and one of the principal mahājanapadas of Ancient India . The area they ruled constitutes the region of Mithila in Nepal and northern Bihar and their capital was the city of Vaishali . Both the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya and the Jaina text Bhagavati Sutra ( Saya xv Uddesa I) included Vajji in their lists of solasa (sixteen) mahājanapadas. The name of this mahājanapada
6272-452: The Mutiny, being rewarded with certain privileges and a hereditary salute of eleven guns . In 1866 he received the title of Maharaja , and the prefix Sawai in 1877. Bhan Pratap was succeeded on his death in 1899 by his adopted son, Sanwant Singh, a son of the Maharaja of Orchha. The state acceded to India on 1 January 1950, and became part of the state of Vindhya Pradesh , which was merged into Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956. Bijawar
6384-403: The Nalanda district of Bihar). The other names for the city were Magadhapura, Brihadrathapura, Vasumati, Kushagrapura and Bimbisarapuri. It was an active center of Jainism in ancient times. The First Buddhist Council was held in Rajagaha in the Vaibhara Hills. Later on, Pataliputra became the capital of Magadha. The Mallakas are frequently mentioned in Buddhist and Jain works. They were
6496-552: The Panchalas as following the Rajashabdopajivin (king consul) constitution. The country of the Surasenas lay to the east of Matsya and west of Yamuna . This corresponds roughly to the Brij region of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan . and Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh . It had its capital at Madhura or Mathura . Avantiputra, the king of Surasena, was the first among the chief disciples of Buddha, through whose help Buddhism gained ground in Mathura country. The Andhakas and Vrishnis of Mathura/Surasena are referred to in
6608-425: The Pench, the Kanhan rivers, discharge an enormous volume of water into the Godavari river system. The Godavari basin consists of sub-tropical , semi-moist forests, mainly in the valley of the Indrawati. There are many important multi-state irrigation projects in development, including the Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects . Madhya Pradesh is divided into the following agro-climatic zones: Madhya Pradesh
6720-402: The Puru lineage, was the eponymous ancestor of the Kurus and the founder of Kururashtra (Kuru Janapada) in Kurukshetra. The country of the Kurus roughly corresponded to the modern Thanesar , state of Delhi , and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh . According to the Jatakas , the capital of the Kurus was Indraprastha (Indapatta) near modern Delhi which extended seven leagues. At Buddha's time,
6832-440: The area of the ancient Avanti Mahajanapada , whose capital Ujjain (also known as Avantika) arose as a major city during the second wave of Indian urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. Subsequently, the region was ruled by the major dynasties of India. The Maratha Empire dominated the majority of the 18th century. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War in the 19th century, the region was divided into several princely states under
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#17327823537156944-432: The capital of the Avanti kingdom . Other kingdoms mentioned in ancient epics – Malava , Karusha , Dasarna and Nishada – have also been identified with parts of Madhya Pradesh. Chandragupta Maurya conquered northern India around 320 BCE, establishing the Mauryan Empire , which included all of modern-day Madhya Pradesh. Ashoka the greatest of Mauryan rulers, conquered it, bringing
7056-407: The capital of the state. The new states of Madhya Bharat , Vindhya Pradesh , and Bhopal were formed out of the Central India Agency. In 1956, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh , and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi -speaking southern region Vidarbha , which included Nagpur, was ceded to Bombay state . Jabalpur was chosen to be the capital of the state but at
7168-424: The census of 2011, 90.9% of residents followed Hinduism , while minorities are Muslim (6.6%), Jain (0.8%), Buddhists (0.3%), Christians (0.3%), and Sikhs (0.2%). Madhya Pradesh is home to several pilgrimage sites including Amarkantak at the source of the Narmada and the Ghats of Omkareshwar , also on the Narmada. Temples can be found throughout the state. Buddhism and Jainism were once prominent religions in
7280-429: The collapse of the Gupta empire, which broke up into smaller states. The King Yasodharman of Malwa defeated the Huns in 528, ending their expansion. Later, Harsha (c. 590–647) ruled the northern parts of the state . Malwa was ruled by the south Indian Rashtrakuta Dynasty from the late 8th century to the 10th century. When the south Indian Emperor Govinda III of the Rashtrakuta dynasty annexed Malwa, he set up
7392-418: The country's 26th highest per-capita income of ₹ 109,372. Madhya Pradesh ranks 23rd among Indian states in human development index . Rich in mineral resources, Madhya Pradesh has the largest reserves of diamond and copper in India. 25.14% of its area is under forest cover. Its tourism industry has seen considerable growth, with the state topping the National Tourism Awards in 2010–11. In recent years,
