Dewas State (Junior Branch) देवास छोटी पाती रियासत
Parmar/Puar Maratha Princely State of British India
1728–1948
Flag
Dewas Senior and Dewas Junior states in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
Area
• 1901	1,100 km2 (420 sq mi)
Population
• 1901	54,904
History
• Established	1728
• Independence of India	1948
Preceded by Succeeded by Maratha Empire India
Today part of	India

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 ('Dada Saheb') Puar and Dewas Senior ruled by Tukoji Rao ('Baba Saheb') Puar. On 12 December 1818, the 2 Dewas States became British protectorates.^[1]

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.^[2] Their descendants ruled as the senior and junior branches of the family.

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.^[3]

The Junior branch had an area of 440 sq mi (1,100 km²) and had a population of 54,904 in 1901, while the Senior branch had an area of 446 sq mi (1,160 km²) and a population of in 62,312 in the same year.^[4] Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency.

• 
  An old photograph of Goddess Chamunda Mata's Temple on Dewas Tekri (Hill).
• 
  A rare photograph of the Old Palace (Rajwada) of Dewas Junior.
• 
  The Durga Bagh Palace, Dewas Junior State.
• 
  The Shree Lakshmi Narayan Bhawan Club, Dewas Junior State
• 
  Shree Narayan Tower, Dewas Junior. The Clock Tower is named after HH Raja Srimant Narayanrao (Dada Sahib) Puar of Dewas (Junior).
• 
  The Gate at Shree Malhar, The Residence of His Holiness Shri Shilnath Maharaj.
• 
  The Law Courts, Dewas Junior State.
• 
  A rare photograph of the 3 successive Maharajas of Dewas Junior State (L to R - HH Maharaja Sadashiv Rao Puar, HH Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Puar and HH Maharaja Malhar Rao Puar).
• 
  Dewas Collectorate Building (originally known as Lakshmi Niwas Palace of Dewas Junior). This was illegally demolished by the local administration in March 2023, despite an ongoing case and strong opposition by the citizens of Dewas.

Dewas Junior & Senior Darbars (Court) was composed of Sardars, Mankaris, Istamuradars, Thakurs and Jagirdars.^[5][6]

Accession to Indian Union

After India's independence in 1947, the Maharajas of Dewas acceded to India, and their states were integrated into Madhya Bharat, which became a state of India in 1950. In 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh state.