Introduction

Bundelkhand lies between the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the north and the Vindhya Range to the south. It is a gently-sloping upland, distinguished by barren hilly terrain with sparse vegetation, although it was historically forested. The plains of Bundelkhand are intersected by three mountain ranges, the Vindhya, Fauna and Bander chains, the highest elevation not exceeding 600 meters above sea-level. Beyond these ranges the area is further diversified by isolated hills rising abruptly from a common level, and presenting from their steep and nearly inaccessible scarps eligible sites for forts and strongholds of local kings.

Sub Regions  

Yamuna Strip: The northern most part of Bundelkhand, along the Yamuna, is a narrow ravine strip, which is thinly inhabited and traditionally infested with dacoits.

Bundelkhand Plain: As we move southwards, we come across vast flatlands of the Bundelkhand Plain, running across Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda districts and parts of Mahoba and Chitrakoot districts. Soil quality and topography vary as we move from west to east, and the plain can be divided into Jalaun, Hamirpur and Banda plains. In the western most part of the Jalaun plain, the soil is sandy. The central and eastern parts of the plain are well served by canal irrigation. Agriculture productivity is relatively high. The Banda plain is one of the most fertile areas of Bundelkhand. The eastern part of the Banda plain, which falls under Chitrakoot district, is however dissected by deep channels of minor rivers, flowing towards the Yamuna; here the soil is of poor quality and agriculture production is poor.  Moving south, we come across an intermediate sub-region between Bundelkhand Plains and Bundelkhand Upland.

Bundelkhand Intermediate: Most of Jhansi, Lalitpur, Tikamgarh and Chhatarpur districts fall in the Bundelkhand Intermediate region. Most of this sub region has light black soils; its eastern corner, in Chhatarpur district, is most suited for high productivity agriculture.

Bundelkhand Plateau : South of the intermediate region, lies the Bundelkhand Upland or plateau , covering southern parts of Lalitpur, Tikamgarh and Chitrakoot districts and Panna district. This plateau is characterised by large tracts of rocky wastelands and undulating terrain, which enables natural or manmade storage of water. A large number of manmade structures, built several centuries ago, are found in Tikamgarh tehsil, which thus boasts of relatively high agricultural productivity. 

Eastern Forests: In the eastern portion of Bundelkhand Upland, we see two different kinds of forested areas. The first, in Panna district, is a narrow belt of flat-topped hill ranges with steep cliffs. This area was once thickly forested; it is still Bundelkhand’s most forested region, with a large tribal population, but due to decades of overexploitation and poor management, much of the jungle is of poor quality.

Patha Plateau: As its name suggests, the Patha is a rocky region, cut by deep valleys of torrential rivers that are dry a few months after the monsoons. Much of the region is covered by scrub forests, is thinly populated and till the 1980s, was largely inaccessible. The majority of the population is of Kol tribals. Agriculture is done on stretches of thin soil cover.

Sagar Plateau: The southernmost part of Bundelkhand is formed by the Sagar and Damoh plateaus, which truly speaking do not belong to the region. The Sagar Plateau forms the eastern edge of the Malwa plateau. It rises about 1,400 feet and is bound by the Narmada River. A good amount of black cotton soil is found in this sub region. Black cotton soil is also found in the Damoh plateau, which belongs to the Vindyachal-Baghelkand region, and is part of a series of stepped plateaus girdled by massive hill ranges called Bharner and Kaimur.  A part of this upland, traversed by a river called Sonar, is relatively level. Damoh town is located in this portion.