Mewar State मेवाड़ रियासत |
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Former Princely State of India | ||||||
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Udaipur State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India | ||||||
History | ||||||
• | Established | 530 | ||||
• | Independence of India | 1949 | ||||
Area | ||||||
• | 1941 | 33,517 km2(12,941 sq mi) | ||||
Population | ||||||
• | 1941 | 6,500,000 | ||||
Density | 193.9 /km2 (502.3 /sq mi) | |||||
• | 1901 | 1,018,805 | ||||
Today part of | India | |||||
"Udaipur State (also called Mewar): History". The Imperial Gazetteer of India. 1909. pp. v. 24, p. 87. |
The Udaipur State, also known as Mewar State, was a princely state in northwestern India prior to the formation of the Indian Republic.
The state of Mewar was founded around 530; the first capital was at Chittorgarh. Later the kingdom would also, and ultimately predominantly, be called Udaipur after the name of its new capital. When Udaipur State joined the Indian Union in 1949 it had been ruled by the Chattari Rajputs of Mori Guhilot Parihar and Sisodia dynasties for over 1,400 years.
Since its founding in the 6th century, the geographical boundaries of Mewar have waxed and waned. Since the treaty with the British in 1818 to its accession to the Republic of India in 1949, the boundaries of the state were as follows: the state was bounded on the north by the British district of Ajmer-Merwara; on the west by Jodhpur and Sirohi; on the southwest by Idar; on the south by Dungarpur, Banswara and Pratabgarh; on the east by Bundi and Kotah; and on the northeast by Jaipur.
For half a century prior to 1818, the armies of Holkar, Scindia, and Amir Khan had plundered Mewar, pauperising its ruler and people. As early as 1805, Maharana Bhim Singh of Mewar approached the British for assistance but the Treaty of 1803 with Scindia prevented the British from entertaining the request. But by 1817, the British too were anxious to have alliances with Rajput rulers and the Treaty of Friendship, Alliances and Unity was concluded between Mewar and East India Company (on behalf of Britain) on January 13, 1818.
Under the treaty, the British Government agreed to protect the territory of Mewar, in return for which Mewar acknowledged British supremacy and agreed to abstain from political associations with other states and to pay one-fourth of its revenues as tribute for 5 years, and three-eight in perpetuity. The British authorities granted the ruler of Udaipur a 19 gun salute.