India

A flourishing city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Indore is places on the western part of the state, close to the capital city of Bhopal. Being located in the center of the sub-continent, the place is deemed as an important stopover. For many decades, Indore remained as the capital of Holkar dynasty until Rani Ahilyabai Holkar shifted her administrative court to Maheshwar. During the peak of the Mughal Empire, the place was relatively peaceful until the intervention of the Maratha rulers. The royal members of Indore enjoyed the privileges of confirmatory rights given to them by the Mughal rulers such as Aurangzeb, Alamgir and Farukhshayar. During the British rule, the capital of Holkar became a part of the East India Company. The futile efforts by the Marathas to resist the English invasion demolished the last Hindu Kingdom in the region. The British ruled this area until Indian Independence in 1947.

Early Founders Rao Nandlal Chaudhary, the zamindar of this region, is believed to be the founder of Indore. According to the legends, once Rao Nandlal was on his way to the Indereshwar Temple. situated close to the banks of the River Saraswati, when he come across a site that was well protected by natural barriers and looked safe. Impressed by it, he shifted his capital there, erected a citadel and named it as Indrapur. He erected the Fort Shree Sansthan Bada Rawala to protect his group of followers from the constant raids of the Mughal Emperors. Although the city was named after the Indereshwar temple, it later came to known a Indore. Mughal rule with the invasion of the Muslim rule in the continent, just like the rest of the states in northern India, Madhya Pradesh also went through a phase of power struggle. Although there were not many turbulent and gory battles fought between the rulers of this region, there was indeed disharmony among the Mughal and the Maratha Kings. During the climax of the Mughal reign in India, Rao Nandlal visited the Delhi Sultan to make peace with him. The Indore Landlord is believed to have pleased the Islamic king who gifted him two jewel studded swords. During the peace treaty, the Indore zamindar accepted the confirmatory sanad that also gained him a close acquaintance with the Raja Savai Jai Singh of Jaipur that eventually earned him a place in the Durbars in India. The above events not only earned the respect of the royal members but also led to the formation of influential allies with the rulers of this region. Meanwhile, during 1713, when the Delhi Sultan favored a particular Nizam as the future administer of the Deccan region, further conflict broke our between the Marathas ans the Mughals.