Mahanadi, Betwa, Indrawati Rivers

Mahanadi 



The 857km long Mahanadi originates from a hill in the Sihawa mountain range situated southeast of Raipur. Before ending its journey in the Bay of Bengal, near Cuttack in Orissa, the Mahanadi flows from Raipur via Bilaspur, Bastar and Raigarh in Madhya Pradesh.
On the Mahanadi is one of the largest dams in India – the 4.8km long Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur, Orissa.
The tributaries of the Mahanadi are the Shivnath, Hasdo, Mand and the Ib on the left bank, and the Jonk, Ung and Tel on the right bank. In the Matsya and Brahma Puranas, ancient Hindu scriptures, the Mahanadi has been referred to as Chitrotpala.


 Betwa River



Originating in the Kumra village in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, the river Betwa flows for 380km. After meandering through Madhya Pradesh, it enters the neighbouring state, Uttar Pradesh, and joins the river Yamuna in Hamirpur. The Betwa takes along with it the water of the eastern Malwa plateau. The tributaries of Betwa are Bina, Yamini, Dhasan and Ken. In ancient times, the Betwa was known as Vetrawati.


 Indrawati River



Starting from Bastar, this river flows westward for a distance of around 40km before forming the magnificent Chitrakoot waterfalls near Jagdalpur. Indrawati derives its name from Indra, the God of Rain.

The Legendary Tale

The Legendary Tale



Princess Narmada (the river) was the daughter of King Maikal (the mountain). Maikal announced that the prince who could bring Gulabkawali – a flower supposed to have the power to cure all kinds of eye ailments – would be the ideal match for his daughter. Prince Shona brought Gulabkawali, but he took much longer to get it than he was supposed to. But Princess Narmada was so impressed by the attractive Shona that she decided to marry him and sent her hairdresser, Johila, to inform Shona about her feelings. Prince Shona, who had never seen Narmada, mistook the beautiful Johila to be Narmada and started flirting with her. When Johila didn’t return for a long time, Narmada became impatient and went to see what had delayed Johila. Seeing Johila with Shona angered Narmada so much that she went away towards the west. When Shona discovered his folly, he jumped off the mountain Amarkantak, in despair, and wandered eastwards through jungles. Later, he returned and married Johila, while Narmada remained a maiden.

One of the major tributaries of the river Ganga, the Sone is 780km long with a drainage basin of 17,900sq km. The Sone joins the Ganga in Danapur in Bihar, and its main tributaries are Johila, Banas and Gopat.

Sone River

Sone River



Sone is also called Maikalsut (whose source is in Maikal) as it originates from a mountain called Amarkantak in the Maikal Ranges. In ancient times, Sone was known as Shona. The Narmada also originates from Amarkantak, though it flows westward, while Sone journeys towards the east. A legend explains why these two rivers flow in opposite directions.

Shipra River

Shipra River



The Shipra starts her journey in the Vindhya Range from a hill called Kokri Tekdi situated at a distance of 11km from Ujjain. This river is 195km long, out of which 93km flow through Ujjain. It then touches Ratlam and Mandsaur, before joining the river Chambal. The main tributaries of Shipra are Khan and Gambhir.

The Shipra has been mentioned not only in ancient Hindu texts, like the Puranas, but in Buddhist and Jain scriptures as well. Legend has it that once Lord Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe, went begging, using the skull of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe, as a begging bowl. Nowhere in the three worlds did he manage to get any alms. Ultimately, he went to Vaikunth, or the seat of Lord Vishnu, and asked Lord Vishnu for alms. In return, Lord Vishnu showed Lord Shiva his index finger, which enraged the latter. Lord Shiva took out his trishul, or trident, and cut Lord Vishnu’s fingers. The Preserver’s fingers began to bleed profusely, and the blood accumulated in Brahma’s skull and soon overflowed from it. The flow became a stream and finally a river – the Shipra. The Puranas, or ancient Hindu texts, also suggest that the Shipra originated from the heart of Varaha, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as a boar. Also on the banks of the Shipra is Sage Sandipani’s ashram, or hermitage where the blue god, Krishna, Lord Vishnu’s eighth incarnation, had studied.

