Modern History

Arrival of the British : Towards the end of the 19th century, the power of the Pune Peshwa weakened considerably. The Holkars and Scindias fought among themselves to gain control over the Pune court. The then Peshwa, was compelled to take help from the British. In return, by the 1802 treaty of Bassein, the British gained control over Peshwa territories in Banda, Hamirpur and parts of Jalaun, which had been granted by Maharaj Chhatrasal. After 1802, many of the local rulers were granted sanads (leases) by the British, which entitled them to the lands they controlled at the death of Ali Bahadur, in return for the rulers signing a written bond of allegiance (ikrarnama) to the British. A political officer attached to the British forces in Bundelkhand supervised British relations with the sanad states. In 1806 British protection was promised to the Maratha ruler of Jhansi, and in 1817 the British recognized his hereditary rights to Jhansi state. In 1818 the Peshwa in Pune ceded all his rights over Bundelkhand to the British at the conclusion of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

The sanad states were organized into the Bundelkhand Agency in 1811, when a political agent to the Governor-General of India was appointed and headquartered at Banda. In 1818 the headquarters were moved to Kalpi, in 1824 to Hamirpur, and in 1832 back to Banda. The political agent was placed under the authority of the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, headquartered in Agra, in 1835. In 1849 authority over the Bundelkhand Agency was placed briefly under the Commissioner for the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories, who appointed a political assistant based at Jhansi. Shortly thereafter, authority over Bundelkhand was placed under the Resident at Gwalior, and the headquarters of the political assistant was moved to Nowgong, which remained until 1947. In 1853 the Raja of Jhansi died childless, and his territory was annexed to British Bundelkhand. The Jhansi state and the Jalaun and Chanderi districts were then formed into a superintendency. In 1854 Bundelkhand Agency was placed under the authority of the newly-created Central India Agency, headquartered at Indore.

Land Administration and deterioration of agriculture  : From 1809, a period of over-assessment of land revenue commenced in the Bundelkhand district. The severity of assessments was surpassed by methods of collection; corrupt officials and speculators acquired large fortunes and lands. The British had not understood the soil and climatic conditions of Bundelkhand, which made agriculture very vulnerable. Bad seasons followed from 1819, but revenue claims were not reduced. By 1830, the Bundelkhand district was reduced to a condition of 'general bankruptcy', reported the Jhansi district gazetteer.

Thugs and Background of Dacoits : However, the British could not provide a sound administration and enforce rule of law in Central India for several years. In the years of lawlessness, thugs wandered the roads of Central India and killed thousands of travelers in cold blood. Many of the thugs were peasants affected by this condition; the strongholds of their leaders were in the Chambal and Jalaun ravines, where dacoits operate even today. Repeated crop failures caused depletion of the population due to large-scale migration to the neighboring region of Malwa, or hunger-related death.

Revolt of  1857 :: A general uprising of local chiefs, landlords and peasants marked In Bundelkhand, 1857. From the 1820s onwards, there was a succession of revolts across India by tribal groups protesting against British forest policies that denied them access to land and forest resources. Landed interests also resented the British revenue regime. In 1835, Bundela chiefs and large landowners who resented tax increases and court proceedings that had deprived some of them of land, joined together under a descendant of Maharaj Chhatrasal called Raja Parikshit. After several skirmishes with British forces, they were overcome in Jaitpur (Mahoba) in 1842. Many princely families and erstwhile Mughal nobles were waiting for an opportunity to reestablish their power and wealth. The sepoys who actually sparked off the conflict in 1857 had their own grievances.

Rani Laxmibai : The widow of the Raja of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmi Bai, protested the annexation because she was not allowed to adopt an heir, and because the slaughter of cattle was permitted in the Jhansi territory. The Revolt of 1857 found Jhansi ripe for rebellion. In June a few men the 12th native infantry seized the fort containing the treasure and magazine, and massacred the European officers of the garrison. The Rani put herself at the head of the rebels, and they captured several of the neighboring British districts and princely states allied to the British. She died bravely in battle in Gwalior on June 17,1858. It was not till November 1858 that Jhansi was brought under British control.

