Mewas

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The Mewas, in older literature Mehva, were a group of "independent" dwarf states on the inaccessible southern flank of the Indian Satpura Mountains during colonial times , which bordered the Rewa Kantha Agency and was inhabited almost exclusively by members of the indigenous people of the Bhil . The area is now part of the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra .

administration

Administratively they were subordinate, like the Dangs , to the commissioner of the Khandesh district , who acted as a political agent or appointed one ( Bhil agent ). The main reason why the region was not taken under direct control (1818) was that around 1890 the climate was still considered so unhealthy by outsiders that you can only travel to the impassable, jungle-covered area in the hottest and driest season from May to mid-June could.

The chiefs were usually referred to as chief or naik (or nayak ). The recognition of a ruler by the British generally depended on his undertaking, in return for subsidies, to keep his "wild subjects" in check; H. to forego a substantial part of their livelihood by raiding travelers and farmers in the area. To ensure this, the paramilitary Bhil Corps was also kept ready as a police force. In the region, criminal offenses have long been subject to a special law that provided for fewer prison sentences than (collective) fines and corporal punishment (flogging). The (white) commander of the Bhil Corps also acted as a fast judge, the political agent as an appeal body for imprisonment for up to five years.

Furthermore, in the 19th century there were the Sibandis (archers), to be turned off by the chiefs if necessary , who not only acted as police forces , but also as bodyguards and tax collectors. The only school existed in Kathi in 1890.

The domains ( estates ) were, in the wake of the reorganization of the princely states in Gujarat to the Western India States Agency , downgraded to Zamindari after 1926 .

Gentlemen
area surface Population
(1891, inaccurate) 		Income
( Rs. ) 		Remarks
Bhudāwal
(= Budaval) 		In the early 18th century the most powerful "ruler" of the region, to whom around 40 villages paid tribute. Chandrasingh died in 1819, he was followed by Bhavānsingh († 1839), then his brother Ganpatsingh. The area fell to the British according to the Doctrine of Lapse when the chief, deposed in 1845 and exiled to Dhulia , died childless in 1854.
Chikili approx. 520 km² 1444 1879: 2680 Between the Narmada and Tāpti . Jiva, originally the administrator of 84 (?) Villages in Rajpiplas , took advantage of the turmoil around 1800 to become self-employed. In exchange for road tolls and for the provision of a small troop, Jiva received an annual pension of Rs. 3,000 from the British in 1818. Jiva's grandson Ruvar Vasāva protested and was imprisoned in 1846, the state placed under compulsory administration. His son Rāmsing, who had been in office since 1854, had his subsidy canceled due to incompetence. Because he was involved in a robbery in 1872, he was exiled to Hyderabad (Sind) two years later , and the state came under forced administration again.
Gawhāli
(= Raysinghpur, Gawhari) 		approx. 500 km² 1946 1879: 22000 Between Kathi and Rajpilpla in the north and Chikili in the south. Muslim ruler, resident of Bhil. Income mostly from taxation of forest products and logging (teak and bamboo). The naik Nāna assembled a marauding force in the Mahraten War. The British granted him 300 Rs. For police duties to restrain him, and he received 1000 Baroda-Rs. as kunti. The line of rulers continued with Kātiya († 1878) and Sarupsingh (* 1875, reigned 1878), both of whom were initially under guardianship as minors.
Kathi
(= Kathipārvi) 		1300 km² (?) 1880s> 10000
1921: 13444 (96 villages) 		1893: 22300 (Area data vary between 300 and 500 mi².) Bounded in the north by Chhota Udaipur in the south by Singhpur and Chikili. Drained from the Dev which flows northeast into the Nambada. Recognized by the British as a vassal of Bhudāwal in 1818, who received 32 as tribute of the 37 Rs. The British paid as a grant. Another Rs. 133 was due to the British. Ruling line: Lakshman Pārvi, whose village was burned down after he pillaged the surrounding area. He was followed by his son Umed, then Ratu, followed by Chandra Singh.
Nale
(= Nāl) 		75 km² about 300 1891: approx. 1100 The subsidy of Rs 200 granted to the chief in 1818 was halved in 1849. Kāna died in 1872, followed by Lashkari (* 1859), the incumbent family lived in Vāghāpāni.
Navalpur 55 km² 1881: 50 (?)
1891: 180 		1881: Rs 770. Resident of Patodi-Bhil. The Chief Rāyla († 1832) was a constable in the Nandurbar police force. Until 1853 the domain was under British administration. Thereafter, Kuvera, Lashkera and Phulsing (* 1866, ruled 1876) officiated.
Singhpur
(= Singpur) 		1666 km² 1872: ~ 300
1891: 646 		1879: approx. 2400 Bhikna Pārvi, recognized by the British in 1818 as Chief, who received 200 Rs. Annually, but was also a vassal of Bhudāwal. Gumla followed as ruler, then his underage son Bāpu (* 1862).

economy

The area became interesting for the colonial economy of exploitation towards the end of the 19th century, in particular the fall of, declared state property, teak for railway sleepers and shipbuilding increased. The designation of "reserved forests" imposed high usage fees on the natives ( tribals ). The state alcohol monopoly taxed palm wine ( toddy ) and the mahuwa flowers collected in April ( Bassia latifolia ) for the schnapps ( country liquor ) popular among the Bil . This self-distilled ( daru ) with 15–30% has been replaced by industrially produced, low-quality monopoly alcohol.

literature

  • Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency; Bombay 1883; Volume I-2, p. 231, Volume XII ( full text )

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Act XI of 1846; Act XIV of 1874. cf. [1]
  2. ↑ estimate
  3. ^ Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency; Bombay 1883; Volume XII ( full text ), pp. 606ff
  4. ↑ Not to be confused with: Chikhli, Maharashtra (20.03 ° N 75.78 ° E, formerly: Deulghat) or a village of the same name in Orissa
  5. ↑ In Hindu mythology 84000 stands for "infinitely many," 84 therefore analogously for "numerous."
  6. ↑ Not to be confused with the place of the same name in Tamil Nadu .

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