Tapti/Tapi River

Tapti/Tapi River



Apart from the Narmada, the Tapti is the only river that flows westward and falls into the Arabian Sea, in the Gulf of Khambat, to be precise. The 724km long Tapti is agriculturally very important as it drains an area of over 65,145sq km spread over Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This river originates at a height of 762m in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh (to the south of the Satpura Range). The Tapti journeys almost parallel to the Narmada, though it is much shorter in length than the Narmada and has a smaller catchment area.

According to the Puranas, ancient Hindu texts, , the Tapti is the daughter of the Sun god, Surya, who created her to save himself from his own intense heat. Tapti is also known as Tapi (taken from the Sanskrit word taap, which means heat). In the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata, it is mentioned that Tapti had married Sanvaran, a legendary hero of the Moon Dynasty. They had a son called Kuru, from whom the Kuru Dynasty started.

Chambal River

Chambal River



The 965km long Chambal is the largest and most important river of western MP. This river was referred to as Punya in the 4th century b.c. epic, the Mahabharata, and as Charmanavati in the Puranas which are ancient Hindu texts.It is said that King Ranti Dev (one of the successors of King Bharata, Lord Rama’s brother) had sacrificed cows to honour his guests. The blood that oozed out of the cows’ charmas (skin) turned into a river named Charmanavati.

The river Chambal originates from the Janapav Mountain in the Vindhya Range, and flows northeast through Ujjain, Ratlam and Mandsaur, before entering Rajasthan. It reenters Madhya Pradesh after meandering through parts of Rajasthan and touches Moraina and Bhind. Here are the infamous Chambal Ravines that have been and still are the safest refuge for dacoits.

Narmada River

Narmada River




The Narmada gained national prominence in the recent past when the Indian government proposed to build a dam on the river (seeAmarkantak – Narmada & Sone: Perennial Streams of Culture under Madhya Pradesh). The Narmada is an important river as it happens to be the most sacred of the five holy rivers of India; the other four being Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari and Kaveri. It is believed that a dip in any of these five rivers washes ones sins away. According to a legend, the river Ganga is polluted by millions of people bathing in it. To cleanse herself, Ganga acquires the form of a black cow and comes to the Narmada to bathe in its holy waters.


Narmada - The Lifeline of Madhya Pradesh



Earlier known as Reva and Mahakalasuta, the Narmada is also referred to as the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. Originating in Amarkantak, the highest peak of the Vindhya Range, it flows westward through Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat before finally ending its journey in the Gulf of Khambat.
The 1300km long Narmada is the fifth longest river in India, and the oldest. Kalidasa, the 4th century poet, writes about the Narmada in his love poem, Meghdoota, which is about a yaksha (tree spirit) who was banished to Madhya Pradesh. The yaksha sent messages to his beloved in the Himalayas through the clouds.

Two of the most well-known historical cities along the banks of the Narmada are Mahismati (present Maheshwar) and Tripuri (present Tewar in Jabalpur district). Archaeological findings in these regions indicate that human habitation existed here in very ancient times.

There are many fables about the origin of the Narmada. According to one of them, once, Lord Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe, meditated so hard that he started perspiring. Shiva’s sweat accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the form of a river – the Narmada. Another legend has it that two teardrops that fell from the eyes of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the Universe, yielded two rivers – the Narmada and the Sone.

Education in Madhya Pradesh

Education in Madhya Pradesh

The state of Madhya Pradesh has a well managed education system in the country. Schools in the state are either affiliated to the state board of secondary education or to the CBSE or ICSE. The schools run by the state government use Hindi as their medium of instruction; however schools affiliated to CBSE or ICSE use English as their medium of study.

The government has adopted the free and compulsory education policy to provide primary education to all children up to the age of 14. The state follows a uniform structure of school education i.e. the 10+2 system that is also adopted by other states and union territories of India.

Madhya Pradesh has 13 state universities, 3 deemed universities, 8 medical colleges and a good many number of engineering and management institutions. The state’s literacy rate figures 64.11% according to 2001 census report. The government is taking all possible steps to revamp the education system of the state.

Various projects are also running by NGOs to overcome the problem of illiteracy in remote villages. The state is getting tremendous success in this regard in the recent period.

Food of Madhya Pradesh

Food of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh Food is characteristic of typical north Indian cuisine. Roti is the staple food of the state. The vegetables are cooked with tomato and onion as the major ingredients. Generally spicy and rich, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food are cooked.

