Dewas State
Dewas State was a territory within Central India, which was the seat of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj.
After the Maratha conquest of Central India, Dewas was divided into two states - Dewas Junior ruled by Jivaji Rao Puar and Dewas Senior ruled by Tukoji Rao Puar. On 12 December 1818, the 2 Dewas States became British protectorates.
History
Foundation and being part of Maratha empire
The seats were established in 1728 by two brothers from the Maratha clan Puar, who advanced into Malwa with the Peshwa Baji Rao, and divided the territory among themselves after the Maratha conquest. Their descendants ruled as the senior and junior branches of the family. The Pawar clan to which the rulers of Dewas belonged had long been associated with the military and administrative framework of the Maratha state. From the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, members of the Pawar clan served the Maratha polity in important civil, military, and advisory roles, contributing significantly to the expansion and consolidation of Swarajya.Within the Maratha administrative hierarchy, Pawar nobles are traditionally recorded as holding ranks such as Sena Sapt Sahasri and Sena Bara Sahasri, a higher military–administrative position entrusted with strategic planning, revenue oversight linked to military needs, and coordination between forts and field armies. The title “Vishwas Rao”was used for trusted nobles and military officers who acted as close confidants of the ruling authority, often entrusted with sensitive diplomatic or military responsibilities.
Pawar clan consistently fought shoulder to shoulder with Maloji Raje Bhosale and later Shahaji Raje Bhosale, participating in campaigns against the Mughal forces, the Nizam of Ahmadnagar, and the Qutb Shahi Sultanate. They continued their service under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and later Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, taking part in Maratha operations against the Portuguese, Mughals, and the Nizam, particularly during campaigns in the Western Deccan, Malwa, and Central India.
With the Maratha expansion into Malwa in 17th century under Peshwa Baji Rao I, Tukoji Rao Pawar and Jivaji Rao Pawar, drawing upon this inherited military tradition, established themselves as powerful regional rulers. Their authority was not merely territorial but rooted in long-standing service to the Maratha state as commanders and administrators of the Chhatrapati and the Peshwa. This continuity of service explains the structured court system of Dewas, where institutions such as Jagirdars, Sardars, Istamuradars, and Mankaris formed the backbone of governance.
Princely states under British rule
After 1841, each branch ruled his own portion as a separate state, though the lands belonging to each were intimately entangled; in Dewas, the capital town, the two sides of the main street were under different administrations and had different arrangements for water supply and lighting.The two Rajas heading Dewas states both lived in separate residences in the town of Dewas, and ruled over separate areas.
The Junior branch had an area of and had a population of 54,904 in 1901, while the Senior branch had an area of and a population of in 62,312 in the same year. Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency.
Dewas Junior & Senior Darbars was composed of Sardars, Mankaris, Istamuradars, Thakurs and Jagirdars.