Khilchipur State, 1908
Khilchipur State, 1908
Mediatized chiefship in Central India, under the Bhopal Agency, lying between 23 degree 52' and 24 degree 17' N. and 76° 26' and 76 degree 42' E., with an area of about 273 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Kotah State of the Rajputana Agency ; on the east by Rajgarh ; on the west by Indore ; and on the south by Narsingh- garh. The State is situated in the district of Malwa known as khichhvara, mainly in the Deccan trap area, but over its more northern portion sandstones of the Kaimur and other allied series are exposed. The climate is temperate, the annual rainfall averaging about 32 inches.
The chiefs are Khlchi Rajputs, a section of the great Chauhan clan. This State was founded in 1544 by Ugrasen, who was forced by family dissensions to migrate from the Khlchi capital of Gagraun. A grant of land was subsequently made to him by the Delhi emperor, which included the adjoining Zirapur and NL3.ch.a\$m fiarganas, now a part of Indore State, and Shujalpur, now in Gwalior. This territory was lost in 1770, when Abhai Singh was obliged to make terms with Sindhia. At the time of the settlement of Malwa in 18 19 a dispute existed regarding the succession, which at the request of the Gwalior Darbar was settled by the mediation of the British authorities, Dlwan Sher Singh succeed- ing as a boy of five. He was followed in 1869 by his nephew Amar Singh, who received the hereditary title of Rao Bahadur in 1873. In 1884 he abolished all transit duties in the State, except those on opium. The present chief, Bhawani Singh, succeeded in 1899. The Rao Bahadur of Khilchipur is entitled to a salute of 9 guns.
The population was : (1881) 36,125, (1891) 36,302, and (1901) 31,143, giving a density of 114 persons per square mile. The State contains one town, Khilchipur (population, 5,121), the capital; and 283 villages. Hindus number 29,258, or 94 per cent. ; Musalmans, 1,051, or 3 per cent. ; and Animists, 796, mostly Bhlls. The chief castes and tribes are Sondhias, 4,900; Dhakads, 3,800; Deswalis (allied to Sondhias), 3,070; Chamars, 2,550; Dangls, 2,520; Lodhas, 2,340; and Rajputs, 2,210.
The soil in the south-west is of the fertile black variety, bearing good crops of all the ordinary grains ; but the northern portions are covered with a rough stony soil of little agricultural value. Of the total area, 84 square miles, or 31 per cent., are cultivated, of which 5 square miles are irrigable; 80 square miles are under forest; 46 square miles, or 17 per cent, are cultivable but not cultivated ; and the rest is waste. Jowar occupies 38 square miles, or 44 per cent, of the cultivated area; cotton, 4 square miles; poppy, 2 square miles; and wheat, 1 square mile.
The State is divided for administrative purposes into three fahslls, each under a tahsildar. The chief has full powers in civil and revenue matters, but all serious cases of crime are dealt with by the Political Agent in Bhopal. The total revenue amounts to about i-i lakhs, of which Rs. 85,000 is derived from land, Rs. 11,000 from tanka, and Rs. 10,000 from customs dues, including Rs. 2,000 from opium. The principal heads of expenditure are : Rs. 7,000 on the chiefs establish- ment, Rs. 4,000 on general administration, Rs. 10,000 on army and police, and Rs. 3,000 on public works. A tribute of Rs. 12,625, formerly made direct to Sindhia, has been since 1844 paid to the British Govern- ment through the Political Agent, in adjustment of Sindhia's contribu- tion towards the local corps in Malwa. The land revenue is farmed out and is realized in British coin, which lias been Krai tender since 1898. The State keeps up a small force of regular infantry, 161 strong, as a body-guard to the chief. There are also 25 horse and 288 foot, who act as police, and serve 4 guns. A British post office, a school, and a hospital are maintained at the chief town.
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.
