Population: 1,516,918; Area: 2,398 km2 (926 sq mi); Altitude: 553 m (1,814 ft)

Indore is situated on a 553M high plateau on the bank of Khan River. Formerly a major trading centre, the city, along with its satellite townships of Pithampur, Mhow and Dewas, has established a strong industrial base. It is also the 2nd Industrial city of the state and is famous for loom products, industry and opium.

In 1733 the Malhar Rao Holker got Indore as a marriage gift for collaborating with the Marathas in many battles. He later handed over the rein of Indore to his widow daughter-in-law Ahalyabai, and after the untimely death of his son, she became the Queen of Indore in 1766. Foundation of Indore thus was initiated by the Queen Victoria of India –Ahalyabai. The name of the capital Indore has been derived from the name of the God Indreswar. After the death of Queen in 1795 civil war broke out among the heirs of the kingdom. In 1801 with the fall of Indore to British, the HQ of British Central India Agency was shifted to Indore.

The Zamindars (In India before independence, the zamindars used to hold land on which tax was paid direct to the Mughal Emperor and later on British Government and also by collecting revenue from a number of cultivators) of the region spreaded from the banks of Narmada to the borders of Rajputana were the ancestors of the founders of Indore. In Mughal times, these families received the title of Chaudhari, which established their claim to the land. In the 18th century, the control of Malwa passed on to the Peshwa clan, and the Chaudharis came to be known as "Mandloi"s (derived from Mandals) because of the language they used. Eventually the Holkars conferred the title of Rao Raja upon them.

Under Mughal rule, the family enjoyed great influence and was accorded confirmatory sanads by the Emperors Aurangzeb, Alamgir and Farukhshayar, confirming their 'Jagir' rights. Rao Nandlal Chaudhary Zamindar, the founder of Indore, upon visiting the court of Delhi, received a special place in the emperor’s court along with two jewel studded swords (now on display in the Royal British Museum under the family's name) and confirmatory sanads. The family’s respectability and influence over Malwa was instrumental in the ascent of the Peshwas and Holkars to rulership of this region.

Rao Nandlal Chaudhary, the founder of Indore, was the Chief Zamindar (landlord), and had an army of 2000 soldiers. In 1713, Nizam was appointed as the controller of the Deccan plateau area, which renewed the struggle between the Marathas and the Mughals.

While visiting the temple of Indreshwar near the banks of river Saraswati, Nandlalsingh found the location to be safe and strategically located, being surrounded by rivers on all sides. He started moving his people in, and constructed the fort of Shree Sansthan Bada Rawala to protect them from harassment by Mughals. The city was named Indrapur (after Lord Indreshwar), and eventually came to be known as Indore.

Baji Rao Peshwa finally took control of Malwa in 1733 A.D. Malhar Rao Holkar was one of the four signatories who guaranteed the proper fulfillment of the conditions.[6] Upon victory the Peshwas appointed Malhar Rao Holkar as a “Subhedar”, which marked the beginning of Holkars' reign in Malwa.

Thus, Indore came to be ruled by the Maratha Maharajas of the Holkar dynasty. The dynasty's founder, Malhar Rao Holkar, (1694-1766), was granted control of Malwa Maratha armies in 1724, and in 1733, was installed as the Maratha governor of the region. By the end of his reign, the Holkar state was de facto independent. He was succeeded by his daughter Ahilyabai Holkar who ruled from 1767 to 1795. She ruled from a palace-fort at Maheshwar, south of Indore on the Narmada River. Ahilyabai Holkar was an architectural patron who donated money for the construction of Hindu temples across India. In 1818, the Holkars were defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and the Holkar kingdom became a part of the British Raj. As a result of this defeat in the Battle of Mahidpur, the treaty of Mandsaur was signed, through which the Cantonment town of Mhow was handed over to the British. The treaty also decreed that the capital of the Holkar state would shift from Maheshwar to Indore.

In early 20th century, Indore was the home of Seth Hukumchand Jain, who became the first Indian to establish a jute mill in India. He is regarded to a pioneer of Indian industry, and a founder of several institutions and industries in Indore and nearby area.

After India's independence in 1947, Indore, along with a number of neighbouring princely states, became part of the Indian state of Madhya Bharat. Indore was designated the summer capital of this newly created state. On November 1, 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh and Bhopal was chosen as the capital. The city palace was the seat of administration of the rulers of the Malwa region – The Holkars (26 May 1728 to 20 April 1948). The Rajbada was burnt in the 1984 riots, and thus converted into a garden, till 2006 when the present Maharani of Indore, H.H. Ushadevi Holkar, decided to rebuild the wada to its past glory. H.H. Ushadevi Holkar invited architects Himanshu Dudwadkar and Shreya Bhargava to design this challenging project and in 2007 the Rajwada found its place back in history. It became the only historic structure in India to have been rebuilt with exactly the same style, materials and method of construction as those of 250 years ago.

After the death of Queen in 1795 civil war broke out among the heirs of the kingdom. In 1801 with the fall of Indore to British, the HQ of British Central India Agency was shifted to Indore.

Places of Tourists interest:

The main attraction of Indore is Glass Temple or Seth Hukumchand Temple. The idol of Digambar Jain faith is in the temple. Jain mythology has been depicted in more than 50 mural paintings inside the temple. The other attraction of the city is Gita Bhawan in Kailash Park. The 350 yrs of old Rajwara at the heart of the city. At the Rajwara premises, situated Gopal Temple and Art Gallery founded by Krishnabai Holkar in 1832 AD. 1 km from to the west in Bara Ganapati Temple famous for its collection of holy soil of Moksha from 7 places, and there is a 8m high idol of God of Wealth- Lord Ganesha built in 1875.

On the South-West of the city one of the most celebrated palaces is Lalbagh Palace, built in Georgian style, covering 28 hectare of land. Italian villa type Manik Bagh Palace is also beautiful.

Kasturba village is 8 km away towards Khandwa from Indore. Kasturba Gandhi National trust, founded by Mahatma Gandhi was shifted here in 1950 from Wardha to develop the village. There are 24 temples of 24 Tirthankars made of marble in Gomotgiri, 10 min away from Airport. There is also a 21 ft high statue of Bahubal which is a replica of that at Shravanabelgola. 170 km from Indore is Baown Gajaji, a holy place of Jains on Chalagiri, the highest peak of Satpura mountain range on the Plateau of Narmada River. There is (84 ft, 25.6m high) statue of Rishavdeb. The huge statue is not monolithic one though stone curved. Its eyes are 3 ft, nose 4 ft and the diameter of the head is 26 ft. Oon, 18 km away from Khargoan is a centre with Hindu & Jain temples. The clusters of temples were built 1000 yrs ago under the patronage of Parmar Kings of Malwa.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 21:46