2022-01-07 Fri

Sailana princely state was a part of Malwa Agency, Central Indian Agency. It had an area of 450 square miles. The word ‘Sailana’ is traced from the name of Shaila hills. Its territories were scattered and intermingled with Ratlam state and so it was tedious for the cartographer to make an accurate map of Sailana. Its boundaries intermingled with Gwalior, Indore, Dhar, Jhabua, Jaora, Banswara, and Kushalgarh. The chief river of the state was Mahi which flows in the western part of the State.

The lineage of Sailana comes from Rathore Rajputs of the Ratanavat branch, an offshoot of the Ratlam house. Jai Singh, the great-grandson of Ratan Singh established the state. Ratan Singh was responsible for the foundation of Ratlam state. In 1716, he fought a battle at Sagode against his uncle for the murder of his father. He secured Ratlam and kept it for his elder brother. The existing state and conquered state were divided among both the brothers. Raoti town was made the capital of the state. Later, in 1736 he shifted the capital to the newly built Sailana city. He fought 22 battles and turned Sailana into an independent state.

An adjoined image is of the coin portrayed on its front side, ‘Crowned bust of King George V facing left’ and ‘Date and Value in the inner circle, Sailana State in Devanagari and English around it’ on its backside. The copper Quarter Anna was issued by Jaswant Singh of Sailana princely state in 1912 AD.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World