Bundelkhand (, ) is a geographical and cultural

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

and a proposed state and also a mountain range in central and North India. It corresponds to the Post-Vedic Chedi kingdom. The hilly region is now divided between the states of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

and

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, with the larger portion lying in the latter state.

Jhansi Jhansi ( ) is a historic city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Toshan) Balwant Nagar was the old name of Jhansi. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme ...

is the largest city in Bundelkhand. Another major city of Bundelkhand is Sagar being second largest city of Bundelkhand. The proposed state consists of

and

Chitrakoot division Chitrakoot division is one of the 18 administrative geographical units (i.e. division) of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Banda, Uttar Pradesh is the administrative headquarters of this division. Historically part of the Bundelkh ...

of Uttar Pradesh and

Sagar Division Sagar Division is an administrative geographical unit of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The city of Sagar is its administrative headquarters. , the division consists of the districts of Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Tikamgarh, and Ni ...

of Madhya Pradesh.

Etymology

Bundelkhand means "

Bundela The Bundela is a Rajput clan. Over several generations, the cadet lineages of Bundela Rajputs founded several states in area what came to be known as Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom from the 16th century. Etymology As per Jaswa ...

domain". The region was earlier known as Jejabhukti or Jejakabhukti ("Jeja's province"). According to the inscriptions of the

Chandela The Chandelas of Jejakabhukti was an Indian dynasty in Central India. The Chandelas ruled much of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'') between the 9th and the 13th centuries. They belonged to the Chandel clan of the Rajputs. T ...

dynasty, this name derived from Jeja, the nickname of their ruler

Jayashakti Jayashakti (IAST: Jayaśakti) was a 9th-century ruler from the Chandela dynasty of Central India. In the Chandela records, he is generally mentioned with his younger brother and successor, Vijayashakti. The two are believed to have ruled the C ...

. However, it is possible that the name derives from an even earlier name of the region: "Jajhauti" or "Jijhoti". After the Bundelas replaced the Chandelas around 14th century, the region came to be known as Bundelkhand after them.

History

The Chandelas were a powerful dynasty in Central India, ruling from the 9th to the 12th century. They are best known for constructing the temples of Khajuraho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chandelas ruled over a vast territory, and their influence gradually diminished until their eventual fall in 1182 CE. After the decline of the

, the Khangar community, an ancient Kshatriya clan, established their rule over parts of present-day Bundelkhand from the late 12th century until the mid-14th century. The Khangar dynasty had its seat of power at Garh Kundar, a fort built by Khet Singh Khangar. Their rule over Jujhauti, a region in Bundelkhand, began after the fall of the Chandels in 1182 CE. By the 14th century, the

dynasty emerged and supplanted the Khangar rulers. Before the advent of British colonial rule in India, the region of Bundelkhand also included several princely states, such as

Orchha Orchha is a town, near the city of Niwari in the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. The town was established by a Bundela Rajput ruler Rudra Pratap Singh some time after 1501, as the seat of an eponymous former princely state ...

Datia Datia, is a town and the district headquarter of the Datia District of Gwalior Chambal region in north Madhya Pradesh, a state in Central India. Datia is world famous for Pitambara Peeth, a shakti pilgrimage site. It is an ancient town, ...

, and

Samthar Samthar is a city and a municipal board in Jhansi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Historically before independence of India, it was also known as Samshergarh erstwhile capital of Samthar State Demographics census, Samthar had ...

. Also, kingdoms such as

Damoh Damoh is a city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is known for The Bade Baba Temple at Kundalpur, a Jain pilgrimage site. It is one of the major cities of Madhya Pradesh. The city is also the district headquarters of Damoh district ...

, Ramgarh were ruled by

Lodhi Rajputs The Lodhi (or Lodha, Lodh) is a community of agriculturalists, found in India. There are many in Madhya Pradesh, to where they had emigrated from Uttar Pradesh. The Lodhi are categorised as an Other Backward Class, but claim Rajput ties and pr ...

Proposed Bundelkhand state

Bundelkhand comprises parts of

and

. While

Bahujan Samaj Party The Bahujan Samaj Party ( BSP) is a political party in India that was formed to represent Bahujans (literally means "community in majority"), referring to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC), along with Religious ...

government under

Mayawati Kumari Mayawati (born Kumari Mayawati Das; 15 January 1956) is an Indian politician who served as the 18th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1995 to 1995, 1997 to 1997, 2002 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2012. She is the national president of t ...

had proposed in 2011 creation of Bundelkhand from seven districts of

, organizations such as Bundelkhand Akikrit Party and Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha (BMM) want it to include six districts from

as well.

