Rewa, Madhya Pradesh

Rewa is a city in the north-eastern part of Madhya Pradesh state in India. It is the administrative center of Rewa District and Rewa Division. The city lies about 420 km northeast of the state capital Bhopal and 230 km north of the city of Jabalpur. The maximum length of Rewa district is 125 km from east to west and the length of Rewa from north to south is 96 km. This area is surrounded by Kaimur hills to the south Vindhyachal ranges pass through the middle of the district.

History
The district of Rewa derives its name from the town of Rewa, the district headquarters, which is another name for the Narmada River.

Present day Rewa was part of the Baghelkhand region which expanded from the present day Prayagraj in the North to Ratanpur in the South, Jabalpur in the West to Surajpur in the East.

Baghel Dynasty
Baghel Dynasty was founded by Bhimaldev (son of Vyaghradev, the chieftain of Vyaghrapalli) in 1236 CE. Baghelas are basically Chalukyans of Anhilwara (Gujarat).

The region was earlier governed by Lodhi Rajputs and Sengar chieftains of Rajgond Dynasty. Lodhi's Diwan Tiwari conspired with Baghelas and assisted in foundation of Baghela Rule in the Gahora Patti region. In return of this favour, Baghelas granted title of "Singh Tiwari" or "Adhrajiya Tiwari" to the Diwan Tiwari.

Raja Ramchandra shifted capital to Bandhavgarh, and later Raja Vikramjit Singh shifted capital to Rewa in 1605 CE.

Bandhavgarh Fort was sieged by Mughals. Tansen and Birbal (Mahesh Das) were in court of Ramchandra Singh Baghel.

Raghuraj Singh Baghel built Govindgarh Fort, which lies in between Govindgarh lake. Govindgarh is famous for its exquisite varieties of mangoes.

Raja Gulab Singh was called "social reformer King" of Rewa. Raja Martand Singh was the last Baghela Ruler. Later, the state joined the Union of India, after independence.

Revolt of 1857
Thakur Ranmat Singh of Mankahri revolted against the British and was hanged in 1859.

In the context of the 1857 Indian Rebellion, the princely state of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh played a significant role, but a controversial one. Thakur Ranmat Singh, a notable leader from Mankhari village in Satna district, emerged as a key figure in the uprising within the region. Holding the rank of Sardar in the Maharaja of Rewa's service, Thakur Ranmat Singh became increasingly discontented with British interference, particularly by the Resident Political Agent, Willoughby Osborne.

Inspired by the rebellion's broader momentum, Ranmat Singh led a formidable group of 2,000 rebels, besieging Osborne's bungalow. Although Osborne escaped, the rebels continued their struggle, engaging in multiple battles across areas like Nagod, Bhilsain, Chitrakoot, Nowgong, and Keoti. These activities made Thakur Ranmat Singh a significant threat to British control in the area

However, the Maharaja of Rewa, under British pressure, eventually turned against Ranmat Singh. Despite initial sympathies for his cause, the Maharaja facilitated Ranmat Singh's capture. Thakur Ranmat Singh was arrested, charged with the murder of Europeans, and hanged in August 1860.

This betrayal by the Rewa state highlights the complexities and internal conflicts during the 1857 Rebellion, where loyalty and resistance often intertwined in the fight against colonial rule.

Demographics
As of 2011, Rewa had a population of about 2,35,654 out of which 1,24,012 are males and 1,11,642 are females. Rewa has an average literacy rate of 86.31%, male literacy is 91.67%, and female literacy is 80.40%. In Rewa, 10.76% of the population is under 6 years old.

Society
The region is home to Kol Tribes of Madhya Pradesh. Rewa Riyasat had given royal patronage to three Brahmins, today known as Tiwari, Mishra and Dubey (Parauha). These three formed closed matrimonial alliances.

Tiwari had assisted Vyaghra Singh Deo Baghel and his sons to orchestrate Coup d'état of Lodhis and ascend the throne of Rewa Estate. In return of the favor, Tiwari and his successors called "Adhrajiya Tiwari" with title of "Singh Tiwari". The other known Tiwari clans are - Tiwani, Hanna etc.

Mishras belong to four clans - Amanv (Chakghat), Anjora (Teonthar), Umapur (Prayagraj) and Tudihar (Mirzapur). Last brahmin to receive royal patronage was - Parauha, which used title Dubey or Dwivedi. Some other major Brahmin clans of Rewa are - Upadhyaya, Shukla, Gautam, Garg, Pandey, Tripathi etc.

Kurmi people are landed wealthy agriculturalists of the region with expertise in mango, tobacco, linseed and rice cultivation.

Cuisine
The region has highest production of pulses, tobacco, mangoes, flaxseeds, Mahua etc. Thus, cuisines enjoyed by people are -


 * 1) Indrahar - paste of several pulses mixed and baked in steam
 * 2) Kadhi - kadhi uses Rasaj (gram flour cakes), Sooran (elephant foot yam) and Indrahar
 * 3) Bagza - aam kery pana with toppings of gram flour spaghettis and fried with cumin and mustard
 * 4) Kusuli - regional variation of Guziya sweet
 * 5) Dal Poori - breads filled with grinded Gram Dal and spices like - Garlic, Garam Masala etc.
 * 6) Nimona - peas or green grams fine grinded and fried to curry masala
 * 7) Sattu - fine grinded popcorns of wheat, gram and barley
 * 8) Mahua Poori (Mauhari) - pooris used with fillings of sun dried ripen Mahua fruits

Economy
Rewa has a diverse economy and is mainly known for its Cement industry with many Cement product plans in the vicinity e.g. Jaypee Cement, Prism Cement etc.

Rail
Rewa railway station is connected to Satna through the 50 km Satna-Rewa branch line. Satna falls on the Howrah-Prayagraj-Mumbai line.

Road & air
The highways crossing through the city are NH 7, NH 27, and NH 75 NH 30.

The closest major airport to Rewa is Prayagraj Airport, Uttar Pradesh which is 130 kilometers (80.7 miles) away and has flights to major destinations such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, etc. Other airports are at Chorahta Airport Rewa, Khajuraho, Jabalpur and Varanasi. Rewa will soon have its own domestic airport which is under construction and scheduled to get open by 2023 end.