Arts & Culture of Madhya Pradesh

Arts & Culture of Madhya Pradesh


Madhya Pradesh is home to majority of India's tribal population who, in most cases, live apart from mainstream India. The Gonds tribe is found in the jungles south of Jabalpur. On the west lives the Bhils, while the Oraons inhabit the eastern part of the state. The Bhils get their name from a Dravidian word for bow, which is the hallmark of the tribe.

Despite the encroaching influence of 20th century urban life, the tribals have largely managed to retain their own way of life, relatively untouched by modernization. However, besides the original tribes of the region, a number of other people belonged to different ethnicity has settled in the major centers of the state for varied reason.

The art and craft of the state is unique from region to region. A long heritage of tradition continues to add a highly distinctive, individualistic touch to the crafts of Madhya Pradesh.

The state is famous for its hand printing, generally with vegetable dyes. The major hand printing centers of the state includes, Jawad, Bhairongarh, Mandsaur, Umedpura, Burhanpur, Bhopal Indore, Gotampura, Sohawal, Tarapur and many more. Garments, bedspreads, tablecloths and curtain material are produced at Umedpura and Tarapur in Nandana prints that were once in vogue amongst the villagers of the legendary Nimar plain. From Bhairongarh come printed quilt covers in attractive colors and designs, lungies, odhanis, jajams (floor coverings), bedspreads and tablecloths. Tie and dye chunris are the specialty of Tarapur and Mandsaur. Textile weaving in Madhya Pradesh is as refined as the hand printing craft. Soft, subtle shades in delicate weaves come off the looms in Chanderi, near Gwalior.

The famous Chanderi sarees some of them with gold checks and rich gold border along with two gold bands on the pallav, give each saree a special touch. The craftsmanship of the famous Maheshwari sarees has a wide variety of checks. Madhya Pradesh is also famous at producing tussar silk handloom fabrics. Skilled craftsmanship of Madhya Pradesh also displayed in a variety of zari embroidered (gold and silver threads) articles.

There are zari wall hangings, handbags, sarees and splendid brocade borders. Carpet weaving center of Gwalior, in Madhya Pradesh is regarded as Mecca of crafts.

Madhya Pradesh is not only the geographical center stage of India it also occupies a similar position in India's traditional heritage of music. Genius like Tansen who perfected the dhrupad style of singing was born here. Moreover, the Gwalior Gharana of Madhya Pradesh is a famous name in the world of Indian classical music today.

Festivals of Madhya Pradesh

Festivals of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh celebrates almost all the festivals of Hindu solar calendar. Besides the usual Hindu festivals, there are festivals that are unique from region to region. The Bhagoria or the spring festival of Jhabua, Shivaratri of Khajuraho, Bhojpur, Pachmarhi and Ujjain, Ramnavami of Chitrakoot and Orchha and the famous Khajuraho dance and music festival (tourism festival) are some of the festivals need to be mentioned here. The Pachmarhi festival is the storehouse of the rich tribal and folk cultural extravaganza. The attire again differs here from region to region and tribe to tribe. Though the most common among them is the usual Indian saree for women and kurta pyjama for men.

Gwalior Fort

Gwalior Fort

History

If there is one thing you can’t escape in Gwalior, it’s the fort. Perched high on a rocky massif, the imposing fort with its blue tiled palace is visible from each and every corner of the city of Gwalior.

Regarded as North and Central India’s most impregnable fortress, the Gwalior Fort was built by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century. In the five hundred years since then, the Gwalior Fort has changed hands many times- it has been held by the Tomars, Mughals, Marathas and British, who finally handed it over to the Scindias. With a turbulent and pretty eventful past, the Gwalior Fort spreads out over an area of 3 square km and is built at a vantage height of 100 m above the city. The fort is bounded by solid walls of sandstone, which encloses three temples, six palaces and a number of water tanks.

The southern path of the fort is bounded by rock faces with intricate carvings of the Jain tirthankars. As you enter the fort, you’ll see lots more to impress and interest you.

Among the Gwalior Fort’s most prominent palaces is the amazingly ornate Man Singh Palace, built by Man Singh towards the end of the 15th century. This is an impressive structure that clings to the very edge of the fort, its façade embellished with blue ceramic tiles. The palace of Raja Man Singh forms the backdrop for an excellent ‘son-et-lumiere’ (sound and light) show held here every evening. It is amongst the best in the country and vividly recreates an era and brings to life the history of the Fort and the love story of Raja Man Singh and his Queen Mrignayani. 

