Berar Province
Encyclopedia
Berar Province, known also as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, was a province of British India. The province, formerly ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, was administered by the British after 1853, although the Nizam retained formal sovereignty over the province. After October 1, 1903 administration of the province was placed under the commissioner-general for the Central Provinces, which was renamed the Central Provinces and Berar
. The total area of the province was 113281 square miles (293,396.4 km²). It is now part of Maharashtra
state, and where it is forms part of Vidarbha
region. The boundaries of Berar have changed historically, but the British province corresponds to Maharashtra's Amravati Division
.
Asif Jah established the independent line of the Nizams of Hyderabad
, and thenceforth the latter claimed to be de jure sovereigns of Berar
, with exception of certain districts (Mehkar, Umarkhed, etc.) ceded to the Maratha Peshwa
in 1760 and 1795. The claim was contested by the Maratha Bhonsla
rajas of Nagpur
, and for more than half a century the country was devastated by wars between the two.
This condition of things was ended by Wellesley's victories at Assaye
and Argaon
(1803), which forced the Bhonsla raja to cede his territories south of Gawilgarh and Narnala fort and east of Wardha river. The forts of Gavilgad and Narnala remained subject to Bhosale raja of Nagpur.
By the partition treaty of Hyderabad (1804) between Nizam and British, these ceded territories in Berar were transferred in perpetual sovereignty to the Nizam, together with some tracts about Sindkhed and Jalna which had been held by Sindhia. By a treaty of 1822, which extinguished the Maratha right to levy tribute (chauth
), the Wardha River was fixed as the eastern boundary of Berar, the Melghat and adjoining districts in the plains being assigned to the Nizam in exchange for the districts east of the Wardha held by the Peshwa.
Though Berar was no longer oppressed by its Maratha taskmasters nor harried by Pindari
and Bhil
raiders, it remained long a prey to the turbulent elements let loose by the sudden cessation of the wars. From time to time bands of soldiers, whom the government was powerless to control, scoured the country, and rebellion succeeded rebellion till 1859, when the last fight against open rebels took place at Chichamba near Risod.
Meanwhile the misery of the country was increased by the reckless raising of loans by the Nizam's government and the pledging of the revenues to a succession of great farmers-general.
. It was these "Hyderabad Assigned Districts" which were popularly supposed to form the province of Berar, though they coincided in extent neither with the Berar of the Nizams nor with the old Mughal province. In 1860, by a new treaty which modified in the Nizam's favor that of 1853, it was agreed that Berar should be held in trust by the British government for the purposes specified in the treaty of 1853.
Under British control Berar rapidly recovered its prosperity. Thousands of Marathi farmers who had emigrated across the Wardha to the Peshwas dominions, in order to escape the ruinous fiscal system of the Nizam's government, now returned; the American Civil War
gave an immense stimulus to the cotton
trade; the laying of a railway line across the province provided yet further employment, and the people rapidly became prosperous and contented.
Through an agreement signed on 5 November 1902, Nizam Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub Ali Khan leased Berar permanently to the British against an annual payment of 25 lakhs of rupees. Lord Curzon decided to merge Berar with the Central Provinces
, and this was proclaimed on 17 September 1903. Thus the Central Provinces and Berar
was born by a Residency Order, dated the 30 September 1903, and the administration of Berar was placed under the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces.
On October 1, 1903, Berar was placed under the administration of the British commissioner general of the Central Provinces, which henceforth became known as the Central Provinces and Berar
.
and North Berar with its headquarters at Buldana and both were placed under a deputy commissioner. After the First War of Independence, Hingoli and its adjoining areas were restored to the Nizam and the province was reconstituted into two districts, East Berar with its headquarters at Amraoti
and West Berar with its headquarters at Akola.
In 1864, East Berar district was divided into two districts: Amraoti and Southeast Berar district (which was first renamed as Wun district and then in 1905, Yeotmal district), with headquarters at Yeotmal
. In 1867, Ellichpur District
was also carved out of Amraoti district. In 1864, the talukas of Malkapur, Chikhli and Mehkar were separated from the West Berar district and a new district, Southwest Berar district was formed, which was renamed as Mehkar district in 1865. In 1867, Buldana was selected as the headquarters of the district and later the district was renamed as Buldana district. In 1868, Bashim district
was formed.
