Memoirs of Central India and Malwa

• Type: Hindi
• Pages: xiv + 386
• ISBN: 9788173055836
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Publisher: Aryan Books International
• Size: 15 cm x 22 cm
• Product Year: 2017

After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo Maratha War, Sir John Malcolm was appointed Resident at Indore in 1818. He held this post till 1822 and during this period he collected a lot of material on the history, administration and society of Central India and published this book in 1824. The main title of the original book written in English is A Memoir of Central India but further to make its subject clear the author has added this in the main title- Including Malwa, and Adjoining Provinces, with the History and Copious Illustrations, of the Past and Present Condition of That Country. The book was written in two parts.

This translation is of the first part of the book. After giving a geographical description of Malwa, the author tells how the Marathas arrived in Malwa in the beginning of the eighteenth century and how the Nawabi of Bhopal arose in eastern Malwa. It further describes the details of the princely states of Holkar, Scindia, Dhar, Dewas, Bhopal and the activities of the Pindaris in the beginning of the nineteenth century. Apart from this, information is also available about the small princely states of Malwa and its surroundings and the main aspects of their administration. This is a very important book about Central India and is a valuable source for the history of that period.

In the Hindi translation, the term ‘Central India’ has been used. The reason for this is that translating Central India as ‘Madhya Bharat’ gives the impression of Madhya Bharat formed in 1948, which did not include the area of ​​Bhopal State. Then writing ‘Madhya Bharat’ gives the impression that this is about the Madhya Bharat state which existed only from 1948 to 1956.