MPPSC - 2008

* ROAD NETWORK

2008-08-25T15:52:00.001-07:00

* Arts and Craft Madhya Pradesh

2008-08-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Arts and Craft Madhya Pradesh

¤ Bamboo work

Chances are when you visit MP you’ll actually find ‘the house with the bamboo door’. Bamboo thickets are a common sight in the state and the tribals are experts at putting it to use. Crafting bamboo articles for daily as well as decorative use is a popular pastime of the Gond, Baiga, Korku and Basor or Basod communities. You can buy anything from agricultural implements, fishing traps, hunting tools to baskets at local weekly markets. Apart from Chhattisgarh and Bastar, the main bamboo producing centres are Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla and Seoni.

¤ Carpet Weaving

Though MP never took centrestage in the fraught history of India, it could not remain entirely untouched by the happenings around it. Along with the Rajputs, Marathas and the British, the mighty Mughals too left their stamp on this vast state. Carpet-weaving which came to India from Persia, was a craft very dear to the Mughals. Thanks to their encouragement and patronage, Gwalior developed into a carpet-weaving centre.

The weavers here are undisputed masters of not only weaving but dyeing too. Alas, as elsewhere in India, colouring is now done more with synthetic colours instead of eco-friendly natural dyes. Woollen carpets in vibrant colours with both floral and geometric designs are a good buy.

¤ Dhurries

The floor coverings of Madhya Pradesh consist mainly of dhurries (flat-woven carpets) in a rich variety of designs. A dhurrie, essentially a thick cotton woven fabric, is made near Sironj. The technique of making these dhurries is quite primitive, but the colours and patterns more than make up for what they lack in finish. Dhurrie weaving is the domain of women in the rural homes of Sironj, Jhabua, Raigarh and Jabalpur. Especially in demand are the cotton and woollen punja dhurries, handwoven in various colours, with patterns based on kiln designs, geometric traditional motifs and animal and human figures.

¤ Dolls & Toys

Here are cute, colourful little dolls to give bland old Barbie a run for her money. These dolls are made out of small cloth pieces and are produced in Gwalior, Bhopal and Jhabua. Battobai’s (a craftswoman from Gwalior) dolls are known the world over and are exported in large numbers.

¤ Metalwork

You’ll hear the ironsmith’s hammer going clang-clang in every little hamlet of India, but what makes the metalwork of Madhya Pradesh unique is the creativity and spontaneity that the tribals breathe into it. The Gadhavs of Bastar, in their simplicity and isolation from the world of progress and modern civilization, bring forth their own unique view of life, nature and the gods through age-old processes of metalwork.

The Gond, Muria, Bhatra and Dhruva tribals traditionally offer iron horses, swings, trishuls (trident, the symbol of the Hindu god Shiva) to gods on fulfillment of their wishes. Exquisitely carved diyas are gifted to brides to take to their husband’s home.

These artefacts, known loosely as dhokra work, are predominantly hollow-cast and are produced by the lost-wax process, which has long been known to these pre-Aryan communities. It is by the free and rapid way in which they construct a model, unlike the fastidious waxwork of their counterparts to the south, that the tribal metalworkers are able to achieve their exciting castings.
The blacksmiths from southern Madhya Pradesh forge and hammer iron into a most delightful range of oil lamps, tools and statues that depict animals, birds and men. Using only a few tools and a simple furnace of a handful of coals, the smiths twist and bend the hot iron into expressive shapes. Such work now adorns many city homes and most foreigners love to carry a few pieces back to their country.

¤ Ornaments & Jewellery

All forms of adornment are dear to the hearts of tribals. The adivasis of MP are no exception. The intricate and artistic twisting of thread was itself considered an embellishment to round or octahedronal metal beads used in tribal communities. They often weave cotton thread into a broad band as a textured or patterned base, then loop in buttons, beads or metallic droplets intermittently.

The people of this state also delight in silver ornaments. However, articles of particular value are only displayed on weddings and, to a lesser extent, when visiting fairs and festivals. Ornaments made of beads, cowries and feathers are also part of tribal costumes. The major centres for folk ornaments are Tikamgarh, Jhabua and Sheopur-Kalan. The rural and tribal women folk of Malwa, Nimar and Bastar regions are exceptionally fond of ornaments, and both men and women wear them.

¤ Paintings

The art of painting in India goes back to prehistoric times. Evidence of this is rampant in the astounding cave paintings found in Madhya Pradesh.
Drawings on walls of caves and rock shelters served a twofold purpose: decorating homes and appeasing deities. While the adivasis (tribals) of yore traced simple, very basic forms to ward off evil spirits and disease, more sophisticated art survives in the Buddhist rock-carved monasteries of the middle of the first millennium AD, such as Ajanta in Maharashtra and Bagh in MP.

