Note 158 — PART I.—DESCRIPTION.

The Maráthás, a.d. 1720–1820.In a.d. 1658 a Rája Shívráj was commandant of Mándu.158 No reference has been traced to any imperial visit to Mándu during Aurangzíb’s reign. But that great monarch has left an example of his watchful care in the rebuilding of the Âlamgír or Aurangzíb Gate, which guards the approach to the stone-crossing of the great northern ravine and bears an inscription of a.d. 1668, the eleventh year of Âlamgír’s reign. In spite of this additional safeguard thirty years later (a.d. 1696) Mándu was taken and the standard of Udáji Pavár was planted on the battlement.159 The Maráthás soon withdrew and Málwa again passed under an imperial governor. In a.d. 1708 the Shía-loving emperor Bahádur Sháh I. (a.d. 1707–1712) visited Mándu, and there received from Ahmedábád a copy of the Kurâán written by Imám Âli Taki, son of Imám Músa Raza (a.d. 810–829), seventh in descent from Âli, the famous son-in-law of the Prophet, the first of Musalmán mystics. In a.d. 1717 Ásaph Jáh Nizám-ul-Mulk was appointed governor of Málwa and continued to manage the province by deputy till a.d. 1721. In a.d. 1722 Rája Girdhar Bahádur, a Nágar Bráhman, was made governor and remained in charge till in a.d. 1724 he was attacked and defeated by Chimnáji Pandit and Udáji Pavár.160 Rája Girdhar was succeeded by his relation Dia Bahádur, whose successful government ended in a.d. 1732, when through the secret help of the local chiefs Malhárráo Holkar led an army up the Bhairav pass, a few miles east of Mándu, and at Tirellah, between Amjera and Dhár, defeated and slew Dia Bahádur. As neither the next governor Muhammad Khán Bangash nor his successor Rája Jai Singh of Jaipúr were able to oust the Maráthás, their success was admitted in a.d. 1734 by the appointment of Peshwa Bájiráo (a.d. 1720–1740) to be governor of Málwa. On his appointment (a.d. 1734) the Peshwa chose Anand Ráo Pavár as his deputy. Anand Ráo shortly after settled at Dhár, and since a.d. 1734 Mándu has continued part of the territory of the Pavárs of Dhar.161 In a.d. 1805 Mándu sheltered the heroic Mína Bái during the birth-time of her son Rámchundra Ráo Pavár, whose state was saved from the clutches of Appendix II. The Hill Fort of Mándu. History Notices, a.d. 1820–1895. Holkar and Sindhia by the establishment of British overlordship in a.d. 1817.162