Ichhawar
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Ichhawar
Town in the Nizamat-i-Maghrib or western district of Bhopal State, Central India, situated in 23° 2' N. and 77° i' E. Population (1901), 4,352. The site is an old one, the present town having been built on the foundations of the village of Lakshmipura. A small fort in the place was built by the Marathas, who seized it in 1 7 16. Ichhawar was made over to the Bhopal State under the treaty of 1818. The Ichhawar ta/isi/ w3iS for many years held in jdgJr by the Bhopal Bourbons, who have given a succession of shrewd councillors and valiant soldiers to the State. About 1560 Jean Philippe Bourbon of Navarre, a cousin of Henry IV, came to India. He entered the service of Akbar, married Juliana, said to have been a sister of Akbar's ' Christian wife,' and was created a Nawab. The family continued in the service of the Delhi emperors till 1739, when on the sack of that city by Nadir Shah they fled to the fort of Shergarh (25° 35' N. and 77° 58' E.), which they held in Jdglr in the territory of the Narwar chief. The family remained in Narwar in safety till 1778, when the Raja, who was jealous of his powerful feudatory, attacked Shergarh and massacred all but four of the family, who managed to escape to Gwalior. After the capture of Gwalior in 1780 by Major Popham, some territory was assigned to them, and soon after Salvador Bourbon took service in the Bhopal State, and became a general in the State army. Salvador's son Balthasar was minister to Wazir Muhammad, and was instrumental in concluding the treaty of 18 18 with the British Government, he being one of the signatories. During the Mutiny of 1857 the fugitives from Agar were hospitably received by Jean de Silva and several of the Bourbon family who were then residing in the town. Members of the family still live in the State ^
