Dewas
During the British Raj, Dewas was the seat of twin Maratha princely states in the Malwa Political Charge of the Central India Agency. It was divided into two branches- senior and junior or ‘Baba Sahib’ and ‘Dada Sahib’ branch. The circumstances of the Dewas States were unusual. Though they were virtually two distinct chiefships with separate administrations, they shared the same capital town and ruled over separate areas. Their territories were split up into several portions and chiefly situated in the Bhopal and Malwa Agency Political Charges.
The Dewas States were bounded by portions of Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, Jaora, and Narsinghgarh. Except the pargana of Bagaud, the whole area lay on the Malwa plateau. After India's independence in 1947, the Maharajas of Dewas acceded to India, and their states were merged into Madhya Bharat, which became a state of India in 1950. In 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh state.
The chiefs of Dewas were Maratha Ponwars who were connected with the Dhar house. Udaji Rao, the first of that line, was the first-cousin to Tukoji Rao and Jiwaji Rao, the founders of Dewas. Tukoji and Jiwaji were brothers, who came into Central India with the Peshwa, Baji Rao I, in about 1728. In reward for services rendered, the Peshwa conferred several parganas. In 1818 a joint treaty was concluded between the British Government and Tukoji Rao l I of the senior and Anand Rao II of the junior branch.