Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/127

 Bijawar.

THE chiefs of Bijawar are Bundela Rajputs and claim their descent from Raja Chhatra Sal of Panna, who divided his possessions among his sons and Peshwa Baji Rao I in 1732A.D. One share including the towns of Jaitpur, Banda, Ajaigarh and Charkhari fell to Jagat Raj, from whom the rulers of Bijawar are directly descended. Jagat Raj had eleven sons of whom Pahar Singh succeeded, ousting his nephew, Guman Singh, the son of his deceased elder brother Kirat Singh. After a continuous struggle Guman Singh ascended the gadi of Jagat Raj, with the help of his uncle, Bir Singh Deo, third son of Jagat Raj, who afterwards entered into the service of Guman Singh and secured for him the pargana of Matound. Bir Singh Deo was very ambitious and endeavoured to extend his territories. He was, therefore granted the distant pargana of Bijawar in 1769 A.D., where he established his capital and ruled till 1790A.D. In that year Ali Bahadur, Nawab of Banda, with Gosain Himmat Bahadur invaded Bundelkhand and conquered most of the territory. Bir Singh Deo of Bijawar tried to oppose him, but he was defeated and killed in a fight at Charkhari in 1793 A.D.

Bir Singh was succeeded by his son, Kesri Singh, who was given a sanad for his father's possessions by Nawab Ali Bahadur, on condition of his recognising the Nawab's suzerainty in 1802 A.D. But on the accession of the British to the supreme power, Kesri Singh at once professed his allegiance to them. He died in 1810 A.D., and was followed by Ratan Singh (1810 to 1832 A.D. ), Lachman Singh ( 1832 to 1847 A.D.) and Bhan Pratap Singh (1847 to 1899A.D.). The last named chief ruled the State over half a century. For the valuable assistance rendered by the State during the Mutiny of 1857 A.D. to the British Government, the ruler of Bijawar received a khilat and a hereditary salute of 11 guns. In 1862 A.D. the Chief received a sanad of adoption and in 1866 A.D. the hereditary title of 'Maharaja,' and in 1877 A.D. the prefix of 'Sawai.'

Maharaja Bhan Pratap Singh died in 1899 A.D. As he had no son, he adopted in 1898 A.D. Rao Raja Sanwant Singh, second son of the Maharaja of Orchha, who succeeded to the gadi in 1899 A.D. In January 1903 A.D. the Chief was granted administrative powers. In 1905 A.D. His Highness was present at Indore during the visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The area of the Bijawar State is 973 square miles with a population of 1,10,500 souls. The revenue of the State is about three lacs.

His Highness Maharaja Sawai Sanwant Singh Bahadur, Chief of Bijawar, enjoys a salute of 1 1 guns.