 |
Civil Administration of Mewar. There were four main officers of the government: 1. Prime Minister (Pradhan); 2. Minister of War (Bakshi); 3. Lord Chamberlain (Surutnama); and 4. Minister for Foreign and Home Affairs (Sahaee). The Prime Minister had to be of non-militant class, which meant that no Rajput could become a civil Premier. (There were Rajput Premiers who were commanders-in-chief. They did not interfere with the Civil Ministers, however they did act together.) The whole of the territorial and financial arrangements was vested in him. He nominated the civil governors of districts, and the collectors of revenue and custom. He had fourteen departments under him, which embraced all that related to expenditure and income.
The Bakshi had to be of the non-militant class too, and one different from the Prime Minister's race or family (Gotra) to ensure that they could not conspire together. His duties were mixed, civil and military. He took the musters (ration cards), and gave rations to the feudal army when on extra service, and appointed a deputy (Naib Bakshi) to accompany all expeditions, or to head frontier-posts, with the title of Commander (Foujdar). The royal insignia, Raj Chhatra (royal umbrella), the Changi (the golden sun), Raj Kirnia (the sun ray protector), Chhamer (the fly whisk), the great Crimson Standard and drums (nakkaras) accompanied him, and the highest nobles assembled under the general control of this civil officer, never under one of their own body. All patents were issued from the Bakshi's bureau, as were all letters of sequestration (or confiscation) of feudal land. The Bakshi had four secretaries. The first drew up the deeds; the second was the accountant; the third, the recorder of all royal patents or grants; and the fourth made duplicates of everything.
The third main officer, the Surutnama, was the auditor and recorder of all the royal household expenditure and establishments, which were paid by his cheques. He also had four assistants who made a daily report and gave a daily balance of accounts.
The fourth officer, the Sahaee or minister for both home and foreign affairs, drew out the royal grants or patents of estates, and superintended the deed of grant on copperplate to religious establishments. To all decrees, from the daily stipend to the putta (or patent of an estate), each minister had to append his seal, so that there was a complete system of check.
Besides these four higher officers of government were thirty-six sub-departments (Karkhanas), the officers of which were directly appointed by the Maharana, the most conspicuous of which were the judiciary, the keepers of the register-offices, of the mint, of the armoury, of the regalia, of the jewels, of the wardrobe, of the statues, of the kitchen, of the band, and of the royal ladies department.
Civil War in Mewar: see ARI SINGH II, MAHARANA.
Clans, Major, of Mewar. This is a very complex subject and rightly deserves an entire book to itself. Basically, all clans were named after their ancestral founder. For example, Prince Choonda at Salumbar founded the Choondawats and their Senior House remained at Salumbar. Mewar's major clans are as follow (in alphabetical order; see individual entries for details): Chauhans; Choondawats (Chondawats, Chundawats) of Salumbar; Jagawats of Amer (founded by Kunwar Jagga; an offshoot of the Choondawats); Jaitmal Rathores; Jhalas; Krishnawats of Kurabar (also an offshoot of the Choondawats of Salumbar); Mahecha Rathores; Meghawats of Begun (founded by Megha); Mertia Rathores; Parmars (Paramaras); Ranawats; Saktawats (Shaktawats); Sangawats of Deogarh; Sarangdevots; and Sisodias of Sisoda (which has been the clan of Mewar's ruling family since Maharana Hamir Singh I).
Classification of Mewar's Clans (Nobles) (each class ranked in order of seniority).
Jagirdars of the State, 1st Class (including the 1st 16 Umraos): Bari Sadri (Jhala Rajput); Bedla (Chauhan Rajput); Kotharia (Chauhan); Salumbar (Choondawat); Bijolia (Paramara); Deogarh (Sangawat); Begun (Choondawat); Delwara (Jhala Rajput); Amet (Choondawat); Meja (Choondawat); Gogunda (Jhala Rajput); Kanor (Choondawat); Bhindar (Saktawat); Badnore (Mertia Rathore); Bansi (Saktawat); Bhainsrorgarh (Kishnawat/Sisodia); Parsoli (Chauhan); Kurabad (Choondawat); Asind (Choondawat); Sardargarh (Dodia).
Nearest Relatives of the Maharana: Bagore (Ranawat); Karjali (Ranawat); Shivrati (Ranawat); Karoi (Ranawat); Bavlas (Sisodia); Banera (Sisodia); Shahpura (Sisodia).