Within the fort also lies the Scindia School, a famous residential school for boys established by the erstwhile Maharaja of Gwalior over one hundred years ago. 

The Gujari Mahal is a 15th century palace built by Raja Man Singh for his beloved Gujar (tribal) Queen, Mrignayani. It is now an archaeological museum with an impressive collection of exhibits some dating back to the 1st century AD.

Of the temples in the Gwalior Fort, the most famous are the Teli-ka-Mandir- a 9th century shrine towering to a height of over 100 ft. It is built in a unique blend of South Indian architecture with North Indian decorative motifs and is notable for its profusely sculpted exterior.

On the eastern side of the fort are the twin Saas-Bahu Temples,commonly believed to be dedicated to mother-in-law and daughter-in-law but, in fact, dedicated to ‘Sahasrabahu’, ‘the thousand-armed’ Lord Vishnu. Both these temples made for a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are richly embellished examples of 11th century temple architecture. The Chaturbhuj Mandir, a Vaishnavite shrine dating back to the 9th century also lies in the fort.

Other palaces within the Gwalior Fort which are worth seeing include the Karan Palace, the Jahangir Mahal, and the Shahjahan Mahal.

The Mughal emperor Babar referred to the Gwalior Fort as 'the pearl amongst fortresses in India' and although you may beg to differ, you will probably agree that this, the dominating feature of Gwalior’s skyline, is definitely a citadel worth seeing.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit the place is from autumn of October to the spring at the end of March. The monsoon months can also be enjoyed as the environment becomes green and the air is fresh and cool.

Trivia

The Man Singh Palace, despite its picture-pretty appearance, has a somewhat gory history. It is believed that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned and later murdered his brother Murad here. 

Equally grisly is the Jauhar Kundhere, which marks the spot where the women of the harem burnt themselves to death after the defeat of the king of Gwalior in 1232. 

Bagh Caves

Bagh Caves

Location : Approximately 50 km west of Mandu
Number of Caves : Five
Founded In:4th-5th century AD

Bagh Caves of Madhya Pradesh are counted amongst the finest specimens of Buddhist art and architecture in India. Located 50 km west of Mandu, this cluster of five caves falls on the road between Indore and Vadodara. The word 'cave' is incongruous, as these cave sanctuaries have not been naturally formed, but are actually rock-cut structures carved by the ancient artisans of the country. Bagh Buddhist Caves, like the caves at Ajanta, find shape on a perpendicular rock face of a hill.

These five Buddhist caves are situated on the bank of Baghini River and lie approximately seven km from the village of Bagh, in the Kukshi Tehsil of Dhar District. According to legends, before being discovered, they served as home to many tigers. Hence, they got the name 'Bagh', which means 'Tiger' in Hindi. Later, these caves also served as residential places, meditation centers and religious congregation sites for Buddhist monks.

 

Thus, one can notice preponderance of Buddhist mysticism in these cave sanctuaries. There are residential cells inside, along with a large central cell enshrining a Buddhist stupa at the back end, which served as the 'chaitya' or prayer hall. Bagh Caves also hold numerous sculptures of Buddha and Boddhisattvas within their precincts. A painting of the Bodhisattva 'Padmapani' housed here exemplifies the Padmapani figure found in Ajanta.

Apart from this legendary painting of Padmapani, there are some traces of ancient murals and frescos by master painters of India. They exhibit vivid imagination and inventive spurts of these ancient painters and have striking resemblance to the paintings of Ajanta. In fact, these paintings are just a feeble glimpse of the rich paintings and frescos that once embossed its roofs and ceilings. Nevertheless, they are what still entail the popularity of the Bagh Caves.

Until recently, Bagh Buddhist caves were roughly assigned to 7th century, on the basis of their architectural style and style of painting. However, a copperplate grants inscription traced back the date of some of these caves to the 4th or 5th century A.D. Today, only five of the nine caves have survived the carnage of time and they still stand tall as one of the most marvelous vestiges of Indian rock-cut architecture. The beautiful delineation of art that finds expression in these caves makes them stand out as one of the most popular tourist draws of Madhya Pradesh.

Samchi Stupa

Sanchi Stupa

Sanchi is famous for outstanding specimen of Buddhist art and architecture, belonging to the period between the third century BC and the twelfth century AD. The most important of all the Sanchi monuments is the Sanchi Stupa. Stupas are large hemispherical domes, containing a central chamber, in which the relics of the Buddha were placed. The Sanchi Stupa is one of the best preserved early stupas in central India. The Sanchi Stupa is surrounded by a railing with four carved gateways facing all the four directions. 

