History of Madhya Pradesh

2021-06-26T03:23:43Z

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[[File:Rock_Shelter_8,_Bhimbetka_02.jpg|thumb|The [[Bhimbetka rock shelters|rock shelters of Bhimbetka]] exhibit the earliest traces of human life on the [[Indian subcontinent]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/925/|title=Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2019-02-16}}</ref>]]
The history of the Indian state [[Madhya Pradesh]] is divided into three periods - the ancient period, the medieval period and the modern period.

During the ancient period, the region was dominated by the [[Nanda Empire]], the [[Maurya Empire]], and the [[Gupta Empire]].

The medieval period saw the rise of [[Rajput clans]] including the [[Paramara dynasty|Paramara]] and [[Chandela]] clans, the latter is known for constructing the [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|temples of Khajuraho]]. The [[Malwa Sultanate]] also ruled during this period.

The modern period in Madhya Pradesh saw the rise of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] empires, and later, the [[British Raj|British Empire]].

The British [[princely state]]s of [[Gwalior State|Gwalior]], [[Indore State|Indore]], and [[Bhopal State|Bhopal]], were a part of modern Madhya Pradesh. The British rule continued until the middle of the 20th century, when India [[Independence Day (India)|gained independence]] in 1947. The state of Madhya Pradesh was [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956|formed]] in 1956, and [[Chhattisgarh]] was carved out from the state in 2000.

==Ancient History==
[[Image:Stupa 1, Sanchi 02.jpg|thumb|The [[Sanchi|Sanchi Stupa]] at Sanchi, [[Madhya Pradesh]] built by emperor [[Ashoka]] in the third century BCE.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/524/|title=Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2019-02-16}}</ref>|alt=]]

The [[Bhimbetka]] caves show evidence of [[paleolithic]] settlements in present-day Madhya Pradesh.<ref name=":0"/> [[Stone Age]] tools have also been discovered at various places along the Narmada river valley.{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=1}} [[Rock shelters]] with [[cave painting]]s, the earliest of which can be dated to 30,000 BCE, have also been discovered at a number of places.{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=2}} The settlements of humans in present-day Madhya Pradesh developed primarily in the valleys of rivers such as [[Narmada]], [[Chambal River|Chambal]], and [[Betwa River|Betwa]].{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=3}} [[Chalcolithic]] sites of the [[Malwa culture]] have been discovered at a number of places including [[Eran]], [[Kayatha]], [[Maheshwar]], [[Nagda]], and [[Navdatoli]].{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=1}}

During the early [[Vedic period]], the [[Vindhya]] mountains formed the southern boundary of the [[Aryavarta|Indo-Aryan territory]]. ''[[Rigveda]]'', the earliest extant Sanskrit text, does not mention the Narmada river. The 4th century BCE grammarian [[Pāṇini]] mentions the [[Avanti (India)|Avanti]] [[janapada]] in central India. It mentions only one territory lying to the south of Narmada: the [[Ashmaka]].{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=3}} The Buddhist text ''[[Anguttara Nikaya]]'' names the sixteen [[mahajanapada]]s, of which Avanti, [[Chedi Kingdom|Chedi]] and [[Vatsa]] occupied parts of Madhya Pradesh. The ''[[Mahavastu]]'' mentions another kingdom called [[Dasharna]] in the eastern [[Malwa]] region. The [[Pali language]] Buddhist works mention several important cities in central India, including Ujjeni ([[Ujjayani]]), Vedisa ([[Vidisha]]) and Mahissati ([[Mahishmati]]).{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|pp=4-5}}

According to ancient texts, Avanti was ruled successively by the [[Heheya Kingdom|Haihaya dynasty]], the Vitihotra dynasty (a branch of the Haihayas) and the [[Pradyota dynasty]]. Under the Pradyotas, Avanti became a major power of the Indian subcontinent.{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=5}} It was later annexed by [[Shishunaga]] into the [[Magadha]] empire.{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=6}} The [[Shishunaga dynasty]] was overthrown by the [[Nanda dynasty|Nandas]], who were replaced by the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryans]].{{sfn|Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya|1977|p=6-8}}

== Mauryans and their successors ==
[[File:Varahavtar Panel.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Udayagiri Caves]] date back to the fifth century CE.]]
The city of [[Ujjain]] arose as a major center in the second wave of Indian urbanization in the sixth century BC, and served as the chief city of the kingdom of [[Malwa]] or Avanti. Further east, the kingdom of [[Chedi Kingdom|Chedi]] lie in Bundelkhand. [[Chandragupta Maurya]] united northern India c. 1500 BCE, establishing the [[Maurya Empire]] (1500 to 185 BCE), which included all of modern-day Madhya Pradesh. King Ashoka's wife was said to come from [[Vidisha]]- a town north of today's Bhopal. The Maurya Empire went into decline after the death of [[Ashoka]], and Central India was contested among the [[Saka]]s, [[Kushana]]s, and local dynasties during the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. Ujjain emerged as the predominant commercial center of western India from the first century BCE, located on the trade routes between the [[Ganges]] plain and India's [[Arabian Sea]] ports. It was also an important [[Hindu]] and [[Buddhist]] center. The [[Satavahana]] dynasty of the northern [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] and the Saka dynasty of the [[Western Satraps]] fought for the control of Madhya Pradesh during the 1st to 3rd centuries CE.