The Rathwa Bhils of MP and eastern Gujarat commonly install a deity in the form of a ritual wall painting within the home. Outside the sacred enclosure other paintings depict incidents from daily life, usually featuring horses.
The Bhils and Bhilala tribes of Madhya Pradesh paint myths related to creation called pithora paintings. Horses, elephants, tigers, birds, gods, men and objects of daily life are painted in bright multicoloured hues.

Another form of art, widely practiced in MP is the mandana. Auspicious diagrams are drawn on the floor with rice paste, coloured powder, flower petals or grains of rice, often with symbolic motifs set within floral and geometric patterns. These are meant to attract cosmic powers for the well being of the household in which it is done.
Mughal miniature paintings also figure as a footnote in MP because the Persians of the court of Malwa were enthusiastic patrons.

¤ Papier Mache

In Madhya Pradesh, the main centre for papier mache is Ujjain, but it is also practised in Gwalior, Bhopal and Ratlam. The Nagvanshi community, which makes mud toys and dolls, is also engaged in the making of papier mache articles.

The traditional expression of this craft was the creation of ornate articles like vases, figurines and icons. Today, craftspersons in Bhopal and Gwalior make statues, birds, animals and decorative panels. In Ujjain, the craft of papier mache brings to life different kinds of splendidly crafted birds with the artisans using natural colours to create exact replicas of living birds. Presently, the craftspersons are also experimenting with ways of creating decorative pottery and furniture in papier mache.

¤ Pottery

The terracotta pottery of Madhya Pradesh is simply remarkable, especially that practiced by the tribals of Bastar. Traditional statues of elephants, serpents, birds and horses from Bastar are incomparable in their simplicity and are offered to the local deity as an offering in lieu of sacrifice.

The Bhils of Jhabua and adjacent Chhota Udaipur in Gujarat also trust in animal offerings made from clay. Their potters mould distinctive clay horses, camels, elephants, tigers and bullocks that are then offered to a village deity or to a revered animal itself such as the tiger.
Set down in the sacred grove that always lies in a secluded spot near the settlement, the terracotta animals are clustered together in a jumble of new and old, all eventually disintegrating and returning to the earth in their turn.

Sarguja, Raipur and Raigarh have a charming tradition of decorative roof top tiles, made partly by hand moulding and partly on the wheel. These tiles, shaped like half tubes, have perched on top of them figures of elephants, monkeys, bears, reptiles, gods and goddesses and are considered a status symbol among the rural people.

¤ Stone-Carving

India's stone carving tradition is perhaps one of the richest in the world. The famous rock cut temples of Vidisha, the sculptured stone temples of Khajuraho, the monuments of Orchha and Gwalior, all stand testimony to the excellence and originality of the stone carvers of Madhya Pradesh. Each region has a distinct style. Gwalior specializes in jali (lattice) work, Jabalpur and Tikamgarh in decorative items such as statues of animals and human figures and Bastar in icons of tribal gods and goddesses and memorial pillars.

¤ Textile Weaving

Ancient texts speak of Madhya Pradesh as a famous centre of weaving between 7th century and 2nd century BC. Among the finest textures of northern India are the Maheshwari and Chanderi saris. Weavers settled in Maheshwar from Surat, Burhanpur and Banaras, at the insistence of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, who supported the growth of handloom weaving. The Maheshwari sari is gossamer thin - a delicate blend of silk and cotton yarn - made in tiny checks or stripes with a coloured border.

The Chanderi, widely woven in Guna, is also extremely fine but has a more intricately woven border (with motifs) than the Maheshwari. The weavers in both Chanderi and Maheshwar are Muslims, while Hindus take on the trading. As with most handlooms and handicrafts of India, weaving these saris is mostly a family affair.

Tussar silk woven by the Devangan community of Madhya Pradesh is known by its Sanskrit name kosa. Raigarh and Champa are important centres for tussar silk saris and fabrics.

¤ Textile Printing

Due to its strategic location as a central state that shares its border with many others, Madhya Pradesh has absorbed influences from most textile traditions of India. The tie-and-dye (bandhani) and block-printing traditions of Rajasthan and Gujarat are followed in Mandsaur, Indore and Ujjain. The Malwa and Nimar regions are renowned for their hand block-printed cotton while the textiles of Bagh, located in the Dhar district, are world-renowned.

Batik, a resist process in which the fabric is painted with molten wax and then dyed in cold dyes, is done on a large scale in Indore and Bherongarh. Multi-coloured batik saris, dupattas and bed sheets are popular for their contrasting colour schemes.