7504-420: The dominant regional languages while their own tongues are considered 'backward' and 'rural'. The following languages are taught in schools in Madhya Pradesh under the Three Language Formula: First language: Any Scheduled Language Second language: Hindi, Urdu or English Third language: Another Scheduled Language, Arabic , Persian , French , Russian Religion in Madhya Pradesh (2011) According to
7616-419: The east Panjab of whom nothing was ever heard except in the legend and poetry. (The Nandas usurped the throne of Shishunaga dynasty c. 345 BCE , thus founding the Nanda Empire .) The Kambojans and Gandharans, however, never came into direct contact with the Magadhan state until Chandragupta and Kautilya arose on the scene. But these nations also fell prey to the Achaemenids of Persia during
7728-415: The end of the 14th century, independent regional kingdoms re-emerged, including the Tomara kingdom of Gwalior and the Muslim Sultanate of Malwa , with its capital at Mandu . The Malwa Sultanate was conquered by the Sultanate of Gujarat in 1531. In the 1540s, most parts of the state fell to Sher Shah Suri , and subsequently to the Hindu king Hemu . Hemu, who had earlier served as the General of
7840-401: The exceptional form of derivative" he gives to denote the ruler of the Kambojas implies that the king of Kamboja was a titular head ( king consul ) only. According to Buddhist texts, the first fourteen of the above Mahajanapadas belong to Majjhimadesa ( Mid India ) while the last two belong to Uttarapatha or the north-west division of Jambudvipa . In a struggle for supremacy that followed in
7952-622: The family of one of his subordinates there, who took the name of Paramara . The Medieval period saw the rise of the Rajput clans, including the Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand along with the Lodhis . The Chandellas built the majestic Hindu-Jain temples at Khajuraho , which represent the culmination of Hindu temple architecture in Central India. The Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty also held sway in northern and western Madhya Pradesh at this time. It also left some monuments of architectural value in Gwalior. Southern parts of Madhya Pradesh like Malwa were several times invaded by
8064-654: The first century CE , located on the trade routes between the Ganges plain and India's Arabian Sea ports. The Satavahana dynasty of the northern Deccan and the Saka dynasty of the Western Satraps fought for the control of Madhya Pradesh during the 1st to 3rd centuries CE. The Satavahana King Gautamiputra Satakarni inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Saka rulers and conquered parts of Malwa and Gujarat in
8176-637: The former princely state of Jaipur in Rajputana , and included the whole of Alwar with portions of Bharatpur . The capital of Matsya was at Viratanagara (modern Bairat ) which is said to have been named after its founder king Virata. In Pali literature, the Matsyas are usually associated with the Surasenas. The western Matsya was the hill tract on the north bank of the Chambal . A branch of Matsya
8288-494: The last moment, due to political interference Jabalpur sacrificed his place of Capital but then Bhopal was made the state capital. In November 2000, as part of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act, the southeastern portion of the state split off to form the new state of Chhattisgarh . Madhya Pradesh literally means "Central Province", and is located in the geographic heart of India in between
8400-518: The latitude of 21.6°N–26.30°N and longitude of 74°9'E–82°48'E. The state straddles the Narmada River , which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundaries between the north and south of India. The highest point in Madhya Pradesh is Dhupgarh , with an elevation of 1,350 m (4,429 ft). The state is bordered on
8512-530: The main tributaries of the Yamuna. Shipra River is one of the most sacred rivers of Hinduism. It is the site of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela , which is held every 12 years. Shipra is stretched across Indore, Ujjain and Dewas. The land drained by these rivers is agriculturally rich, with the natural vegetation largely consisting of grass and dry deciduous forest types, largely thorny. The eastern part of
8624-592: The major varieties spoken in the state. Gondi is the second-largest Adivasi language, spoken by 11 lakh Gonds in the state. A Dravidian language related to Telugu , it is mainly spoken in the southern Satpura highlands of Mahakoshal, where it is spoken with the regional languages. Some in the more remote valleys of the Satpuras speak a poorly-described Dravidian dialect called Bharia . Smaller minorities of Gondi speakers can be found in Khandwa and Dewas districts in