The south Indian king [[Gautamiputra Satakarni]] of the [[Satavahana dynasty]] inflicted a crushing defeat upon the [[saka]] rulers and conquered parts of Malwa and Gujarat in the 2nd century CE.<ref>Ramesh Chandra Majumdar. ''Ancient India'', p. 134</ref>

Northern India was conquered by the [[Gupta empire]] in the 4th and 5th centuries, which was India's "classical age". The [[Parivrajaka dynasty|Parivrajaka]] and the [[Uchchhakalpa dynasty|Uchchhakalpa]] dynasties ruled as feudatories of the Guptas in Madhya Pradesh. The [[Vakataka]] dynasty were the southern neighbors of the Guptas, ruling the northern [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] plateau from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. These empires collapsed towards the end of the 5th century.

== Middle Kingdoms and Late Medieval period (c. 230 BCE – 1526 CE) ==
[[File:Khajuraho_Jeveri_Temple_2010.jpg|thumb|[[Javari Temple, Khajuraho|Javari Temple]] at [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|Khajuraho]]. The temples at Khajuraho were built by the [[Chandela|Chandela kingdom]] in the 10th and 11th centuries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/240/|title=Khajuraho Group of Monuments|last=Centre|first=UNESCO World Heritage|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|access-date=2019-02-16}}</ref>]]
The attacks of the [[Hephthalite]]s or White Huns brought about the collapse of the Gupta empire, and India broke up into smaller states. A king [[Yasodharman]] of Malwa defeated the Huns in 528, ending their expansion. King [[Harsha]] of [[Thanesar]] reunited northern India for a few decades before his death in 647. Malwa was ruled by the South Indian [[Rashtrakuta Dynasty]] from the late 8th century to the 10th century.<ref>Chandra Mauli Mani. ''A Journey through India's Past (Great Hindu Kings after Harshavardhana)'', p. 13</ref> The Medieval period saw the rise of the [[Rajput]] clans, including the [[Paramara]]s of Malwa and the [[Chandela]]s of Bundelkhand.

=== Gurjar clans ===

==== Paramaras ====
[[File:Shiva Temple, Bhojpur 01.jpg|thumb|The [[Bhojeshwar Temple]] in [[Bhojpur, Madhya Pradesh|Bhojpur]] built by the [[Bhoja|Raja Bhoj]].|alt=|left]]{{Further|Paramara dynasty}}
The Paramaras ruled between the 9th and 14th centuries CE. The Paramara king [[Bhoja]] (c. 1010–1060) was a brilliant [[polymath]] and prolific writer. He is famous for his patronage of the arts, and for commissioning [[Inscriptions of Bhoja|inscriptions found all over the region]]. The last known Paramara king, was [[Alauddin Khalji's conquest of Malwa|defeated and killed]] by the forces of [[Alauddin Khalji]] of [[Delhi Sultanate|Delhi]] in 1305 CE.

==== Chandelas ====
{{Further|Chandela dynasty}}[[File:257_Gwalior.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Gwalior Fort]] at [[Gwalior]] was expanded by several dynasties during the medieval and early modern periods. ]]
The Chandelas ruled between the 9th and the 13th centuries CE. They created the temple city of [[Khajuraho Group of Monuments|Khajuraho]] between c. 950 and c. 1050. The temple complex is famous for their erotic sculptures. The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions, [[Hinduism]] and [[Jainism]], suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views.

The Chandela power effectively ended around the beginning of the 13th century, following [[Chahamanas of Shakambhari|Chahamana]] and Ghurid invasions.

Northern Madhya Pradesh was conquered by the [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] [[Delhi Sultanate]] in the 13th century. After the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate at the end of the 14th century, independent regional kingdoms reemerged, including the [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Tomara kingdom]] of [[Gwalior]] and the Sultanate of Malwa, with its capital at [[Mandu, Madhya Pradesh|Mandu]].