¤ Woodcarving

The art of woodcarving has flourished long in Madhya Pradesh, and the beautifully embellished wooden ceilings, doors and lintels with finely carved designs are silent testimonials to its glory. The wood carvers of Madhya Pradesh, with great sensitivity and skill transform different varieties of wood such as shisham, teak, dhudi, sal and kikar (a prickly tree that keeps its leaves all through the year and has yellow flowers and also called babul or subabul) into works of art.

The craftspersons of Bastar and Chattisgarh, Malwa, Nimar and Bundelkhand, Sheopur-Kalan, and Rewa also make pipes, masks, doors, window frames and sculptures. The state also offers a variety of painted and lacquered woodcraft items such as toys, boxes, bedposts, cradleposts and flower vases. The major centres of this art are Gwalior, Sheopur-Kalan (Morena), Rewa and Budhni (Raisen).

* Historical Information on Madhya Pradesh

2008-08-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Historical Information on Madhya Pradesh

The Ruling Dynasties Down The Years

Ancient Period
Dynasty : Mauryas (capital: Patliputta, in present Bihar) (Ancient)

Dynasty: Sungas (capital: Patliputta, in present Bihar), Era:-187 BC, Area & Expansion:-(approx) above (mentioned, right up to the area around the River Narmada.

Dynasty : Kanvas (capital: Vidisha; under Sunga suzerainty), Era:- 75BC, Area & Expansion:- Area around Vidisha.

Dynasty : Satavahanas and the Kshtrapas i.e., Ahartas and Kadmkas capital: various; from Sanchi to Ajmer to Pune), Era:- 1-3AD, Area & Expansion:- Both sides kept trying to outwit each other to rule the Malwa region.

Dynasty : Nagas (capital: unknown, though probably Gwalior. Despite the numismatic wealth left by the Nagas surprisingly little is known about them.), Era:- 3-4AD, Area & Expansion:- Their origins can be traced from Vidisha. Their reign stretched from a portion of Gwalior to Mathura. Also the Gangetic Plains and Bundelkhand

Dynasty : Vatakas (capital: Vidisha; at least to begin with), Era:- 2-4th century AD, Area & Expansion:- Depending upon the authority, it is a toss-up between Bundelkhand, and Vidharba. Also they ruled Satna and Panna till their last.

Dynasty : Guptas (capital: Patliputta), Era:- 4-5 th century AD
Area & Expansion:- The Guptas started in with Vidisha, then under Shaka rule. With some deft marital and martial relations they extended their empire as far down as Cattisgarh. After the fall of the Guptas lots of smaller dynasties, like Sooryas (Chattisgarh), Sharbhpuriayas (Sirpur), Pandus (Rajim) and others ruled limited areas of MP.

Dynasty : Parivajakas and Utkals (capital: Ucchkalpa; now Uccahara in Satna), Era:- 5-6th century AD, Area & Expansion:- Bundelkhand and Satna.

Dynasty : Aulikar (capital: Dashpur; now Mandsaur)
Era:- 5-6^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- Mandsaur, moving on to western Malwa.

Dynasty:- Mahismati Kalchuris
Era:- 6^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- An extremely small dynasty which was able to hold a surprisingly large area which included Malwa and Gujarat.

Dynasty:- Vardhanas and Chalukyas
Era:- 7^th century
Area & Expansion:- During this era these two powerful dynasties were uncomfortable partners in MP. and what’s more, at one time the two of the most powerful kings of the respective dynasties Harsha Vardhana and Pulakeshan II – were ruling at the same time. The area of the Vardhanas stretched from the Himalayas to the River Narmada and the realm of the Chalukyas – big surprise started from the river and stretched on to Southern India. Interestingly, this Harshavardhana is the same guy that the Chinese traveller Huien Tsang talks about in his book on India. At this same period another dynasty was ruling the Bastar area of MP, the Nalas.

Dynasty:- Rashtrakutas (capital: Vidarbha)
Era:- 747 AD
Area & Expansion:- In 747 AD, the Rashtrakutas moved from Vidarbha to take Malwa. Next they went to Ujjain and tried to stake a claim. What they did keep more successfully were the southern parts of MP.

Dynasty:- Gurjara-Pratiharas (capital: Marwar; later Kannauj)
Era:- 8^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- A branch of the Gurjara- Pratihara family headed by the famous Nagabhata ruled Malwa. In fact he single-handedly threw out insurgent Arabs from Avanti. His successors continued to rule Malwa and had a great reputation for standing no nonsense. When the scramble for supremacy broke out between them, the Palas of Bengal, and the Rashtrakutas of the south, the Gurjara-Pratiharas were defeated. However, they continued to rule a large chunk of Western and central India (including Gwalior and Kalinjar) from Kannauj.