8736-695: The members of which called themselves rajas . The Mallakas appeared to have formed an alliance with the Licchhavis for self-defense but lost their independence not long after Buddha's death and their dominions were annexed to the Magadhan empire. The country of the Matsya or Macchā tribe lay to the south of the Kurus and west of the Yamuna , which separated them from the Panchalas. It roughly corresponded to
8848-643: The modern-day name Itaha, on the outskirts of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh . The wool of the Gandharis is referred to in the Rigveda . The Gandharas and their king figure prominently as strong allies of the Kurus against the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. The Gandharas were furious people, well-trained in the art of war. According to Puranic traditions, this Janapada was founded by Gandhara , son of Aruddha,
8960-503: The national average of 700 m (0.17 acres). The forest cover is less dense in the northern and western parts of the state, which contain the major urban centres. Variability in climatic and edaphic conditions brings about significant difference in the forest types of the state. In January 2019 1.5 million volunteers in the state planted 66 million trees in 12 hours along the Narmada river . The major types of soils found in
9072-647: The neighboring regions of Kashmira and Kamboja . Kambojas are also included in the Uttarapatha. In ancient literature, the Kamboja is variously associated with the Gandhara , Darada and the Bahlika ( Bactria ). Ancient Kamboja is known to have comprised regions on either side of the Hindukush . The original Kamboja was located in eastern Oxus country as neighbor to Bahlika, but with time, some clans of
9184-407: The northern part of January remains between 15 and 18 °C. The climate is generally dry and pleasant with a clear sky. The average rainfall is about 1,194 mm (47.0 in). The southeastern districts have the heaviest rainfall, some places receiving as much as 2,150 mm (84.6 in), while the western and northwestern districts receive 1,000 mm (39.4 in) or less. According to
9296-799: The origin of Kurus from the Puru - Bharata family. Kuru was born after 25 generations of Puru's dynasty, and after 15 generations of Kuru, Kauravas and Pandavas were born. Aitareya Brahmana locates the Kurus in Madhyadesha and also refers to the Uttarakurus as living beyond the Himalayas. According to the Buddhist text Sumangavilasini, the people of Kururashtra (the Kurus) came from the Uttarakuru. Vayu Purana attests that Kuru , son of Samvarsana of
9408-534: The population is tribal. According to the 2011 census, the tribal population in Madhya Pradesh was 15.34 million, constituting 21.1% of the total population. There were 46 recognised Scheduled Tribes and three of them have been identified as "Special Primitive Tribal Groups" in the State. Madhya Pradesh ranks 33rd on the Human Development Index with a value of 0.606 (2018). The state's per-capita gross state domestic product (nominal GDP)
9520-835: The region under firmer control. After the decline of the Maurya empire, the region was contested among the Sakas , the Kushanas , the Satavahanas , and several local dynasties during the 1st to 3rd centuries CE. Heliodorus, the Greek Ambassador to the court of the Shunga King Bhagabhadra erected the Heliodorus pillar near Vidisha. Ujjain emerged as the predominant commercial centre of western India from
9632-511: The region. It is the main source of water and acts as a lifeline to the state. The Vindhyas form the southern boundary of the Ganges basin, with the western part of the Ganges basin draining into the Yamuna and the eastern part directly into the Ganges itself. All the rivers, which drain into the Ganges, flow from south to north, with the Chambal , Shipra , Kali Sindh , Parbati , Kuno , Sind , Betwa , Dhasan , Ken and Sunarrivers being
9744-633: The reign of Cyrus II (558–530 BCE) or in the first year of Darius . Kamboja and Gandhara formed the twentieth and richest satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. Cyrus II is said to have destroyed the famous Kamboja city called Kapisi (modern Begram ) in Paropamisade . The kingdom was located in the region around its capital Varanasi , bounded by the Varuna and Asi rivers in the north and south which gave Varanasi its name. Before Buddha, Kasi
9856-461: The river Ganges for its southern, the river Gandak (Narayani) for its eastern, and the Himalaya mountains for its northern boundary. Later, the kingdom was ruled by the famous king Prasenajit during the era of Mahavira and Buddha, followed by his son Vidudabha ( Virudhaka ). King Prasenajit was highly educated. His position was further improved by a matrimonial alliance with Magadha: his sister
9968-422: The second with Pava (modern Fazilnagar , 20 kilometres (12 mi) southeast of Kushinagar) as the capital – had become very important at the time of Buddha. Kuśināra is very important in the history of Buddhism since Lord Buddha took last meal at Pava. Buddha was taken ill at Pava and died at Kusinara. It is widely believed that Lord Gautam died at the courtyard of King Sastipal Mall of Kushinagar. Kushinagar