Uma Bharati Uma Bharti (born 3 May 1959) is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. She became involved with the Bharatiya Janata Party at a young age, unsuccessfully contesting her first parliamentary elections in 1984. In 1989, s ...

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

has promised separate state of Bundelkhand within three years if her party voted to power, during campaign for Loksabha Election, 2014 at

. Similar promise was made by Congress leader

Pradeep Jain Aditya Pradeep Kumar Jain Aditya (born 8 September 1962), is an Indian politician from Indian National Congress (INC), who was Minister of State in Ministry of Rural Development in the 2009 Union Cabinet. He was elected as a Member of Parliament i ...

during Loksabha Election, 2014. Since the early 1960s there has been a movement for establishing a Bundelkhand state or promoting development of the region. Bundelkhand is geographically the central part of India covering some part of Madhya Pradesh and some part of Uttar Pradesh. (At Sagar is the exact centre of the original undivided India: the granite bench mark by British surveyors indicating this is placed in the compound of a church in Sagar Cantonment.) In spite of being rich in minerals, the people of Bundelkhand are very poor and the region is underdeveloped and underrepresented in state and central politics. There are several local parties and organisations, some promoting further development of the region and some seeking statehood. The agrarian crisis and farmers' suicides are also cited as reasons for separate statehood. In November 2011, the

Council of Ministers proposed to split the state into four parts, with one part being Bundelkhand.

Religion

Notable people

Avantibai Maharani Avantibai Lodhi (16 August 1831 – 20 March 1858) was a queen-ruler and freedom fighter. She was the queen of the Ramgarh (present-day Dindori) in Madhya Pradesh. An opponent of the British East India Company during the Indian Rebe ...

, (1831-1858) Lodhi Queen of estate of Ramgarh, one of the key figures in the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

Gopal Bhargava Gopal Bhargava (born 1 July 1952) is an Indian politician and currently senior most legislator and was cabinet minister in the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He has served as a cabinet minister for his six terms, which is the highest number of t ...

, prominent

BJP The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Since 2014, ...

leader, Senior Most Legislator & Cabinet Minister of

Uma Bharti Uma Bharti (born 3 May 1959) is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. She became involved with the Bharatiya Janata Party at a young age, unsuccessfully contesting her first parliamentary elections in 1984. In 1989, s ...

, Prominent BJP politician and the former MLA from Charkhari in UP's Bundelkhand region. *

Raja Bundela Raj Rajeshwar Pratap Singh Judev also known as Raja Bundela is an Indian actor, producer, politician and civil activist.Presently He is the Vice President of Bundelkhand Vikas Board,Uttar Pradesh. In films, he is notable for appearances in S ...

- (Raja Rajeshwar Pratap Singh Judev) is an Indian actor, producer, politician and civil activist. *

Dhyan Chand Major Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905 – 3 December 1979) was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in add ...

, (29 August 1905 – 3 December 1979) army Major and an Indian

field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

player, regarded by many as the greatest field hockey player in history. * Maharaja

Chhatrasal Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731) was the Bundela Raja of Panna State, Panna from 1675 to 1731. He is well known for his resistance against the Mughal Empire and leading the struggle of independence of Bundelkhand. ...

Chhatrasal Bundela was an early modern Indian Rajput king, who fought against the Mughal Empire, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand *

Phoolan Devi Phoolan Devi (, 10 August 1963 25 July 2001), popularly known as the Bandit Queen, was an Indian dacoit (bandit) who became a politician, serving as a member of parliament until her assassination. She was a woman of the Mallah subcaste who ...

, (1963–2001) popularly known as "Bandit Queen", was an Indian

dacoit Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in the Indian subcontinent. The spelling is the anglicised version of the Hindi word डाकू (ḍākū); "dacoit" is a colloquial Indian English word with the meaning "a robber belonging to an armed ...

and later a politician. *

Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar Pandit Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar (6 January 1891 – 1980) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter, notable pleader & a social leader from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh who took an active part in the Indian National Movement and Salt March and held man ...

MCA & Member of Parliament 1952, MLC & Speaker Vidhan Parishad 1958, social leader *

Rani Durgavati Rani Durgavati (5 October 1524 – 24 June 1564) was the queen regent of Gondwana in 1550–1564 AD. She married King Dalpat Shah, the son of King Sangram Shah of Gondwana. She served as regent of Gondwana during the minority of her son, Vir Na ...

, Queen of Gondwana (born to

s of

Mahoba Mahoba is a city in Mahoba District of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the Bundelkhand region, well known for the ninth century granite Sun temple built in Pratihara style. It is also well known for the 24 rock-cut Jain tirthankara imag ...