Dynasty:- Tripura Kalchuris
Era:- 7-10^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- A member of the Mahismati Kalichuri family, Vamraj, first established his kingdom in the areas of Jabalpur, Satna, Rewa and Panna. There were about 14 kings in the family. There was also another branch of the exhaustive Kalichuri family, which was the Ratanpur Kalichuris. They lasted from around 890 AD till well into the 14^th century

Dynasty:- Paramaras
Era:- 946-1306 AD
Area & Expansion:- The Paramaras started making overtures at Malwa as the Gurjara-Pratihara power started faltering. The Rashtrakutas had earlier attempted to put a puppet Parmara king on the Malwa throne; this was however speedily nipped in the bud by the Gurjara-Pratiharas. In 946 AD the Paramaras under Varisingh II took Malwa with the help of the Rashtrakutas. His son managed to overthrow the overlordship of their powerful ally and established Paramara rule. The legendary King Bhoj (see Bhopal) was a later ruler of this dynasty.

Dynasty:- Chandelas
Era:- 925-1370AD
Area & Expansion:- Bundelkhand to start with. Yashovarman stretched this to Malwa region, while his son went ahead to take Vidisha and Gwalior too. However their disappearance from the scene of history was rather abrupt. After Prithviraj Chauhan defeated them, their luck just soured on them and they got beaten by everyone going. They hung around far-flung fortresses like Kalinjar for sometime after which they simply vanished.

Medieval Period

Dynasty:- Bundelas (Capital: Orchha)
Era:- 13^th-17^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- After the Chandelas vanished the Bundelas got their moment under MP’s rather harsh sun. Coming from Vidarbha, they took Bundelkhand and managed to keep it till Shah Jahan’s reign, thanks to a shrewd politically expedient policy of always keeping the big chief in Delhi happy. However, their tact finally ran out when the last Bundela King Jhujhar Singh managed to seriously offend Shah Jahan, whose armies then chased him out into the forests of Orchha and killed him.

Dynasty:- Chttrashal Bundelas
Era:- 17^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- That was however not the end of the Bundelas. Mughal rule was not very popular and soon a branch of the Bundelas, the Chttrashal Bundelas rebelled against them with the help of the Maratha warrior Shivaji. Over the next 50 years they were able to take back quite a big area of Bundelkhand back. Not for long, as the Mughals sent an army after them too. With the help of the Maratha Peshwa the Chttrashals were able to hang in there, however they had to ‘gift’ quite a bit of their land away to the Maratha.
Meanwhile in Malwa (Since Malwa always remained the most sought-after property for the rulers of the medieval period, it deserves a section in itself.)

Dynasty:- Ghauris (capital: Dhar and later Mandu)
Era:- 15^th century AD
Area & Expansion:- Since 1305AD Malwa, with its capital Dhar, had been under the control of the Tuglaqs in Delhi. In 1401AD however, all that changed, when the Ghauri governor Dilawar Khan and his son Alp Khan declared themselves independent.
Alp Khan changed his name to Hoshang Shah and while he was about it also changed his capital – to Mandu. The Ghauris did not rule for long. Within a year of Hoshang Shah’s grandson’s accession to throne, Mohammad Khilji poisoned him and became sultan. 1531-1561 AD In this period confusion reigned rife in Malwa.
The Khiljis weren’t able to hold Malwa for long. Mohammad Khan’s reign was so full of battles that there was nothing but a fatigued army left for his successor Mohammad II who was the last ruler of the dynasty.
(These Khiljis are not to be confused with the Khiljis of Delhi.) After they went west, the region became a battleground for the Mughals and the Gujarat Sultans. In the middle somewhere another Khilji (Kadir Shah) tried to declare independence from here, but was brushed aside by Sher Shah Suri’s army in 1542. Sher Shah Suri appointed Shujaat Khan governor of Mandu.
In 1554 Shujaat Khan’s son Bayzaad Khan succeeded and promptly declared himself independent. He took the name Baz Bahadur (of Roopmati fame; see Mandu). In 1561 AD the new immigrants the Mughals finally turned their attention to Mandu.

Dynasty:- Faroquis (capital: Burhanpur and Asirgarh)
Era:- 1457-1600AD
Area & Expansion:- Nimar, southern Malwa and Khandesh. This was one of the rare dynasties that Madhya Pradesh can really call its own.