Rule of British Crown :

Administration : Bundelkhand was considerably re-organized after the British Crown assumed charge of the India territories of the East India Company in 1858 .Two categories of princely states were created in Bundelkhand. In the first, called 'salute states', were large states including Orchha, Panna, Ajaigarh, Chhatarpur and Datia. In the second category were several smaller non-salute states. After some territory adjustments with Gwalior state, Jhansi came to be administered directly by British, as part of the United Provinces, along with Jalaun, Banda and Hamirpur districts. Sagar and Damoh districts became part of Central Provinces.

Development : British rule brought many benefits to directly administered territories. Railroads were constructed, initially as famine relief works, and eventually linked all district headquarters to major cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Among other major famine relief works were the construction of the Betwa and Ken canal irrigation systems. Government public schools were set up for the first time. A department of public health was created.

In princely state territories, a few rulers initiated some public welfare measures, such as repair and construction of tanks. Patronage of artistes continued - among the beneficiaries was Asgari Bai (1918-2006), one of India's greatest Dhrupad singers, who was with the Tikamgarh darbar for many years.

Freedom Movement :

Emergence of Congress :  Bundelkhand also joined the National freedom movement. A district Congress committee was established in Jhansi in 1916 and in Banda in 1920. Mahatma Gandhi addressed meetings in Jhansi in 1921 and 1929, and a Bundelkhand political conference was held under the presidentship of Motilal Nehru. Foreign cloth worth thousands of rupees was burnt at several places during the non-cooperation movement.

'Bundelkhand Gandhi & Bundelkhand Kesri': Bundelkhand is the home of two great Indian freedom fighters and the father of the freedom movement in the whole of bundelkhand, Dewan Shatrughan Singh ['Bundelkhand Gandhi & Bundelkhand Kesri'aka] & his wife Rani Rajendra Kumari, who belong to the Pratihar clan of the agnikula rajputs - the head of the Chaubisi These were the two fountain heads of the freedom movement in all of Bundelkhand. They also were the main patrons of revolutionaries like Chandrashekhar Azad who frequented their Castle in their native village of Maungrauth. The Rani defeated the sitting UP Chief Minister C.B. Gupta as an independent candidate. They were also the main inspiration behind the Bhoodaan movement in Bundelkhand and Maungraut changed the history of the movement by beecoming the first complete Gramdaan. They were contemporaries and friends of Jawaharlal Nehru, GB Pant,Bhagvandas dubey,LN nayak,ML goyal and other great freedom fighters.

Numerous scholars have done PhD's on the life of these 2 great Indian patriots. There is an annual mela on the birthday of these two stalwarts held annually in Maungrauth in December..They are now the subject of folk tales and songs highlighting their bravery and hailing them as symbols of Bundelkhandi valor. Shatrughan Singh and his Rani. They are still reverred by all including the rajputs in the area.

EMERGENCE OF REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT: Chandrashekhar Azad, disguised as a sadhu, directed his revolutionary activities first from Satar, in Orchha state, and then from nearby Jhansi, where he worked as a driver with the police. Manufacture of bombs, rifles and grenades began in Jhansi and in 1928, Bhagat Singh exploded his first test bomb in the forest of Babina. Revolutionary cells came up in Banda and Chitrakoot.

FREEDOM STRUGGLE IN PRINCELY STATES: Despite severe obstacles, freedom struggles were launched in princely states as well. On January 14, 1930, at a place called Charan Paduka, 50 km from Chhatarpur town, a large meeting was held to protest against princely rule. British forces dispersed the meeting with gunfire and a number of people were killed.

In Orchha state, the prominent freedom movement leader was Chaturbhuj Pathak, a Gandhian who was later involved with the mission to end dacoity in the Chambal ravines. Later, in 1947, another leader, Narayandas Khare, emerged. Khare was brutally killed on December 31, 1947; ten days later, the Orchha ruler conceded to the demand for a responsible government.

One member of the princely class who was involved in the freedom movement was 'Dewan’ Shatrughan Singh of Hamirpur. Initially with the revolutionary movement, he became a Gandhian and organised Congress activities in the district with his wife, Rani Rajendra Kumari. After Independence, they donated their estate in Maungrath village to Vinoba Bhave’s bhoodan movement; it was the first gramdaan village of India.