During the Shunga period the Sanchi Stupa was enlarged and faced with stones and decorated with railings, staircase and a harmika on the top. Around the main Stupa, there is a path for circumambulation. This path is enclosed by a railing with gates at each of the four directions. The railings and gates of the Sanchi Stupa are richly sculptured with different motifs and designs. Another interesting characteristic about the Sanchi Stupa is that Lord Buddha has been symbolically represented by footprints, wheels, thrones etc rather than by his own image. The gateways of Sanchi stupas contain ornamented depiction of incidents from the life of the Buddha and his previous incarnations as Bodhisattvas described in the Jataka tales. The Buddha has been shown symbolically in the form of tree or through other inanimate figures. 

The Stupa at Sanchi is one the most wonderful structures of ancient India. It has been included by the UNESCO as one of the heritage sites of the world. The Sanchi Stupa is a fine example of the development of the Buddhist architecture and sculpture beginning from the 3rd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D. The site of Sanchi was discovered in the year 1818 by General Taylor and an archaeological museum was established in 1919y Sir John Marshall.

History of Gwalior

 History of Gwalior

Legend has it that some 2000 years ago, a Rajput chieftain Suraj Sen was cured of leprosy by the water from a hilltop pool at the insistence of the hermit saint Gwalipa, who lived nearby. The grateful nobleman built a fort on the hill naming it Gwalior in honour of the saint. The pool was named Suraj Kund but its medicinal properties seem to have faded away with time. References to the great fort can be traced back to 425 AD. Several Rajput clans ruled Gwalior at different times, notable amongst them being the Kachawahas, Pariharas and Tomars. Iltutmish, the second sultan of the Slave dynasty of the Muslim Sultunate of Delhi, overthrew the Hindu kingdom of the Pariharas in 1232.

The Tomar Rajputs retook Gwalior in 1398 and from then on the strategically located fort played a key role in moulding the history of Central India till India’s independence. Gwalior’s renowned ruler Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486 to 1516), stood up to the might of Sikandar Lodi of the Delhi Sultanate in 1505, but was finally overcome in 1517 after a yearlong siege by the Lodis. The fort was captured by the Mughals, who in turn lost it in 1754 to the powerful Maratha clan of the Scindias. A turbulent period till the early 18th century saw the fort change hands several times till the Scindias came back to power, albeit with the tacit approval of the British.

The plains around Gwalior was the scene of fierce fighting during the First Indian War of Independence in 1857 before the nationalist Indian soldiers led by Tantia Tope and the heroic Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi were defeated by the British. The Scindias ruled till India’s independence and during their rule, Gwalior saw great industrial and economic progress.

Brief History of Mandu (in Madhya Pradesh)

Brief History of Mandu (in Madhya Pradesh)

Mandu, also known as Mandav, rose into prominence in the eleventh century when Malwa became an independent kingdom under the Paramars. Their rule came to an end in 1304 when the Khiljis defeated the Paramars and Malwa was annexed to the Khilji Empire.

In 1401 the provincial governor Dilwar Khan Lodi declared his independence of Delhi. From 1401 to 1526, first the Ghoris and then the Khiljis ruled over Malwa, with Mandu as their capital. This period witnessed Mandu’s spectacular development. The elaborate fortifications, the seven-storey tower of victory, the marble Ashrafi Mahal, the great Jami Mosque, Hoshang Shan’s Tomb and the magnificent Jahaz Mahal were built. Then followed the conquest and annexation of Malwa, first by the Muslim rulers of Gujarat for a brief spell and then by Akbar the great Mughal.

Mahmud Shah (1436-1469) spent the major portion of his reign in wards against his neighbors, the rulers of Gujarat, Deccan, Jaunpur and Delhi. So great was his power that the Caliph of Baghdad and the sovereigns of Central Asia sent their embassies. He built several magnificent buildings including his own tomb, now styled as Ashrafi Mahal. But so incompetent were his architects and so hurried was the construction that his death was shortly followed by their disintegration.

His son and successor, Ghias-ud-Din, was so unfavorably impressed by his father’s fighting career that he swore never to wage wars. His reign of 31 years was devoted to peaceful pursuits.

In 1561, one of the great generals of Akbar defeated Baz Bahadur and occupied Mandu.

