Jaora

Jaora state was part of Malwa Agency of Central India spread across 569 square miles, out of which 128 square miles was donated for land grants. It touches the boundaries of Indore, Gwalior, Ratlam States Agency, the state of Partabhgarh in Rajputana and the Thakurat of Piploda. Entitled to 13-gun salute, the state was divided geographically into seven tehsils, Jaora, Barauda, Barkhera, Malhargarh, Nawabganj, Sanjit and Tal Mandawal. The principal grown crops were millets, cotton, maize and opium.

Jaora traced their origin from Tajik Khel tribe of Afghans, who had matrimonial relations with Yusufzai clan and later settled in Swat valley. Abdul Majid Khan migrated to Hindustan in search of good fortune during Muhammad Shah’s reign. He joined the service of Nawab Zabita Khan.

Abdul Ghafur Mohammad Khan, grandson of Abdul Majid Khan was appointed as a cavalry commander under the Rohilla chief, Nawab Amir Khan of Tonk. After the battle of Mehdipur, Holkar was pressurized to sign the treaty of Mandasor in 1817. According to the treaty, Nawab Ghafur Khan received the confirmation of all his land grants from Maharaja Holkar of Indore which he later converted into Jaora Empire. He was succeeded by his son, Ghaus Mohammad Khan at the age of two in 1825. So his regent Musharraf Begum was appointed by the British.

At the time of Revolt of 1857, he chose to remain loyal with the British and in return he was rewarded with titles and land grants. He died at early age in 1865 and the empire was left to his ten years old minor son, Nawab Mohammad Ismail Khan. He was appointed as Major in British army. After reaching adulthood, his empire drastically degraded and he died at the age of forty-one. He left a huge family of wives, lesser wives and concubines.

Later, Nawab Iftikhar Khan succeeded his father at the age of ten years. Because of his minor age, British sent him to Daly College at Indore for receiving education. He completed Imperial Cadet Corps from Dehra Dun. Early years of his reign were very constructive but his later life was labelled by the historians as ‘slap and tickle’. He died after the few months of partition in December 1947. He was succeeded by his son Nawab Usman Ali Khan. His succession of power lived shortly as he succeeded to Government of India on 15th June 1948.