10080-479: The sixth to fourth centuries BCE, during the second urbanisation period. The 6th–5th centuries BCE are often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history . During this period, India's first large cities since the demise of the Indus Valley civilization arose. It was also the time of the rise of sramana movements (including Buddhism and Jainism ), which challenged the religious orthodoxy of
10192-660: The south Indian Western Chalukya Empire which imposed its rule on the Paramara kingdom of Malwa. The Paramara King Bhoja (c. 1010–1060) was claimed to be a renowned polymath . The small Gond kingdoms emerged in the Gondwana and Mahakoshal regions of the state. Northern Madhya Pradesh was conquered by the Turkic Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. After the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate at
10304-430: The southern high road called Dakshinapatha which extended from Rajagriha to Pratishthana (modern Paithan ). Avanti was an important centre of Buddhism and some of the leading theras and theris were born and resided there. King Nandivardhana of Avanti was defeated by king Shishunaga of Magadha. Avanti later became part of the Magadhan empire. The Chedis, Chetis or Chetyas had two distinct settlements of which one
10416-739: The southern. Its tributaries include the Banjar, the Tawa , the Machna , the Shakkar , the Denwa and the Sonbhadra rivers. The Tapti River runs parallel to Narmada, and also flows through a rift valley. The Narmada–Tapti systems carry an enormous volume of water and provide drainage for almost a quarter of the land area of Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada river is considered very sacred and is worshipped throughout
10528-415: The state are Jabalpur and Gwalior . Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state by area and the fifth largest state by population with over 72 million residents. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the east, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest. The area covered by the present-day Madhya Pradesh includes
10640-791: The state are: Madhya Pradesh is home to eleven National Parks ; Bandhavgarh National Park , Kanha National Park , Satpura National Park , Sanjay National Park , Madhav National Park , Van Vihar National Park , Mandla Plant Fossils National Park , Panna National Park , Pench National Park and Dinosaur National Park, Dhar. There are also a number of nature reserves, including Amarkantak , Bagh Caves , Balaghat , Bori Natural Reserve, Ken Gharial, Ghatigaon , Kuno Palpur , Narwar , Chambal , Kukdeshwar, Chidi Kho, Nauradehi , Pachmarhi , Panpatha, Shikarganj, Patalkot, and Tamia . Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve in Satpura Range, Amarkantak biosphere reserve and Panna National Park are three of
10752-650: The state's GDP growth has been above the national average. In 2019–20, state's GSDP was recorded at 9.07. Madhya Pradesh means "the central province" in Hindi . Isolated remains of Homo erectus found in Hathnora in the Narmada Valley indicates that Madhya Pradesh might have been inhabited in the Middle Pleistocene era. Painted pottery dated to the later mesolithic period has been found in
10864-551: The state, especially in the central plateau near Raisen and Bhopal. Malwa is still home to a significant Jain minority. Jains are particularly concentrated in the urban centres of the Malwa region. Islam arrived with Muslim rule in the 14th century, although its influence was and is limited to major urban centres. Islam is a major religion in Bhopal and Burhanpur, and Bhopal is home to many prominent Islamic shrines. Buddhism in modern times
10976-613: The states of Madhya Bharat , Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal to form the new Madhya Pradesh state, the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region was removed and merged with the Bombay State . This state was the largest in India by area until 2000, when its southeastern Chhattisgarh region was designated a separate state. Madhya Pradesh's economy is the 10th-largest in India, with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹ 9.17 trillion (US$ 110 billion) and has
11088-646: The thorn forests of the northwestern part of Madhya Pradesh. After the formation of Chhattisgarh State, the major portion of Mahanadi basin now lies in Chhattisgarh. Presently, only 154 km basin area of Hasdeo River in Anuppur District lies in Madhya Pradesh. The Satpuras , in the Gawilgarh and Mahadeo Hills , also contain a watershed, which is south facing. The Wainganga , the Wardha ,
11200-405: The village Kosam, 38 miles from Prayagraj ). Kausambi was a very prosperous city where a large number of wealthy merchants resided. It was the most important entrepôt of goods and passengers from the north-west and south. Udayana was the ruler of Vatsa in the 6th-5th century BCE. He was very powerful, warlike and fond of hunting. Initially king Udayana was opposed to Buddhism , but later became