Berar Province consisted of One Division with Commissionar and six districts viz. Amraoti, Ellichpur, Wun, Akola, Buldana and Bashim in 1905. It was rearranged into four district of Amraoti, Yeotmal, Akola and Buldhana. In 1869 municipal administrations were introduced at Amraoti, Akola, Ellichpur, Basim, Yavatmal, Khamgaon. Later Shegaon (1881), Akot (1884) and four more by 1904 became municipal towns.
of Madhya Pradesh
. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines, and Berar and Nagpur became part of Bombay state
. In 1960, Bombay state was split along linguistic lines, and the southern, Marathi-speaking portion of the state, including Berar, became the new state of Maharashtra
.
Central Provinces and Berar
The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. The Central Provinces was formed in...
. The total area of the province was 113281 square miles (293,396.4 km²). It is now part of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
state, and where it is forms part of Vidarbha
Vidarbha
Vidarbha is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar . It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra...
region. The boundaries of Berar have changed historically, but the British province corresponds to Maharashtra's Amravati Division
Amravati Division
Amravati division is one of the six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. Amravati and Nagpur divisions constitute the ancient Vidarbha region...
.
Nizam & Maratha
In 1724 the Nizam-ul-MulkNizam
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India...
Asif Jah established the independent line of the Nizams of Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
, and thenceforth the latter claimed to be de jure sovereigns of Berar
Berar
Berar may refer to:*Berar Sultanate, a Deccan sultanate established 1490*Berar Subah, a Subah of the Mughal empire from 1596 to 1724*Berar Province, a province of British India*Berar , a sailing ship built in 1863-See also:...
, with exception of certain districts (Mehkar, Umarkhed, etc.) ceded to the Maratha Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
in 1760 and 1795. The claim was contested by the Maratha Bhonsla
Bhonsle
The Bhonsle were a prominent clan within the Maratha clan system who served as rulers of several states in India.The most prominent member of the clan was Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire...
rajas of Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, and for more than half a century the country was devastated by wars between the two.
This condition of things was ended by Wellesley's victories at Assaye
Assaye
Assaye is a small village in the Jalna district of the state of Maharashtra in western India. The village was the location of the Battle of Assaye in 1803, fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company....
and Argaon
Adgaon
Adgaon, known as Argaon during the period of the British Raj, is a village located in the Telhara tehsil near Akot in the Akola district of Maharashtra, India...
(1803), which forced the Bhonsla raja to cede his territories south of Gawilgarh and Narnala fort and east of Wardha river. The forts of Gavilgad and Narnala remained subject to Bhosale raja of Nagpur.
By the partition treaty of Hyderabad (1804) between Nizam and British, these ceded territories in Berar were transferred in perpetual sovereignty to the Nizam, together with some tracts about Sindkhed and Jalna which had been held by Sindhia. By a treaty of 1822, which extinguished the Maratha right to levy tribute (chauth
Chauth
Chauth was a tax or tribute imposed, from early 18th century, by the Maratha Empire in India. It was nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name....
), the Wardha River was fixed as the eastern boundary of Berar, the Melghat and adjoining districts in the plains being assigned to the Nizam in exchange for the districts east of the Wardha held by the Peshwa.
Though Berar was no longer oppressed by its Maratha taskmasters nor harried by Pindari
Pindari
The Pendharis or Free Companions were dispersed throughout the Maratha states and were countenanced and protected by the Maratha chiefs to whom they acted as agents for supplying all the commissariat required by their armies. They were composed of different tribes who congregated together solely...
and Bhil
Bhil
Bhils are primarily an Adivasi people of Central India. Bhils are also settled in the Tharparkar District of Sindh, Pakistan. They speak the Bhil languages, a subgroup of the Western Zone of the Indo-Aryan languages....
raiders, it remained long a prey to the turbulent elements let loose by the sudden cessation of the wars. From time to time bands of soldiers, whom the government was powerless to control, scoured the country, and rebellion succeeded rebellion till 1859, when the last fight against open rebels took place at Chichamba near Risod.
Meanwhile the misery of the country was increased by the reckless raising of loans by the Nizam's government and the pledging of the revenues to a succession of great farmers-general.
British
At last the British government intervened, and in 1853 a new treaty was signed with the Nizam, under which the Hyderabad contingent was to be maintained by the British government, while for the pay of this force and in satisfaction of other claims, certain districts were assigned to the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. It was these "Hyderabad Assigned Districts" which were popularly supposed to form the province of Berar, though they coincided in extent neither with the Berar of the Nizams nor with the old Mughal province. In 1860, by a new treaty which modified in the Nizam's favor that of 1853, it was agreed that Berar should be held in trust by the British government for the purposes specified in the treaty of 1853.