Brief History of Madhya Pradesh

Brief History of Madhya Pradesh  

Madhya Pradesh is associated with some famous names in Indian history. The great Emperor, Ashoka, began his career as the Viceroy of Ujjain. He laid the foundation of the Great Stupa at Sanchi in the third century B.C.

The Maurya Empire, of which Ashoka was the most famous ruler, collapsed shortly after his death. The Sungas became the dominant power in Central India in the second and first centuries B.C. It was during this period that the Great Stupa at Sanchi was enlarged and the other Stupas built.

The major portion of Central India formed part of the Gupta Empire (300 to 510 A.D.).  This period is known as the Golden Age and some of the most famous works of art in India date back to it. The earliest of the famous paintings in the Caves of Bagh were executed during the Gupta period. The Gupta Empire was shattered by the repeated invasions of the Huns, who occupied Malwa and the surrounding region.

In the first half of the seventh century, Central India formed part of the domains of the famous Emperor Harsha, during who reign the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang visited India. Hiuen

Tsang’s memoirs are a valuable source of Indian history. Harsha was a great warrior and defeated the Huns. He could put into the field 60000 war elephants and 100000 cavalry. But he was even more famed for his charity. Every five years, related Hiuen Tsang, the Great Emperor used to distribute among the poor all the treasures accumulated by him. Once at the end of the seventy-fifth day of charity, Harsha was so impoverished that he had to beg a second-hand garment from his sister for himself.

The close of the 10^th century was a period of confusion. The region around Mandu, known as Malwa, passed under the rule of theParamars, who were powerful at that time.Bhoja (1018-1060 AD.) was the greatest monarch of the Paramar dynasty. This great patron of art and literate is credited with the authorship of works on astronomy and architecture as well as poems. He constructed a vast lake, 250 sq miles in extent, to the south-east of Bhopal. This was one of the greatest feats of engineering in the Middle Ages. The massive embankments of the lake were cut by King Hoshang Shah of Mandu in the 15^th century and the waters were let out. The bed of the lake is now a fertile plain.

The Chandella rulers, who built the famous temples at Khajuraho, are believed to have been a clan of aboriginal chiefs related to the Gonds, who were later promoted to the rank of Kshatriyas (the warrior caste). Their greatest ruler was King Dhanga (954-1022 A.D.), who lived for more than a hundred years and was famed for his skill as a warrior and for building splendid temples.

In 1197 the Hindu Raja of Gwalior was defeated by Mohammad Ghori and his domains were finally incorporated into the sultanate of Delhi in 1231. For the next three centuries, until the establishment of the Mughal Empire, the Hindu Maharaja s and the Muslim Sultans fought against each other constantly. Whenever the Delhi Sultanate was weak, the Hindu Maharajas asserted their independence. Thus, Gwalior was under the sway of the Hindu Tomar Kings in the fifteenth century and many notable monuments in the Gwalior Fort were built byRaja Man Singh between 1486 and 1516.

Mandu became the seat of an independent Muslim kingdom in the first decade of the fifteenth century. Its most famous ruler, King Hoshang Shah, fought his neighbors successfully throughout his reign of 27 years. Another famous ruler of Mandu was Mahmud Shah. The last of the Mandu Sultans, Baz Bahadur, is famous not for his valor in battle but for the story of his tragic love.

Central India formed part of the Mughal Empire until the rise of the Marathas during the reign of Aurangzeb, the last of the Great Mughals (1658-1707 A.D.). Though Aurangzeb extended the boundaries of the Mughal Empire to the Deccan, but so great was the drain on the imperial resources that the Empire collapsed after his death.

The Marathas, who were originally peasants, rose against Aurangzeb and were very skilful at guerilla warfare. Shivaji, the celebrated hero of the Marathas, carried his depredations into Central India. The Marathas obtained virtual sovereignty over the territory between the Chambal and the Narmada rivers. The whole of Central India soon passed under the control of the Marathas. The great Maratha generals, Madhoji Scindia, who died in 1794, was the most powerful figure at that time, and it appeared that the Marathas could even cross swords with the rising British power. But after his death, the Maratha confederacy broke up.

The new city of Lashkar dates back to 1809 when Daulat Rao Scindia pitched his camp at a place south of the Fort. Lashkar means army camp. The modern city contains two fine palaces, the Jai Vilas and the Moti Mahal.