Kalinjar Kalinjar is a fortress-city in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It was ruled by several dynasties, including the Guptas, the Vardhana dynasty, the Chandelas, Solankis of Rewa, Mughals and the Marathas. The fortress has several te ...

) immortalised owing to her bravery in defending her kingdom against invasion by Mughal emperor

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

* Dr. Hari Singh Gaur, Member of Constitution draft committee and founder of

University of Sagar Dr. Hari Singh Gour University (DHGV), formerly University of Saugar and more popularly known as Sagar University or University of Saugar, is a central university in the city of Sagar, the state of Madhya Pradesh or (MP), India. It is one of ...

, later named the

Dr. Hari Singh Gour University Dr. Hari Singh Gour University (DHGV), formerly University of Saugar and more popularly known as Sagar University or University of Saugar, is a central university in the city of Sagar, the state of Madhya Pradesh or (MP), India. It is one of ...

by the state government in 1983. *

Maithili Sharan Gupt Dr Maithilisharan Gupt (3 August 1886 – 12 December 1964) was one of the most important modern Hindi poets. He is considered one among the pioneers of '' Khari Boli'' (plain dialect) poetry and wrote in Khari Boli dialect, at a time when most ...

, National Hindi poet *

Indeevar Shyamalal Babu Rai, known professionally as Indeevar (also credited as Indiwar and Indeewar), (1 January 1924 – 27 February 1997) was one of the leading Hindi film lyricists from the 1960s then through1990s Early life He was born and grew ...

, one of the leading Hindi film lyricists in 1960s and 70s *

Jhalkaribai Jhalkaribai (22 November 1830 – 5 April 1858) was a woman soldier who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She served in the women's army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi State, Jhansi. She eventually rose to a position of a p ...

(22 November 1830 – 1858) was an Indian

Koli Koli may refer to: People * Koli people, Indian caste group * Koli Christians, a Christian subgroup * Muslim Kolis, Muslim community * Koli (surname), Indian surname * Koli Sewabu (born 1975), Fijian rugby union footballer Places * Koli, Fin ...

woman soldier who played an important role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 during the battle of Jhansi. *

Keshavdas Keshavdas Mishra (1555–1617), usually known by the Keshavdas, was an Indian Poet, Writer, Scholar and administrator who was best known for his work , a pioneering work of the of Hindi literature. He was patronized by Vir Singh Deo of Orchha, ...

(1555 – 1617), usually known by the mononym Keshavdas or Keshavadasa, was a Sanskrit scholar & Hindi poet *

Subodh Khandekar Subodh Khandekar is a former international hockey player. He was born on 5 October 1964 in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India and has represented India in various international tournaments. His father V B Khandekar also represented Services in National ...

, Olympian hockey player *

Tushar Khandker Tushar Khandker (born 5 April 1985) is an Indian field hockey coach and former field hockey player. He represented India in Men's Hockey during the 2012 London Olympics. Khandker comes from a family of hockey players as his father, uncle and ...

, player on Indian national hockey team *

Mastani Mastani (29 August 1699 – 28 April 1740) was either the daughter of Nizam Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad or Chhatrasal Bundela of Bundelkhand. She was the second wife of the Maratha Peshwa (Prime Minister) Baji Rao I. The marriage was arranged to ...

Second wife of Peshwa

Bajirao I Bajirao I (né Visaji, ; 18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was appointed Peshwa at the age of nineteen by Shahu I, following the death of his father, Balaji Vishwanath. He is credited with establis ...

, the prime minister. Daughter of

Maharaja Chhatrasal Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731) was the Bundela Raja of Panna from 1675 to 1731. He is well known for his resistance against the Mughal Empire and leading the struggle of independence of Bundelkhand. Early life ...

Pankaj Mishra Pankaj Mishra (born 9 February 1969) is an Indian essayist, novelist, and socialist. His non-fiction works include ''Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond'', along with ''From the Ruins of Empire: The I ...

, Indian essayist and novelist *

Joy Mukherjee Joy Mukherjee (24 February 1939 – 9 March 2012) was an Indian actor and director. He was referred to as the 'heart throb of the 1960s and 1970s'. Family background Joy Mukherjee was the son of Sashadhar Mukherjee and Sati Devi. His father w ...

, Indian actor and director *

Ram Mukherjee Ram Mukerji (18 October 1933 – 22 October 2017) was an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter in Hindi and Bengali cinema. He was one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios, Mumbai. He is most known for his films, '' Hum Hindustani' ...

, Indian director *

Sashadhar Mukherjee Sashadhar Mukherjee (29 September 1909 – 3 November 1990) was an Indian filmmaker in Hindi cinema. He started his career with Bombay Talkies in the 1930s, and later established Filmistan Studio with Rai Bahadur Chunilal (father of music dir ...