=== Malwa Sultanate ===
{{Main|Malwa Sultanate}}
[[File:Rupmati_Mahal.jpg|thumb|Rupmati Pavilion at [[Mandu, Madhya Pradesh|Mandu]], built during the 15th century CE.|alt=|left]]
The [[Malwa Sultanate|sultanate of Malwa]] was founded by [[Dilawar Khan|Dilawar Khan Ghuri]], the governor of Malwa for the [[Delhi Sultanate]], who asserted his independence in 1392, but did not actually assume the ensigns of royalty till 1401. Initially [[Dhar]] was the capital of the new kingdom, but soon it was shifted to [[Mandu, Madhya Pradesh|Mandu]]. The Malwa Sultanate was conquered by the Sultanate of [[Gujarat]] in 1531. [[Malwa Sultanate|Malwa painting]] originated during this period.

== Early Modern period (1526–1858 CE) ==
[[File:Vedh_Shala,_Ujjain_01.jpg|thumb|[[Ved Shala|Jantar Mantar]], an 18th-century [[observatory]] at [[Ujjain]].|alt=]]
Most of Madhya Pradesh came under [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] rule during the reign of the emperor [[Akbar]] (1556–1605). Gondwana and Mahakoshal remained under the control of Gond kings, who acknowledged Mughal supremacy but enjoyed virtual autonomy. During the Mughal period, Gwalior became a center for music, and the home of the famous ''[[Gwalior gharana|Gwalior Gharana]]''.

After the death of the Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707, Mughal control began to weaken, and the [[Maratha]]s began to expand from their base in central Maharashtra.

In the 18th century, the [[Maratha Empire]] began to expand and gained large amounts of territory. The [[Battle of Bhopal]] was fought in Bhopal in 1737, where the Marathas defeated the Mughal forces. Large tracts of land in Malwa were ceded to the Marathas.

The Shindes ([[Scindia]]) of [[Gwalior]] ruled most of Gird region, the [[Holkar]]s of [[Indore]] ruled much of Malwa, and the [[Bhonsle]]s of [[Nagpur]] dominated [[Mahakoshal]] and [[Gondwana (India)|Gondwana]] as well as [[Vidarbha]] in Maharashtra. [[Jhansi]] was founded by a Maratha general. [[Bhopal State|Bhopal]] was ruled by a Muslim dynasty descended from the [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] General [[Dost Mohammad Khan, Nawab of Bhopal|Dost Mohammed Khan]]. Maratha expansion was checked at the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] in 1761.

== British Colonial period (1858–1947 CE) ==
[[File:FamineStrickenChildren_Jubbulpore_CP_1897.jpeg|alt=|left|thumb|Famine-stricken children at [[Jabalpur|Jubbalpore]], c. 1898. There were [[Timeline of major famines in India during British rule|numerous preventable famines]] during British rule in India, resulting in millions of deaths.]]
The [[United Kingdom|British]] were expanding their Indian dominions from bases in [[Bengal]], [[Bombay]], and [[Madras]], and the three [[Anglo-Maratha Wars]] were fought between 1775 and 1818. The [[Third Anglo-Maratha War]] left the British supreme in India. Most of Madhya Pradesh, including the large states of Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, [[Rewa (princely state)|Rewa]], and dozens of smaller states, became [[princely state]]s of [[British India]], and the Mahakoshal region became a British province, the [[Saugor and Nerbudda Territories]].

In 1853 the British annexed the state of [[Nagpur kingdom|Nagpur]], which included southeastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra and most of [[Chhattisgarh]], which were combined with the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories to form the [[Central Provinces]] in 1861. The princely states of northern Madhya Pradesh were governed by the [[Central India Agency]].

The British rule was marked by numerous famines. The first railway lines and airports were also built during this period.

== Post-Independence (1947 CE – present) ==
[[File:BHOPAL_(231583728).jpg|thumb]] state. The new states of [[Madhya Bharat]], [[Vindhya Pradesh]], and [[Bhopal State (1949–56)|Bhopal]] were formed out of the Central India Agency.

In 1956, according to the [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956|States Reorganization Act]], the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the [[Marathi language|Marathi]]-speaking southern region [[Vidarbha]], which included Nagpur, was ceded to [[Bombay state|Bombay State]]. Bhopal became the new capital of the state, and [[Ravishankar Shukla]] was elected as the first Chief Minister.

In December 1984, the [[Bhopal disaster]] killed more than 3,787 people and affected more than 500,000 people. A [[Union Carbide India Limited]] pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked around 32 tons of toxic gases, including [[methyl isocyanate]] (MIC) gas which led to [[List of industrial disasters|the worst industrial disaster to date]].

In November 2000, as part of the [[Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000|Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act]], the southeastern portion of the state split off to form the new state of [[Chhattisgarh]].

== See also ==
* [[List of forts in Madhya Pradesh]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book |author=Pranab Kumar Bhattacharyya |title=Historical Geography of Madhya Pradesh from Early Records |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |year=1977 |isbn=978-0-8426-9091-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=njYpsvmr2dsC&pg=PA1 }}

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History of Madhya Pradesh