Bandhavgarh and Rewa
The Baghelas claim descent from the Vāghela Chaulukyas of Gujarat and established themselves in the eastern Vindhyas in the thirteenth century, taking over territory that had been Kalachuri. Their early seat was the hill fort of Bandhavgarh, now the centre of a national park; the capital moved to Rewa in 1618.
The country's name, Baghelkhand, comes from the dynasty.
Between empires
The Baghelas survived by accommodation. Rāmacandra of Bhatha, in the sixteenth century, sheltered the musician Tansen before he entered Akbar's service, and the state was tributary to the Mughals thereafter. It was one of the last areas of central India to come under British influence, entering into treaty in 1812.
Rewa was the first state to breed white tigers in captivity — the male Mohan, captured in 1951, is the ancestor of most white tigers now living — and the association has attached itself to the house's public memory more firmly than any of its politics. The state acceded to India in 1948.
Further reading
- Gordon, Stewart. The Marathas 1600-1818. Cambridge University Press, 1993
- Jackson, Peter. The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History. Cambridge University Press, 1999
- Richards, John F. The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press, 1993
- Stein, Burton. Vijayanagara. Cambridge University Press, 1989
- Basham, A. L. The Wonder That Was India. Sidgwick & Jackson, 1954
See also
This entry was last revised on 1 August 2026.