Dynasty:- Mughals (capital: Agra and Delhi)
Era:- 1561-1761AD
Area & Expansion:- Akbar, the grand Mughal emperor, was the first Mughal to focus on Malwa.
He defeated Baz Bahadur quite convincingly. Baz Bahadur did try his luck again with Malwa, but was able to hold it for a very short time. Mandu was quite a hotspot with the Mughals (Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan) spending a lot of their time here. Under the efficient and firm control of the Mughals, Malwa remained peaceful and prospered till 1731AD, when it passed on to the Marathas.

Dynasty:- Gonds (capital: Jabalpur)
Era:- 1400-1742AD
Area & Expansion:- The origin of the Gonds is debatable. In 1400AD, as the Kalchuri power began to wane, they managed to establish themselves as an independent force. Gondwana,
as their realm was called, reached its peak under Sangram Shah (1480-1530AD). The area under
their control was throughout limited to Jabalpur - Bhopal. One of their important queens Rani Durgavati is still celebrated in Gond legends for her courage and valour.

Dynasty:- Kacchapaghatas (capital: Gwalior)
Era:- 1150-1196AD
Area & Expansion:- The origin of this dynasty is obscure. We have ample records about one of the kings Vajradaman though, thanks to the many inscriptions around the Gwalior fort. They were driven out of the fort by the Muslim invader Ghauri. After them, in the mid-12^tthcentury, the Gwalior-Shivpuri area was ruled for a short while by minor rulers.

Dynasty:- Tomaras (capital: Gwalior)
Era:- 1398-1754AD
Area & Expansion:- In 1398, after Timur the Lame’s sacking of Gwalior, the Tomaras took over the fortress of Gwalior.

Dynasty:- Bhonsles
Era:- 1742-1889AD
Area & Expansion:- Chattisgarh. In the middle from 1818-1830AD, the British were given control of this area under a treaty following the Third Maratha War (see History under India). However the Bhonsles managed to win it back. Not for long though as the British took this region back soon after, under their infamous Doctrine of Lapse policy.

Dynasty:- Holkars (capital: Indore)
Era:- 1703-present
Area & Expansion:- In the confused conditions prevailing following the collapse of the grand
Mughals and the subtle entry of the British in India, the Marathas started making overtures at Malwa. After many campaigns and taking of small regions, Malhar Rao Holkar finally established the Holkar dynasty with its seat at Indore. Technically of course, The Holkars no longer rule. In 1948, Tukoji Holkar gave up all claims to the throne and merged Indore with the sovereign republic of India.

Dynasty:- Scindias (capital: Gwalior)
Era:- 1732-present
Area & Expansion:- When Malwa passed on to the Marathas, they divided it among the Holkars, Scindias and Pawars. So along with Malhar Rao Holkar, Ranoji Scindia established himself in
Gwalior. On independence, Gwalior became part of the Indian Union.

A lot of the action of the 1857 Indian Uprising was staged around MP. This was largely because of the close ties that the Rani of Jhansi (in UP) had with Gwalior. However Gwalior itself never rebelled against the British. After the revolt, the British swiftly regained control over the area and that status quo remained till independence.

Throughout history, until as late as the coming of the British, Madhya Pradesh remained a sort of caravansarai of India. It was a resting spot for travellers, conquerors, messiahs and traders to stop a while, before going ahead to the Deccan. Maybe that’s why till John Malcolm wrote his A Memoir of Central India in 1824, this state remained a sort of forgotten entity.

As things turned out, it was all to the good. The state never got star billing in the scene of Indian history, but then nor was it ever a victim of foreign invasions, needless wars and bloodshed. For very long, much more than the south, central India was able to retain its inherent character and culture. Maybe that would explain why there are so many tribals here.

Tribes

Tribals in India are known as adivasis, or those ‘who came before’. They are regarded as the original inhabitants of India; civilization might have caught up with all of us but the adivasis, according to folklore, still live the way man used to before all that jazz.
Since the tribals in India have traditionally lived in forests and remote areas, their interaction with the townsfolk has been limited. An arrangement that seems to have suited everybody down the centuries. Nowadays of course things are different; the government has made active efforts to bring the tribals into the fold of civilized life. Much to the dismay of the anthropologists though!

Perhaps it is because of this isolation that, despite growing intolerance all around, the Chandelas were still building erotic temples in Khajuraho as late as the 12^th century AD. Also when the Muslims invaded and then finally settled in for a long rule in India, Khajuraho managed to escape their attention; had they been noticed, the temples would most certainly have been destroyed. In fact they were right there in the forests, just waiting to be discovered, when in 1838 a young British army engineer stumbled upon them (see Khajuraho for details).

A Contentment Among The People

Lack of incessant warfare, plenty of money and peace ensured that the people of Madhya Pradesh never had to struggle for basics, so life thrived here. The arts – music, dance, architecture, painting and so on - flourished. In fact Madhya Pradesh is much celebrated for its many love stories and quaint local legends. The most famous love story of them all is of course that of Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati (see Mandu for details).

