Orchha State (also known as Urchha, Ondchha and Tikamgarh) was a princely state of the Bundelkhand region of British India. In 1811, during the period of Company Rule in India, it became part of the Bundelkhand Agency within the Central India Agency. It was state with a 15-gun salute and its maharajas bore the hereditary title First of the Prince of Bundelkhand. After the independence of India in 1947, it acceded to the Union of India, in 1950.
Orchha State was founded in 1501 by the Bundela chief, Rudra Pratap Singh, who became its first king. He reigned between 1501-1531, during which time he built the fort at what is now the town of Orchha, on the banks of the river Betwa. He was succeeded by his son, Bharatichand, who died without leaving an heir in 1554 and was in turn succeeded by his younger brother, Madhukar Shah. Both Bharatichand and Madhukar had to deal with attacks, organised under the Afghan Islam Shah Suri and the Mughal Akbar. Madhukar's position had become so precarious in the 1570s that he agreed to Orchha becoming a tributary state and to enlistment of himself and his family in the service of the Mughal empire. During the rule of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, his vassal, Vir Singh Deo, was ruler of the Orchha area and it was during this period that Orchha reaches its height. In the early-17th century, Raja Jhujhar Singh rebelled against the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose armies devastated the state and occupied Orchha from 1635 to 1641. In that latter year, the conquerors installed the former raja's brother on the throne. Orchha was the only Bundela state not entirely subjugated by the Marathas in the 18th century. The town of Tehri, Tikamgarh, became the capital of Orchha state in 1783. Hamir Singh, who ruled from 1848 to 1874, was elevated to the style of Maharaja in 1865. Maharaja Pratap Singh (born 1854, died 1930), who succeeded to the throne in 1874, devoted himself entirely to the development of his state, himself designing most of the engineering and irrigation works that were executed during his reign. Vir Singh, Pratap Singh's successor, merged his state with the Union of India on 1 January 1950.
Orchha and Datia's Gaja Shahi series coins are very similar and are best sparated by the obverse symbol, which usually has five dots, 'lobes' (or other bud shapes) for Datia coins, but three for Orchha. The Orchha ones come in a wide variety of shapes, some of which are not five-lobed, but the variety of symbols also indicates Orchha even if five lobes cannot be seen. They all have crude calligraphy, and telling which emperor's name is on the coin is not always possible. There are so many weird date combinations on the coins of both states in silver and in copper, that reading the date is not always evidence of when it was struck.
Orchha State was founded in 1501 by the Bundela chief, Rudra Pratap Singh, who became its first king. He reigned between 1501-1531, during which time he built the fort at what is now the town of Orchha, on the banks of the river Betwa. He was succeeded by his son, Bharatichand, who died without leaving an heir in 1554 and was in turn succeeded by his younger brother, Madhukar Shah. Both Bharatichand and Madhukar had to deal with attacks, organised under the Afghan Islam Shah Suri and the Mughal Akbar. Madhukar's position had become so precarious in the 1570s that he agreed to Orchha becoming a tributary state and to enlistment of himself and his family in the service of the Mughal empire. During the rule of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, his vassal, Vir Singh Deo, was ruler of the Orchha area and it was during this period that Orchha reaches its height. In the early-17th century, Raja Jhujhar Singh rebelled against the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose armies devastated the state and occupied Orchha from 1635 to 1641. In that latter year, the conquerors installed the former raja's brother on the throne. Orchha was the only Bundela state not entirely subjugated by the Marathas in the 18th century. The town of Tehri, Tikamgarh, became the capital of Orchha state in 1783. Hamir Singh, who ruled from 1848 to 1874, was elevated to the style of Maharaja in 1865. Maharaja Pratap Singh (born 1854, died 1930), who succeeded to the throne in 1874, devoted himself entirely to the development of his state, himself designing most of the engineering and irrigation works that were executed during his reign. Vir Singh, Pratap Singh's successor, merged his state with the Union of India on 1 January 1950.
Orchha and Datia's Gaja Shahi series coins are very similar and are best sparated by the obverse symbol, which usually has five dots, 'lobes' (or other bud shapes) for Datia coins, but three for Orchha. The Orchha ones come in a wide variety of shapes, some of which are not five-lobed, but the variety of symbols also indicates Orchha even if five lobes cannot be seen. They all have crude calligraphy, and telling which emperor's name is on the coin is not always possible. There are so many weird date combinations on the coins of both states in silver and in copper, that reading the date is not always evidence of when it was struck.
| Ruler (title Raja/Maharaja) | Reign | |
| Rudra Pratap | 1501 - 1531 | |
| Bharatichand | 1531 - 1554 | |
| Madhukar Shah | 1554 - 1592 | |
| Ram Shah | 1592 - 1605 | |
| Vir Singh Deo (Bir Singh Deo) | 1605 - 1626/7 | |
| Jhujhar Singh | 1626/7 - 1635 | |
| Devi Singh | 1635 - 1641 | |
| Pahar Singh | 1641 - 1653 | |
| Sujan Singh | 1653 - 1672 | |
| Indramani Singh | 1672 - 1675 | |
| Jaswant Singh | 1675 - 1684 | |
| Bhagwat Singh | 1684 - 1689 | |
| Udwat Singh | 1689 - 1735 | |
| Prithvi Singh | 1735 - 1752 | |
| Sanwant Singh | 1752 - 1765 | |
| Hati Singh | 1765 - 1768 | |
| Man Singh | 1768 - 1775 | |
| Bharti Singh | 1775 - 1776 | |
| Vikramajit Mahendra | 1796 - 1817 | |
| Dharam Pal | 1817 - 1834 | |
| Taj Singh | 1834 - 1842 | |
| Surjain Singh | 1842 - 1848 | |
| Hamir Singh | 1848 - 1874 | |
| Pratap Singh | 1874 - 1930 | |
| Vir Singh II | 1930 - 1950 |
1 Rupee - Vikramajit Mahendra INO Shah Alam II, KM#C32
Rev : Inscription, Gaja (mace) mint mark and additional mint mark 5 and RY#38
Details :
Plain edge.
KM#C32
1 Rupee - Vikramajit Mahendra INO Shah Alam II, KM#C32
Rev : Inscription, Gaja (mace) mint mark and additional mint mark 7 and RY#43
Details :
Plain edge.
KM#C32
1 Rupee - Vikramajit Mahendra INO Shah Alam II, KM#C32
Rev : Inscription, Gaja (mace) mint mark and additional mint mark 9 and RY#45
Details :
Plain edge.
KM#C32
References :
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchha_State
- South Asian Coins & Paper Money (INDIAN EDITION) - Krause Publication