Under British control Berar rapidly recovered its prosperity. Thousands of Marathi farmers who had emigrated across the Wardha to the Peshwas dominions, in order to escape the ruinous fiscal system of the Nizam's government, now returned; the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
gave an immense stimulus to the cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
trade; the laying of a railway line across the province provided yet further employment, and the people rapidly became prosperous and contented.
Through an agreement signed on 5 November 1902, Nizam Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub Ali Khan leased Berar permanently to the British against an annual payment of 25 lakhs of rupees. Lord Curzon decided to merge Berar with the Central Provinces
Central Provinces
The Central Provinces was a province of British India. It comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered parts of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur....
, and this was proclaimed on 17 September 1903. Thus the Central Provinces and Berar
Central Provinces and Berar
The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. The Central Provinces was formed in...
was born by a Residency Order, dated the 30 September 1903, and the administration of Berar was placed under the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces.
On October 1, 1903, Berar was placed under the administration of the British commissioner general of the Central Provinces, which henceforth became known as the Central Provinces and Berar
Central Provinces and Berar
The Central Provinces and Berar was a province of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states. Its capital was Nagpur. The Central Provinces was formed in...
.
Administration
In 1853, after the administration of the province was assigned to the British East India Company by the Nizam following a treaty, it was divided into two districts, South Berar with its headquarters at HingoliHingoli
Hingoli is a city and a municipal council in Hingoli district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-History:Marathwada was initially under Nizam's regime. Hingoli was the taluka of parbhani district and part of Nizam's regime. It was actually Nizam's military base as it was border place with...
and North Berar with its headquarters at Buldana and both were placed under a deputy commissioner. After the First War of Independence, Hingoli and its adjoining areas were restored to the Nizam and the province was reconstituted into two districts, East Berar with its headquarters at Amraoti
Amravati
Amravati is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India and the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district...
and West Berar with its headquarters at Akola.
In 1864, East Berar district was divided into two districts: Amraoti and Southeast Berar district (which was first renamed as Wun district and then in 1905, Yeotmal district), with headquarters at Yeotmal
Yavatmal
Yavatmal is a city and municipal council of the Yavatmal district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The name derives from the Marathi Yavat and mal .-Demographics:yavatmal ,district in Amravati administrative division....
. In 1867, Ellichpur District
Ellichpur District
Ellichpur District is a former district of British India. It encompassed the western portion of present-day Amravati District in Maharashtra state....
was also carved out of Amraoti district. In 1864, the talukas of Malkapur, Chikhli and Mehkar were separated from the West Berar district and a new district, Southwest Berar district was formed, which was renamed as Mehkar district in 1865. In 1867, Buldana was selected as the headquarters of the district and later the district was renamed as Buldana district. In 1868, Bashim district
Washim district
Washim is a district in Maharashtra, India. The headquarters is at Washim. The area of the district is 5,150 km².-Demography and Geography:...
was formed.
Berar Province consisted of One Division with Commissionar and six districts viz. Amraoti, Ellichpur, Wun, Akola, Buldana and Bashim in 1905. It was rearranged into four district of Amraoti, Yeotmal, Akola and Buldhana. In 1869 municipal administrations were introduced at Amraoti, Akola, Ellichpur, Basim, Yavatmal, Khamgaon. Later Shegaon (1881), Akot (1884) and four more by 1904 became municipal towns.
Officers
- Commissionor - Lt-Col W Hastings
- Deputy Commissionor
- A Godwin-Austen
- Judicial Commissionor J K Batten
- Civil and Sessions Judge F W A Prideaux
After 1947
After India's independence in 1947, the Central Provinces and Berar became a province of India, and in 1950 became the Indian stateStates and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. In 1956, the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines, and Berar and Nagpur became part of Bombay state
Bombay State
The Bombay State was a state of India, dissolved with the formation of Maharashtra and Gujarat states on May 1, 1960.-History:During British rule, portions of the western coast of India under direct British rule were part of the Bombay Presidency...
. In 1960, Bombay state was split along linguistic lines, and the southern, Marathi-speaking portion of the state, including Berar, became the new state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
.