History here is divided region-wise and cannot be clubbed under one head. At best MP can broadly be said to be Rajput-influenced in the north and Maratha in character in the south.

Dynasties

From the time of King Asoka of the Mauryan dynasty to that of the Guptas in the 4^th century AD, many dynasties came and went. Principal among them was the Sungas, the andhras, the Satavahanas, the Ksaptrapas and the Nagas. The all-pervading and all-invading Huns tried their luck in the Malwa region of the state, but it was simply too far away for them to hold for long. Then in the 7^th century AD it became a part of King Harshavardhana’s empire. In the 10^th century, a number of dynasties were cheek-to-jowl in various corners of the region; the Chandelas at Khajuraho and the Kachhawahas at Gwalior were the more prominent among these.

Dynasties again changed hands in the 11^th century, when the Muslims conquered Gwalior. By the 13^th century, the Khaljis had penetrated as far deep as the Malwa region. The grand Mughal Akbar annexed this area into his empire in the mid-16^th century.

From then on whatever few upheavals this state had been witness to, end. Madhya Pradesh became a tranquil oasis in the midst of chaos, great battles, and many other feats that might have gone ringing down in the annals of history but were not very conducive for serenity and hence good living.

With the fading of the Mughal power, the Scindia and Holkar dynasties of the Marathas ruled independently at Gwalior and Indore respectively during the 18^th century. When the British came to India some of the region’s ruling dynasties continued to rule under British protection. However, even then, Central Provinces (as it came to be called) was known to be one of the least troubled and most peaceful states.
After independence, the Central Provinces was re-organized and the modern state of Madhya Pradesh was created.

The Main Ruling Dynasties Now

The Scindias of Gwalior
The present scion of the family is Madhavrao Scindia. As with most royal families, the family is now divided into two bitter factions; one headed by the present Maharaja’s mother, the Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia, and sister, Princess Vasundhara Scindia, and the other by the Maharaja himself.
So much so that they are members of Parliament from different political parties: the Rajmata (Queen Mother) and the Princess represent the Bharatiya Janta Party and the Maharaja is a very popular Congress I member. (See Gwalior for details on the Scindias.)

The Holkars of Indore

The present Maharaja is half-American and is called Richard Holkar. His wife is also an American, Sally Holkar. Sally and Richard together have done a lot of work for the revival of the traditional arts and crafts of Indore. The famous Maheshwari sari owes its second lease of life to them.
However Richard and Sally have now separated and Sally has gone back to live in America. They have a young teenaged daughter Sabrina, who is pretty enough to be called ‘Sabrina fair’ and divides her time between India and America. Sabrina made much news recently when she bought a horse for 1,40,000 rupees ($ 3500/2335 pounds). (See Indore for details on the Holkars.)

The Nawabs of Bhopal

Bhopal, being Muslim, has a special character and charm of its own. Its style and personality is completely distinct from that of Indore and Gwalior. Under the British it was a 19-gun salute state. The present head of the Bhopal family is the reclusive Nawab Mahfooz Ali Khan.

Famous Rivers of Madhya Pradesh

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Famous Rivers of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh has numerous rivers, the important ones being Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Shipra, Sone, Mahanadi, Indrawati and Tapti. All these rivers have played a considerable role in making Madhya Pradesh what it is today – be it the cities, the culture, or the ravines.

¤ 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.

¤ 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.

¤ 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.

¤ 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.

¤ 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.

¤ 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.
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.

¤ 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.

Awards & Honours

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STATE-LEVEL AWARDS

S.No.	Name of Award	Institution year	Award Amount	Faculty for which this award is instituted
1.	Shikhar Samman (Literature)	1980-81	Rs. 62000/-	For excellent work in literary field
2.	Shikhar Samman (for Performing Art)	1980-81	Rs. 62000/-	In the field of music, theater, dance and folk Art
3.	Shikhar Samman (for Performing Art)	1980-81	Rs. 62000/-	Excellent work in the field of plastic Art