11312-521: The west and the Lohas and Rishikas of Sogdiana / Fergana in the north, constituted the Parama-Kamboja country. The trans-Hindukush branch of the Kambojas remained pure Iranian but a large section of the Kambojas of cis-Hindukush appears to have come under Indian cultural influence. The Kambojas are known to have had both Iranian as well as Indian affinities. The Kambojas were also
11424-500: The west as well as Anuppur, Sidhi and Singrauli districts in the east. Elsewhere in the state, the Gonds have almost totally abandoned their original language. Korku , a Munda language , has over 400,000 speakers in the central highlands of the state. In the far-southeast of Burhanpur can be found some speakers of the language isolate Nihali who live among the Korku. All speakers of tribal languages face significant pressure to switch to
11536-440: The west by Gujarat , on the northwest by Rajasthan , on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh , on the east by Chhattisgarh , and on the south by Maharashtra . Madhya Pradesh also has three major seasons – Summer, Monsoon, and Winter. During summer (March–June), the temperature in the entire state ranges above 34.6 it has increased as it is all-time high in Madhya Pradesh. In general, the eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh are hotter than
11648-448: The western parts. The regions like Gwalior, Morena and Datia record temperatures of over 42 °C in May. The humidity is relatively very low and the region usually experiences frequent mild dust storms. The southwest Monsoon usually breaks out in mid-June and the entire state receives a major share of its rainfall between June and September. The south and south-east regions tend to experience
11760-490: The world came to seek higher education. Pāṇini, the Indian genius of grammar and Kautiliya are the world-renowned products of Taxila University. King Pukkusati or Pushkarasarin of Gandhara in the middle of the 6th century BCE was the contemporary of king Bimbisara of Magadha. Gandhara was located on the northern high road ( Uttarapatha ) and was a centre of international commercial activities. According to one group of scholars,
11872-418: Was 74.32% compared to a state average of 69.32%. Male literacy was 82.23% but female literacy was only 65.43%. Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh ( / ˌ m ɑː d j ə p r ə ˈ d ɛ ʃ / ; Hindi: [ˈməd̪ʱjə pɾəˈdeːʃ] ; lit. ' Central Province ' ) is a state in central India . Its capital is Bhopal , and its largest city is Indore . Other major cities of
11984-545: Was annexed by Magadha in the time of Bimbisara . This was the one and only conquest of Bimbisara. The country of Assaka or the Ashmaka tribe was located in Dakshinapatha or southern India. It included areas in present-day Andhra Pradesh , Telangana , and Maharashtra . In Gautama Buddha 's time, many of the Assakas were located on the banks of the Godavari River (south of the Vindhya mountains). The capital of
12096-536: Was derived from one of its ruling clans, the Vṛjis. The Vajji state is indicated to have been a republic. This clan is mentioned by Pāṇini , Chanakya and Xuanzang . The Vatsas or Vamsas are called to be a branch of the Kurus . The Vatsa or Vamsa country corresponded with the territory of modern Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh . It had a monarchical form of government with its capital at Kausambi (identified with
12208-431: Was divided into north and south by the river Narmada . Initially, Mahishamati (Mahissati) was the capital of Southern Avanti, and Ujjaini (Sanskrit: Ujjayini) was of northern Avanti, but at the times of Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the capital of integrated Avanti. The country of Avanti roughly corresponded to modern Malwa , Nimar and adjoining parts of today's Madhya Pradesh . Both Mahishmati and Ujjaini stood on
12320-546: Was in the mountains of Nepal and the other in Bundelkhand near Kausambi . According to old authorities, Chedis lay near Yamuna midway between the kingdom of Kurus and Vatsas . In the mediaeval period, the southern frontiers of Chedi extended to the banks of the river Narmada . Sotthivatnagara, the Sukti or Suktimati of Mahabharata , was the capital of Chedi. The Chedis were an ancient people of India and are mentioned in
12432-449: Was married to Bimbisara and part of Kasi was given as dowry. There was, however, a struggle for supremacy between king Pasenadi (Prasenajit) and king Ajatashatru of Magadha which was finally settled once the confederation of Liccavis became conquered by Magadha. Kosala was ultimately merged into Magadha when Vidudabha was Kosala's ruler. Ayodhya , Saketa , Banaras , and Sravasti were the chief cities of Kosala. The Puranas trace
12544-485: Was the most powerful of the sixteen Mahajanapadas. Several jataka tales bear witness to the superiority of its capital over other cities in India and speak highly of its prosperity and opulence. These stories tell of the long struggle for supremacy between Kashi and the three kingdoms of Kosala , Anga and Magadha . Although King Brihadratha of Kashi conquered Kosala , Kashi was later incorporated into Kosala by King Kansa during Buddha's time. The Kashis along with
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