Dewas, India

History

Dewas was originally established as a sovereign Maratha territory in the first half of the 18th century. While it later became the capital of two princely states during the British era, its foundations were laid by the brothers Tukoji Rao (Senior) and Jivaji Rao (Junior) of the Pawar clan. The Pawar dynasty of Dewas emerged as a prominent military power during the expansion of the Maratha Empire. Members of the clan served with distinction as early as the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, participating in the foundational battles for Swarajya. Their role grew significantly under Chhatrapati Shahu, during which they fought in numerous campaigns against the Nizams , Mughals and the Portuguese on the western coast. In recognition of their unwavering loyalty and valor in these conflicts, the family was honored with the hereditary titles 'Sena Sapt Sahasri' (Commander of Seven Thousand) and 'Vishwas Rao' (The Trustworthy).

In 1901, the senior branch had an area of 446 sq mi (1,160 km2) and a population of 62,312, while the area of the junior branch was 440 sq mi (1,100 km2) and had a population of 54,904. Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency.

Dewas Junior and Dewas Senior durbars (courts) were composed of Sardars, Mankaris, Istamuradars, Thakurs and Jagirdars.

From the History section of Dewas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.