, producer of Hindi films *

Subodh Mukherjee Subodh Mukerji (14 April 1921 – 21 May 2005) was an Indian filmmaker (producer and director) of Hindi-language films. He was the brother of the leading producer-director Sashadhar Mukherjee. Profile Mukerji was a devotee of the school of mov ...

, director, producer, writer of Hindi cinema. * Harishankar Parsai - a noted satirist and humourist of modern Hindi literature, known for his simple and direct style. *

Nathuram Premi Nathuram Premi (26 November 1881 – 30 January 1960) was an Indian writer, publisher, poet, editor, and linguist in the field of Jainism as well as Hindi literature. A budding poet, he wrote under the nom de plume of "Premi". Although belonging ...

(1881–1960), publisher of Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu and Jain literature. Independent scholar, Jain historian and editor of several Jain works. *

Rani of Jhansi The Rani of Jhansi (born Manikarnika Tambe; 1828 or 1835 – 18 June 1858), also known as Rani Lakshmibai, was one of the leading figures of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The queen consort of the princely state of Jhansi from 1843 to 1853, s ...

, (1828–1858) (AKA Lakshmibai Newalkar)

Maratha The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...

Queen of princely state of

, one of the key figures in the

. *

Rajneesh Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain; 11 December 193119 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and later as Osho (), was an Indian Godman (India), godman, philosopher, Mysticism, mystic and founder of the Rajnees ...

- Indian godman, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement *

Tatya Tope Tantia Tope (also spelled Tatya Tope, : ̪aːt̪ʲa ʈoːpe 16 February 1814 — 18 April 1859) was a notable commander in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Early life Born as Ramachandra Panduranga Yewalkar to a Marathi Deshastha Brahmin fami ...

, freedom fighter, fought in

* Taran Svami, Jain Spritual Leader *

Tulsidas Rambola Dubey (; 11 August 1511 – 30 July 1623pp. 23–34.), popularly known as Goswami Tulsidas (), was a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava (Ramanandi Sampradaya, Ramanandi) Hinduism, Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. H ...

, the author of ''

Ramcharitmanas ''Ramcharitmanas'' ( deva, रामचरितमानस, rāmacaritamānasa), is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas (c. 1511–1623). It has many inspirations, the primary being t ...

'', born in Rajapur *

Vrindavan Lal Verma Vrindavan Lal verma (9 January 1889 – 23 February 1969) was a Hindi novelist and playwright. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan for his literary works; Agra University presented him with honorary D. Lit. He received Soviet Land Nehru Award and ...

, Hindi novelist (Mrig Nayani, Jhansi Ki Rani) *

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 191? – 5 February 2008) was the creator of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and leader of the worldwide organization that has been characterized in multiple ways, including as a new ...

, of Transcendental Meditation

In art and literature

An engraving of a picture by Henry Melville entitled ''Scene near Chillah Tarah Ghaut, Bundelkhund'' was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1835 alongside a poetical illustration by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

, ''Scene in Bundelkhund'', which alludes to the desperate conditions in the district due to the famine then prevailing. The "nearly independent territory of Bundelcund" is featured in

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's 1872 novel ''

Around the World in Eighty Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate ...

'', as the scene where

Phileas Fogg Phileas Fogg ( ) is the protagonist in the 1872 Jules Verne novel '' Around the World in Eighty Days''. Inspirations for the character were the American entrepreneur George Francis Train and American writer and adventurer William Perry Fogg ...

and

Jean Passepartout Jean Passepartout () is a fictional character in Jules Verne's novel ''Around the World in Eighty Days'', published in 1873. He is the French valet of the novel's English main character, Phileas Fogg. His surname translates literally to "goes e ...

rescue the Princess

Aouda Aouda (औद / ''Auda''), a character in ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' by Jules Verne, is an Indian princess accompanied by Phileas Fogg and Passepartout. The daughter of a Bombay Parsi merchant, she was married against her will to the ...

Gallery

File:Dhyanchand statue.jpg, Statue of Dhyan Chand on Sipri Hill File:Rani Durgavati.jpg, Rani Durgavati maravi

References

External links

Check dam project in Bundelkhand (Development Alternatives)

* James Foote Holcomb, Helen Harriet Howe Holcomb, ''In the Heart of India, or, beginnings of missionary work in Bundela Land, with a short chapter on the characteristics of Bundelkhand and its people, and four chapters of Jhansi history''. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 190
Text at archive.org

Radio Bundelkhand
{{Authority control Regions of Madhya Pradesh Regions of Uttar Pradesh Regions of India Proposed states and union territories of India