Mahidpur

Mahidpur is a city and municipality in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It lies in the Malwa region on the bank of the Shipra River, approximately 56 kilometres southwest of Ujjain and about 18 kilometres from Mehidpur-Road railway station on the Delhi–Mumbai railway corridor. The settlement serves as a tehsil headquarters and is connected by road with Ujjain, Ratlam, Nagda and Agar. According to local historical tradition, Mahidpur takes its name from Raja Maheda Bhil, identified as the founder of the settlement. Archaeological work has recorded Chalcolithic remains in the area, indicating occupation in the wider region well before the modern town took shape. The town also has a significant early-modern and colonial military history. During British India, Mahidpur was associated with Indore State in the Central India Agency and stood near the Kshipra at an elevation of roughly 470 metres. Its most prominent historical event was the Battle of Mahidpur, fought on 20 December 1817 between the forces of the Holkar state and the British under Sir John Malcolm. The British victory contributed to the Treaty of Mandasor and the subsequent consolidation of British authority in Malwa. Mahidpur later experienced further fighting during the Indian Mutiny. A British cantonment established in 1817 was removed in 1882. Historic features remain visible around the town and battlefield, including a deteriorating old fort, the site known as Bhasmi Tekri or Ashes Hill, and the Mahalakshmi temple associated with the battlefield area. Tala Kunchi ki Bawdi, also called the Lock and Key Well, is locally described as an underground route connected with the fort. These sites give Mahidpur importance as a regional historical and religious location, although the available reference material does not establish it as a commercial brand or corporate enterprise. Mahidpur's economy is closely connected with agriculture, agricultural trade, transportation and related services. Crops grown in the surrounding area include wheat, chickpea, pigeon pea, soybean and corn. The town is also noted for food products such as ghee, mawa, a concentrated milk preparation, and namkin snacks. Population and literacy figures in the supplied reference material are based on the 2001 Indian census, which recorded 34,365 residents, with an approximately even male-female distribution and a literacy rate of about 62 percent. Because the authoritative subject is a geographic settlement rather than a consumer or corporate brand, corporate ownership, executives, product lines, campaigns and financial information are not applicable or not established.

Mahidpur is an old settlement in the Malwa region of central India, situated beside the Shipra River in what is now Ujjain district, Madhya Pradesh. Local tradition attributes the foundation of the town to Raja Maheda Bhil, whose name is said to have given rise to the place-name Mahidpur. Archaeological excavations have identified Chalcolithic remains in the area, providing evidence of early settlement activity in the wider locality. The town became prominent in the political and military history of central India during the period of Maratha and British expansion. Under British India, Mahidpur or Mehidpur was associated with Indore State within the Central India Agency. It occupied a position on the right bank of the Kshipra, around 470 metres above sea level, and was known both as a settlement of some antiquity and as a destination for Hindu pilgrims. Mahidpur's defining historical event was the Battle of Mahidpur, fought on 20 December 1817. British forces commanded by Sir John Malcolm defeated the army of the Holkar state in the conflict. The British victory helped lead to the Treaty of Mandasor and the wider pacification and political reordering of Malwa. A British cantonment was established at Mahidpur in 1817, but it was removed in 1882. The town and its surrounding area were again affected by armed conflict during the Indian Mutiny. Physical remains associated with this history include a dilapidated old fort and the battlefield locality known as Bhasmi Tekri. The area also contains a Mahalakshmi temple described as one of the older temples near the battlefield. Tala Kunchi ki Bawdi, or the Lock and Key Well, is associated in local accounts with an underground passage that could have provided an escape route from the fort. These structures, together with the battlefield, connect Mahidpur's contemporary identity with its military and religious past. In the modern administrative system, Mahidpur is a city and municipality and serves as a tehsil headquarters in Ujjain district. It is linked by roads to Ujjain, Ratlam, Nagda and Agar, while the Mehidpur-Road railway station provides access to the Delhi–Mumbai line of Western Railway. Economic activity is primarily related to agriculture, the handling and transport of agricultural produce, and associated commerce. Important crops in the surrounding area include wheat, chickpea, pigeon pea, soybean and corn. Mahidpur is also known regionally for ghee, mawa and namkin. The reference material gives demographic data from the 2001 Indian census: a population of 34,365, an approximate male share of 52 percent, a female share of 48 percent, and literacy of about 62 percent. It also notes the nearby village of Bhima Kheda. A 2004 publication on Chalcolithic remains in the Ujjain region documents archaeological work at Mahidpur. The supplied sources contain no reliable information indicating that Mahidpur is a branded business, company, product line or corporate group; the subject is instead a geographic place.

• 2004

  Archaeological excavation report published

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  A publication titled Chalcolithic Site of Ujjain Region, Mahidpur documented archaeological work concerning the site's early remains.

• 2001

  Census population and literacy figures

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  The supplied reference records a population of 34,365 and literacy of approximately 62 percent in the 2001 Indian census.

• 1901

  Population recorded under British India

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  The historical reference records Mahidpur's population as 6,681 in the 1901 census.

• 1882

  Cantonment removed

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  The British cantonment at Mahidpur was removed.

• 1817

  British cantonment established

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  A British cantonment was established at Mahidpur during the period of conflict and political transition in central India.

• 1817

  Battle of Mahidpur

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  On 20 December, British forces under Sir John Malcolm defeated the Holkar army near Mahidpur. The result contributed to the Treaty of Mandasor and the British consolidation of Malwa.

• Early settlement evidence

  [1]Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org

  Chalcolithic remains were excavated in the Mahidpur area, indicating occupation in the wider locality during the prehistoric period.

A regional urban and agricultural centre with historical, religious and cultural significance in the Malwa region.

• Agriculture

  Agricultural produce

  Mahidpur's surrounding economy is strongly connected with cultivation and trade in wheat, chickpea, pigeon pea, soybean and corn. The available reference describes agriculture and the handling and transport of agricultural produce as major sources of local employment.

• Dairy food

  Ghee

  Ghee is identified in the reference material as a locally associated agricultural and food product. No specific producer, trademark or packaged brand is identified.

• Dairy food

  Mawa

  Mawa, a thickened or concentrated milk preparation, is among the regional food products for which Mahidpur is known. The sources do not identify a particular commercial maker or product label.

• Savory snacks

  Namkin

  Namkin, a broad category of Indian savory snack foods, is listed among Mahidpur's known local products. No specific recipe, manufacturer or branded range is established by the supplied sources.

1. 1Mahidpuren.wikipedia.org