Jagirdars of the State, 2nd Class Umraos Bateesa (32 Umraos): 1. Hamirgarh (Hameergarh) (Choondawat); 2. Chavand (Choondawat); 3. Bhadesar (Choondawat); 4. Bohida (Boheda) (Saktawat); 5. Bhunas (Baba Ranawat); 6. Pipalya (Saktawat); 7. Bemali (Choondawat); 8 (or 13). Tana (Jhala); 8 (or 13). Thana (Choondawat); 9. Rampura (Mertia Rathore); 10. Khairabad (Kherabad) (Baba); 11. Mahua (Mahuva) (Ranawat); 12. Loonda (Choondawat); 14. Jarkhana (Dhanerya) (Sisodia); 15. Kelwa (Jaitmal Rathore); 16. Badi Rupaheli (Bari Roopaheli) (Mertia Rathore); 17. Bhagwanpura (Choondawat); 18. Netawal (Ranawat); 19. Peeladhar (Sisodia); 20. Nimbahera (Mertia Rathore); 21. Batherda (Sarangdevot); 22. Bambori (Paramaras); 23. Sanwar (Ranawat); 24. Kareda (Choondawat); 25. Amargarh (Kanawat); 26. Lasani (Choondawat); 27. Dharyavad (Dhariawad) (Sisodia); 28. Falichda (Falichra) (Chauhan); 29. Sangramgarh (Choondawat); 30. Vijaipur (Saktawat).
Category 3 of Mewar Sardars: 1. Bambora; 2. Roopnagar (Rupnagar) (Solanki); 3. Barliawas (Barlyawas) (Ranawat); 4. Kerya (Poorawat); 5. Amlda; 6. Mangrop (Poorawat); 7. Moie (Bhati); 8. Gurlan (Poorawat); 9. Dabla (Mertia); 10. Jhadol (Jharol) (Jhala); 11. Jamoli (Baba); 12. Gadar Mala (Gadarmala); 13. Muroli (Bhati); 14. Daulatgarh (Daulat-gadh) (Choondawat); 15. Satola (Choondawat); 16. Bassi (Choondawat); 17. Jeelola; 18. Gurla (Gudlan) (Chauhan); 19. Tal (Choondawat); 20. Parsad (Prasad) (Sisodia); 21. Singoli (Poorawat); 22. Bansra (Ranawat); 23. Kantora (Rathore); 24. Marchya Keri (Marchyakheri) (Solanki); 25. Gyangarh (Gyangadh) (Choondawat); 26. Neemri (Mahecha Rathore); 27. Hinta (Saktawat); 28. Semari (Saktawat); 29. Taloli (Choondawat); 30. Rood (Saktawat); 31. Sihar (Saktawat); 32. Pansal (Saktawat); 33. Bhadu (Choondawat); 34. Kunthawas (Kunthavas) (Saktawat); 35. Pithawas (Peethwas) (Choondawat); 36. Jagpura (Mertia Rathore); 37. Athun (Athoon) (Poorawat); 38. Aarjya (Ajarya) (Chavda); 39. Kladwas (Kalarwas) (Chavda).
Climate of Mewar: see NATURAL FEATURES OF MEWAR.
Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar), a familiar and easy-to-see landmark in Udaipur. Situated in the heart of the Old City at the junction of Bada Bazaar and Raoji-ka-Hata Road. It was erected in 1876 on the orders of Maharana SAJJAN SINGH (1874-1884). There had been reports of grain hoarding by greedy merchants that caused a shortage and forced grain prices up. An investigation resulted in those guilty being brought before the Maharana, who, in his wisdom, decided that a suitable punishment would be a hefty fine, the revenue from which was used to build the clock tower. It was the first public clock in Udaipur, the actual mechanism being English. (Previously, the community was alerted to the start and finish of each working day by cannon fire from EKLINGGARH, the fort on MACHHALA MAGRA at 10:00 and 18:00.) The many narrow lanes in the vicinity of the clock tower are packed with little shops selling all manner of interesting goods. Nearby, silver, gold, and coppersmiths still work at their craft in the age-old traditional ways.
Cloud Palace, a tourist guide book nickname for the BADAL MAHAL, Kumbhalgarh.
|
