From patchwork of princely states to ‘heart’ of India: How modern-day Madhya Pradesh came to be

A smattering of princely states, large and small. A huge, consolidated British province. This was the vast expanse of Central India in 1947. It is hard to imagine a more disparate image of what is now modern-day Madhya Pradesh which spans 3,08,000 square kilometres and as India’s second-largest state after Rajasthan.

The state’s history often invokes Maratha influence on the region, the reign of Ahilyabai Holkar and the Nizam of Bhopal. But its transition into modern-day Madhya Pradesh is less known. The boundaries of the expansive region were redrawn and its territories amalgamated several times over soon after independence ultimately forming one large state – and even that was not the end of the story.

On the occasion of Madhya Pradesh’s Formation Day, November 1, 1956, here is a lesser-known historical account of the “heart” of the country.

Princely states, British India

Before Independence, Central India was a mosaic of princely states, with varying degrees of power and autonomy under the British. The Scindia dynasty of Gwalior, among the most powerful states in the region, was established by the Maratha warrior class who played a significant role in shaping Central India’s political landscape.

Indore, governed by the Holkar dynasty, was another Maratha confederacy state with an illustrious lineage with rulers (pre-annexation by...

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