NATIONAL AWARD

S.No.	Name of Award	Institution year	Honorarium	Faculty for which this award is instituted
4.	Mahatma Gandhi Award	1995-96	Rs. 10.00 lakh	To an institution who is working according to Gandhi Philosophy and Ideology
5.	Kabir Award	1986-87	Rs. 3.00 lakh	In the field of Indian poetry
6.	Tansen Award (Classical Music)	1980-81	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of Hindustani Music
7.	Kalidas Award (Classical Music)	1980-81	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of classical Music
8.	Kalidas Award (Classical Dance)	1980-81	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of classical Dance
9.	Kalidas Award (Theatre)	1980-81	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of theatre
10.	Kalidas Award (Painting & Sculpture)	1980-81	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of painting and sculpture
11.	Tulsi Award	1983-84	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of folk and traditional tribal Art (only for male Artist)
12.	Lata Mangeshkar Award	1984-85	Rs. 2.00 lakh	For music direction, and playback singer in the field of light music
13.	Iqbal Award	1986-87	Rs. 2.00 lakh	For creative Urdu writing
14.	Maithilee Sharan Gupt Award	1996-97	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of Hindi Literature
15.	Devi Ahilaya Award	1996-97	Rs. 2.00 lakh	In the field of traditional folk and tribal Art (For female Artist)
16.	Kishor Kumar Award	1997-98	Rs. 2.00 lakh	For film direction, Acting script writing and lyric writing
17.	Sharad Joshi Award	1992-93	Rs. 1.00 lakh	In the field of writing of Report, Diary letter and Hindi satire
18.	Kumar Gandharv Award	1992-93	Rs. 1.00 lakh	For young Artist in the field of classical music for vocal and instrumental

Parliament Constituencies & members of Madhya Pradesh

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Madhya Pradesh

S.No.	Costituency	Name of Member	Party
1	Balaghat	Bisen,Shri Gauri Shankar Chaturbhuj	BJP
2	Betul	Khandelwal,Shri Hemant	BJP
3	Bhind	Singh,Dr. Ram Lakhan	BJP
4	Bhopal	Joshi,Shri Kailash	BJP
5	Chhindwara	Kamal Nath,Shri	INC
6	Damoh	Singh,Shri Chandrabhan Bhaiya	BJP
7	Dhar(ST)	Darbar,Shri Chhatar Singh	BJP
8	Guna	Scindia,Shri Jyotiraditya Madhavrao	INC
9	Gwalior	Scindia,Smt. Yashodhara Raje	BJP
10	Hoshangabad	Chhatwal,Shri Sartaj Singh	BJP
11	Indore	Mahajan,Smt. Sumitra	BJP
12	Jabalpur	Singh,Shri Rakesh	BJP
13	Jhabua(ST)	Bhuria,Shri Kantilal	INC
14	Khajuraho	Kusmaria,Dr. Ramkrishna	BJP
15	Khandwa	Chauhan,Shri Nand Kumar Singh	BJP
16	Khargone	Yadav,Shri Arun	INC
17	Mandla (ST)	Kulaste,Shri Faggan Singh	BJP
18	Mandsaur	Pandey,Dr. Laxminarayan	BJP
19	Morena (SC)	Argal,Shri Ashok	BJP
20	Rajgarh	Singh,Shri Lakshman	BJP
21	Rewa	Tripathi,Shri Chandramani	BJP
22	Sagar (SC)	Virendra Kumar,Shri	BJP
23	Satna	Singh,Shri Ganesh	BJP
24	Seoni	Pateriya,Smt. Neeta	BJP
25	Shahdol (ST)	Paraste,Shri Dalpat Singh	BJP
26	Shajapur (SC)	Gehlot,Shri Thaawar Chand	BJP
27	Sidhi (ST)	Singh,Shri Manik	INC
28	Ujjain (SC)	Jatiya,Dr. Satyanarayan	BJP
29	Vidisha	Singh,Shri Rampal	BJP

Advocate Generals of Madhya Pradesh :

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Advocate Generals of Madhya Pradesh :

SNO.	NAME	FROM	TO
1.	LATE HON. SHRI M.ADHIKARI	01.11.1956	31.05.1966
2.	HON. SHRI A.P.SEN	01.06.1966	07.11.1967
3.	LATE HON.SHRI Y.S.DHARMADHIKARI	12.08.1971	31.07.1975
4.	LATE HON. SHRI N.C. NIHALANI	27.08.1975	11.07.1977
5.	LATE HON.SHRI S.L.GARG	11.07.1977	13.03.1980
6.	HON.SHRI A.M.MATHUR	13.03.1980	15.04.1987
6.	HON.SHRI A.M.MATHUR	24.02.1988	21.07.1989
7.	HON. SHRI M.V.TAMASKAR	15.04.1987	18.02.1988
7.	HON. SHRI M.V.TAMASKAR	31.03.1989	16.03.1990
8.	HON.SHRI N.C. JAIN	17.03.1990	21.12.1992
9.	HON. SHRI ANOOP GEORGE CHOUDHARI	13.09.1994	24.10.1996
10.	HON.SHRI S.L. SAXENA	23.11.1996	15.02.1999
11.	HON. SHRI V.K.TANKHA	16.02.1999
12.	HON. SHRI R.N. SINGH		PRESENT AG

Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh

2008-08-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh

No.	Name	Period
1.	Shri Ravishankar Shukla	01.11.1956 to 31.12.1956
2.	Shri Bhagwantrao Mandloi	01.01.1957 to 30.01.1957
3.	Dr. Kailashnath Katju	31.01.1957 to 14.04.1957
4.	Dr. Kailashnath Katju	15.04.1957 to 11.03.1962
5.	Shri Bhagwantrao Mandloi	12.03.1962 to 29.09.1963
6.	Shri Dwarka Prasad Mishra	30.09.1963 to 08.03.1967
7.	Shri Dwarka Prasad Mishra	09.03.1967 to 29.07.1967
8.	Shri Govindnarayan Singh	30.07.1967 to 12.03.1969
9.	Shri Raja Nareshchandra Singh	13.03.1969 to 25.03.1969
10.	Shri Shyamacharan Shukla	26.03.1969 to 28.01.1972
11.	Shri Prakash Chandra Sethi	29.01.1972 to 22.03.1972
12.	Shri Prakash Chandra Sethi	23.03.1972 to 22.12.1975
13.	Shri Shyamacharan Shukla	23.12.1975 to 29.04.1977
*	Presidents Rule	30.04.1977 to 25.06.1977
14.	Shri Kailsh Chandra Joshi	26.06.1977 to 17.01.1978
15.	Shri Virendra Kumar Sakhlecha	18.01.1978 to 19.01.1980
16.	Shri Sunderlal Patwa	20.01.1980 to 17.02.1980
*	Presidents Rule	18.02.1980 to 08.06.1980
17.	Shri Arjun Singh	09.06.1980 to 10.03.1985
18.	Shri Arjun Singh	11.03.1985 to 12.03.1985
19.	Shri Motilal Vora	13.03.1985 to 13.02.1988
20.	Shri Arjun Singh	14.02.1988 to 24.01.1989
21.	Shri Motilal Vora	25.01.1989 to 08.12.1989
22.	Shri Shyamacharan Shukla	09.12.1989 to 04.03.1990
23.	Shri Sunderlal Patwa	05.03.1990 to 15.12.1992
*	Presidents Rule	16.12.1992 to 06.12.1993
24.	Shri Digvijay Singh	07.12.1993 to 01.12.1998
25.	Shri Digvijay Singh	01.12.1998 to 08.12.2003
26.	Sushri Uma Bharti	08.12.2003 to 23.08.2004
27.	Shri Babulal Gaur	23.08.2004 to 29.11.2005
28.	Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan	29.11.2005 to continuing

* President's Rule

Governors of Madhya Pradesh

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Governors of Madhya Pradesh

No.	Name	Period
1.	Shri B. Pattabhi Sitaramaiya	01.11.1956 to 13.06.1957
2.	Shri Hari Vinayak Pataskar	14.06.1957 to 10.02.1965
3.	Shri K.C. Reddy	11.02.1965 to 02.02.1966
4.	Justice P.V. Dixit (Acting)	03.02.1966 to 09.02.1966
5.	Shri K.C. Reddy	10.02.1966 to 07.03.1971
6.	Shri Satyanarayan Sinha	08.03.1971 to 13.10.1977
7.	Shri Niranjan Nath Wanchu	14.10.1977 to 16.08.1978
8.	Cheppudira Muthana Punacha	17.08.1978 to 29.04.1980
9.	Shri Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	30.04.1980 to 25.05.1981
10.	Justice G.P. Singh (Acting)	26.05.1981 to 09.07.1981
11.	Shri Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	10.07.1981 to 20.09.1983
12.	Justice G.P. Singh (Acting)	21.09.1983 to 07.10.1983
13.	Shri Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	08.10.1983 to 14.05.1984
14.	Shri K.M. Chandy	15.05.1984 to 30.11.1987
15.	Justice N.D. Ojha (Acting)	01.12.1987 to 29.12.1987
16.	Shri K.M. Chandy	30.12.1987 to 30.03.1989
17.	Smt. Sarla Grewal	31.03.1989 to 05.02.1990
18.	Kunwar Mahmud Ali Khan	06.02.1990 to 23.06.1996
19.	Dr. Mohd. Shafi Qureshi	24.06.1996 to 21.04.1998
20.	Dr. Bhai Mahavir	22.04.1998 to 06.05.2003
21.	Shri.Ram Prakash Gupta	07.05.2003 to 01.05.2004
22.	Shri Krishna Mohan Seth (Acting)	02.05.2004 to 29.06.2004
23.	Dr. Balram Jakhar	30.06.2004 to continuing