Umaria

Umaria Jagir, situated in the present-day Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, was a prominent feudal estate (thikana) under the princely state of Rewah, ruled by the illustrious Baghela dynasty of Rajputs. The origins of Baghela rule in this region date back to the 13^th century when Vyaghradev, a descendant of the Solanki (Chaulukya) dynasty of Gujarat, migrated to the region and laid the foundation of the Baghelkhand sovereign power. Umaria served as a crucial strategic and administrative hub, closely linked with the historic Bandhavgarh Fort, which was the ancestral seat of the Baghela rulers before Maharaja Vikramaditya shifted the capital to Rewa in 1617. During the British Raj, the jagirdars of Umaria maintained local autonomy while rendering allegiance to the Maharaja of Rewa, actively managing the estate's resources and the dense forests which are today globally preserved as the Bandhavgarh National Park. Following India's independence in 1947, the jagir was integrated into India, initially becoming part of Vindhya Pradesh and subsequently merged into Madhya Pradesh in 1956.